Dr William Foster has been appointed to lead the new MBA apprenticeship programme at Keele University’s Business School.

Dr Foster joins Keele from the University of Wolverhampton, where he was the Dean of Staffordshire and a member of the Management Research Centre in the Business School, and has expertise in leadership and organisational culture, strategy and change.

The MBA Senior Leader course, available from September 2019, combines a master’s degree, apprenticeship and the option to achieve either Chartered Manager or Chartered Fellow professional status. It is designed for professional managers in the private, public or third sectors, and is designed for any individual moving into or currently in a senior management role.

Keele University’s Business School is also set to move into its new state-of-the-art facility at the entrance to the campus, creating a world-class learning experience for students and delivering a cutting-edge research environment. The new facility includes a 220-seat lecture theatre, a ‘think lab’ study space, data laboratory, cafe and a business lounge to work alongside business and industry partners.

The school also has a Bloomberg Financial Market Trading suite which utilises the Bloomberg platform used by leading global investment banks across the world, providing a state-of-the-art teaching and research resource for students, staff and researchers.

Dr Foster said: “I am delighted to be joining Keele at such a key moment as it celebrates its 70th anniversary; it's a fantastic university with a great reputation. With such significant investment going into Keele Business School - the new building, an expanded staff base and a growing portfolio of exciting new courses - the future for students and employers couldn't look better.”

He has a wide range of experience in the business world, having served at director level in businesses, charities and churches where he has contributed in the areas of leadership, culture, strategy, business development, change, systems, HR and operations.

Dr Foster was also the youngest-ever senior consultant within sector-leading HR services organisation Jonathan Lee Ltd, and also spent nine years working at executive and board level with international blue chip manufacturing and engineering companies such as Honda, Toyota, JCB, Carillion, Lotus, Bombardier, Smiths Aerospace, GEC / Alsthom and many SMEs.

He also completed an MBA himself part-time whilst working for Rolls Royce, describing it as a ‘turning point’ in his own career which gave him the inspiration and the skills to help him progress.

“I loved it and ultimately it's what inspired and equipped me for an amazing career - I want the same if not better for our students,” he added.

“There's something very special about Keele's new Senior Leader Degree Apprenticeship MBA. I have already had extremely positive feedback from organisations sponsoring their senior executives through the first cohort of the programme, and I would encourage employers and prospective students to find out more about the Keele MBA. It's such a great investment in your company and in your career.”

Keele University is holding an Open Day on Sunday 18 August, book here to come along.