19 February 2015
Press Release issued by the University of Buckingham and Grant Thornton UK
The University of Buckingham and Grant Thornton UK LLP have announced the establishment of the Grant Thornton Chair in Automotive Management.
Automotive industry expert Colin Tourick has agreed to become the Grant Thornton Professor of Automotive Management.
The primary objective of this arrangement is to capitalise on the parties’ strengths, particularly focusing on the research and publication of thought leadership material within an academic context, supported by business understanding.
Speaking at the launch event, Tarun Mistry, Partner and Head of Automotive Advisory at Grant Thornton UK LLP said;
“We are delighted to be involved in establishing this Chair at The University of Buckingham. The establishment of the Chair of Automotive Management reflects Grant Thornton’s continued focus and expertise in the automotive advisory field and allows us to formalise the growing collaboration between the parties on a range of issues.”
Jane Tapsell, Dean of the Buckingham Business School said;
“This strategic relationship with Grant Thornton will deliver significant benefits to the university and its students. We have delivered research, publications, training and education in the automotive finance and leasing sector for more than a decade and this will help us to get even closer to this sector. We are delighted that Colin Tourick has agreed to become the Grant Thornton Professor of Automotive Management.”
NOTES FOR EDITORS
About Grant Thornton UK LLP:
Grant Thornton is one of the world’s leading organisations of independent assurance, tax and advisory firms. These firms help dynamic organisations unlock their potential for growth by providing meaningful, forward-thinking advice. Proactive teams, led by approachable partners in these firms, use insights, experience and instinct to understand complex issues for privately owned, publicly listed and public sector clients and help them to find solutions. More than 35,000 Grant Thornton people, across over 100 countries, are focused on making a difference to clients, colleagues and the communities in which we live and work. The UK Grant Thornton member firm provides services to over 40,000 privately held businesses, public interest entities and individuals. It is led by more than 185 partners and employs more than 4,200 of the profession’s brightest minds.
Find out more at www.grant-thornton.co.uk
About University of Buckingham
The University of Buckingham is the UK’s first independent university with a distinctive approach to higher education which has allowed us to tailor our programmes to our students’ strengths. This has been recognised in the Guardian League Table 2014 ranking of 25th out of 120 institutions and the National Student Survey where the University has come top for student satisfaction for 7 years in a row.
Among Buckingham’s distinguishing features are: a 2 year undergraduate degree; high employability rates (ranked first in the Guardian 2014 league table for graduate prospects); low staff to student ratio (1 member of staff for every 10 students, compared to around 1 for every 18 students on average in other universities in the UK); a multicultural student population – 55 % of the student body are international students from around 100 different countries.
About Colin Tourick
Colin Tourick MSc FCA FCCA MICFM is a management consultant who has spent 35 years in the fleet leasing and management industry. For six years he was managing director of CitiCapital Fleet and he has served on all the key industry committees. He advises banks, motor manufacturers, leasing companies and fleet managers, has had thirteen books published and has been a visiting professor at the University of Buckingham Business School for seven years.
Further information:
- Tarun Mistry, Grant Thornton [email protected]
- Paul Burrows, Grant Thornton [email protected]
- John Spoerry, University of Buckingham Business School [email protected]
- Colin Tourick, University of Buckingham Business School [email protected]
- Diana Blamires, PR Department University of Buckingham [email protected]