Dean of School of Business, Enterprise and Management, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh

May 2005 - November 2009

The School of Business, Enterprise and Management at Queen Margaret University has its roots in the fields of Consumer Studies and Hospitality Management. My mandate is to create a modern business school with particular niche products and in the short period of tenure I have had the school has reviewed and refreshed its undergraduate and postgraduate programmes and restructured its organisation. These have given the school the platform on which to build towards its ultimate goal of an effective, efficient, niched business school in east central Scotland.

My specific role and responsibilities include:

• To lead the school in all aspects of its development, positioning the school as a recognised market leader in the broad fields of tourism and hospitality, consumers and public services management
• Responsible for operational resource planning and resource management for the school, delivering objectives and targets agreed under the strategic planning process
• Contributing to the university plan and advising the Principal on all academic and administrative aspects affecting the school
• Member of the Principal's Senior Management Group (SMG)
• Primary budget holder with overall budgetary responsibility for the school
• Line management responsibility for all academic and technical staff associated with the school
• Promoting the external visibility of the school and its activities
• Develop commercial links
• Oversee the development of international collaborations of excellent and robust quality in India, Singapore, and Switzerland
• Convene various school and university committees including the Faculty Research Committee and the Faculty Academic Board
• Deputise for the Principal when required
• Lead the school in line with QMU policies and procedures, particularly in relation to equality and diversity and health and safety

The University has recently been awarded full University Title by the Privy Council. As a senior manager I contributed to the implementation and delivery of systems and procedures which were scrutinised by QAA as part of this process. I played a significant role in delivering the Framework Agreement within the school and across the institution. Along with other members of the SMG I have been contributing to the plans and preparations for the relocation of the university to a single, state-of-the-art campus near Musselburgh in East Lothian.

 

Principal Special Adviser to the First Minister of Scotland

November 2001 - September 2003 

As Principal Special Adviser to the First Minister my primary responsibility was to lead and manage the team of 12 Special Advisers and 3 support staff operating out of the First Minister's Private Office. I was responsible for the specification of the new Special Adviser roles and structure; for the identification, selection and recruitment of this highly specialised team; and for managing the change from the old team supporting the previous First Minister to the new team. This involved advising exiting staff on their career choices as well as inducting new staff into their unique roles. Special Advisers are temporary Civil Servants who are allowed to act politically to support the First Minister. Responsibilities include:

· Strategic management and coordination of the First Minister's calendar and liaising with Private Office staff

· Preparing and advising the First Minister for Executive Questions

· Drafting and advising on the content of speeches and statements for the First Minister and for Cabinet colleagues

· Strategic advice on, and management of, the formation and development of policy across the devolved areas

· Political and policy research across the range of devolved areas

· Advising on the management of the presentation and handling of ministerial announcements and statements

· Advising on event management involving Ministers

· Giving political, communications and policy support and advice to the First Minister collectively and to Cabinet Ministers

· Liaising with appropriate permanent civil servants in relation to their specific areas of responsibility

· Advising civil servants on political issues of Ministerial portfolios

· Liaising with external civic and political organizations

· Sitting on the Scottish Executive Management Group responsible for annual expenditure of over £22bn and 14,500 staff.

I had responsibility for the coordination of Special Adviser effort in these important tasks and for the line management of the staff involved. In addition I had particular duties related to the liaison between the First Minister, the Special Adviser team and (i) the Civil Service in Holyrood (ii) the Ministerial team in the Scottish Cabinet (iii) the Civil Service in Whitehall and the office of the Prime Minister (iv) other civic organisations which operate in partnership with the Scottish Executive such as CoSLA, the STUC, business groups, voluntary sector organisations and other national bodies and (v) Cabinet and Heads of Department in the Scottish Executive.

 

Dean, Paisley Business School, University of Paisley

August 2000 - November 2001

Paisley Business School (PBS) was established on 1 August 2000 as part of a university restructuring following an extensive review of its academic structures during 1999/2000. The 85 full-time academic members of staff in PBS were each located in one of its 7 academic subject Divisions of: Accounting and Finance; Economics and Enterprise; Information, Operations and Quality Management; Strategic and Human Resource Management; Marketing; Languages; and Land Economics and Law. PBS had an academic support staffing of around 25 grouped around an Executive Support team, a Student Support team, and a team supporting Research and Commercial Activities. PBS was also responsible for the management of the Ayrshire Management Centre - a purpose built centre for executive education, training and continuing professional development. There were approximately 2000 undergraduate and 150 postgraduate students associated with PBS programmes operating across the three university campus in Paisley, Ayr and Dumfries.

