Chris Roebuck
Encyclopedia
Chris Roebuck, BSc, MBA, FCIPD, FCMI is a British
economist who lectures on leadership topics and advises organisations on maximising performance through effective leadership, in particular developing lean leadership and entrepreneurial leadership. Roebuck has held senior Human Resource
and organisational transformation roles in London Underground
, KPMG
, HSBC
, and UBS. In 2009 he was appointed Visiting Professor of Transformational Leadership at Cass Business School in London,. In 2011 he was nominated by HR Magazine as one of the top 20 Most Influential HR Thinkers.. Roebuck advises the Chartered Management Institute
, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
, the Corporate Leadership Council and the BBC
as an expert on leadership and organisational performance.
where he chaired the Students Union commercial enterprises committee, whose operations turned over in excess of £1m in 1976. He later chaired the Union Council, overseeing the constitutional governance process, elections, and negotiations with the UCL authorities.
via the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
. He was the Best Young Officer on his Course at the Royal School of Military Engineering
. During his service in Germany, Roebuck developed the modern pipe fascine
now used by the British Army in operations globally to rapidly cross small gaps and obstacles that restrict mobility of armoured and other units.
, Goldman Sachs
, Bank of New York
, Bank of England
, and other financial institutions; Arts Council
, legal firms and UK Government
. In 1992 he received his MBA from Cass Business School in London
. His final dissertation on organisational communication was featured in The Times
on BBC Television
and published worldwide in the International Journal of Strategic Management.
In the late 1990s Roebuck lectured at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
and the Joint Services
on utilising the best of both military and commercial leadership techniques for the benefit of students. He also advised on updating the course at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.
In 1999, Roebuck was a member of an expert panel on improving leadership in British business for the government
After roles with the executive team at London Underground
developing the Public Private Partnership, building a new business line for KPMG
and helping HSBC
investment bank put a leadership development system in place, Roebuck worked at UBS in Zurich from 2002 to 2006.
At UBS, Roebuck and colleagues led the delivery of a for the bank’s top 500 leaders and subsequently co-ordinated this via the business divisions for the other 70,000 employees. This underpinned a new corporate alignment, culture and brand that improved the bottom line and the position of UBS in the global banking rankings through entrepreneurial leadership. As a result, in 2005 UBS won the title “Best Company for Leaders Europe” and “Best New Corporate University awards”, won the Corporate University Best Practice and Excellence awards in 2006/7, and was in the top 10 of best companies in Europe 2007. The UBS talent and leadership initiative now forms a key part of a Harvard Business School Case Study "UBS: Towards the Integrated Firm" on supporting strategic business change, realignment and improvement via talent and leadership activity. This case is also reviewed from the organisational culture and performance perspective. During this period, Roebuck developed the initial concept of Entrepreneurial HR which he continues to develop.
Since 2006, Roebuck has worked with organisations as diverse as the British National Health Service
(the 4th largest organisation in the world) and organisations working in international logistics, legal, transport, media and not for profit sectors. Roebuck also advised on the implementation of the 2009 report for the UK Government on Employee Engagement “Engaging for Success” and in 2011 advised the King's Fund
on developing leadership in the NHS for their Commission to the UK Government. . He is also an executive coach and business mentor.
Roebuck currently heads Organisational Design & Transformation at the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham (H&F) and leads on culture and engagement within plans to combine services between Hammersmith & Fulham
, Westminster City Council
and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
. This is the Tri Borough Project, part of the largest ever local government restructures, delivering £34m of collective annual savings by 2014/15 by reducing management and overhead costs by 50%, while improving service delivery to local residents.
, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Time Magazine, Chicago Tribune
, Huffington Post, Le Monde
, Times of India, Vancouver Sun and 50 other global titles.
, BBC World
Business, BBC Breakfast
, The Money Programme
, Bloomberg
, CNBC
, Sky
, Al Jazeera
, Swiss National Television, BBC UK
and Australian Radio channels.
CEO Summit, Confederation of British Industry
and the All Party Parliamentary Committee on Management.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
economist who lectures on leadership topics and advises organisations on maximising performance through effective leadership, in particular developing lean leadership and entrepreneurial leadership. Roebuck has held senior Human Resource
Human resource management
Human Resource Management is the management of an organization's employees. While human resource management is sometimes referred to as a "soft" management skill, effective practice within an organization requires a strategic focus to ensure that people resources can facilitate the achievement of...
and organisational transformation roles in London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
, KPMG
KPMG
KPMG is one of the largest professional services networks in the world and one of the Big Four auditors, along with Deloitte, Ernst & Young and PwC. Its global headquarters is located in Amstelveen, Netherlands....
, HSBC
HSBC
HSBC Holdings plc is a global banking and financial services company headquartered in Canary Wharf, London, United Kingdom. it is the world's second-largest banking and financial services group and second-largest public company according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine...
