On Thursday 30 October 2014 Westminster Business School hosted its first Chairman’s Debate. The focus of this was entrepreneurship and a panel, headed by the Chair of the Westminster Business School Advisory Board, Dr Andrew Summers, and featuring Margaret Mountford, a lawyer who is best known for her role on BBC’s The Apprentice, and Dr Spinder Dhaliwal, Reader and Director of Postgraduate Programmes. They led an interesting discussion on a variety of issues within the topic.
The panel spoke in turn about their views on Entrepreneurship, covering a wide range of concerns from the role Westminster Business School plays in creating entrepreneurs to the varying attitudes towards entrepreneurship between different cultures. Spinder offered an interesting insight into enterprise amongst Asian communities, and how this was evolving between first, second and third generation immigrants. Following around thirty minutes of discussion from the panel, a Q&A session was opened up, with members of the audience offering interesting personal experiences and views on enterprise and entrepreneurship. A particularly poignant insight was offered by a co-founder of Pret A Manger, Jeffrey Hyman, who focussed on the importance of learning from failure in order to be successful.
Other questions that were offered included ‘Is entrepreneurship learned or innate?’ ‘Do we need more entrepreneurs?’ ‘Can social enterprises bridge the gap in government support for entrepreneurs?’ and ‘Are all self-employed people entrepreneurs?’ Another interesting comment was offered by a professional musician from London’s Guildhall School of Music, who reasoned that those who study more creative disciplines might lack the guidance required in order to be successful as an entrepreneur, musing that social enterprises such as the Guildhall’s Creative Entrepreneurs teach such skills.
The event was a resounding success, and offered a useful networking opportunity for individuals of many ages, industries and countries. Both students and staff were invited to attend the event, and a number of Westminster Business School alumni made appearances.
You can take a look at other photos from the event on our Facebook page.
