Webinar Details

How to manage in an international and multicultural environment

Organisations are more diverse now than ever before. Research demonstrates the added value organisations derive from the presence of people from different cultures and backgrounds. The European Patent Office (EPO) employs over 6500 people from over 30 countries. Its head office is in Munich but also has branches in The Hague, Berlin, Vienna and Brussels. 

The EPO: 

• strives to support innovation and promote a knowledge-based society in Europe
• has a mission to secure the highest quality standards in patenting
• provides a distinctly multinational work environment in an intellectually stimulating atmosphere

Working within a hotbed of multi cultural talent, requires line managers to constantly think about the structure for communication, cooperation and community for the EPO. Alison Brimelow and her senior management team lead the organisation to deliver against some stretching objectives. Amongst a myriad of internal initiatives is also the external initiative of Trilateral co-operation. Here, the EPO work with Japan and America who share similar problems and goals.

In this session, Alison Brimelow will talk about the management issues associated with running a multi cultural large complex organisation. This will be a great session for our Webinar subscribers as we take a brief insight into the activities of the EPO. We encourage you to register to sign in to this learning event with your questions relating to the types of issues your organisation might be facing now or in the near future. 

Speaker Profile – Alison Brimelow CBE

Before joining the EPO, Alison Brimelow pursued a varied career in the civil service, including experience of intellectual property at national, European and international levels. She joined the British Diplomatic Service in 1973 and later transferred to the Department of Trade and Industry, where she was mainly concerned with policy in the EU.

In 1991 she joined the UK Patent Office (now the UK Intellectual Property Office), where she became head of the Trade Marks Registry. In March 1999 Alison Brimelow was appointed Chief Executive and Comptroller General of the UK Patent Office and became head of the UK delegation on the Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation. From 2003 to 2006 she was the Council's Deputy Chair.