One of the world’s leading authorities on health and well-being in the workplace is returning to Manchester to take up a leading role at Manchester Business School (MBS) in its 50th anniversary year.
Sir Cary Cooper has been appointed The 50th Anniversary Professor of Organizational Psychology and Health, and will take up his post on 1 June 2015.
He was previously head of the Manchester School of Management within the University of Manchester Institute of Science & Technology (UMIST), and went on to become Pro-Vice-Chancellor and then Deputy Vice-Chancellor of UMIST prior to its merger with The University of Manchester in 2004. He also played a key role in creating the Manchester Federal School of Business and Management.
Sir Cary, who is returning to Manchester from Lancaster University, said he felt like he was “coming home”. “My heart has always been in Manchester having spent 29 great years here. I love being an academic and love writing. For me it is simply a way of life.”
Fiona Devine, Head of MBS, said: “In our 50th anniversary year we are delighted to welcome Cary back to Manchester. We are looking forward to working with him closely as we put our ambitious plans to take MBS forward in to practice. Attracting the very best global talent to Manchester has been a key priority and having Cary on board is testament to this commitment.”
Sir Cary said he would be pushing MBS’ name further in Government circles too. “I want to look at what the School can be offering the Government. What, for instance, can it do to help drive the productivity agenda? How can it interact more with the Department of Business, Innovation & Skills?”
Meanwhile, Sir Cary said he will continue to lead ground-breaking research on health in the workplace. “The one thing we do not do in society is train people to actually manage other human beings. We give them information about HR, marketing, economics and operations management, but we fall down on the soft skills. In turn, what causes people to be unhealthy in the workplace, what stresses them? How do we create a workplace culture that is not workaholic, that is flexible, and that manages people well? These are the key questions.”
