Pub Operator and brewer, Greene King, is the latest to join forces with Birmingham City University’s business school to create a qualification for its business development managers (BDMs).
The BDM Development Programme was launched on Tuesday 16 May and incorporates a Post Graduate Diploma in Multi-Unit Leadership and Strategy alongside an internal programme of training.
Twelve BDMs from Greene Kings’ leased and tenanted division, Pub Partners, and two from their Retail pub division have started their studies which they will achieve by 2012, with some progressing to Masters level .
The programme is based at the Academy of Multi-Unit Leadership which is part of the University’s Birmingham City Business School (BCBS). The Academy specialises in multi-site retail and leisure leadership education with over 200 delegates from several major retail and leisure companies currently in-situ taking tailored post-graduate education qualifications. These companies include Rank Plc, Saint Gobain and the Spar Group. Professor of Multi-Unit Leadership at Birmingham City Business School , Chris Edger said: “We are delighted to be working with Greene King Pub Partners, one of the most respected operators in its field in the UK.
“It is our aim that our exclusively designed multi-unit leadership programme will deliver enhanced levels of knowledge, skills and capability to a key managerial cohort of Pub Partners – the BDM.
Speaking about the initiative, Simon Longbottom, Managing Director for Pub Partners said: “We want to create training and development programme which is relevant to the service our Business Development Managers provide their licensees.
“It’s important that what they learn improves the help they can give their pubs and Birmingham City Business School has worked with us to develop such an appropriate programme that’s exclusive to Greene King”.
To optimise each individual’s performance all BDMs will be given a development plan including leadership, management and commercial skills training on top of their already thorough foundation induction programme and alongside the Post Graduate Diploma.
Birmingham City University is currently running a major awareness campaign in the Midlands to demonstrate how it is upgrading the future of individuals and companies. You can find out more at www.bcu.ac.uk
For more information, please contact Academy Director Professor Chris Edger on 07969 860155 or email christian.edger@bcu.ac.uk.