UNIVERSITY chiefs are looking to Martyn Jones and a new high-powered management team to raise the profile and reputation of Canterbury Business School.

Mr Jones, who becomes a professor when he becomes director in January, currently heads the School of Management and Business at the University of Wales in Aberystwyth. He was previously MBA director at the Cranfield School of Management and before that a member of the armed forces.

He takes over from Professor Jim Hughes, who retired in September. Prof Richard Scase, a columnist for Kent Online's sister publication Kent Business, is presently acting director.

University of Kent vice-chancellor David Melville, said Professor Hughes had done a tremendous job in building up the business school.

But it was now time to move into a new era with what he called "top-notch" professors and a number of new lecturers. He wanted the school to make a difference to the county's skills base and business performance.

He confirmed that a change of name, possibly to Kent Business School, was under consideration.

Joining Mr Jones, who was recently in Canterbury to meet his team, are Prof John Mingers, from the University of Warwick as director of research, and Prof Paul Phillips, deputy director, from the University of Surrey where he is currently Charles Forte Chair of Hotel Management.

Prof Melville said the university was investing in the new posts "in order to position it for a more active future”.

He expected the school to attain a higher research rating -- currently 3A. The university would invest £1m in research, some of it for the business school. It would also be joining the Association of MBAs (AMBA).

Prof Melville also disclosed that the university, which has an annual budget around £80m, had moved from a £500,000 annual deficit to a £3m surplus since his arrival three years ago.

New financial control measures had been introduced, and budgets were now delegated to individual departments. Any surplus or deficit was carried forward to the following year.