Professor Will Foster

Experience

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  Rolls-Royce

  May 1989 - Jul 1994

  Systems Manager and Project Manager

  Devised, wrote and implemented all company computer business and management information systems applying BPR and SSADM techniques and coding / developing in 4GL relational database. Project Manager of £multi-million water treatment contracts - UK and international.

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  Jonathan Lee Recruitment

  Jul 1994 - Aug 2003

  Senior / Lead / Principal Consultant

  Sector-leading boutique consultancy providing HR & recruitment services to senior executives and Boards. Reporting to the Managing Director as his deputy:• Strategy & Business Growth: helped create significant growth, incorporation of company, opening new offices, staff grew from 14 to 70, turnover grew from £1m (now £84m)• Divisional P&L responsibility: delivered year on year profit, developed KPIs for all divisions• Income: consistently exceeded personal fee income targets and generated sales for others• Account Management: worked with MD’s, CEO’s and senior Directors of small, medium and large corporate businesses often on a repeat business basis. • Sales: Won major projects with blue chip customers such as; Toyota, Honda, Rover, Ford, London Taxis, Lotus, JCB, Lucas, Denso, Rolls-Royce, TWR, TRW, Perkins, Goodrich, Smiths Aerospace, Transintech Rail, Bombardier, GEC / Alsthom • Turnaround / troubleshooting: took responsibility for a loss-making division. Within 12 months turnover increased and profit was generated by creating a team-performance ethos• I.T. / Business Systems: Initiated major in-house re-write of recruitment business software, migration from Unix to Windows / SQL plus redesign and re-launch of company web site• Project Management: refurbishment of a derelict property to relocate the business Show less

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  Cleeve School

  Sept 2003 - Aug 2005

  Business, HR and Finance Director: organisational transformation

  Leadership of over 60 support-staff and responsible for the school’s annual budget:• Major organisational restructure: created and implemented organisation-wide change • Finance: restructured accounts and financial coding, budgeting and reporting systems • HR: Implemented new job descriptions, appraisal system, recruitment processes and policies

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  University of Wolverhampton

  Sept 2005 - Aug 2019

  Strategic and academic lead for developing and growing the University’s regional academic activities and partnerships.I was also executive coach and mentor from 2010 helping to pilot and roll out a university-wide staff mentoring scheme and co-founding and co-chairing a research cluster in coaching and mentoring. Deputy / Associate Dean for: strategic resources (including finance and HR); partnerships and collaborative (UK and international); recruitment, outreach, marketing widening participation.Leadership/Head of School: School of Performing Arts, School of Media, Acting Dean of Business School.

  • Provost and Regional Dean

    Sept 2015 - Aug 2019

  • Deputy Dean, Associate Dean & Head of School(s)

    Sept 2005 - Aug 2015
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  Various organisations

  May 2014 - Oct 2022

  Principal Consultant Leadership, Strategy and Culture

  Strategic consultant working with CEO / Principals of private Institutions (Bible Colleges and Theological Schools) focusing on strategy, leadership and culture and Executive Coaching.External advisor for validations with Newman, Salford, UCL, University of the Creative Arts (UCA) and Manchester Metropolitan University.

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  Keele University

  Sept 2019 - Oct 2022

  Professor of Leadership & Director of MBA and Executive Education

  Keele University is world-renowned for its breadth of teaching and research that tackles the world's most urgent problems.As Professor of Leadership and Director of MBA and Executive Education in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences I developed, validated and led a suite of new MBA and Executive programmes that recruited / grew significant-sized cohorts of senior leaders through Senior Leader apprenticeship, executive global online and full time on-campus international programmes, significantly growing engagement with a wide range of diverse organisations and businesses. I delivered modules that included leadership, culture change, strategy and self-leadership/ leadership development to executive leaders including tripartite review mentor meetings.In the Faculty of Medicine & Health Science I helped restructure their leadership provision and also developed an MSc Global Healthcare Leadership in conjunction with Health Education England and to re-imagine the health leadership provision in the Faculty. Show less

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  Advance HE

  Oct 2022 - now

  Senior Consultant Leadership, Organisational Development and Research (Previously Asst. Director)

  Advance HE is proud to have a distinctive role helping higher education and research be the best it can be, founded on a deep-rooted partnership with the sector.Sector-wide global role working with VCs, DVCs, PVCs and Executive Leaders for leadership consultancy, leadership development, Executive Coaching and Action Learning facilitation. Contributing to the development of new leadership programmes and products and giving keynote talks on specialist leadership topics.Previously responsible for leading global professional recognition; developing and growing products, services, fellowships, awards and frameworks for teaching and learning. Show less

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  Waverley Abbey College

  Jun 2023 - now

  Honorary Professor, Leadership Strategy Culture

  Honorary Professor advising on Leadership, Higher Education Strategy and Portfolio / Programme Development