Alumni

Brian Hodgson

Career Path: Founder, Hong Kong Auctions Ltd. & Founder, PublicSpeaking HK
Location: Hong Kong

My very first job after college was with The Guardian newspaper. I think one of the major reasons I got the job was the creativity of my CV which was inspired by a marketing lesson I had attended. For the following 13 years I remained in Sales. After reading a interesting article in Forbes, combined with a bad boss, I was motivated to start my own business in 1997.

What are you doing now?

My own business was later bought and listed in the US and the new entity introduced me to the world of auctioning. I started Hong Kong Auctions in 2006 conducting art, wine and charity auctions. A long time passion of mine has been Public Speaking (39 years) and I started a training company in 2010. I currently coach professionals and at seven universities in Hong Kong.

What was it about Northumbria that made you decide to study here?

The choice of course and the location.

What was it like studying at Northumbria?

I enjoyed my study. There was a mixture of lectures, seminars and team projects.

How connected was your course with industry?

There was a guest lecturer of marketing who was most inspiring and gave relevant practical information. Several of the lecturers also had extensive practical knowledge of their subjects.

What was the best thing about your course?

The fellow students and the quality of some of the lectures.

How did studying at Northumbria help you achieve your career goals/ give your career an edge?

The marketing aspect helped me to obtain my first job. The business side such as marketing, law and accounts helped me when I started my own business 13 years later.