My role as Dean was to provide strong and effective academic leadership and management of Paisley Business School to ensure the highest standards of teaching and learning, to promote the development of research and scholarship, and to stimulate external income generation. As well as leading colleagues in PBS I contributed significantly to the development of inter-faculty collaborations and to the strategic development of the University as a whole. My specific responsibilities included:

· the strategic development and resourcing of Paisley Business School in the context of the University's mission, strategic plan and resource allocation

· the management, development and deployment of staff in Paisley Business School

· the administration of Paisley Business School including the management of its finances

· the recruitment and welfare of students of Paisley Business School

· the development of courses offered by Paisley Business School

· the overall quality of education provision in Paisley Business School, including appropriate monitoring

· the overall development of research, consultancy and other forms of scholarship within Paisley Business School

· fostering and developing external relationships in line with the University's mission

· the maintenance of discipline and monitoring and implementation of Health and Safety and other University policies

In discharging these responsibilities I was assisted by 3 Associate Deans with responsibility for Research, Teaching and Learning, and External Affairs. PBS had an Executive (Dean plus the three Associate Deans) and a School Management Team consisting of all of the managers in the school.I chaired the Executive and the Business School Faculty Board; I was a member of Senate, Policy and Resources Committee, the Research Policy and Funding Committee, the University Management Group and a variety of other university committees. As the founding Dean of Paisley Business School I successfully managed the process of transition from a traditional faculty structure to a modern business school winning the support of staff and laying the basis for future success in teaching and learning, research and commercial activities.

 

Head of Department of Management and Marketing, University of Paisley

January 1999 - July 2000

The Department of Management and Marketing had around 40 full-time and 15 part-time academic members of staff and an academic support team of 9 people. The department was responsible for 5 undergraduate degree programmes, with around 1100 full time equivalent students, in Business and Management, Marketing, Business Administration, Tourism, and Public Administration and Management. There were 2 active postgraduate programmes with over 100 students in total - a MSc in International Marketing and an Executive MBA. The department had a presence at the Ayr campus as well as the Paisley campus and had responsibility for the operation and management of the Ayrshire Management Centre in Ayr. It also had one full time member of staff at the Crichton Campus in Dumfries.

The academic activities of the department were organised within 3 subject groups - Management, Marketing, and Corporate Administration. An active Tourism group operated within the Corporate Administration subject group. The Executive MBA ran out of the Ayrshire Management Centre and involved staff from across the three subject groups. The department also provided certificated programmes for the Institute of Management and CIPFA. My role as Head of Department involved taking responsibility for the overall strategic leadership and operational and financial management of the department and all of its staff and activities. I took active leadership roles in promoting and developing departmental research; in building the income-generating capacity of the department; in preparing for the QAA teaching quality assessment in the Business and Management Studies and Tourism areas, and in recruiting and developing all of the staff in the department. I was assisted and advised in these by a Departmental Management Committee involving the Associate Head of Department and other Professors, Heads of Subject Groups, the Ayr Campus leader, the academic support team leader, and the Director of the Ayrshire Management Centre.

I sat on the University Senate, The Research Funding and Applications Committee, The Funding Applications Review Group, The Faculty of Business Board, The Faculty of Science and Technology Board, and I acted as coordinator for the Business and Management 2001 Research Assessment Exercise Unit of Assessment (UoA43).

I established and ran the Scottish Trade Union Research Network (STURN) in collaboration with the Scottish Trade Union Congress. STURN had its inaugural national conference in June 1999 and hosted 3 national seminars in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Ayr. Its second national conference was held in June 2000.

 

Head of the School of Operations Management, Bristol Business School

September 1997 - December 1998

The School of Operations Management was one of six schools (departments) which made up Bristol Business School. With around 3,000 students and 100 members of staff, Bristol Business School was one of the largest Business Schools in the UK. Within the School of Operations Management there was an establishment of 10 full-time, 8 part-time lecturers and 2 full-time Research Associates. The Operations Management School made major contributions to the undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in the areas of operations management, business operations, project management, quality management, retail management and logistics and distribution management. There were also specialists in the Tourism field within the Operations Management School. The School also played an important role in the design, management and delivery of business partnership programmes with private and public sector clients.

I was responsible for providing overall academic leadership in the areas of teaching and learning, research, curriculum design and development, as well as for the deployment and development of the 20 staff within the OM School. I also had responsibility for the Operations Management School's finances.

As Head of School I sat on the Business School's Faculty Board and on its Research Committee. Specific duties and activities in which I was involved include:

· maintaining and enhancing the academic health of the School by working with Programme Directors, and others, to ensure that the School supplied relevant, high-quality inputs to taught programmes

· promoting and supporting research and other scholarly activities

· promoting and developing external income-generating activities

· assisting in the recruitment, selection, induction and appraisal of academic staff

· assisting staff in their personal development through the staff appraisal process and in implementing a staff deployment strategy which balanced School requirements with the needs of individual members of staff

· representing the School in the committee structures in the university

· negotiating resources on the School's behalf

I left the post in December 1998 to take up the Chair of Management and Head of Department of Management and Marketing at the University of Paisley.

 

Other Management, Leadership and Administrative Experiences

General Election Campaign Manager: Scottish Labour Party

December 1996 - May 1997

I took leave of absence from my post at the University of Strathclyde to act as the General Election Campaign Manager with the Scottish Labour Party from January through May 1997. 

