Glenn Pearce (MA Marketing, 1989, Furness) tells how his time at Lancaster University influenced careers in both marketing academia and entertainment.

“In 1988, a good mate - Ian Braithwaite - and I sold most of our worldly possessions and jetted-off to undertake the MA Marketing course at Lancaster University. I'd known Ian since our undergraduate agriculture days in the late 1970s.

In many respects it was a brave move. Ian and I both had good jobs in Sydney and the furthest I'd ventured abroad was Bali. International student fees were quite expensive and I was happy training race horses at the time with my parents. So it was difficult leaving friends, family and a stable of talented equines for an extended period.

The impetus for selecting Lancaster was an interview with Marketing’s Peter Spillard. Peter was visiting Australia on a recruitment mission and that discussion, together with knowing some successful Australian marketing educators who had completed the Lancaster MA, was all I needed.

The MA Marketing kept us extremely busy by design with an underlying mission to groom candidates for pressure-cooker roles. Furthermore, making a commitment to study abroad meant you were ‘driven’ to learn all you could so as to maximise return on personal investment.

After completing the Lancaster course, I returned to Australia with a broadened perspective and a strong desire to enter academia.

The Lancaster qualification instilled in me a sense of confidence that enabled me to land a position as a marketing lecturer at the University of Western Sydney.

Hungry to learn and be the best marketing educator I could be, prompted me to undertake further postgraduate study at the University of NSW followed by a Doctorate in Education at the University of Technology Sydney. My Doctoral thesis investigated the use of educational drama (Applied Theatre) in facilitating undergraduate and post graduate student learning in marketing.

In connection with this research I taught one marketing subject - New Frontiers in Marketing - entirely through drama. An interest in puppetry then prompted me to learn ventriloquism so the art could be incorporated into lectures.

The innovative use of drama, including puppetry and ventriloquism, led to national teaching recognition - I was named 2005 ANZMAC Marketing Educator of the Year and also received the 2009 Australian Award for University Teaching in the category of Business and Economics. Along the way, I performed ventriloquism at various university events, including seminars, conferences, colloquia and staff functions such as retreats, farewells and retirements.

Since retiring from academia in 2016, I have enjoyed a ‘second career’ as a comedy ventriloquist. Ventriloquism enables me to pursue lifelong interests in performance, marketing and writing.

Highlights as a performer have included being mentored by two legends of Australian ventriloquism - Chris Kirby and Darren Carr. I have also performed my own regional theatre show called ‘Hello Dollies’ and been invited to perform in America at the world’s largest ventriloquism convention - ‘Venthaven’.

Lancaster University had a profound influence on my career and life. I’m extremely grateful for having the opportunity to experience life in the UK while attending a leading educational institution.”