Cardiff Business School wraps up a successful year of breakfast briefings

Cardiff Business School concluded its final breakfast briefing of the 2023-24 academic year with an insightful talk by the CEO of Transport for Wales, marking the end of a fantastic year of engaging and informative sessions.

The Executive Education Breakfast Briefing series features a diverse lineup of speakers from both academia and business, offering fresh insights and stimulating debate on various business and management themes. These events provide a valuable platform for business practitioners, policymakers, media, and other stakeholders to stay informed on the latest research and trends.

Thank you to our speakers for their valuable contributions and to our audience for their active participation in the sessions.

2023-24 Breakfast Briefings included:

September – Demystifying the Circular Economy

In our first briefing of the year, we explored what the circular economy means, its importance, and how companies can adopt circular practices. Our speakers were Nicolas Jourdain, Head of Circular Economy at KPMG for the EMA region, and Luke Bywaters, Strategy Advisor at KPMG.

October – Demystifying AI

Professor Joe O'Mahoney, an expert in the consulting industry, discussed the top-level business applications of AI. We gained insights into various AI types, their business potential, as well as the risks and ethics of using AI.

November – Twenty years of the Living Wage

We celebrated Living Wage Week 2023 with a breakfast briefing highlighting the pivotal role Cardiff University and Cardiff as a city play in this initiative.

Speakers included Professor Wendy Larner, the Vice-Chancellor of Cardiff University, Professor Edmund Heery, Dr Deborah Hann, Dr David Nash, and Huw Thomas, Leader of Cardiff Council and chair of Cardiff’s Living Wage City Partnership.

December - Productivity in Wales: in search of a miracle?

The spotlight was on the pressing productivity challenges in Wales and potential pathways towards improvement. This session was chaired by Professor Andrew Henley with insights from Professor Bart van Ark, Managing Director and Principal Investigator of The Productivity Institute.

January - COP28: A new imperative to take climate action?

Dr Erin Gill, Global Marketing Director of Arup, shared crucial takeaways from her experience at the UN Climate Change Conference, COP 28. She also highlighted the importance of climate literacy and the increasing role of big businesses in climate action.

March - Cymru Can: Achieving Wales' wellbeing goals and the role of business

Derek Walker, Future Generations Commissioner for Wales, unveiled his new strategy, emphasising the collaboration between businesses and the public sector to achieve Wales' well-being goals under the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act. The critical role of procurement in advancing these goals was also discussed.

April - Enough of Experts? The changing role of experts and expertise in society

Dr Cara Reed and Professor Mike Reed shared their latest research on the potential demise of the power and influence of experts and expertise in society. They discussed how a re-imagining of the expert could reinvigorate the power and authority of expert occupations.

May - Life as a Small Business in Wales in 2024

Rob Basini from the Federation of Small Businesses in Wales, Jo Roberts of Fabulous Welshcakes, and Vicky Mann of Near Me Now and VZTA town centre apps highlighted the current challenges and opportunities for small businesses in Wales. Topics included key business indicators, government roles, business support, and net zero.

June - Leading Public Services in a Digital Age

Harriet Green and Myra Hunt from the Centre for Digital Public Services shared their vision for creating user-centred digital public services in Wales. Dr Angharad Watson introduced Cardiff University’s Digital Transformation Innovation Institute, promoting responsible innovation and societal impact through digital transformation.

July - In Conversation with Transport for Wales CEO, James Price

In our final briefing for the year, we had an insightful discussion with James Price, CEO of Transport for Wales, about the organisation's journey and future plans for changing and improving how Wales travels. He discussed the ongoing projects to modernise Wales’ travel network, making it more reliable, accessible, and sustainable.

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