--- title: Cranfield Executive Development Blog | professor mike bourne description: Mike spent 15 years in business, spanning the valve, paper & board, building materials, machine tool and airline catering industries. He held a number of positions, with roles in production management, strategy and acquisitions, IT, HR, commercial and general management, including directorship positions in subsidiary companies. He gained his PhD from the University of Cambridge in 2001, researching the design and implementation of balanced performance measurement systems. He has spent the last fifteen years working with companies supporting senior management teams through the process of clarifying and executing their strategy. His approach is to take a stakeholder approach to clarifying strategy and enabling implementation through alignment of activity to the goals of the organisation. --- [![Marques-SoM](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Marques-SoM.png?width=85&name=Marques-SoM.png)](https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/som)   - [Home](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/knowledge) - Featured - [CEO Summit](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/knowledge/tag/ceo-summit-2021) - Categories - [Changing World of Work](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/knowledge/tag/changing-world-of-work) - [Digital Transformation](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/knowledge/tag/digital-transformation) - [Economics](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/knowledge/tag/economics) - [Entrepreneurship](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/knowledge/tag/entrepreneurship) - [Finance and Accounting](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/knowledge/tag/finance-and-accounting) - [Implementation](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/knowledge/tag/implementation) - [Leadership](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/knowledge/tag/leadership) - [Logistics and Supply Chain](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/knowledge/tag/logistics-and-supply-chain) - [Organisational Behaviour](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/knowledge/topic/organisational-behaviour) - [Organisational Resilience](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/knowledge/topic/organisational-resilience) - [Strategic Marketing and Sales](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/knowledge/tag/strategic-marketing-and-sales) - [Strategy](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/knowledge/tag/strategy) - [Sustainability](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/knowledge/tag/sustainability) - [Executive Development](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/knowledge/tag/executive-development) - Content - [Articles](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/knowledge/tag/article) - [Whitepapers](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/knowledge/tag/whitepaper) - [eBooks](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/knowledge/tag/ebook) - [Podcasts](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/knowledge/tag/podcast) - [Webinars](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/knowledge/tag/webinar) - [Videos](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/knowledge/tag/video) - Programmes - [Open Programmes ↗](https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/som/open-executive-programmes) - [Customised Programmes ↗](https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/som/executive-development/consultancy-and-custom-solutions) - [MBA Programmes ↗](https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/som/cranfield-mba-programmes) - [Master's Apprenticeships ↗](https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/som/management-and-leadership-masterships) - [The Blog](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/execdev) ### Subscribe to our blog for exclusive insights. # The Blog ## Actionable insights from across the Cranfield network [![BECOME A MEMBER](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/417879/b9b69d4d-7ced-4ee8-bd11-b66d3bd4d1b7.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/417879/b9b69d4d-7ced-4ee8-bd11-b66d3bd4d1b7) - [Recent Posts](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/execdev) - [Leadership](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/execdev/topic/leadership#topic) - [Small business](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/execdev/topic/small-business#topic) - [Skills](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/execdev/topic/skills#topic) - [Reflections](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/execdev/topic/reflections#topic) - [Mentoring](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/execdev/topic/mentoring#topic) - [Coaching](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/execdev/topic/coaching#topic) - [Impact](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/execdev/topic/impact#topic) - [Influence](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/execdev/topic/influence#topic) - [Management](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/execdev/topic/management#topic) - [Conversations](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/execdev/topic/conversations#topic) - [Talent](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/execdev/topic/talent#topic) - [Career](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/execdev/topic/career#topic) - [Back to Knowledge hub](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/knowledge#topic) ![Recession? Is it time to prepare for hard times to come?](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/hubfs/ED%20Blog/ED%20Live%20Site%20Files/BLOG_IMAGES/Building-resilience-from-within.jpg) ![](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/hubfs/bourne.jpeg) By [professor mike bourne](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/execdev/author/professor-mike-bourne) ## [Recession? Is it time to prepare for hard times to come?](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/execdev/recession-is-it-hard-to-prepare-for-hard-times-to-come) #### The fall in the retail sales figures in May could be a one off blip (or common cause variation) but given the slower growth in... *( read )* Tags: [leadership](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/execdev/topic/leadership), [featured leadership](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/execdev/topic/featured-leadership), [featured sidebar all](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/execdev/topic/featured-sidebar-all), ![Living with the uncertainty of Brexit - 3 steps to execution](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/hubfs/BGP%20Blog/BGP%20Images/Blog%20Post%20Images/EU%20Keep%20Calm%20and%20Carry%20On%20BGP%20Blog-228802-edited.jpg) ![](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/hubfs/bourne.jpeg) By [professor mike bourne](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/execdev/author/professor-mike-bourne) ## [Living with the uncertainty of Brexit - 3 steps to execution](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/execdev/living-with-the-uncertainty-of-brexit-3-steps-to-execution) #### What will be the outcome of Brexit? We still don’t know and some of the repercussions will run on for years. So what can we do... *( read )* Tags: [leadership](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/execdev/topic/leadership), [featured leadership](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/execdev/topic/featured-leadership), [featured sidebar all](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/execdev/topic/featured-sidebar-all), ![It's not all about the money: Why the key to business performance is not to over-emphasise the financials](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/hubfs/social-suggested-images/calculator-calculation-insurance-finance-53621-791237-edited.jpeg) ![](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/hubfs/bourne.jpeg) By [professor mike bourne](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/execdev/author/professor-mike-bourne) ## [It's not all about the money: Why the key to business performance is not to over-emphasise the financials](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/execdev/its-not-all-about-the-money-why-the-key-to-business-performance-is-not-to-over-emphasise-the-financials) #### ***Where to focus their attention is an important strategic issue for companies, and one that needs active consideration. Are you...*** *( read )* Tags: [leadership](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/execdev/topic/leadership), [featured leadership](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/execdev/topic/featured-leadership), [featured sidebar all](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/execdev/topic/featured-sidebar-all), ## Talk to us about your world Call us on [+44 (0)1234 754500](tel:+441234754500) [Talk to us ↗](https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/som/executive-development/contact-us) [![cranfieldexecutivedevelopmentlogo](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/cranfieldexecutivedevelopmentlogo.png?width=300&name=cranfieldexecutivedevelopmentlogo.png)](https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/som/executive-development)   - - - - - - © Cranfield Management Development Ltd - **[execdev@cranfield.ac.uk](mailto:execdev@cranfield.ac.uk)  ·  [+44 (0)1234 754500](tel:+44%20(0)%201234%20754500)**  ·  [Privacy Policy](https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/som/privacy-policy) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "VideoObject", "contentUrl" : "https://417879.fs1.hubspotusercontent-eu1.net/hubfs/417879/Knowledge%20Hub%20%2B%20Blog/CED_KH_v6.mp4", "dateModified" : "2023-05-12T11:14:23.676Z", "description" : "", "duration" : "PT1M13S", "height" : 1080, "name" : "CED_KH_v6", "thumbnailUrl" : "https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/hubfs/Knowledge%20Hub%20%2B%20Blog/CED_KH_v6.mp4/medium.jpg", "uploadDate" : "2021-07-08T10:07:25.171Z", "width" : 1920 } ```