Launch Day: Newcastle

Martin Farr, Senior Lecturer in Contemporary British History at Newcastle University

With degrees in politics and history, Martin Farr teaches and researches contemporary history: the history of the present. He's broadcast and published widely, including books and articles on the First and Second world wars; British politics, parties, and elections; the media, US-UK relations, foreign and defence policy, popular culture, Margaret Thatcher, and tourism. 

An energetic introduction to the foundation of confident communication. This interactive session provides immediate tools for staying composed under pressure while helping to discover your authentic communication style. 

Skills developed: 

• Maintaining clear, concise communication under pressure
• Keeping cool when speaking on-the-spot
• Applying the fundamental principles of effective communication across multiple contexts
• Reflecting on, and leveraging, your personal communication style

This workshop will be delivered by Debate Mate, a world-leading communication consultancy, delivering training, events, and digital tools that enable people to speak well and disagree better. 

This interactive one-hour session introduces the fundamentals of change management and why it matters in today’s fast-moving world of work.

Drawing on accessible models and real-world examples, we’ll explore how individuals and organisations experience change differently, and why managing transition is as much about mindset as it is about process.

You’ll have the chance to reflect on recent changes in your own life, identify where you are on the change curve, and discover how developing a resilient, adaptive approach to change can unlock new opportunities in your career. 

Learning outcomes:  

• Understand core principles of organisational and personal change management, aligning with leadership and change modules within the #nclMBA.  

• Begin to identify your own change leadership style, an essential capability for future strategic roles.  

• Recognise how advanced study, such as the #nclMBA, builds on these foundational change skills to support high-impact leadership.  

With degrees in politics and history, Martin Farr teaches and researches contemporary history: the history of the present. He's broadcast and published widely, including books and articles on the First and Second world wars; British politics, parties, and elections; the media, US-UK relations, foreign and defence policy, popular culture, Margaret Thatcher, and tourism. 

Adrian Orchard is a Director in the Ministry of Defence and works within the Defence Nuclear Organisation.

His career started in the Royal Navy as a Fleet Air Arm pilot flying the Sea Harrier from aircraft carriers. Ade later commanded a Royal Navy Harrier squadron where he was awarded the OBE for leadership, and throughout this first phase of his career he was involved in the conflicts in the Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Ade has also held a liaison role in Washington DC at the Pentagon where he was responsible for championing the US-UK relationship on aircraft carrier cooperation. He returned from this role to command the 3,200 military and civilian personnel at the Royal Naval Air Station at Culdrose in Cornwall, including being deployed to support Sierra Leone during the Ebola crisis in 2015.

Leaving uniformed service and joining the Civil Service, he spent 2 years at Sellafield in Cumbria, leading one of their major projects supporting the nuclear decommissioning effort, before re-joining the Ministry of Defence in August 2023.

Jennifer Hartley is a seasoned economic development director with a proven track record of attracting new businesses, investment and job opportunities to Newcastle. As Assistant Director of Capital Investment and Growth at Newcastle City Council, Jen is responsible for developing and delivering major projects to stimulate investment and development across our city. 

Jen previously led Invest Newcastle, the inward investment agency for Newcastle and Gateshead, working to bring global organisations and funds to the North East to provide opportunities for local residents. In 2024, Jen was recognised with an MBE for services to Business and Trade. 

Khadija Ali is the Group Director for Sustainability and Responsible Business at Lloyds Banking Group.

Before joining Lloyds, Khadija spent 19 years at Ernst & Young in various roles. She was the UK’s Climate Change and Sustainability Services Leader for Financial Services, where she built a market-leading practice in supporting a number of global financial institutions across both advisory and assurance services.

She has worked globally across a number of locations, including Canada, US and the UK. Her expertise includes climate change and nature, which she complements with her background in finance and risk.

Khadija is a Chartered Accountant with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).