, and UBS. In 2009 he was appointed Visiting Professor of Transformational Leadership at Cass Business School in London,. In 2011 he was nominated by HR Magazine as one of the top 20 Most Influential HR Thinkers.. Roebuck advises the Chartered Management Institute
Chartered Management Institute
The Chartered Management Institute is a professional institution for managers, based in the United Kingdom.In addition to supporting its members, the organisation encourages management development, carries out research, produces a wide variety of publications on management interests, and publishes...
, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development is Europe's largest professional institute for people management and development. It is located in Wimbledon, London, England. The organisation has over 135,000 members across 120 countries, and achieved chartered status in 2000...
, the Corporate Leadership Council and the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
as an expert on leadership and organisational performance.
Education
Roebuck studied Economics and Geography at University College LondonUniversity College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
where he chaired the Students Union commercial enterprises committee, whose operations turned over in excess of £1m in 1976. He later chaired the Union Council, overseeing the constitutional governance process, elections, and negotiations with the UCL authorities.
Military service
Roebuck served with the Royal Engineer sub unit of the University of London Officer Training Corps and was commissioned into the Territorial Army. During this period he led the team that blew up the 150 ft high chimney at the old pottery at Sandford near Wareham in Dorset to make way for a new housing estate. Roebuck was subsequently commissioned into the regular Army Royal EngineersRoyal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
via the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
. He was the Best Young Officer on his Course at the Royal School of Military Engineering
Royal School of Military Engineering
The Royal School of Military Engineering is the main training establishment for the British Army's Royal Engineers. After they have successfully completed their Phase 1 - Basic Soldier Training, members of the Corps of Royal Engineers attend 3 RSME, at Minley for Phase 2a - Combat Engineering...
. During his service in Germany, Roebuck developed the modern pipe fascine
Fascine
A fascine is a rough bundle of brushwood used for strengthening an earthen structure, or making a path across uneven or wet terrain. Typical uses are protecting the banks of streams from erosion, covering marshy ground and so on.-Early military use:...
now used by the British Army in operations globally to rapidly cross small gaps and obstacles that restrict mobility of armoured and other units.
Career
After leaving the Army Roebuck used his knowledge of leadership to develop performance improvement initiatives in organisations such as Deutsche BankDeutsche Bank
Deutsche Bank AG is a global financial service company with its headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany. It employs more than 100,000 people in over 70 countries, and has a large presence in Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific and the emerging markets...
, Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is an American multinational bulge bracket investment banking and securities firm that engages in global investment banking, securities, investment management, and other financial services primarily with institutional clients...
, Bank of New York
Bank of New York
The Bank of New York was a global financial services company established in 1784 by the American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton. It existed until its merger with the Mellon Financial Corporation on July 2, 2007...
, Bank of England
Bank of England
The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. Established in 1694, it is the second oldest central bank in the world...
, and other financial institutions; Arts Council
Arts Council of Great Britain
The Arts Council of Great Britain was a non-departmental public body dedicated to the promotion of the fine arts in Great Britain. The Arts Council of Great Britain was divided in 1994 to form the Arts Council of England , the Scottish Arts Council, and the Arts Council of Wales...
, legal firms and UK Government
Government of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Government is the central government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The Government is led by the Prime Minister, who selects all the remaining Ministers...
. In 1992 he received his MBA from Cass Business School in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. His final dissertation on organisational communication was featured in The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
on BBC Television
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
and published worldwide in the International Journal of Strategic Management.
In the late 1990s Roebuck lectured at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
and the Joint Services
Joint Services Command and Staff College
Joint Services Command and Staff College is a British military academic establishment providing training and education to experienced officers of the Royal Navy, Army, Royal Air Force, Ministry of Defence Civil Service, and serving officers of other states.-History:JSCSC combined the single...
on utilising the best of both military and commercial leadership techniques for the benefit of students. He also advised on updating the course at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.
In 1999, Roebuck was a member of an expert panel on improving leadership in British business for the government
After roles with the executive team at London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
developing the Public Private Partnership, building a new business line for KPMG
KPMG
KPMG is one of the largest professional services networks in the world and one of the Big Four auditors, along with Deloitte, Ernst & Young and PwC. Its global headquarters is located in Amstelveen, Netherlands....
and helping HSBC
HSBC
HSBC Holdings plc is a global banking and financial services company headquartered in Canary Wharf, London, United Kingdom. it is the world's second-largest banking and financial services group and second-largest public company according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine...
investment bank put a leadership development system in place, Roebuck worked at UBS in Zurich from 2002 to 2006.
