Strategy for large corporations

• • Development of the strategy of Rolls-Royce’s non aerospace businesses. Chris’s work for Rolls-Royce included setting strategic direction, identifying and delivering acquisitions and joint ventures, and participating in near term business decisions as an executive member of divisional boards.
  • Development of globalisation strategies. Chris worked on Rolls-Royce’s global strategy, including leading initiatives with partner companies in India, Japan, Singapore, Korea, Brazil and other countries worldwide.
  • Development of a 30 year forecast for the world, in terms of technology, climate change, politics, demographics and macro economics, and ongoing discussions with economists and long range forecasters on how the future might evolve.
  • Development of strategies for a wide range of blue chip corporations. While at Arthur D. Little, Chris worked for many multinational products companies, including GKN, Daimler, Philips, Anglo American, Unilever, Fenner, Boots, Bass, Tetra Pak, United Utilities, and Smith & Nephew.
  • Development of technology and innovation strategies. Chris has worked on many assignments, including long term research for Smith & Nephew, new product development for Philips, Unilever, Boots Healthcare, Reckitt Benckiser and New Holland, and R&D planning for GKN and Norsk Hydro. He has also worked on several assignments looking to deploy new technologies, including work for AEA Technology, Rolls-Royce, Shell and Vickers.

 

Training and mentoring

• • • Development of an ‘introduction to strategy’ course for Rolls-Royce. This week long course was first developed in 2002, and was given to over 400 employees. A revised three day course was developed with Ashridge Management Centre in 2011, and given to over 200 employees
    • Chris is a member of the Global Educator Network of Duke Corporate Education, and works for them on an occasional basis on leadership and management development programmes for corporate clients.
    • Development of a Joint Ventures Directors Duties course for Rolls-Royce, and participation in delivery of this course several times.
    • Lecturing on internationalisation of business, and on technology and innovation to London Business School, Judge business school at Cambridge, Leeds University business school, and Hult and Chalmers University business schools.
    • Authorship of a standard text on technology and R&D management, ‘Managing Technology for Corporate Success’, which was published by Gower in 1997. The book covers technology strategy, R&D management, technology capability acquisition and product development strategies. It has been translated into Japanese and Chinese, and is used widely in business schools and in industry.
    • Development of training and implementation programmes including ‘Labour Ward Triage for Midwives’ in Ghana. This is part of a larger project funded by PATH, as part of the Every Newborn Action Plan, to improve quality of care during labour and birth.
    • Liz also has a long history of lecturing and training in both academia and the NHS, including assisting with curriculum development for a midwifery degree course at Kings College, London, and lecturing at Leeds Metropolitan University and Kings College, London.

 

Strategy for small companies

• Development of ComAp a.s.. Chris is a non exec director of ComAp a.s., a Czech producer of electronic controllers for generating sets and other engine driven systems. Chris is also advising the company on its global development strategy and on corporate governance
• Development of Isentropic Ltd. Chris was a non-exec director of Isentropic Ltd., a start up company developing an innovative energy storage technology for utility scale application. In this role, Chris helped the company with its growth strategy and with corporate governance
• Development of Tidal Generation Ltd. Chris was a non-exec director from 2007 when Rolls-Royce took an equity stake, becoming non-exec Chairman in 2008, when Rolls-Royce acquired the majority of the shares. He supervised the transition to full ownership, the development and deployment of a functioning prototype, and initial interactions with potential customers. The business was sold on to Alstom in 2012, and is still developing.
• Development of small companies in partnership with large companies. Chris worked with Oxford Biosignals, Magnetic Systems Technologies and other companies, helping them work in partnership with Rolls-Royce
• Development of initial business plan for CSR plc. While at Arthur D. Little, Chris was involved in developing spin out opportunities from Cambridge Consultants, an ADL subsidiary. The most successful of these was CSR, where Chris put together the initial business plan and was involved in the early stages of creating the business.

Government and public sector work

• Support to UK Government and European Commission. Chris has worked with the UK Government and the European Commission on various projects over the years. Most recently, as a Board member of the Energy Technologies Institute, he has helped this organisation allocate its funds for the effective development of new energy technologies.
• As President of EU Turbines, the European industrial gas and steam turbine industry association, Chris worked with the Commission, presenting information on the industry and contributing to energy policy.
• While at Arthur D. Little, Chris was also involved in the privatisation of British Rail Research as a contract R&D organisation, and in the development of the Innovation Plans Handbook by the Innovation Advisory Board.