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ASTON ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2019 THE BUSINESS ISSUE A S T O N C H E Q U E S A N D THE FUTURE IN 1981 THE CITY OF ENERGY WELCOME Aston Alumni Magazine — 2019 WELCOME 06 Aston is my lucky place THE 22 The language of work BUSINESS ISSUE 42 Get up and GO! 30 Six degrees of Aston 28 More Power to his elbow 12 Cheques and the city 26 The future of energy WELCOME As a recent Aston Law School graduate and future trainee solicitor at Latham & Watkins, I am honoured to join the Aston alumni network and CONTENTS guest edit this business issue of Aston In Touch. Currently, I am the SME Engagement Manager at the Aston Business School’s Centre for Growth as well as building my own media and broadcasting business, Talk About Ltd. This means my days are spent either speaking to business owners in 2019 – Alumni Magazine various sectors or learning about what makes a successful business. As a businesswoman and future international commercial lawyer, this issue of FEATURES REGULARS Aston In Touch greatly appeals to me. My time spent at Aston (both as a 06 Alumni profile – Xenia Zhang 16 Meet the exec – Mark Smith student and an employee) has shown me that business is not just a subject area but is all around us every second of every day. In this issue, Xenia 09 Five Questions for... GoCompare 32 In conversation... Gregor Townsend MBE Zhang (p. 6) beautifully explains how working as an international chef CEO Matthew Crummack and Professor Alec Cameron and food blogger has opened her up to different cultures. She emphasises 12 Cheques and the city 45 Alumni news – class notes the importance of being open to new experiences, people, and pursuing one’s dreams - even if they are unconventional. This same approach is 19 Gymshark just keeps moving forward IN PICTURES demonstrated by Arese Ugwu (p. 12) who successfully stepped into her 22 The language of work career as a blogger and finance author in Nigeria. Her work encourages 10 The year in pictures everyone to take advantage of opportunities no matter where they are. The 26 The future of energy 48 In detail insight into Mark Smith’s working life (p. 16) is just one of many examples Venandah Madanhi 28 History – James Watt bicentenary of how versatile Aston employees are. Alongside his executive role, Mark Guest Editor and Birmingham’s organises business conferences on the beaches of Cornwall. Passionate 30 Alumni profile – Dr Jack Carnell Executive Editor: Dr Annette Rubery Top 30 Under 30. Alumni News Editor: Aaisha Bibi ([email protected]) about agile working, Mark is definitely leading by example. Last but not 35 History – Aston in 1981 Features writers: Ben East; Anna Blackaby; least, we look at the amazing growth that Gymshark has experienced over Richard McComb; Annette Rubery 39 Illustration: Daniel Turner the years (p. 19). From an idea in Birmingham all the way to a brand that Making a game of rail disruption Photography: Edward Moss; Richard Battye Design: Digitronix Ltd sends products to customers across 131 countries, Ben Francis’s work 42 Crowdfunding is GO! Print: W&G Baird embodies what it means to be ambitious, hardworking, and innovative. [email protected] /AstonUniversityAlumni @AstonAlumni /school/16267 News in Brief incl. Development news News in Brief incl. AGA NEWS NEWS Aston Alumni Magazine — 2019 NEWS Aston University is best in Professor Graham the UK for “value-added” Harding was one of the nation’s life-savers The Guardian University Guide 2020 has ranked Aston University as number one in the country for “value-added”, a rise of 22 places from last year. This score relates to students A professor of clinical neurophysiology from Aston who have entered an institution with lower qualifications University has been recognised for his exceptional – and are therefore less likely to achieve firsts or 2:1s – but contribution to keeping the nation healthy. Professor whose performance exceeds expectations. The Guardian Graham Harding (below, left), who passed away has also rated Aston as the 36th best university in the UK peacefully in October 2018, aged 81, was a neuroscience out of a possible 121 institutions. The number of students pioneer who developed the Harding flash and pattern who continue their courses has risen to ninth place – Breakthrough in analyser used to test video content for flashing and up 16 from the previous table. To calculate its rankings, stationary patterns which may cause harm to those the Guardian University Guide uses nine statistical brain-injury treatment who suffer from photosensitive epilepsy. Professor measures to determine university performance, which Harding was early to recognise the dangers of certain are then knitted together to determine an overall score. material broadcast on television and used in video games. Each year, millions of people worldwide suffer strokes or He drafted the