Managers from Flybe, Europe's largest regional airline, attended a Master Class delivered by an internationally renowned expert in leadership management and co-founder of the One Planet MBA, Professor Jonathan Gosling, on 23rd January 2013 at The Flybe Training Academy. The students are members of the innovative Bachelor of Arts (Hons) Leadership and Business Practice degree developed by Exeter College and Flybe and validated by the University of Exeter. This one-year programme enables managers to develop their leadership practice and achieve a degree from one of the UK's top business schools, whilst working full time.

Professor Gosling, Director of the University's Centre for Leadership Studies and ranked 24th in the national HR's most Influential thinkers list for 2012 will deliver the January Master Class session on ‘Leadership and Organisational Learning.' Trained as an anthropologist, Professor Jonathan Gosling worked for several years as a mediator in neighbourhood conflicts in London, founded the UK‘s first community mediation service and was the founding Secretary of the European Conference on Peacemaking and Conflict Resolution. After taking a mid-career MBA, he moved into management education at Lancaster University, where he directed the MBA and other programmes for British Airways and other major companies.

Professor Gosling, who is described as “hurdling the management of academia, theoretical excellence and practical relevance” has published extensively on leadership including articles in The Harvard Business Review, Sloan Management Review and for the Academy of Management Learning and Education and is also Visiting Professor at McGill University, Quebec and Lund University, Sweden. His industry experience also includes advising several companies, international agencies and government departments on their leadership-related issues. As director of the Centre for Leadership Studies, he works with a first-rate team of researchers, teachers and consultants collectively making a significant impact on both the understanding and practice of leadership.

“Our students were inspired by the opportunity to debate the 'big issues' with one of the leading thinkers in the field,” said Sam Delbaere Exeter College's Programme Director. “Most importantly the students will apply what they learnt in the Master Class to their own role in industry and use Professor Goslings' research to develop their own effectiveness as managers and leaders. This is one of a series of Master Classes designed to have a positive impact on leadership and management practice in Flybe and we are honoured that the course has attracted such a renowned expert.”