Robert Fildes (1963, Mathematics) awarded the Beale Medal

Congratulations to Robert Fildes (1963, Mathematics), Distinguished Professor of Management Science at Lancaster University Management School, who has been awarded the Beale Medal, the Operational Research Society’s highest accolade. The award was presented at the Society’s annual Awards Ceremony in London on 26 November.

Professor Fildes earned the award for his outstanding contribution to the development of OR – most notably in the area of business forecasting, in which he is an international expert, but also has recently contributed to the controversial topic of climate forecasting.

The award recognises the continuous contribution over many years by one person to the theory, practice or philosophy of Operational Research (OR) in the UK. As a discipline, OR deals with the application of advanced analytical techniques to enhance managerial decision making and of course forecasting plays a major (sometimes unacknowledged) part in this.

Professor Fildes is a past president of the International Institute of Forecasting and was co-founder and editor of the Journal of Forecasting in 1981 and the International Journal of Forecasting in 1985, also past-president of the International Institute of Forecasters. He has published extensively in top academic journals and is the author or editor of six books, including the Sage Handbook of Forecasting.