A distinctive element of the programme drew on Loughborough’s high-performance community. Sessions with members of the University’s performance team explored coaching, teamwork, decision-making and leadership under pressure, helping delegates consider not only the strategy they wanted to pursue, but the behaviours and capabilities needed to deliver it. This combination supported participants to move from reflection towards clearer choices, practical first steps and personal leadership commitments.
Professor Jan Godsell, Dean of Loughborough Business School and Director of the UK SCALE Centre, said:
“Supply chain leaders are being asked to navigate increasingly complex and interconnected challenges, but immediate operational pressures can make it difficult to create the space needed for strategic thinking.
“We designed this retreat to give leaders that space while providing constructive challenge from peers, academics, industry practitioners and Loughborough’s high-performance community. By considering both the strategic challenge and the leadership needed to address it, delegates were able to leave with clearer choices and practical actions they can take back into their organisations.”
Geoff Gelbier, Head of Supply Chain at Mitsubishi Electric, attended the retreat following the organisation’s recent entry into the UK SCALE Centre’s Supply Chain Futures Forum.
Reflecting on the experience, he said:
“The retreat gave me the space to think without the pressures of everything else going on around me, while tapping into the knowledge within the University and the experience of other businesses.
“Working with UK SCALE gives you something different from usual day-to-day business life. It expands your horizons and helps you understand what is happening beyond your own organisation and industry, and how that could influence the way you operate.”
Geoff also highlighted the connections already emerging through the Supply Chain Futures Forum, with Mitsubishi Electric beginning to develop relationships with other participating organisations and explore opportunities for collaboration.
The retreat forms part of the UK SCALE Centre’s work to connect industry, academia and the wider supply chain ecosystem. Through its Supply Chain Futures Forum, the Centre supports organisations in navigating complex strategic challenges, strengthening capability and turning insight into action.
