Jon Hendry Pickup before his speech at the University of Warwick winter graduation

Inspirational: Jon Hendry Pickup told graduating Warwick students to embrace diversity

Students heard how Warwick shaped the career of Butlin’s boss Jon Hendry Pickup as he spoke at the University’s winter graduation.

Addressing the graduating students alongside fellow Warwick Business School alumni Eszter Haberl, Sustainability Director at Tenneco, and Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, CEO of Keep Britain Tidy, Jon emphasised the enduring impact of his education and the importance of embracing diverse perspectives in today's polarised world.

“My MBA was over 20 years ago, but I still use it in my work today,” said Jon. “The most impactful element of my time at Warwick was working with people from multiple countries and cultures; despite our differences in views and approaches we managed to get to an answer.

“More than 50 per cent of my cohort were from outside Europe. It was the first time I had experienced something as broad-minded as that.

“And given how polarised things can be in the world today it is brilliant to be able to take that broad-minded perspective into my career and take on board views from different cultures to come up with solutions to problems that are often really complex.”

Jon was talking to hundreds of WBS students who had successfully completed their MBA, Master’s and DBA courses, arriving to collect their certificates in a lavish ceremony at the University’s Butterworth Hall.

After finishing his MBA Jon spent seven years at Tesco, joining the UK Operations Development team, followed by time in China, California, and Central Europe. His final role was as Operations Director in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, before becoming Chief Operating Officer at Travelodge.

He joined Butlin’s in 2018, while it was part of Bourne Leisure, before leading the buyout of Butlin’s in October 2022.

Reflecting on his time at WBS, Jon fondly recalled the transformative experience of the MBA.

“I remember learning how to present in front of 100 people, which we did every week,” said Jon. “I used to hate presenting and standing up in front of loads of people, but once you do that a number of times a week, you learn how to present in the most effective way possible and get over that quite quickly.

“I look back with great fondness. I was not clear on what I would do next, but spending time here with the cohort gave me a great opportunity to think broader and put in perspective what I would do next. It was really core to my career.

“The teaching standard is excellent, but the real difference-maker was the breadth of people I worked with and learning from others.”

Graduation proof of ability to thrive

Eszter, who completed her MSc Marketing and Strategy in 2010, also addressed the graduates with advice as they looked to embark on the next stage of their lives.

“In the years ahead, when doubt or challenges arise, remember this sense of accomplishment,” she said. “It’s proof of your ability to overcome, to thrive, and to achieve even greater things.”

Allison, who holds a BA in History and Sociology (1986) from Warwick and an MA in Industrial Relations (1987) from WBS, shared her insights on the importance of resilience and adaptability.

The Keep Britain Tidy boss said: “Our 'throw away' culture is causing us to use the Earth’s resources at an alarming rate. We need to take action now to protect our planet for future generations.”

Jon, who completed his MBA in 2002, was delighted to come full circle and offer some advice to the next generation of aspiring students.

“I got a great deal from Warwick and the alumni network when I was here,” said Jon. “To be able to perpetuate that and provide something to those studying here now is critically important to me.

“The benefit of spending time at Warwick was learning how to approach a world that is so uncertain and being equipped to navigate it.”

Discover more about Warwick Business School’s Change Makers.