Marking the 30^th year of the Full-time MBA programme, the 10^th year of the Mindful Manager programme, the retirement as Director of Dr Peter Lenney and the introduction of Dr Robyn Remke as incoming FT MBA Director, this occasion commemorated many significant milestones.

Our speaker, Richard Newman, entertained us riotously with his talk about body language. During such a historic week in British political leadership wrangles (purely coincidental, we assure you, as the venue was booked months in advance), he highlighted his research using examples from the 2008 USA election in the study of gesture as a predictor of who would win the presidential race - with complete accuracy as it turned out. There was opportunity for audience participation, so we shouted “Hey you, stop in the name of the law!” at full volume in our best New York accents in what is the highest seat of our law-making, rivalling the decibel output of any heated Commons debate.

The venue and speaker proved a big draw for our alumni, one having travelled from China and another from India specially for the occasion. We are immensely grateful everyone who could join us, and know that the impression our corporate guests will have had as a result will stand the MBA in good stead for a long time to come.