David Owen

The last time I was at the Little Dean House Hotel was some fourteen years previously. My Business Studies residential, way back in 1989, was with Whitecroft Schaeffer, we came back with boxes and boxes of all colours, sizes and shapes of paper clip - in fact I've still got some now!

This summer I found myself back at the same venue, again under the guidance of Stuart Langworthy, but this time as an advisor to the current crop of Business Studies students. Some things haven't changed much, the Hotel is still exactly the same and so are Stuart Langworthy's jokes!

The key thing for me whilst at Millbrook Academy (formerly Brockworth School) was finding a subject that I was good at; Business Studies; taught by a teacher that believed in me and showed respect for all opinions - I won't name names to save embarrassment! In my working life to date I've learnt that self-belief and the belief and trust of those around you is crucial. A teacher once told my parents that I'd do nothing with my life because I was lazy - in fact I just wasn't very good at that particular subject.

Thankfully, my parents didn't pass the message on at the time and they, along with many of the teachers at Millbrook Academy, continued to show belief. Since leaving the academy, I've got a degree (in Business Studies) been a Managing Director, Chief Executive, Non-Executive Director (twice!) and Chairman of various companies and organisations. I've got married and have a beautiful daughter, sat in the Royal Box at an FA Cup Final (ok, it was the Malaysian FA Cup Final!), signed multi-million pound deals with some of the biggest companies in the World and met members of the royalty along with numerous politicians, sports stars and celebrities. I'm not sure if all this amounts to doing 'something with my life' or not, but I've enjoyed (almost) all of it. The real big thing for me was the belief and respect shown by those teachers and others along with my own self-belief. I found something I was good at and made the most of it, with lots of help along the way.

My current role is at the University of Gloucestershire, the UK's newest University, achieving University status in 2001. University status has given the organisation renewed energy and vigour and has created a climate in which we can become more entrepreneurial. Universities can find it difficult to convince businesses that they have a service to offer but my experience is that people around the county are proud of the university and are keen to find out what they can do with us.

As Head of the University Development Centre, I lead a team often with three main rules.

One is business liaison, working with local businesses to see how we can work together for mutual benefit.

The second is attracting development funding and sponsorship for university activity.

The third is placing the University of Gloucestershire in the regional context through liaison with groups such as the Regional Development Agency, the Learning Skills Council and local authorities.

We work with all kinds and sizes of business from a small family run firm to major blue-chip companies and we're working on expanding this activity to generate more income for the university.

Much of my time is spent liaising with groups and businesses we should be working with to build relationships for the future.

The University has worked with all sorts of people from Smiths Aerospace to small independently-owned companies that are looking for advice to some of the biggest e-business firms in the area.

We offer them help and advice from across the university's provision, including business, sport, leisure, environment, education, health and the arts.

We look for companies we can help because we have expertise. The flipside is companies talk to us and tell us what we should be doing.

The enjoyment for me comes from working at the interface between academia and the business world. Building that relationship between the two areas is a kind of translation so each knows where the other is coming from. Effectively, it's brokering a deal and it's satisfying to see the benefits that everyone reaps.

The University has long-standing relationships with a number of local schools and academies, and given my background and current role, it made sense for me to get involved with Millbrook. So this is how I found myself at the Little Dean House Hotel, fourteen years on from my one, and only, previous visit. I'm very pleased to be able to support the school's Business Enterprise College status which, to date, has included support for an Enterprise Conference, help at a retail simulation and a coaching role for the Business Studies residential. I've also been able to point the school in the direction of some potential sources of sponsorship and taken a work experience student. I know that more partnerships will follow, and I look forward to helping in any way I, or the University, can in the future.

From what I've learnt in the past few months of the school's plans, exciting times are ahead providing the Academy with an ideal opportunity to become an exemplar to others in the sector.

As long as those around and within the academy can believe in its future, it can surely make something of itself!

David Owen

Written in 2003

Born: Gloucester, 1972
Education: Millbrook Academy (formerly Brockworth School) - 1981 - 1990, Liverpool John Moore's.
University: 1990 – 1994.
School Record: House – Coopers
Qualifications: 7 GCSEs, 2 A Levels
First job: Working as Development Manager at JMU.
Current position: Head of the University of Gloucestershire Development Centre
Lives: Cam
Interests: Football, rugby, golf
Family: Married to Nikki