Kevin Ibeh
Reflections from the 8th HoD
The Department of Marketing at Strathclyde is 50! What a delightful milestone for this truly special academic unit. Founded in 1971, under late Professor Michael Baker’s leadership, the Department and its iconic Stenhouse Building base have nurtured many of the past half century’s most influential marketing scholars. Great practitioners as well. These "Stenhousers" - former and current staff and alumni - have made and are continuing to make great contributions in academic, policy, business and third sector settings across the UK and at the global stage.
The Department’s pioneering role in advancing marketing education and research is further evidenced by the many field-shaping innovations it spawned or co-created. These notably include the Marketing Education Group (now Academy of Marketing), Journal of Marketing Management, Marketing Intelligence and Planning, Centre for Social Marketing, Strathclyde International Business Unit, and International Marketing Master’s with Glasgow, international and online delivery options. The Stenhouse Building was also a magnet for prestigious international conferences, including the European Marketing Academy Conference and Academy of International Business Conference.
I first heard of the University of Strathclyde’s Department of Marketing in my very first undergraduate Marketing lecture in the 1980s, at the then Imo State University in Southeast Nigeria. The rather impressive young Lecturer, Dr Ogwo, had introduced himself to my class of 100+ business students as a PhD Marketing graduate from Strathclyde, and had recommended Michael Baker’s ‘Marketing: an introductory text’ as the class text. He also regularly referenced his alma mater throughout the semester. The foregoing and the genuine respect which my classmates and I had for this Lecturer led to most of us developing a real fascination for Strathclyde and its Department of Marketing.
It was an immense privilege, therefore, to be gifted, eleven years later, an admission offer for fully–funded MSc/DBA studies at Strathclyde’s Marketing Department, by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission. Although I had at that point gained an MBA and established myself as a Lecturer with not-shabby publication record, the opportunity to study at the UK’s leading Department of Marketing with too good to quibble about.
Space limitations preclude an elaborate recounting of my journey from an African Master’s student to the Department of Marketing’s HoD role. Suffice it to say that the remarkable transition testifies to the inclusionary sentiments at this Department, long before equality, diversity and inclusion became buzzwords. That said, I would say no more given Chimamanda Adichie’s persuasive cautionary tale about the danger of generalising from a single story. I must, nevertheless, acknowledge my debt of gratitude to several champions and supportive colleagues within the Department, including every one of my predecessors in the HoD role. Names are left out here, but would appear if and when I got round to writing my memoirs.
So what are the enduring memories of my 19-year ‘tenancy’ at the Stenhouse Building?
A lot actually, but a few scattered thoughts would suffice here.
Socials, fun and games. Sorry to disappoint you, I have no juicy titbits to report, except perhaps a few let-your-hair down Christmas parties and staff night-outs. Some of the former featured memorable dance-fests and shakedowns. Names? No chance. Staff Day-outs over the years also had their moments - horse riding, betting, bike rides, bagpipe playing, football kick-a-bouts, cricket, tug of war and sack race games, and much more. Even Research Away Days were sometimes fun, e.g. the 2008 edition at Ross Priory at the bank of Loch Lomond that featured a 9-hole golf contest.
Students’ events. Marketing Works Award Dinners at Clydebank readily come to mind as rather classy affairs. Annual Welcome receptions and Graduation events, typically at Glassford Street Trades Hall, also often hit the mark, though my genetic disinclination to Ceilidh dancing, Scotland’s gift to the world, typically consign me to the margins of such evenings. The Endeavour Scotland team bonding trips to Abbotsford and their later version at Perth, as well as international study visits to Venice and Dubai, were also widely appreciated. Students did, of course, do their own thing away from the staff’s prying eyes. Which was fine as long as their activities posed no threat to Strathclyde’s image – for example, we had to act swiftly on one occasion to pull a truly ‘sick’ (read entertaining) viral video of our Master’s students performing Carly Rae Japsen’s Call Me Maybe. Such killjoys!
The 40th Anniversary celebrations. I still fondly remember the Big Kick-off events featuring the Anniversary Cake and the unveiling of the Anniversary Banner. The latter flew at the Stenhouse Building all year. I also recall representing the Department in Dubai, along with Professor Alan Wilson and Sean Ennis, at 40th excellent Anniversary events curated by Catherine Demangeot. The capstone Anniversary Dinner at Oran Mor was also memorable, as was the Industrial Marketing and Purchasing (IMP) Conference organised by Stan Paliwoda-led team. The Dinner at the Old Fruit market particularly rocked.
HOD role, 2010-2013. Thanks for the ride and support, guys. I hope the tenure wasn’t too bumpy. Together, we put some hits on the board. Examples? The best NSS survey result of any Marketing programme in the UK. Memorable 40th anniversary celebrations. Record-breaking Master’s recruitment and ramped up financial surplus. Successful quinquennial Departmental review. Healthy contribution to the REF 2014 result. A dozen new PhDs at one graduation ceremony. Brand reinvigoration facilitated by a revamped website, 40th anniversary-related media coverage and WOM and much else. Significant adjunct appointments, including from the World Bank. Promotions, appointments and recognitions for several good colleagues.
Top memories. Career milestones and Departmental achievements typically make the list, but two things stand out. First, the successes colleagues and I had in dissuading a few students facing challenging circumstances from dropping out of their Master’s studies or Honour’s dissertation. Meeting such students when they graduate several months later always left a mark. Second was seeing good colleagues get promoted, appointed or recognised.
To conclude, I say hearty congratulations to the Department of Marketing’s global family for a great half century of impactful existence. Joining this virtual 50th anniversary celebrations is a real pleasure.
50 is apparently the new 40, so I wish the Department even better days ahead, in the best tradition of fine wines.
So much achieved, so much still to do. Let the new era begin.
Professor Kevin Ibeh
Pro Vice Chancellor (International), Birkbeck, University of London
Commissioner, Commonwealth Scholarship Commission.
