Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
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Welc ome
... to the first edition of the new-look Ashlink, our regular newsletter for all staff. In each issue we will be keeping you up-to-date with developments at Ashridge, helping you get to know your colleagues better and sharing information about the many and varied social activities you can get involved in. We hope you like the new design and find the content useful. It is based on the feedback from the internal communications review earlier in the year, with the aim being to have a good balance of both business and social news. The overwhelming majority wanted to retain the name Ashlink so that is what we have stuck with. The plan is to publish the next edition in early December and then aim for six editions in 2014. Ashlink is intended to be a newsletter for everyone and we encourage you to provide feedback (on what you like and what can be improved), ideas and possible stories for future editions please contact the editorial team at staffnews@ashridge.org.uk
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Ashridge Update
The last few months have probably seen the most change in the shortest period of time in the history of Ashridge Business School. In common with our business school colleagues from across the globe, we are facing difficult economic times, as well as a major shift in the way business education is delivered. The reorganisation, which is now well underway, has been necessary to help us keep our competitive edge, meet client needs more effectively and not least balance our budget. 2013 has been a particularly challenging year financially, and as everyone will be aware, we have had to tighten our belts considerably. We are grateful to staff for their support in helping us identify cost savings and accepting some of the difficult decisions that have had to be made in terms of restructuring and budget cuts. Some job cuts have been a regrettable but inevitable part of the reorganisation and we are sad to have lost some valued members of staff. We have made strenuous efforts to reallocate those facing redundancy to alternative roles within the business wherever possible and to support those who have had to leave us with their future job search. The key aspects of the reorganisation are now complete. Details of the new structure can be seen in the chart on page 2. This issue also includes an introduction to one of our newly-formed teams (Executive and Organisation Development) and we will be giving you the low-down on other departments in future issues.
A good start The fine detail of some of the changes is still emerging but the good news is that we are already beginning to see benefits from our new more joined-up approach. We are winning new work some of which will have a positive effect on the bottom line for 2013. Virtual Ashridge is doing well, forward bookings for Open programmes are looking good, we are seeing a significant increase in take-up of our qualifications programmes and the results of bringing tailored and consulting together are beginning to be seen. On the House front, the events team have exceeded their targets for 2013 and have already confirmed almost a quarter of their 2014 budget. We cannot, however, rest on our laurels if we are to meet our challenging target of achieving 31M income in 2013 (while spending less than 30m). We still need to actively pursue every lead and to focus specifically on landing business that will impact on our budget for the rest of this year. Looking ahead The Ashridge Governors will meet at the end of September to review progress and look at the pipeline for the rest of 2013. At their subsequent meeting in November, they will discuss a plan and budget for 2014. We should not under-estimate the challenges that lie ahead, but we are heading in the right direction. We appreciate the way everyone has pulled together during this difficult transition to the new structure and look forward to seeing more benefits from our new more cohesive approach in the year ahead.
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CEO update
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CEO Update
When the coffee machine in Cloisters is working, all is well with the world. When my music is playing in that miraculous bluetooth-streaming way while I have to write things at my desk, even better. From my own personal perspective, it has been a roller-coaster of a ride since we kicked off the Future Search in October last year. Change invariably creates uncertainty and concern, and much of it has been appropriately and expectedly been channelled in my direction. Ive always seen my role as a network node where information comes together and where I can hopefully make some sense of things. I dont profess to know all the answers and have no inclination for sinister plotting so Ive welcomed all of the thoughtful input, even when the volume has been considerable on occasion. From all of our collective discussions about the future of Ashridge, the line of direction quickly became clear. The practicalities of new role descriptions, fair processes and making everyone as comfortable as possible with the new structures has obviously taken a little while and is not
something we have yet fully completed. At one level up from the organisational changes, all of the financial constraints and market opportunities have also been critically important. It would be so great if we had a lot of money to use for new investments. Unfortunately we do not. Navigating between the challenges of resource constraints, the changes that are taking place at Ashridge, and delivering the best possible new services to our clients is a constant balancing act which can feel like being between a rock and a hard place on occasion. I know that not everything has gone swimmingly and that there have been people hurt and tasks not completed as quickly as possible. Apologies for that. For my sins, Ive been up at Ashridge best guess here about 30 weekend days so far this year and have taken only a sliver of a new moon of a vacation. It has been pretty full on and even with all of this, there have not been enough hours in the day. More than one person has come along to me and has said: Kai I would not want your job right now. Bless.
