Sir Donald Gordon Donates Two and a Half Million Pound Gift to School

LONDON - London Business School is delighted to announce that Sir Donald Gordon, founder of Liberty Life and Liberty International, has made a generous, two and a half million pound gift to establish the Sir Donald Gordon Chair in Entrepreneurship and Innovation at London Business School.

Sir Donald, one of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs and businessmen launched Liberty Life, a small life company with an innovative investment philosophy, which grew into one of South Africa’s largest companies. Sir Donald went on to co-found Abbey Life, which became one of the UK’s largest life insurers. In 1980 he created Liberty International, one of the UK’s leading property businesses. In addition, Sir Donald has been highly influential in the development of a number of other global businesses including Standard Bank and South African Breweries (renamed SABMiller).

Commenting on his contribution to the School, Sir Donald said, “It is an honour for me to support something I am passionate about - business education - and I am pleased to be doing so at London Business School. It is vital that we create conditions in which innovative talents can prosper. London Business School is already number one in the world for both MBAs and Executive MBAs. My gift will help the School encourage its aspiring leaders to better understand the nature and practice of entrepreneurship and innovation. I particularly hope that my commitment becomes a target for others to surpass in their own giving to the School. Now is the time for wealthy businessmen and women to give to business education.”

Entrepreneurship and innovation at London Business School have correctly come to be seen as two of its most important differentiating factors. Maximising the expertise of entrepreneurship-focussed faculty, the subject ranks top three in terms of size on the teaching syllabus. The School excels in both the research and teaching of Innovation. It is also evident at the very core of the School’s activities in terms of degree programme design, from the new Masters in Management through to Executive Education Two-Day Executive Workouts and the launch of the School’s Dubai-London Executive MBA.

Associate Professor of Strategic and International Management Michael G Jacobides has been named the Sir Donald Gordon Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

Source: London Business School

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