Alumni Hall of Fame

“For me, fulfilment in my career means aligning my professional work with my personal values and interests. The time we devote to our careers occupies so much of our lives that I believe we should spend it pursuing those things we hold most dear. Working in the cultural sector, I am able to promote the value of the arts in our society and to highlight their importance to the human spirit. I have the great privilege of providing people with rich cultural experiences and working with people who are passionate about what they do. Career fulfilment for me also lies in recognising it is my responsibility to make my staff successful, since I believe we should always be fostering the development of those who will take over from us. In leading the talented and creative individuals who work for me, I am mindful of that wonderful quote from Yeats: tread softly, because you tread on my dreams.”

“Strive to make the complex simple. Dig deep to find the real concerns of all stakeholders, and identify the common ground on which to build outcomes that mean many can share in the achievement. Always enjoy what you do and look for opportunities to renew.”

“Originate the idea, solve the problems, manage the people, quality is everything.
Give trust, honour obligations, work to peoples’ strengths while understanding their weakness, never doubt that the dividing line between success and failure is razor thin.
Be daring in concept but financially conservative. Leverage is instability and largely precludes longevity. There is little which cannot be achieved.”

“A quote from Thomas J Watson, the founder of IBM, which is very relevant to the world of restructuring and corporate turnaround:
“Make a decision – make any decision, but make a decision.”
A key part of corporate restructuring is providing calm where others have lost their heads. Analysis is necessary but in a fast moving situation, critical decisions must be made correctly often with incomplete information.”