University of Bath School of Management

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• ► BSc in Business Administration
• ► Advisory Board
• ► Justin King: one of the few executives still smiling
• ► Justin King named UKs’ most powerful marketer
• ► Boris Johnson appoints Justin King to Olympic Games Committee

Over 130 BSc in Business Administration (BBA) alumni and students attended a School of Management reunion event last week to hear alumnus Bob Wigley, former Chairman of Merrill Lynch (EMEA), interview his fellow classmate and friend, Justin King, CEO of Sainsbury’s.

Held at Sainsbury’s HQ in London, the evening commenced with a welcome address by Dean of the School, Professor Richard Elliott, before Bob and Justin took to the stage for an illuminating discussion about Justin’s extraordinary business career.

Credited with turning Sainsbury’s around, Justin has beaten his own growth targets. On taking over the helm at Sainsbury’s in 2004 however, he admits that the business was in a “significantly worse place” than the outside world knew:

“We had incredible problems. The worst thing was the position we had put colleagues in. They were completely disengaged.”

A customer survey sent to one million customers proved the depth of the problem, but also gave encouragement:

"Usually you would get 20,000-30,000 replies, but 250,000 people were so annoyed they bothered to write. That confirmed the trouble we were in. But the survey also showed we had a future, because they cared enough to write."

Questioned about what impact the Bath BSc in Business Administration had on his career Justin replied:

“The sandwich element of the course was really attractive. It was quite rare in those days. I didn’t really want to go to University; I wanted to go out and work.  The advantage of the Bath degree was that I got experience straight away which gave me an excellent grounding.”

Prior to joining the supermarket chain in March 2004, Justin spent three years at Marks & Spencer as Director of Food where he was instrumental in launching the M&S Simply Food convenience concept. Previously, he spent seven years at Asda where he held roles in Trading and Human Resources before becoming Retail Managing Director for Asda Hypermarkets. From 1990 to 1994, he led the UK launch and development of Haägen Dazs as Managing Director. He has also worked for Pepsi International and Mars Confectionery.
When asked about his career plan Justin maintained:

"I don't have a career plan. My advice is to do the job you’re doing as best as you can. And take opportunities when the right one comes along."

Following the discussion, alumni and current students were invited to stay for a drink, enabling them to catch up with old friends and network with new contacts.

Speaking this week, Professor Richard Elliott hailed the event an “outstanding success.”

Notes to Editors
Justin has recently joined the School of Management’s Advisory Board which meets twice a year to discuss the School’s strategic development.  Earlier this year he was also appointed Boris Johnson's representative on LOCOG, the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games.

Bob Wigley, an alumnus of the BSc in Business Administration class of 1983 and former Chairman of Merrill Lynch Europe, Middle East and Africa, was recently awarded an honorary Doctor of Business Administration.

Since graduating, Bob has had an extraordinary career in the notoriously volatile investment banking sector. After building a world-class reputation in Mergers, Acquisitions and Flotations – leading, for example, the teams that worked on Asda’s £7bn sale to WalMart, the £13bn merger of Cable & Wireless Communications with NTL, Philip Green’s £1bn acquisition of Arcadia, the £1.25bn flotation of Burberry and Logica’s £1bn merger with CMG - Bob has achieved equally impressive executive success within Merrill Lynch.

The School of Management's internationally renowned and well established BSc (Hons) in Business Administration is designed to prepare students for a variety of business-related roles. A key feature of the programme is the inclusion of two periods of work experience, known as placements, each of six months. They provide a critical means of making sense of the academic content of the degree by linking it to the real world of business.

The School’s international Advisory Board plays a key role in the strategic development of the School. Members offer strategic advice on issues such as academic development and planning, graduate attributes, employability issues, fundraising and emerging technologies/business practices. Members help to guide the School in its development and strengthen links between the academic community and its external constituencies.