A panel discussion and open forum
The Kraft take-over of Cadbury in 2010 met with huge public unrest. Yet another of the UK’s best known brands and most successful large multi-national companies had been bought up. For many it hit home that the UK could become a nation of SMEs with no large multi-nationals to its name. But does this matter? Aside from a dent to national pride, what are the negative consequences of increased foreign ownership? And do these outweigh the arguments for foreign direct investment, competition and a free market?
More than two years on, our panel will revisit the Kraft take-over of Cadbury to ask what this has meant for the company, and examine the wider questions of national ownership in the UK in terms of employment, wealth creation and the effect on government tax generation.
Chair of the Panel:
Simon Collinson, Dean of the Business School and Professor of International Business
Simon has written extensively on the international competitiveness of UK firms, foreign direct investment and economic change.
The Panel:
Sir Dominic Cadbury, Chancellor of the University of Birmingham CEO Sir Dominic is a former CEO and Chairman of Cadbury Schweppes plc, with an unrivalled insight into the firm.
Dr Ian Clark, Reader in HRM at Birmingham Business School, Ian’s research has shed considerable light on investor and shareholder value approaches to management, Americanization, American MNCs and the “Movement to Financial Capitalism”.
Jerry Blackett, Chief Executive of Birmingham Chamber of Commerce.
As CEO since 2006, Jerry has an excellent understanding of the inward investment and the impact of take-overs in the region.
Dr Pamela Robinson, Lecturer in Employment Relations at Birmingham Business School
Pamela has research interests in corporate social responsibility, business ethics and stakeholder management in global value chains.
To register please complete our online registration form
This event is part of GRAB – the Great Read at Birmingham initiative – which this year centres around Deborah Cadbury’s book Chocolate Wars which charts the history of Cadbury and its competitors from 19th Century through to the Kraft Take-over of Cadbury in 2010.
You may wish to attend the accompanying event taking place earlier in January: Chocolate and the Quaker capitalists: Britain's lost heritage