UWL Fresh Minds for Business
Intro
Fresh Minds for Business is a non-profit consultancy service, delivered by our students and supported by experienced consultants at the Claude Littner Business School. We offer our expertise to business and non-business clients from a wide range of industries and sectors.
Find out more about:
About Fresh Minds for Business
UWL Fresh Minds for Business is an award-winning student-led consultancy programme that works with businesses in West London and neighbouring regions to support growth, competitiveness, and resilience whilst also providing enhanced learning opportunities for our students through the application of their knowledge and skills to address real-world challenges that matter to businesses.
Our programme is driven by mission to support our business community and to give our students the opportunity to develop their professional profile by working with businesses to meet real-world challenges.
Projects are completed to high professional standards by students working under the supervision of experienced consultants based in the University's Business School. We are also supported by independent advisers from industry who volunteer their time and expertise on specialist projects.
In 2021, UWL Fresh Minds for Business received the Levelling Up Award for Extending Enterprise.
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Our strategic purpose
Our strategic purpose is to create an effective environment in which students, businesses and faculty can collaborate together towards the achievement of mutually beneficial outcomes that impact positively on the resilience of our business community, the growth of our local economy and the career prospects of our students.
Fresh Mind’s bespoke approach looks at each client and each problem individually. Its flexibility allows it to adapt to the client’s specific needs. A senior consultant will work with the client at the beginning to identify the needs and design the project objectives. Once agreed, a dedicated project team is assembled, and project plans put in place. The client’s main commitment would be to meet with the team at the start of the project to establish detailed specifications and requirements; then, once during the interim period for the project team to provide progress updates and discuss any adjustments the client would like made.
On completion of the project, the team will present their findings and recommendations to the client. Throughout the project, a client experience manager will keep in regular contact to update on progress and manage communications with the team. While we are proud of the business-based professional approach that has delivered an excellent service to all our clients; the programme has also been recognised for its outstanding social impact.
[Fresh Minds should be recognised for bringing] Business and Students together to challenge the status quo and build success. Businesses gain new ideas to improve growth and competitiveness and the programme underlines the University of West London’s commitment to be an engine of growth for the local economy.
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Hear more from Dr Suresh Gamlath
In the competitive world of graduate careers, the Fresh Minds programme creates a level playing field for all students, irrespective of class, connections, or background, to gain real world relevant experience that enhances their career prospects and life chances.
In 2021, Fresh Minds for Business was recognised for its contribution to advancing Social Mobility and Levelling Up. In a virtual award ceremony on 30 June, the University of West London’s Fresh Minds for Business Programme was named Winner of the Levelling Up Awards for Extending Enterprise.
The continued participation of businesses in this programme is important for its continued success. We are very thankful to our client and partner organisations for their support, and we welcome new opportunities and challenges to enhance the growth, resilience, and effectiveness of our business community.
Our services
The diversity of our students and faculty brings unique perspectives and out-of-the-box thinking to problems and issues that matter to individual businesses. Clients call on UWL Fresh Minds when they have a need or problem that requires some investigation, research and thinking that they may not have sufficient time or resources to devote in-house or may not be able to commission commercial firms.
Here are four ways we can help:
Contact us via freshminds@uwl.ac.uk for more information.
Client case studies
Client case studies
Hear from some of our clients at Fresh Minds for Business.
Get in touch with us at Freshminds@uwl.ac.uk to learn more about how we can help your organisation.
It's always useful to have a new set of eyes looking at your business problems - the team provided a very insightful report into Britelives.com.
Meet the team
Angela Warwick
As UWL’s Fresh Minds for Business Client Experience Coordinator Angela provides operational support for the project teams and keeps clients updated on the progress of their projects. With her years of experience in client relations, she will help you with any administrative processes and ensure a positive client experience.
- Contact Angela by email: Freshminds@uwl.ac.uk
Senior consultants
Tony Mulvahil BSc, MAPM
Tony is a consultant working with businesses in West London. He has worked as a consultant in the financial services sector and is a Member of the Association for Project Management. Tony is the lead academic adviser for student-based consultancy projects.
Max Stricker
Max Stricker is a marketing consultant and Course Director at the CIM (Managing Brands and Innovation in Marketing). He’s an expert on Distinctive Brand Assets and has worked with clients in Europe, North America and Asia to improve the distinctiveness and standout of their branding, packaging, POS material and communication. Max also helps clients increase the effectiveness of communications across all channels via a science-based framework. In the last 4 years, he led bespoke client workshops/trainings for over 1500 people globally.
Supporting consultants
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Dr Dinusha Weerawardane
Subject Head - Accounting and Finance
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Farshad Eshraghi
Senior Lecturer in Business and Management
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Tejinder Pal Singh
Head of Socio-ethnic Entrepreneurship, Leadership & Change
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Leif Ollivierre
Senior Lecturer in International Shipping and Port Management
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Dr Yianni Doumenis
Course Leader for MSc Finance and Risk Management
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Dr Chiamaka Francisca Umeh
Lecturer in Digital Enterprise
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Dr Sukhmani Kaur
Senior lecturer in Sustainability Risk Management
Andreea Daniela Coroama BA (Hons)
An International Student Experience Coordinator for the University of West London. She holds a degree in Business Studies with Marketing, and during her university studies, she completed a Fresh Minds consultancy project conducting methodical research and analysis on trends affecting the car retail market.
Harey Vigneswaran MBA, BA(Hons), CMgr FCMI
A Chartered Fellow of CMI with over 10 years of experience consulting on transformation projects for large organisations like Apple, Transport for London and the Metropolitan Police. He currently runs a consultancy firm in London focused on planning and leading complex change management activities. Harey is an alumnus of the University who himself, completed a Fresh Minds consultancy project whilst a student.
Contact us
Get in touch to find out how we can help you achieve your business goals.
- Email: Freshminds@uwl.ac.uk
*All projects are subject to approval by the Head of the Business School.