original Office of Communications’ traumatic head injuries, resulting in swelling to the brain. (OFCOM) guidelines and became a consultant adviser Caused by water entering the brain through a protein to the Broadcast Advertising Clearance Centre on molecule (aquaporin-4), this swelling is known as photosensitivity and televised material. He was also Doors open to new ‘cytotoxic oedema’. It can lead to death, disability and amongst the first in the UK to realise the potential of Students’ Union an increased risk of neurodegeneration with ageing. magnetoencephalography (MEG). In 2000 he led a A research project being led by Professor Roslyn Bill successful Wellcome Trust bid to secure the UK’s first has discovered that an existing drug, currently used in whole-head MEG system. As part of Universities UK’s healthcare to treat something completely different, After much anticipation, on May 1st 2019 Aston’s new MadeAtUni campaign he was named as one of Nation’s dramatically reduces the number of these molecules, Students’ Union building was opened by Sir Dominic Lifesavers – the top 100 individuals or groups based in stopping water entering the brain and preventing Cadbury at a reception attended by staff, students and universities whose work has made a life-changing swelling. This could save countless lives in future. alumni. The spacious building, named for Sir Adrian difference to our health and wellbeing. Cadbury (brother to Sir Dominic and Aston’s Chancellor from 1979 to 2004), takes the place of the much-loved Guild building which has struggled to accommodate the Find out more: increase in student numbers over the past few years. aston.ac.uk/alumni/make-a-gift/brain The new building is adjacent to Chancellor’s Lake and “This is an incredibly open building with great flexibility; has a range of food and drink outlets, social spaces there are so many ways that the spaces in this building (including a balcony overlooking campus), prayer can be used, and the students will conceive ways of using and meeting rooms, a shop, and two halls for events. it that we haven’t even thought of. The Union is where The reception area includes a display of quotes from students come together and socialise with friends; they Aston helps staff alumni who donated to the project. At the launch, join clubs and societies and they develop leadership to support student Vice-Chancellor, Professor Alec Cameron, remarked: attributes. For many of us who went to university, we remember the stuff that happened outside the classroom mental health – in the students’ union, on the playing field, with our friends – and that’s the gift that we want to give to our students.” Amna Atteeq, President of Aston Students’ Aston University is supporting a new national project, Union, said: “This was a five-year plan and now it’s a backed by funding from the Office for Students, to help reality. Let’s look around and appreciate everyone’s hard university teaching staff support the mental wellbeing of work. I just want to say that I’m so proud to be part of a their students. The £2million project, led by the university that puts students first and makes this happen.” University of Derby, in collaboration with Aston A strong supporter of Aston University over five decades, University, Kings College London, Advance HE and Sir Adrian Cadbury bequeathed £500,000 in his will to Student Minds, will focus on how curriculum design, support the new building, which is already a vibrant place teaching and assessment processes can have a positive where students can relax, socialise and develop projects. impact on student wellbeing. - 2 - - 3 - News in Brief incl. Development news News in Brief incl. DONOR NEWS NEWS Aston Alumni Magazine — 2019 NEWS ‘Stained glass’ Recruitment giant funds technique kills medical scholars deadly hospital Meriden-based Pertemps, a recruitment agency with over bacteria 200 offices across the UK, is helping to fund four medical students as part of Aston's 50-50 Scholarship Campaign. The initiative targets hard-to-reach communities with Scientists at Aston University have discovered a technique the eventual aim of placing local students in medical Follow Aston University similar to medieval stained glass-making that can careers in the West Midlands region and beyond. completely eradicate the deadliest hospital infections Looking back to the first year’s achievements, chairman on WeChat 微 信 within hours. Using a so-called bioactive phosphate glass Tim Watts commented: “It gives our business enormous containing small amounts of the metallic element cobalt, pleasure to support students from diverse backgrounds the researchers were able to achieve a “complete kill” and we are of course delighted to see that they are Aston has an official WeChat page where you can keep of the deadly bacterial infections E.coli and Candida making great progress.
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