NETWORK NEWSLETTER

As announced in the last Newsletter, Marcia Fellows, of Arun District Council, and Liz Barlow, of Mortgage Express, have agreed to join the board of directors of the Centre for Self Managed Learning. In the last issue, we gave a profile of Liz Barlow. In this issue, we turn our attention to Marcia Fellows and look forward to her contributions to the development of the Centre over the coming years.

Marcia Fellows

Marcia “found” SML when she went to Roffey Park Management College in the Ian Cunningham era. She had been considering an M.B.A. for some time but it was not until her introduction to the SML approach that she felt enthusiastic about a two-year investment of time and effort. During the two years 1990-1992, Marcia was a participant in the very first cohort and it fully lived up to her expectations. With a background in training, personnel management and general management in both private and public sectors, it helped lift her skills and abilities as a strategic thinker and leader.

Since 1992 Marcia has been able, as Head of Corporate Services (including personnel and training), to introduce SML programmes to her current employer, Arun District Council in West Sussex. Marcia acts as a Set Adviser to learning sets and also extends the SML principles to her own style of management.

Marcia says, “I was delighted to be asked to join the CSML Board. Through my own experience and seeing the personal development of others, I believe that self managed learning opens doors for so many people to fulfill their potential and I have a sense of mission about sharing SML with as many people as possible”.

Asko Saviaho, the CEO of Finlands Post, has supported an SML programme for their senior managers as well as fostering other initiatives. Similarly the other CEO, Mike Jackson of Birmingham Midshires Building Society, has been at the forefront of promoting major changes in the organisation's learning strategies.