At UBS, Roebuck and colleagues led the delivery of a for the bank’s top 500 leaders and subsequently co-ordinated this via the business divisions for the other 70,000 employees. This underpinned a new corporate alignment, culture and brand that improved the bottom line and the position of UBS in the global banking rankings through entrepreneurial leadership. As a result, in 2005 UBS won the title “Best Company for Leaders Europe” and “Best New Corporate University awards”, won the Corporate University Best Practice and Excellence awards in 2006/7, and was in the top 10 of best companies in Europe 2007. The UBS talent and leadership initiative now forms a key part of a Harvard Business School Case Study "UBS: Towards the Integrated Firm" on supporting strategic business change, realignment and improvement via talent and leadership activity. This case is also reviewed from the organisational culture and performance perspective. During this period, Roebuck developed the initial concept of Entrepreneurial HR which he continues to develop.
Since 2006, Roebuck has worked with organisations as diverse as the British National Health Service
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
(the 4th largest organisation in the world) and organisations working in international logistics, legal, transport, media and not for profit sectors. Roebuck also advised on the implementation of the 2009 report for the UK Government on Employee Engagement “Engaging for Success” and in 2011 advised the King's Fund
King's Fund
The King's Fund is a charitable foundation in England. Founded as the Prince of Wales Hospital Fund for London in 1897, the fund changed its name in 1902 to King Edward's Hospital Fund after the accession to the throne of King Edward VII...
on developing leadership in the NHS for their Commission to the UK Government. . He is also an executive coach and business mentor.
Roebuck currently heads Organisational Design & Transformation at the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham (H&F) and leads on culture and engagement within plans to combine services between Hammersmith & Fulham
London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham
The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham is a London borough in West London, and forms part of Inner London. Traversed by the east-west main roads of the A4 Great West Road and the A40 Westway, many international corporations have offices in the borough....
, Westminster City Council
Westminster City Council
Westminster City Council is the local authority for the City of Westminster in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council and is entitled to be known as a city council, which is a rare distinction in the United Kingdom. The city is divided into 20 wards, each electing three councillors...
and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is a central London borough of Royal borough status. After the City of Westminster, it is the wealthiest borough in England....
. This is the Tri Borough Project, part of the largest ever local government restructures, delivering £34m of collective annual savings by 2014/15 by reducing management and overhead costs by 50%, while improving service delivery to local residents.
Publications
Roebuck has written books on leadership, communication and delegation. His book on “hands on” leadership was translated into 11 languages. He has regular columns in CEO and HR Magazines. His work has been quoted globally, for example in the UK national press, Financial TimesFinancial Times
The Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Time Magazine, Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
, Huffington Post, Le Monde
Le Monde
Le Monde is a French daily evening newspaper owned by La Vie-Le Monde Group and edited in Paris. It is one of two French newspapers of record, and has generally been well respected since its first edition under founder Hubert Beuve-Méry on 19 December 1944...
, Times of India, Vancouver Sun and 50 other global titles.
TV and Radio
Roebuck appears regularly on both TV and radio globally as a leadership expert, including BBC NewsBBC News
BBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
, BBC World
BBC World
BBC World News is the BBC's international news and current affairs television channel. It has the largest audience of any BBC channel in the world...
Business, BBC Breakfast
BBC Breakfast
BBC Breakfast is the morning television news programme simulcast on BBC One and the BBC News channel. It is presented live from BBC Television Centre in White City, West London, and contains a mixture of news, sport, weather, business and feature items...
, The Money Programme
The Money Programme
The Money Programme is a finance and business affairs television programme on BBC2.It was first broadcast on 5 April 1966 and presented by "commentators" William Davis, Erskine Childers and Joe Roeber. At this time David Attenborough was the controller of BBC2...
, Bloomberg
Bloomberg
Bloomberg may refer to:* Michael Bloomberg , American businessman and founder of Bloomberg L.P.; politician and Mayor of New York City...
, CNBC
CNBC
CNBC is a satellite and cable television business news channel in the U.S., owned and operated by NBCUniversal. The network and its international spinoffs cover business headlines and provide live coverage of financial markets. The combined reach of CNBC and its siblings is 390 million viewers...
, Sky
Sky
The sky is the part of the atmosphere or outer space visible from the surface of any astronomical object. It is difficult to define precisely for several reasons. During daylight, the sky of Earth has the appearance of a pale blue surface because the air scatters the sunlight. The sky is sometimes...
, Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera is an independent broadcaster owned by the state of Qatar through the Qatar Media Corporation and headquartered in Doha, Qatar...
, Swiss National Television, BBC UK
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and Australian Radio channels.
Public Speaking
Roebuck presents at international conferences, business schools and to professional and management groups such as NHS Chief Executives, the Institute of DirectorsInstitute of Directors
The Institute of Directors is a UK-based organisation, established in 1903 and incorporated by royal charter in 1906 to support, represent and set standards for company directors...
CEO Summit, Confederation of British Industry
Confederation of British Industry
The Confederation of British Industry is a British not for profit organisation incorporated by Royal charter which promotes the interests of its members, some 200,000 British businesses, a figure which includes some 80% of FTSE 100 companies and around 50% of FTSE 350 companies.-Role:The CBI works...
and the All Party Parliamentary Committee on Management.