The link from textbooks, lecture theatres and tutorials to real-world careers and a life outside university can sometimes seem a tenuous one to a student busy with assignments and exams. That’s one of the reasons why university engagement with industry and business is essential.

On Friday August 17, the Faculty of Business and Law’s Business and Commerce student association hosted its inaugural business breakfast at Hunter Stadium. Approximately 100 Business School students and representatives from local organisations attended a morning of networking and inspiration.

Associate Professor Kevin Lyons and marketing officer Matthew Griffin represented the faculty on the day which included presentations from Ms Michelle McPherson (CFO and Deputy CEO of NIB Holdings), Ms Emma Keech (Head of Category - Sales and Marketing, Red Bull Australia) and Mr Andrew Eckford (Industry Analyst, Google Australia).

Michelle gave students an understanding of the evolving responsibilities that students are likely to have as their careers progress in business, and explained that as an accountant, number crunching is not the focus, with informed strategic and operational decision making being the areas where financial knowledge is highly sought after.

Emma and Andrew are both Alumni of the University of Newcastle who completed their Bachelor of Business degrees in 2000 and 2001 respectively before working their way to top positions in two of the world’s most exciting global organisations. Emma and Andrew gave our current students an insight into life working at Red Bull and Google and also discussed their journey along the way, giving students an opportunity to ask questions and learn about the endless opportunities available to them upon graduation.

This event, organised by UonBusCom Student Association President Sam Barker and his executive team, was supported by the Faculty of Business and Law and local firms PricewaterhouseCoopers, Port Waratah Coal Services, H & M Accountants and Forsythes recruitment.

To find out more about the new Business and Commerce Student Association you can visit their website.