Gareth’s career has spanned both the academic and business worlds. He began as a University academic in Economic and Social Studies at the University of East Anglia before moving to the London Business School, where he joined the Organisational Behaviour Group.

During this period he directed the School’s Accelerated Development Programme. At this point the attractions of a “real” job in business proved too great and he joined Polygram, then the world’s largest recorded music company. Appointed as Senior Vice President for Polygram’s global human resources, his responsibilities covered more than thirty countries.

In 1996 he reverted to academia when he became the B.T. Professor of Organisational Development at Henley where he also served on the Board of Governors. His most recent job was as Director of Human Resources and Internal Communications at the BBC. He also is a Visiting Professor at INSEAD and a Fellow of the Centre for Management Development at London Business School.

Gareth’s research interests are in organisational design, culture, leadership and change. He has published several books, including “The Character of a Corporation: How Your Culture Can Make or Break Your Business” coauthored with Rob Goffee and most recently, “Why Should Anyone Be Led by You?”, also with Rob Goffee, and published by Harvard Business School Press in February 2006. This latest leadership title was based on an article of the
same name which won the prestigious McKinsey Award for the best article in HBR in 2001.Other articles have appeared in the European Management Journal, in Human Relations and in the Harvard Business Review. Gareth serves on the Editorial Advisory Board of People Management Magazine.

In addition, Gareth is a founding partner of Creative Management Associates (CMA) a consultancy focused on organisations where creativity is a source of competitive strength. He is also a Trustee of The Work Foundation.

Founding partner of Creative Management Associates.
Visiting Professor & Executive Fellow-Executive Education, IE Business School.
Trustee of The Work Foundation
Extensive research and publications on themes related to what it means to be an Authentic Leader.
To be a great leader you need to understand your differences – your strengths and weaknesses – and how to adapt these qualities to context.