Business School news

Professor Amany Elbanna

Professor Amany Elbanna, Director of the University of Sussex Business School’s BSc Business and Management degree programmes, has been shortlisted for Change Manager of the Year at the Change Awards 2026.

The Change Awards 2026 recognise outstanding achievements in organisational change, celebrating leaders and teams who deliver meaningful and lasting transformation. Reaching the finals is a significant achievement and reflects the scale and impact of the redesign of Sussex’s flagship undergraduate business degree.

Under Amany’s leadership, the BSc Business and Management programme was redesigned to better prepare students for a fast-changing business world. The new programme is more future-focused, brings together ideas from different disciplines, and is more closely aligned with the ambitions of students and the needs of employers.

How the programme was transformed
This was far more than a curriculum update. The transformation involved removing outdated modules, introducing new content in digital business and AI, and strengthening collaboration across the Business School and other departments. The aim was to improve both the student experience and graduate employability.

A core strength of the project was its inclusive and collaborative approach. Amany said: “I used a transformation model inspired by co-creation and Scandinavian transformation models, beginning with more than 30 one-to-one conversations, followed by a series of ‘Together We’ workshops, as well as sessions with students, offer-holders, parents and colleagues from other departments. This created space to raise concerns, test ideas and build trust before moving into delivery. It also opened opportunities for ambition, innovation and future thinking.”

The redesign introduced several important innovations. Outdated content was replaced with new modules and interdisciplinary and multi-disciplinary options drawing on expertise from within and beyond the Business School. The programme was restructured to provide a clear student journey from entry to graduation, recognising each student’s individuality and giving them opportunities to grow, adapt and achieve their ambitions. Current and prospective students, including Business School student representatives, played an important role in shaping the new programme. Employability was also central to the redesign, with a stronger focus on digital knowledge and the broad comprehensive skills graduates need in today’s workplace.

The impact so far
The impact of the project has been substantial. Within nine months, the programme was extensively overhauled, with formal collaboration established across five academic departments through shared modules and coordinated timetabling. The transformation also contributed to a significant increase in student satisfaction, strong staff engagement and recognition from senior leaders across the University.

Amany added: “What made the change especially distinctive was the speed and depth of the transformation in a sector where long-established practices can be difficult to shift. This was not simply a curriculum rewrite; it was a culture change, an administrative redesign and a major collaborative effort delivered in a highly compressed timeframe. The fact that this was achieved through calm, open and inclusive engagement, rather than top-down instruction, made the transformation both durable and transferable.”

She continued: “I would especially like to recognise the colleagues who made this possible: academic staff who contributed to curriculum design, professional services colleagues who helped redesign processes, department leaders who committed modules and resources, students and parents who provided honest feedback, and senior leaders who recognised the value of the work and helped create momentum beyond the department. I am particularly grateful to my team, whose positive attitude and ‘can-do’ spirit helped make this ambitious transformation possible in such a short period of time.”

The main project team included Amany Elbanna, Frank Bond, Kelly Wing, Sonya Picott, Federico Iannacci and Rosa Aldridge.

Interested in studying a degree designed to equip students with the skills, knowledge and confidence to succeed in a changing business world? Find out more about the BSc Business and Management at the University of Sussex Business School.

Back to news list