Business Studies Q&A
On Thursday 3 August, Shore’s Economics and Business Studies Department hosted and facilitated a Business Studies Q&A in the Senior Library.
The discussion focused on Qantas and the four key business functions of operations, finance, marketing, and human resources.
We were extremely thankful for the opportunity to hear from our guest speaker Mr Peter Mansfield, who shared his insights.
Mr Peter Mansfield, Group Operational Services, Qantas, has spent 15 years at the airline with experience across strategy, commercial and finance roles. Currently leading key commercial projects across the operational services portfolio of businesses – which includes property development and maintenance; asset management of critical airport equipment and training equipment; workforce planning for operational teams; operational insights (including flight data and fuel efficiency), and skills development (including training and Qantas Group Academies). Peter has international aviation experience in the UK and Europe, plus extensive experience in commercial, strategy and risk management disciplines, together with strong financial acumen as a Chartered Accountant.
Shore business studies student Elliot Wilson expertly facilitated this Q&A. A panel of students worked on collating a set of questions related to each of the four business functions to ask Mr Mansfield. Two questions of particular interest were:
- How is Qantas committed to continuously improving the quality of its service, and how does the interaction between cost and quality impact its operations management?
- As the year 12 Business studies students in the room know, there are five key objectives of Financial Management: Liquidity, Profitability, Efficiency, Growth, and Solvency. Does Qantas prioritise some objectives over others? How have these financial priorities changed due to the Covid – 19 experience?
Many thanks to all involved in managing this fantastic event, which over 50 students attended.
Mr W Dobes
Acting Head of Economics and Business Studies