The huge amount of progress in a short period has however been great to see. I try and look on the bright side of life and adhere to Benthams philosophy of greatest good for the greatest number and Aristotles do no harm. In the midst of all of the 2013 action, Ive been very pleased that a book that I had been working on with Kurt April, an Ashridge Fellow, and Julia Kukard, called Steward Leadership has come out on the University of Cape Town Press. The cover is green. It is not about managing a Scottish family called the Stewards. Its an attempt to write about how to balance all of the different stakeholders in todays business environment in order to ensure sustainability in the broad sense. I think it is not too bad Id like to close this short piece simply by thanking everyone for having the faith to stick along for the ride and make things work. Id like especially to thank those of you who come around every now and then and pat me on the head on the more manic days. It means a lot. Best wishes, Kai
James Moncrieff
Brian Worsfold
Sona Sherratt
Stefan Wills
Andy Copeland
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Ashridge Altogether
Client News
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Ashridge Altogether
Colleagues from around Ashridge pitched in for a series of invigorating outdoor learning sessions run over the summer by Ang Jowitt and Rachel Sceats of the experiential learning team. Ashridge Altogether was a chance to meet up with other colleagues and take part in problem-solving tasks with those you might not get to work with very often in your day-to-day role. The sessions offered an opportunity to learn a bit more about working effectively in teams and to get to know each other better. In the first exercise, participants developed trust by engaging in some gentle trust falls supported by colleagues. Through this the team developed sufficient trust to traverse along a wire cable, requiring them to work as one team, communicating effectively and coaching and supporting one another. Other challenges included a blindfold communication task and one that involved moving dangerous chemicals (it was actually water!) across an imaginary ravine. The group had a choice of tasks, some of which were physical and off-ground, but others were thinking tasks where feet stayed on terra firma. The groups had plenty of choice about what they did according to their comfort zone, and it was all very relaxed and flexible. Anj Jowitt came up with the idea for the sessions. She said: We were at one of the meetings hosted by Vicki, James and Lindsey. Part of the very clear message they were conveying was that they want to encourage staff to think of ways to getting to know each other better. Sitting there listening to them speak, an idea was born. How do we do this with our clients? Experiential learning of course! We suggested it to Vicki, James and Lindsey and they liked the idea. So, a team huddle between myself, Rachel Sceats and Jan Rabbetts ensued and we came up with the concept of Ashridge Altogether. Anj went on to say: We are aware that the dates offered in August probably conflicted with a lot of peoples annual holidays, so our plan is to run more of these events in future. We would encourage staff at all levels to support this as much as possible when we run them again.
Client News
Ashridge has established a new network to support organisations responsible for delivering change within health and social care. The Ashridge Health and Wellbeing Connection was launched after a successful business development workshop attended by 40 health and social care leaders earlier this year. It is a learning by doing network, designed to support the spread of best practice in the commissioning and provision of health and wellbeing services. This new service will use action research to encourage managers to reflect on their leadership journey and to help members explore how local health and social care systems can be improved. At the heart of the wider network is openness to share and learn from each other to help resolve some of the toughest challenges facing health and social care professionals today. The network will draw on Ashridges extensive research and expertise in this sector and has been developed in recognition of the fact that a growing part of our business is focused on supporting managers who are working to resolve the critical challenges in public life. Clients will be charged an annual fee to take advantage of the service. If you have any contacts who may be interested in taking part or you would like to find out more, contact Danny Chesterman, Business Director, email: danny.chesterman@ashridge.org.uk or tel: 07860 414207.
