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MARK BROWN
Managing Director - Innovation Centre Europe Ltd
Mark Brown, Visiting Professor of Innovation at Henley Management College and founder of Innovation Centre Europe Ltd, an organisation researching and promoting best creativity and innovation practice in companies, is perhaps best known for his consultancy, writing and broadcasting on moving people from 'absolute' and closed thinking through to 'relative' and open thinking.
His work, based on a synthesis of original psychological research and a sound appreciation of numerous clients in diverse markets and at different stages of organisational maturity, has already resulted in his helping to set hundreds of creativity and innovation teams. Such teams have different goals, including:
Achieving extraordinary customer relations;
Quality initiatives;
Continuous improvement;
Communication initiatives;
Cost management initiatives;
Market opportunity/technology searches, through to evolutionary and/or revolutionary new product and business development and 'Ideas into Profitable Action'. Such teams may be short or long term and may operate across the company or work within specific functions, such as marketing, new product development and research and development.
Mark's approach usually involves three stages. First, he helps the client establish where creativity and innovation is most needed. Secondly, he helps design learning and training mechanisms (that, if needed, can be cascaded down the organisation). Thirdly, he facilitates 'in-house' workshops and, if necessary, trains trainers and/or line managers so that they can subsequently set up and train within function or cross functional teams or both.
Mark's training design results in the final teams being skilled in an appropriate range of creativity/'mind-set' breaking processes and analytical techniques. The output for the final teams is higher quality innovative ideas. However, such ideas do not remain as mere ideas. Mark's training design strongly 'empowers' teams so that all profit related ideas are translated into fast and effective action.
What particularly differentiates Mark from others in his field is his grasp of existing and new processes and approaches for 'thinking beyond' historical patterns of thought. He is therefore not wedded or limited to one school of creative thinking, such as brainstorming, lateral thinking, etc. This breadth and depth of theoretical knowledge combines powerfully with his very practical experience of establishing bespoke mechanisms that deliver highest quality creative and innovative results.
Further Information
Publications:
'Creativity: The New Dimension', contribution to Managing 93: The European Challenge, edited by Robert Heller, Sterling Publications, 1993
The Dinosaur Strain, Element Books, 1988
Left Handed: Right Handed, David and Charles, 1978
Memory Matters, David and Charles, 1977
The above titles have been translated into several languages including Japanese.
Forthcoming Publications:
Your Creative Edge
Super Creative Teams
Successful Innovation
Video/CDi:
The Red Movie, Video Arts, 1997
Ideas into Action CDi, Video Arts, 1995
The Green Movie: Empowerment Within a Framework, Video Arts, 1995
The Blue Movie: Generating Great Ideas, Video Arts, 1994
Ideas into Action, Video Arts, 1993
Television:
Wrote and presented:
Can Television Change Your Mind? on BBC 2's' Did You See?'
Priorities in Different Countries News Programmes on BBC 2's 'Saturday Review'
Appeared to discuss:-
So You Think You're a Good Judge of Character training pack on Channel 4's 'Streetwise'
Radio:
Innovate or Liquidate on Radio 5 joint interview with Frank Milton of Coopers & Lybrand) following launch of the Henley Management College Innovation Research Centre, 1995
Numerous interviews for national BBC channels, including the World Service, local BBC and commercial stations, radio stations in Australia and New Zealand
Journals:
Various magazine, review and journal articles including:
Psychology Today
Creativity and Innovation Yearbook
Literary Review
Creativity Network
Banking and Financial Training
Consultancy:
Helping organisations establish the 'values' they need to instil and subsequently design mechanisms to ensure that these 'values' become a way of life.
Helping organisations set up Innovation Mechanisms to stimulate profit related Innovation.
Helping Boards, top management, marketing and research and development teams identify key problems and business opportunities and subsequently generate creative solutions and screen those solutions for implementation.
Seminars, courses and workshops developed:
| Course name: | Duration: |
| Creative
Problem Solving Marketing Creativity Live Blue Thinking Afresh/Managing Change Mind Set Creating Your Future Selling Ideas Relationship Bridges/Smart Relationships |
3
day seminar 3 day workshop developed for Management Centre Europe, Brussels 1 day workshop 1 day seminar 1 day seminar 1 day seminar 1 day seminar 3 day indoor/outdoor workshop |
Products developed:
Leading Edge Innovation Teams - as first introduced into Thomson Holidays
Brian - creative problem-solving software, Sound Thinking, 1987, Mark Brown, David Kolb and Mercantile Credit
Quality and Ingenuity Initiative - training package, Sound Thinking, 1989, as first introduced into Terry's Group
So You Think You're A Good Judge of Character - training package, Sound Thinking, 1990
Jackpot - creative problem-solving software, 1992, Mark Brown and Q2 Software
Winning Teams Initiative - training package, 1992, as introduced into Owners Abroad Tour Operating
Creating Our Future Teams - training package, 1993, as introduced into Quaker Oats
Ideas Into Action Teams - training package, 1993, as introduced into Manweb plc
Ideas Into Action - part of the Change Management Programme run by Mercury Communications, 1994
Education, research and other relevant background:
LL.B Hons. Bristol, 1974
Barrister-at-Law, Inner Temple, 1975
Trainer in Learning Methods, 1975-1979
Advisor and Research to Vice-Chairman of Conservative Parliamentary Education Committee, 1977-1979
Director of Training for the Learning Methods Group, London, 1977-1979
Founder and Managing Director Sound Thinking Ltd, 1979-1993
Founder and Managing Director Innovation Centre Europe Ltd, 1993 -date
Qualifying Examination in Psychology for registration for M.Phil/Ph.D., Kings College, London University, 1982 onwards
Tutor to Chelsea College NM in Education-Psychology of Learning Course 1984-1985
Research continuing into the psychology of creative problem solving
Memberships:
Association for Management Education and Development (AMED)
British Institute of Management
British Psychological Society
Creativity Network
Equality Exchange
CBI
Institute of Directors
Institute of Personnel and Development
Society of Authors