About Willis Marlow
This site reflects the things that I have experienced and learned during my career in research and development, commercial business management, higher education and professional services. I hope to be able to share with you some of the values and beliefs that have been shaped by my experiences so that you may have the opportunity to benefit from that knowledge.
I graduated with a first degree in Applied Physics and spent my early career in aeronautical engineering and in semiconductor electronics research. Much of my youth was spent making things and I was intuitively attracted to manufacturing. After several years in R&D, I won a Fellowship in Manufacturing Management with the Engineering Industry Training Board and studied advanced manufacturing at Cranfield University in Bedfordshire. During this time, I engaged in project work for Cosworth Engineering and was seconded as a production systems manager to a large electronics company in Milton Keynes, supported by a business coach and mentor. I later worked in operations management roles in a number of manufacturing companies. During this time, I continued to hunger for new learning in operations and business management. This led me to spend several years as an academic at Northumbria University Business School of Operations Management.
Interrogate the internet on business leadership and you will find a multitude of definitions, training courses, experts, celebrities and complex theories. On many occasions, I have encountered confusion between leadership and management. Many executives believe that rank, qualifications, responsibility and experience automatically confer a leadership status. This can be exemplified in the way that some executives interact with their co-workers � believing that leadership is about directing others in what they must do, punishing perceived failure and generating a fear �culture�.
Managing change is a challenging and often unsuccessful process. It seems to have developed a discipline of its own � specialist external consultants who have unique skills that can guide and facilitate the process to a successful conclusion (and to be fair this can sometimes be the case). Frequently though, special tools and techniques are employed to help manage the change process and sadly a focus on the change process itself can contribute to its lack of success. All organisations and indeed individuals working in them are required to change and the process of change needs to be an integral part of the business management framework.
I am a registered Provider for NBSL�s North East Business Support Fund helping businesses to improve their competitiveness. Find out more by clicking