Introducing
Were delighted to share with you news of our new Staff Network. We have not just changed the name from the Staff Forum, but have worked to design a new body that will support and represent all staff in a more collaborative and equal way. Key changes are: Reps are reps for the whole of Ashridge, not just their own department. This means that any member of staff can approach any rep to raise an issue. This could be the rep located in the area in which the issue has arisen but also gives staff more access to reps and should help cross departmental boundaries. Were going to try and address issues locally where possible all reps are empowered to work with staff to do this. Effective and timely communication is key to the success of Staff Network. Therefore although formal quarterly meetings will still be held, Staff Network will hold informal meetings as and when needed so that current issues can be raised, addressed and responded to. Key messages and action points will be distributed by reps through the new Yammer Staff Network Group. Staff Network will be kept informed of staff movements i.e. starters/ leavers/transfers. The idea is that reps will take responsibility for saying Hi to new people, and to explain the purpose of the Network and how it works. At Network meetings we will share new developments and successes. This wont be formal but conversational. Anyone can join the meetings. Please join us in making Staff Network a valuable and enjoyable part of Ashridge. If you need any more information, or would like to get involved, please speak to one of the reps pictured here.
There are also social groups where you can continue to post messages about events and activities, ask for recommendations or offer items for sale. There is also a facility to send private messages to colleagues, which some teams are beginning to experiment with. What about databases and forms? Some of the standard databases and forms (ie. the environmental management system) will continue to be accessed via the Intranet, although you will find a link on Yammer where you can click straight through. You might want to think about making Yammer your home page, so that all the information you need is at your fingertips, alongside all the latest discussions. Still not sure? ITs Matt Woodland has already started a programme of short training sessions designed to get everyone up-to-speed with Yammer as quickly as possible. Contact Matt for more details about the schedule or if you have any questions about the change-over. Contact Matt at matt.woodland@ashridge.org.uk
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Marketplace success
Award success
The Register
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Marketplace success
The Marketplace event, which was staged at the end of July, was an event that truly captured the spirit of Ashridge. It provided a platform for virtually every business and service area of Ashridge to showcase its offerings and talents in a creative and interactive way. There were as 32 stall holders, all trying their hand to attract the attention of fellow workers and to enable them to know and understand more about other departments. The event was also great fun. There were the appetising cocktails offered by F&B, the firing range on the Open stand, and fishing for a duck on the Qualifications stall. There were also some skill tests, to highlight what others do on a daily basis, such as a cooking an omelette, making a button-hole or fixing a bathroom tile. Kerrie Fleming, who was recently appointed as the new Director of The Ashridge Leadership Centre, initiated the whole project which was then taken forward by a steering committee that promoted and ran the event with aplomb. The steering committee was Helen Lockett, Karen Moyle, Nigel Bradshaw, Roy Lunnon and Dan Turney. Kerrie said: The idea for the Marketplace came about from a concept we use within our tailored executive education programmes, especially with large international clients who have many business units specialising in different areas across their business. We felt it would help to fill some of the gaps people have in their knowledge about people and functions within Ashridge and could both encourage collaboration and reduce duplication. The final event exceeded all expectations and really captured the heartland of what Ashridge is all about, which is its people. There was a huge knowledge transfer and a depth of understanding of the intricacies of each business unit. I was delighted to be a part of it and was touched by the efforts people went to during such challenging times in our business. I would like to thank everyone for making it such a success. It made me very happy to be part of a community which has such pride in what it does to ensure the Ashridge experience is such a good one for our clients, visitors and employees.
Award successes
DB Schenker DB Schenker Logistics and Ashridge were highly commended in the EFMD (European Foundation for Management Development) awards for their case study on transforming individual lives and organisational culture for a sustainable future. The case study tells the story of the International Leadership Programme a 14-year collaboration which continues to have a far-reaching impact within DB Schenker Logistics. The programme, which was directed by Stefan Wills, is a great example of how leadership development within an organisation can deliver a significant return on investment. If youd like more information or to read the award entry, which was put together by Fran Montague together with Stefan, contact fran.montague@ashridge.org.uk SABMiller Ashridge has also been shortlisted, together with SABMiller, in the Best Practice in Learning Transfer category of the 2013 Training Journal awards. The entry, which features the SABMiller European Management Development programme, shows what can be done on a very practical level to maximise the learning transfer and organisational impact of leadership development. The winner will be announced in November. For more information or to read the submission, contact Fran Montague or Sona Sherratt (sona.sherratt@ashridge.org.uk), who put together the entry.
The Register
Our regular slot where we welcome new faces and say goodbye to colleagues who have left Ashridge for pastures new.
