Ron earned two Masters degrees from Oxford before gaining over 30 years international business experience across four continents: from standing up himself, working with and in startups, helping others to scale up, as well as being CEO of a public company. In addition to his research interests, Ron lectures graduate students in Managing Sustainability and Entrepreneurship.
Research
Being a responsible business and mindful of the impact that one’s business has on the environment and society is no longer a ‘nice-to-have’, an ‘optional extra’, in the 21st Century. Nor is having a CSR Department or CSR Manager that ‘takes care of these matters’ an acceptable approach. Businesses need to embed responsible and sustainable business practices in their strategy and operations across the whole value chain.
Many multinationals and large businesses are leading the way. What lessons can smaller businesses learn from them? Moreover, a new breed of entrepreneurs is exploiting opportunities to tackle social and environmental issues as well as generate a profit, referred to as B-Corps. Are these opportunities only for start-ups or can existing businesses learn from them?
In this research area we explore questions such as: What lessons can SMEs learn from the experience of leaders? What steps should a smaller business take to become more sustainable? What new opportunities exist for smaller businesses to participate in the Circular Economy? What new business models can be developed either to rejuvenate existing businesses as well as fuel start-ups?
