Help to Grow brings renewed confidence and ideas to experienced business leader

A leading figure at an international analytics firm has taken renewed confidence in an ever-more-complicated business world thanks to a nationwide management programme.

A leading figure at an international analytics firm has taken renewed confidence in an ever-more-complicated business world thanks to Help to Grow.

Robert Mason, Vice-President of business analytics provider Strategy Analytics Ltd, in Milton Keynes, recognised the need for new energy when he took part in LUMS' 12-week Help to Grow Management Programme.

The programme, open to businesses from across the UK, provides business leaders with the ability to develop a growth plan to help their companies reach their full potential in an environment being reshaped by Covid and Brexit.

“I wanted to get involved with the programme because I had somewhat lost my way, mostly in terms of confidence, with the key aspects of running a business,” said Robert. “With the challenges from Brexit, and with the Covid ramifications, our workplace had changed quite significantly, and I wanted to make sure that my skills were up to date and fit for the economy we are facing now.”

He added: “Thanks to the programme, my own confidence has improved, and I have made quite a number of notes and will be going back to revisit those things and make a plan for the business shortly.”

LUMS delivers Help to Grow in association with the Chartered Association of Business Schools and the UK Government Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). It is designed to fit in alongside work, and participants learn from experienced LUMS academics and practitioners, as well as their peers from across a wide range of business sectors.

“The knowledgeability of the lecturers has been outstanding, and the ability to connect with your peers and the ability to workshop ideas has helped to cement the topics into existence,” said Robert.

“Some relationships have been established, which is good; hearing different people’s business experience means that you can think through the challenges in different ways. That can sometimes unlock an idea for you about your own business because you are trying to apply what you are learning from somebody else’s.

“I particularly enjoyed the marketing module and the financial module. Both were really quite insightful. All round, it has been a really entertaining and useful course, and I’m keen to do more learning in the near future.”

LUMS Help to Grow Programme Leader Dr Radka Newton said: “It can be easy for business leaders to lose their way at any point in their journey, especially now as we contend with the dual challenges of Brexit and Covid. With Help to Grow, we help leaders like Robert plot the way forward, and hopefully we will inspire many more managers and owners to find their way and build for a positive future.”