Scott Hansen, Commis Chef, joined 1 July Kacie Sugrue, Qualifications, joined 1 July Andie Callaghan, Ashridge House Commercial Analyst, joined 1 July Tsheli Lujabe, Faculty, joined 5 August Olga Ashcheulova, Housekeeping, joined 12 August Clive Rawlings, Design and Print manager, joined 2 September.
Shadi Kelly, Qualifications, left 7 July Sally Smith, Hospitality Admin, left 12 July Derrick Barnes, Transport, left 19 July Chris Shaw, Housekeeping, left 31 July Gareth Cox, IS&T, 31 July George Caldwell-Nichols, IS & T, left 2 August Peter Travers, Transport, left 4 August Mazz Blake, Transport, left 4 August Jim Robinson, Transport, left 4 August Clive Rochester, Transport, left 4 August Frank Dancer, Transport, left 4 August Ginny Lewis, Finance, left 12 August Amy Rose, Conferences & Events, left 13 August Tobias Smith, Commis Chef, left 16 August
Ryan C ar r ingt on
The first in a regular series of staf f prof iles designed to help you get to know some of the faces you see around Ashridge a bit better.. . .
Scott Hansen
Kacie Sugrue
Andie Callaghan
Tsheli Lujabe
Olga Ashcheulova
Clive Rawlings
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Repton Anniversary
On 27 July, over 50 garden aficionados gathered together at Ashridge House to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Humphry Reptons Red Book for Ashridge. The first person to describe himself as a landscape gardener, Repton presented the Red Book a collection of watercolours and pencil sketches depicting his plans for the Gardens to the 7th Earl of Bridgewater in 1813. Over the two-day conference delegates heard from a distinguished panel of experts including Tom Williamson who gave a fascinating lecture on the life and work of Repton; Peter Inskip who presented on Georgian Architecture and Gothic Revival, and Richard Wheeler who spoke about the management of Ashridge Park. As part of the celebrations, the Ashridge Main Dining Room was officially renamed Repton Hall by Ashridge Governor David Pugh. A special edition of the Red Book was on display throughout the anniversary weekend.
Dining at Ashridge
Autumn sees the launch of our new dining offering a bi-monthly event that will include a House tour followed by a menu of contemporary food and complementary wines from across the globe. We kick-started the new season with a Mediterranean-themed evening on September 13, which will be followed by a South American influenced dining event in November. See www.ashridgehouse.org.uk for future dates.
butterflies, moths and bats, and using the wildlife and biodiversity we have in the Gardens as a learning resource for visitors. As orchards are great habitats for insects and other wildlife, the tree planting will also boost our biodiversity. Of course, fruit is also a delicious food source for humans. Once the trees are established and fruiting in three or four years time, the apples, pears and cherries can be harvested and used by the Ashridge kitchens. Children from local primary schools and the Hemel Scouts are set to get involved in the planting of historic local varieties of apples, pears and cherries in November, as part of their learning about food, wildlife and biodiversity. The orchard will then remain a resource available to local schools and Scout groups for learning events in the years to come. Mick Thompson added: This initiative will also strengthen Ashridges bond with the local community. The re-planting of the orchard is about improving the quality of life for our communities, as well as the environment we live in. The Sustainability Committee also plans to organise an Apple Day event for visitors in October as part of the Tring Apple Fayre.
Thanks to funding from the UK Tree Council, Ashridge is set to plant a community heritage orchard during National Tree Week, the UKs largest annual tree celebration, in November. A recent review of Ashridge Gardens maps from 1898 and 1924 revealed that an area was previously planted as an orchard. Now, the new funding will enable Ashridges Sustainability Committee to recreate the traditional English orchard, and further restore the rich heritage of the Gardens. 60 trees will be planted in an area south of the Moat. Mick Thompson, Ashridges Gardens Manager, said: This new funding will help us to restore the Gardens to their former glory. We plan to replant the orchard with local heritage varieties to maintain its historical accuracy. One of our sustainability focus areas is improving habitats in the gardens for priority species like bees,
ASSAC
Family Fun Day Raises Hundreds for Local Charities
The Annual Ashridge Staff Social Activities Club (ASSAC) Family Fun Day, which took place in the gardens on 4 August, raised over 730 for local charities. Over 200 members of staff, their families and local residents flocked to Ashridge to attend the action-packed day. Activities included a bouncy castle, face painting, coconut shy and hook a duck. A range of original craft stalls selling jewellery, designer bags and pens were on-site and Zumba and hooping dance displays and Irish dancing entertained attendees. Danee Miller, Design and Print, Corporate Communications, won the cake decorating competition, with her original bee-themed hive-cake. Pat Wartnaby, ASSAC Treasurer and Corporate Communications team member, said: Many staff made cakes or gave up time to help make the event a great success. A massive thanks goes out to all those who took part and contributed. 410 of the money raised by the fun day will go towards Hospice of St Francis, Berkhamsted, which cares for patients with a wide range of life threatening illnesses, such as cancer, heart disease, lung disease and neurological illness. A tombola run during the event by Nicola Merriman of Food and Beverage also raised 320 for the CRY (Cardiac risk in the Young) Foundation.
