The first management development institute in the UK and at one time with probably the largest number of MBA students in the world, Henley Management College has made a significant impact on how many executives think about management and leadership, both in practice and in theory. Located on the River Thames approximately 35 miles from London, in what used to be the country seat of Viscount Hambleden (formerly WH Smith Esq.) it was an institution with true global reach from which tens of thousands of individuals have graduated. Henley Management College had to evolve and reinvent itself several times. Its educational programmes addressed a range of management concerns, from senior organisational leaders seeking quality Executive Development Programmes, to those wanting an MBA degree. By the 1990s the College had more than 7,000 active distance learning MBA students. It also undertook a substantial doctoral programme including a DBA. Henley Management College was certainly a name to conjure with. In 2008 it merged with the Business Faculty of the University of Reading and was renamed Henley Business School. Henley Business School is now one of the highest ranked business schools in the world.
