Developing Strategy for Value Creation

Academic Focus

Yiorgos’ research focuses on understanding how organisations and individuals identify new challenges and develop innovative ways of addressing them while overcoming resistance to change. He has examined these issues in the context of ecological sustainability, venture communities and business ecosystems.

Recent Clients

Zurich Financial Services, IBM, Lufthansa.

Experience

Yiorgos has taught and consulted for a wide range of companies worldwide, in sectors from banking to travel, and was Faculty Lead of the Global Business Consortium 2006-2012.

Academic Focus

Keyvan's research is broadly focused on understanding the factors that promote creativity and innovation at the individual, team, organisation, and industry levels, using a variety of experimental and quasi-experimental designs, quantitative data methods and textual analysis.

Experience

Real-world experience: Before joining academia, Keyvan was an entrepreneur and worked as a consultant. In 2006, he founded a video game production company, which was acquired by Samsung Co, three years later. As a consultant, he worked with executives in a range of industries such as auto, oil, education, software and hardware.

Academic Focus

Costas’ research focuses on strategic management, corporate entrepreneurship, corporate strategy and restructuring. His practical yet challenging ideas have radically redefined many global organisations’ approach to strategy development.

Experience

Professor Costas Markides is recognised as one of the world’s foremost experts on strategy and innovation. An internationally acclaimed teacher and conference speaker, Professor Markides has researched the topics of strategic innovation, business model innovation, diversification and international acquisitions. Costas is the author of a number of best-selling books, including All the Right Moves: A Guide to Crafting Breakthrough Strategy.

Academic Focus

Currently Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at London Business School, Donal Crilly is Associate Editor at the Strategic Management Journal, and an editorial board member of the Academy of Management Journal, the Academy of Management Review, the Journal of International Business Studies, and Strategic Organization.

Academic Focus

Dr Desmecht’s main area of expertise lies at the intersection of Strategy, Finance and Governance. She has done extensive research in the area of value creation in established companies, with a particular focus on the strategies used by Private Equity Funds to deliver superior performance to investors and the subsequent influence of those practices on the world of management at large via the involvement of activist investors. Her interest into shareholder activism has also evolved to encompass climate activism.

Experience

Dr Desmecht has 30 years of experience as an international leader and senior executive in companies ranging from large global corporations to highly focused technology-oriented start-ups. She also combines her executive experience with consulting experience with McKinsey and ATKearney, where she was a member of the European Leadership Team. She has consulted with global companies in the areas of consumer, technology, fashion and grocery retail, luxury and data analytics. Employers and Clients include Procter & Gamble, Nokia, Samsonite, Harrods, Georg Jensen, Wedgwood as well as Private Equity Funds Bain Capital, Ares Management, the Ontario Pension Fund, KPS Capital Partners and Investcorp. Dr Desmecht’s experience splits evenly between Publicly-listed companies, Private Equity portfolio companies and Family Businesses. To date, Dr Desmecht is a Senior Advisor and Board Member for Private Equity, a regular contributor to Executive Programs at the London Business School and a regular Keynote speaker on Strategy in both academic and corporate contexts.