Nicola suddenly lost her son Richard in July last year, aged only 27, when he was struck by a sudden cardiac death while out playing football, just eight weeks before he was due to be married. Since then, she has led a fundraising campaign on behalf of CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young) to raise funds for a team, run by CRY, to screen people at a local venue, to help reduce the risk of more lives being lost in this way. Nicola is already over half way to her goal having raised more than 4000 of the 8000 needed. She said: It was devastating to lose our son Richard when he was so young and had so much of life ahead of him, but if we can help save lives locally by providing screening for young people, it will provide a lasting legacy. She has been supported by family and friends, her work colleagues at Ashridge House, and donations from many local businesses and individuals. The next fundraising event will be a Zumbathon in Hemel Hempstad in October. To donate to Nicolas campaign, visit: www.c-r-y.org.uk/donate and specify that your donation is for the Richard Merriman Memorial Fund. To see further photos of the day, please contact Rob Machin.
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ASSAC
Whats on when
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Sustainability
on each profession. As well as developing careers knowledge, the project gave students the chance to develop their communication, prioritisation, negotiation and team-working skills. Recent Ashridge research into Generation Y suggests that developing work skills like these are important for graduates starting in the workplace. Both groups of students were curious about working in a Business School and in particular how psychological knowledge is used to help people learn, says Ayeisha. I found being able to contribute to the success of the next generation of working professionals an enriching experience and was delighted that my group of students received an award for the group which displayed the best teamwork. Inspire the Future needs more volunteers to provide learning opportunities for young people at a critical stage in their career development. For more information visit their website www.inspiringthefuture.org.
ASSAC
Channel swim
You have to be made of strong stuff to swim the English Channel with its strong currents, jelly fish en masse, various detritus and the fact that it is one of the busiest shipping channels in the world. Thats why Jude Karnon (Corporate Comms) and Jess Hills (Virtual Ashridge) decided to take up the challenge in the comfort of the TLC pool. We needed to get back on track as our time in the pool was becoming more about chatting and less about swimming so this was perfect, says Jude. It took us 24 visits to the pool to complete the 22 miles. We both felt really proud to achieve the swim and are totally in awe of people who swim the Channel in a day. We are continuing with the challenges by swimming the equivalent of other bodies of water with the Dead Sea, Lake Geneva and the Panama Canal in our sights.
The Ashridge Staff Social Activities Club (ASSAC) aims to encourage employee engagement throughout the organisation. A social club can help motivate employees, and offers staff the chance to de-stress through getting together socially. Plus, it is widely acknowledged that happy staff help boost business performance! Committee members: Elaine Mills, Qualifications (Chair) Pat Wartnaby, Corporate Comms (Treasurer) Roy Lunnnon , Venue Services Christine Shrimpton, Executive & Organisational Development Sharon West, Corporate Comms Naomi Philp, Food & Beverage Lee OToole, Gardens Nicky Merriman, Food & Beverage Marion Turney, Housekeeping.
Get involved!
We are currently seeking new committee members. As a committee member, you would be asked to attend meetings, of which we have about four a year, depending on the number of events scheduled and items to be discussed. Committee members get involved in a variety of activities, including promoting events internally, selling tickets and helping to set up and run events. We also have a vacancy for a Committee Secretary. If you are not sure about performing a committee role, then why not consider volunteering to be a Friend of ASSAC, to be called on to help out at one of the events. If you are interested in getting involved, or finding out more, please do get in touch. Elaine Mills, ASSAC Chair Email: elaine.mills@ashridge.org.uk Ext: 1202
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Whodidit?
