“Companies tend to stay private for longer before they decide to launch an IPO. The median age of a company that went public used to be 8 years, but now it’s closer to 13”, says Natalia Matanova, who recently joined us from Pennsylvania State University as professor of Corporate Finance. She comments on her areas of expertise, her attraction to the School and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the IPO market.

David Patient, who was recently appointed professor of leadership, people and organisations, has always been passionate about literature. “Perhaps the most exciting teaching experience I’ve ever had was a course on leadership and Shakespeare, for which I used the play Henry V.” David’s love of language and communication is a common thread throughout his career. He joins Vlerick Business School from Católica-Lisbon School of Business where he was professor of organisational behaviour.

“All my life I’ve been working at the interface of business and IT, sometimes on the business side, sometimes on the IT side. My new role will allow me to share the expertise I’ve gained, and to put it to good use”, says Arne Buchwald, who was recently appointed associate professor of digital transformation and information systems.

What is the purpose of academic research at a business school and how can we ensure that it effectively serves this purpose? Who can you name as an author on a scientific publication? And why shouldn't you keep research data on a USB stick? These are just a few of the topics covered in Vlerick Business School's new research charter. Research Manager Eva Cools talks about the charter and other elements that show that Vlerick attaches great importance to good academic practice.

Simon Ashby recently joined us from the University of Plymouth where he was associate professor in financial services and risk management. His special interest is in the management of risk by organisations.

The coming two years, the Austrian DSO, Netz Niederösterreich, takes part in the DSO Chair of the Vlerick Energy Centre. For Werner Hengst, Managing Director of Netz NÖ, the open dialogue he has experienced with European colleagues is both refreshing and necessary, because “in energy, all European countries are allies”.

Corporate strategy, managerial discretion, commitment to the status quo, temporal focus, CEO succession, legitimacy effects of CSR, controlling instruments in start-ups, cultural differences in diversity management – Kerstin Fehre’s research interests seem broad and varied. “But they can all be summarised under the umbrella of strategic decision-making”, she says smiling. Kerstin was recently appointed professor of strategy. She will also be closely involved in the new Centre for Excellence in Adaptive Strategy.

Recently Professor Zeynep Erden joined our Healthcare Management Centre. She is an innovation and strategy scholar, with a special focus on technology and knowledge management in the pharmaceutical industry. “I try to understand what fosters or hinders innovation and which innovation strategies lead to competitive advantages for pharmaceutical companies. I’m particularly interested in how new technologies change the way organisations innovate.” She identifies three major trends that are currently shaping the innovation strategies of pharmaceutical companies: patients first, advanced data analytics and a call for better and cheaper medicines.

To stay competitive in the global war for talent, Belgium needs to invest in newcomers. That’s why we’ve partnered with Talentree – a job platform for multicultural talent – on an educational programme to help highly-educated newcomers integrate into the Belgian jobs market. It combines management training with an internship and intensive coaching and mentoring – both for individuals and the companies they intern at.

Every year, Vlerick Business School highlights exceptional research results by means of the Vlerick Researcher of the Year Award. All the professors and researchers who achieved an A* publication in 2017 could apply. After comprehensive discussions, the interuniversity jury finally selected researcher Jeroen Neckebrouck, who recently successfully defended his thesis on family businesses at Ghent University. Before he even finished his PhD, Jeroen managed to get a paper published in the Academy of Management Journal, one of the most highly regarded professional publications in the management arena. “And that is truly a unique achievement,” says Research Manager Eva Cools.