The duties of the post included the development of the political and organisational strategy for the Scottish campaign in the 1997 U.K. General Election, as well as its implementation. I was responsible for 22 full-time members of staff, organised in 4 Units. These units had operational responsibility for Organisation, Logistics, Research, and Press and Media. 

The Organisation Unit co-ordinated the activities of many thousands of volunteers across the 72 Parliamentary seats which make up the Scottish political map. It also managed the activities of Key Campaigners visits and the promotional and other materials used during the election campaign. The Logistics Unit managed all of the physical and people resources available to the organisation. It also had operational responsibility for communications systems. The Research and Press and Media Units combined to deliver political message and its presentation. This included developing, managing and delivering the organisation's media and promotional strategy.

The campaign utilised a significant financial resource both at the centre and in the local offices located in remote, constituency, sites.

This post involved the creative use and management of a wide range and variety of resources. That the campaign was an unprecedented success is a testament to the considerable achievement to which I made a significant contribution. 

 

University of Stirling

Director of Undergraduate Programmes: Department of Management and Organization, University of Stirling (1985 - 1994)

This position carried the responsibility of co-ordinating the department's entire undergraduate teaching effort including the development and integrity of the undergraduate programme; student progress; alumni relations; preparing for teaching quality assessment and resource monitoring and control; and the preparation and publication of publicity materials for the department's undergraduate offerings.

In this role I assisted in the strategic development of the undergraduate single and combined degree programmes in Management Science, Marketing, and Business Studies. This involved negotiating with other academic departments such as Mathematics, Economics, Biology, Psychology, Modern Languages, Accountancy, and latterly Sports Studies in designing and establishing combined degree programmes which exploited the best features of a semesterised, modular degree system.

I was also responsible for the design and development of a common, rationalised programme of introductory units for Management Science, Business Studies, Marketing and Human Resource Management degree programmes.

 

Other Administrative Responsibilities (1979 - onwards):

University of Stirling

As well as serving on departmental and school committees I was also a member (1984 - 1987) of Academic Council (equivalent of the University Senate); the Residences Committee (1981 - 1987); and the university's Discipline Committee (1981 - 1987). 

Warden: University of Stirling Residences (1980 - 1987)

I was Warden of the Fraser of Allander House and H.H. Donnelly House which accommodated around 350 students in total. I was in overall charge of the two residences which employed an Assistant Warden, a Domestic Manager, two caretakers and 14 cleaning staff. The responsibilities of the post included the pastoral, welfare and discipline of the students as well as the smooth running of the residences. Specific administrative tasks included:

• the allocation of students to their accommodation;
• managing appointing committees;
• servicing the Flats' Committee;
• organising social events;
• representing the university in the local community;
• liaising with the university centrally on issues relating to the residences.  

Service Quality Research Team (1993 - present)

I have led an international team of researchers investigating service quality issues in the public and voluntary sectors. This has included studies of Home and Residential care services for the elderly, Environmental Inspection services, Public Library services, Personnel services, Legal services, Financial Services, Architectural services, Leisure Centre services, and Housing services. Most of these studies have resulted in publication in important academic and professional journals.

 

Government Experiences

Member of the Scottish Executive's Department of Education Ministerial Committee for CPD for Teachers (2001 - November 2001)

In January 2001 I was invited by Jack McConnell, Minister for Education, to serve on the Ministerial Committee for CPD for Teachers following the report of the McCrone Committee and the subsequent pay and conditions settlement for teachers.

Other Roles in relation to the Scottish Executive

I also served on the Modernising Government Strategy Group (1999 - 2001) 

Special Adviser to the Secretary of State for Scotland (1999 - 2001)

I acted as one of three Special Advisers to Rt Hon. Dr John Reid MP, Secretary of State for Scotland. I advised the Secretary of State on a number of issues including those relating to Scottish business, commerce and industry and the economy. I also had a role as political adviser across a range of issues. 

Elected Member: Stirling District Council (1988 - 1993)

I served on the District Council in various positions including: Chair of Leisure and Recreation; Chair of Community Services (including Housing); Chair of Equal Opportunities Committee; Chair of Sports Council; Chair of Arts Council; Deputy Leader of the Council. The council covered 850 square miles, employed around 1500 people and had a revenue budget (excluding Housing) of around £13m. 

Labour Party Election Agent (1976-1992)

(District Council 1977, 1980, 1984; Regional Council 1978, 1982, 1986; Parliament 1987, 1992; European Parliament 1989)

The role of Election Agent for a major political party demands solid organisation and management. The campaigns I have managed have ranged from District Council elections with a budget of around £300 and involving a team of a dozen or so key voluntary workers through to a European election with expenditure of £30,000 and a "team" of over 2,000 volunteers and full time workers in 300 communities. The task of planning, organising, co-ordinating and mobilising the financial, human, media and physical resources in a highly-charged political environment required the full range of management skills.

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