Webinar 1- Tuesday 12th May, 2020 11am BST

Presenter Biographies and Presentation Topics

Professor Jan Godsell will be presenting on how the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the critical role manufacturing supply chains are to the process of delivering products and services essential to life. A series of ‘lifeboat’ projects may be required in the short term, now is the time for UK manufacturing supply chains to pivot and build capability for the future.

Professor Jan Godsell joined WMG in October 2013 from her prior position of Senior Lecturer at Cranfield University School of Management. Professor Godsell's career has been split between both industry and academia. She joined the faculty of Cranfield in 2001, following the completion of her Executive MBA there. She also completed her PhD at Cranfield, researching the development of a customer responsive supply chain. Prior to her return to academia, Professor Godsell developed a successful career within industry, beginning at ICI/Zeneca Pharmaceuticals. Following this, she worked up to senior management level at Dyson, in both Supply Chain and Operations Management functions. At Dyson, she undertook a number of operational and process improvement roles within R&D, customer logistics, purchasing and manufacturing. Professor Godsell is a Chartered Engineer and Member of the IMechE. She is on the board and scientific committee of EurOMA (European Operations Management Association), the cabinet of the UK roundtable of CSCMP (Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals) and the manufacturing steering committee of the IMechE. She is on the editorial board of 3 journals, including the International Journal of Operations and Production Management, and she is an advocate for improving the uptake of STEM subjects by school children.

Dr Chris Bilton was the Director of the Centre for Cultural Policy Studies from 2008 until 2014. He is also the founder of the MA in Creative and Media Enterprises and was Course Director from its inception in 1999 until September 2008. Chris worked in the cultural sector for ten years before coming to Warwick, touring Britain and Europe as a writer, performer and manager with Balloonatics Theatre Company and working as Arts Development Officer for City of Westminster Arts Council in London. He has been a lecturer at the Centre since 1997. 

Professor Stephen Roper is Professor of Enterprise at Warwick Business School, Director of the Enterprise Research Centre (ERC) and Co-Director of the National Innovation Centre for Rural Enterprise (NICRE). He is an economist with degrees from the University of Durham, Oxford University and LSE. Prior to joining Warwick in 2008, Stephen was Professor of Business Innovation at Aston Business School and before that he was Assistant Director of the Northern Ireland Economic Research Centre.

Stephen has over 30 years’ experience of researching issues related to small and medium enterprises, innovation and innovation policy in the UK and internationally and has published widely in both areas. He has led over 70 externally funded projects, has been a member of a number of government advisory boards, and regularly acts as a consultant for OECD and the World Bank on issues related to small business development and innovation policy including projects in Austria, Abu Dhabi, Mexico, Israel, Columbia and Poland, Austria and Canada over the last four years. Stephen is an Academician of the Academy of Social Sciences and a Fellow of the RSA.