Bringing industry experience to the classroom

Published on 2, December, 2025

Students from the University of Sunderland have been finding out how digital is reshaping customer experience, leadership and the future of work from a leading Wearside business.

The University’s Business School recently welcomed senior leaders from Wearside Audi – Richard Hyde (Head of Business), Shaz Hamed (Sales Manager) and Gareth Bulmer (Aftersales Manager) – to host a dynamic panel discussion at the University’s David Puttnam Media Centre, St Peter’s Campus.

The panel formed a key component of the stage one of the module: Organisation, Business and Society, to bring industry experience directly into the classroom. The panel’s insights now form part of the students’ assessment, allowing them to analyse real-world perspectives alongside academic theory.

Students played an integral role in shaping the discussion by submitting questions in advance. Many of these were featured during the event, allowing the panel to address student interests directly and making the experience both interactive and personalised.

Key themes explored during the session included:

• Changing customer expectations in a post-pandemic, digital-first world
• Electric vehicle growth and the rise of software-led automotive solutions
• Digital transformation across sales, aftersales and leadership roles
• Employee digital skills and Wearside Audi’s approach to upskilling
• Hybrid working, communication and maintaining team collaboration
• Data-driven decision-making and digital customer journeys
• Digital fatigue, wellbeing and inclusion in the modern workplace
• Balancing technological innovation with the human side of leadership

Sarah Ford, Senior Lecturer in Human Resource Management, Leadership and Enterprise at the University of Sunderland, organised the event which was entitled Beyond Graduation: Employer Insights.

She said: “This panel was designed to bring industry to life within the module and to provide our students with the chance to engage with real leaders navigating digital transformation every day. The insights shared by Richard, Shaz and Gareth were incredibly valuable and will directly support students in completing their stage one module assessment.”

Sarah added: “The event reflects the Business School’s strong commitment to industry collaboration, employability-focused teaching, and authentic assessment, supporting students to develop the knowledge and skills required in the evolving digital workplace.”

Business and Management student, Ben Percy, said: “The experience of being present at the panel was interesting and one I’ve never had before.

“Hearing my question discussed during the panel with Wearside Audi reinforced how deeply they consider the human side of digital transformation. I felt really inspired by their focus on supporting employees with new digital skills shows a commitment to helping their team grow and upskill and empowering employees. It's great that the University provided us with the opportunity to gain this insight."

This year’s event was a cross-school collaboration, delivered in partnership with the Media School. The panel was professionally filmed in the University’s Media Centre production suite, with the full production led by Senior Lecturer Sue Perryman and her Media Production students. This provided an immersive experience for Business students while giving Media students the opportunity to work on a live industry-facing broadcast.

For more information on studying Business and Management at the University of Sunderland, click here. 

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