Business School Welcomes Keynote Erin Brockovich for Global Certificate Programme

The University of St Andrews Business School, in coordination with the Institute of Directors (IoD), welcomed global business leaders — including advocate Erin Brockovich — to the Fairmont Hotel from 18 to 24 October for its inaugural Global Certificate in Company Direction programme. 

The founding of the Global Certificate in Company Direction comes amid the Business School’s efforts to promote executive education for business professionals. In February 2025, the Business School formally launched its Executive Education courses, paving the way for the Global Certificate programme to take place just months later. 

According to a Business School press release: “Building on the University’s more than six centuries of academic excellence and its distinctive sense of place, the Business School aims to become a premier destination for leadership education. Executive Education will bring together global leaders from the private, public and third sectors for high-impact, interdisciplinary professional development.”

The Business School’s partnership with the IoD further illustrates the School’s efforts to promote initiatives for business leaders. The IoD is a royally chartered collaborative of company directors that has made significant strides across the UK in government lobbying and the establishment of free enterprise. 

“Our partnership with the [IoD] has been founded on shared values,” Dr Marcel Lukas, Vice-Dean of Executive Education, told The Saint. “The IoD is a thriving member of the community for directors in the UK and beyond, offering professional development, valuable connections and meaningful influence at a time when good directors have never been more important. Working together, we designed the Global Certificate to combine the IoD’s practical governance expertise with the University’s academic rigour and international outlook. It’s a collaboration that shows how the Business School connects research, practice, and purpose to shape better leadership.”

Throughout the week-long programme, participants engaged in masterclasses facilitated by leading academics and business executives whilst being immersed in boardroom-style simulations. 

“The sessions blended theory, reflection and real-world application, with contributions from experts such as Professor Phillips O’Brien on geopolitics, Dr Erin Young on AI and resilience, Dame Sue Street on public leadership, and John Browett and Hamish Taylor on innovation and board dynamics,” said Lukas. 

He added that “the design encouraged participants to think critically about accountability, sustainability, and long-term value — the same principles that underpin all of our teaching, where we help people build the insight and judgement to lead effectively in an interconnected world.” 

“We drew on experts from different regions and sectors, enabling participants to compare best practice and explore how principles such as accountability, transparency, and integrity translate in a plethora of settings,” Jonathan Geldert, Director General of IoD, told The Saint. “The inaugural cohort also brought together individuals from various industries and backgrounds, creating a dynamic environment for peer-to-peer learning.”

On 21 October at the Kingsbarn Distillery, the programme participants heard from keynote speaker and environmental activist Erin Brockovich, who gained prominence for her paralegal work on the 1996 groundwater contamination lawsuit against Pacific Gas and Electric, as well as  her Academy Award-winning, eponymous biopic starring Julia Roberts. During her speech, Brockovich stressed the importance of demonstrating determined leadership through challenges. 

“Erin Brockovich brought real energy and inspiration to the inaugural cohort,” said Lukas. “Her advocacy work demonstrates the courage and persistence required to stand up for what’s right, values that lie at the heart of good leadership. Her message about integrity, resilience, and holding power to account resonated strongly with participants and reflected the programme’s ethos. Those same qualities are what we aim to cultivate in the people who join our transformative learning community: to lead with purpose, to challenge assumptions and to make a positive difference in a complex world.” 

“By sharing her experiences, Erin reminded participants that global governance begins with accountability — a message perfectly aligned with the Global Certificate’s goal of empowering directors to lead responsibly,” Geldert said.  

A virtual component of the course will be held from 2 to 4 December, 2025.

Image Courtesy of The University of St Andrews