Event timings:

5.30 pm Arrival and refreshments

6.00 pm Session commences

7.30 pm Networking

In a world of increasing volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity (VUCA), leaders face difficult challenges and decisions. How they respond will differentiate them and their organisations.

Join Strathclyde Business School’s newly appointed Visiting Professor Robin Watson CBE as he discusses the leadership challenges of 2024 and beyond in a conversation with Associate Principal and Executive Dean Professor David Hillier.

Visiting Professor Robin Watson CBE

Strathclyde alumnus Robin Watson, an experienced and renowned figure in the engineering industry who has held multiple senior roles in global companies, has been made a visiting professor at Strathclyde Business School.

Robin has more than 35 years of engineering and industry experience, with 20 years spent in executive positions across a variety of market sectors around the globe, with a breadth of executive and non-executive board experience in both the UK and US public markets and extensive director and chair experience of several government and industry representative bodies.

Currently serves as a non-executive director on the board of Honeywell International, who are a Fortune-100 US industrial technology company, the UK Institute of Directors (IoD) and as a senior advisor at McKinsey & Company. Has previously served a decade on the board of Wood Plc, seven years of which as Chief Executive, transforming it from an oil-field service company into one of the world’s foremost engineering and consultancy companies, having started a professional career with ExxonMobil.

Robin - who attained an MBA from Strathclyde - is committed to education and continuous professional development. He was also awarded the CBE in Her Majesty the Queen’s 2020 Birthday Honours in recognition of services to international trade.

As visiting professor, Robin will be providing industry insights and links with industry for SBS programmes and engagement. In addition, he will be supporting delivery on the MBA and executive education programmes as well as for a range of knowledge exchange events.

Associate Principal and Executive Dean Professor David Hillier

Professor David Hillier, a distinguished Professor of Finance, holds the pivotal roles of Associate Principal and Executive Dean at the University of Strathclyde Business School. In his capacity as Associate Principal, he plays a crucial role in fostering Global Engagement, significantly enhancing the University's international reach and collaborations. His leadership extends to managing key resources that enhance teaching, learning, research, and knowledge transfer within Strathclyde Business School. As an acclaimed author, David has penned the most extensive franchise of Finance textbooks outside the U.S. and is a visiting professor at Politecnico di Milano. His influential research ranked him in the top 3% of the world's most prolific finance researchers over the last fifty years (Heck, 2009), and his YouTube channel dedicated to finance lectures has attracted over 500,000 views worldwide.

David's academic accomplishments are marked by a PhD from the University of Strathclyde (2000) and a rapid ascent to full professorship by age 32. He previously held the Ziff Centenary Chair in Financial Markets at the University of Leeds, where he was also Head of Accounting & Finance (2005-2010). His expertise extends beyond academia into global financial consulting, with roles including World Bank consultant and advisor to various international entities. His extensive teaching engagements cover numerous countries, and his consultancy work includes collaborations with the NHS, several international stock exchanges, and major corporations like Iberdrola and the Wise Group. His research, funded by international organisations, including governmental and financial institutions, has secured over £650,000 since 2000.

In addition to his academic and professional endeavours, David is deeply involved in shaping Scotland's educational and skills landscape. He serves as a board member of Skills Development Scotland, Scotland's national skills delivery organisation, contributing his expertise to enhance the nation's skills framework. He is also on the CBI Scotland regional council and the MCR Pathways National Advisory Council. His contributions to the field have earned him several prestigious awards, including the Institute of Directors Scotland Public Sector Director of the Year.

Leadership in a VUCA world: with Prof Robin Watson and Prof David Hillier