The smell of greasepaint and the roar of the crowd came to Ashridge in August, with the Ashridge Players latest production Whodidit? Performed over three nights to 150 staff, family, friends, clients and local people, it raised over 1000 for the Ashridge Gardens Restoration Fund, The Book Bus Foundation and Medical Detection Dogs. Entirely performed and produced by Ashridge staff, Whodidit is a comedy murder mystery, parodying an Agatha Christie play, with a extremely strange collection of characters: innuendo-obsessed Inspector Harry Story played by Bob Stilliard pipe-smoking novelist Tom Darling by Toby Roe his prissy wife Mary Darling by Pat Turner madman Able Bonecrusher by James Holland dotty maid Laura Scribbles by Jess Hills annoying cook Mrs Meals by Judy Curd a very bad tempered Uncle by Martin Scott the flamboyant and alcoholic Miss Daguerreotype by Jude Karnon.
Whats on when..
Lunchtime Learning Bites! All staff are welcome These bite-sized sessions enable staff to share their latest thinking, research or teaching practices with staff across Ashridge. 8 October, 13:00 14:00, Competing on Value: A new system for Performance Measurement, Dr Nicholas Fisher, Principal, ValueMetrics Australia and Visiting Professor, School of Mathematics & Statistics, University of Sydney 14 October, 13:00 14:00, Relational Leadership: The importance of dialogue and the other, Megan Reitz 11 November, 13:00 14:00, Creativity Applied, Dr Mark Batey, Psychometrician at Manchester Business School and Barry Shafe 26 November, 13:00 14:00, A comparison of the offshoring and outsourcing strategies in German and British multinational corporations, Anthony Mitchell 3 December, 13:00 14:00, Artful Organisations, Dr Chris Seely 18 December, 13:00 14:00, Ego Depletion and Willpower, Angela Whelan All venues will be confirmed the week before each takes place. If you would like to run a learning bite to share new ideas and get feedback from peers, or for more information contact Ayiesha Russell, Ashridge Research, tel: +44 1442 841389, Email: ayiesha.russell@ashridge.org.uk Find out more online http://bit.ly/17EdvY6 All Staff Meetings The all staff meetings are designed to update all Ashridge employees on organisation-wide objectives and performance. They also enhance and promote two-way communication among all staff. The next meeting is: 11 December, LMA Board of Governors meetings 27 September, London. 18 November, Ashridge ASSAC - Ashridge Staff and Social Activities Club ASSAC provides social activities for staff members. Any surplus left over from events is donated to local charities. 2 November, Quiz night (general knowledge), 10 per person, includes supper 8 December, Meet Father Christmas in Ashridge Gardens, 2 per child 16 December, Childrens Pantomime, 5 per adult, children **free** For more information contact Elaine Mills, ASSAC Chair: elaine.mills@ashridge.org.uk, tel: X 1202
The play was all made possible by the directional skills of Barbara Egglesfield, prompter and all-round help Anna Bosch and sound and lighting by Peter Silver, husband of Gabrielle. We do wish Peter and Gabrielle all the best for their move to Germany and need to find a way to get Peter back for our next production! The Ashridge Players try to put on a couple of performances a year, with a major production each August. The next production is the Childrens Pantomime for ASSAC in December. If you have ever wanted to tread the boards or help out backstage, please do contact one of the above. New members are always welcome.
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Contacts
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Whos Who
Chief Executive
Corporate Communications Director Toby Roe Learning Services Director Tony Sheehan
Kai Peters
Vicki Culpin
Director of E&OD
Dean of Faculty
Business Directors Stefan Wills, Sona Sherratt, Brian Worsfold, 2 vacancies Programme Co-ordinators Operations Manager 1 vacancy Service Development Service Development Manager Andy Copeland
Faculty Office Office Manager Ann Butler Associate Operations Manager Karen Moyle Community of Practice Heads Andrew Day, Angela Whelan, Vicki Culpin Psychometrics Jayne Burch Research Office Office Manager Emma Bradbury AEL Facility Manager Angela Jowitt Faculty and Associates
For full details of business events please visit: www.ashridge.org.uk/events For further information on ASSAC events please see the notice board in the Staff Hall or contact an ASSAC member.
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