University of Sussex appoints new Head of Business, Management and Economics
An academic with more than 15 years’ experience of management education has been appointed as the new Head of the School of Business, Management and Economics (BMEc) at the University of Sussex.
Professor Steve McGuire will join Sussex in March 2015 from Aberystwyth University, where he is currently Professor of Management and Director of the School of Management and Business.
The University has appointed Professor McGuire to replace Professor Ian Davidson, who retired as Head of BMEc in December 2013.
Created in 2009, the School covers research and teaching in business, management, economics, innovation, science and technology policy, and cognate areas.
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Michael Farthing, chaired the appointment panel. He said: “Having had a key role in establishing, growing and enhancing the reputation of the business school at Aberystwyth, Steve has a track record of operational and management experience.
“At Aberystwyth he has fostered a strong culture of interdisciplinary working and has grouped research there into three interdisciplinary areas. Similarly, his vision for BMEc is grounded in interdisciplinarity and the creation of opportunities for students to study across the different areas of the School.
“Steve also has considerable experience of working at senior university level on a range of strategic initiatives, and of developing links with businesses.”
Professor McGuire says: “BMEc holds promise as a relatively new school but one based on exceptionally strong research. It is well placed to capitalise on its distinctive strengths and I welcome the opportunity to be a part of that developement.”
Professor McGuire was previously a Senior Lecturer in International Business at the University of Bath, and in 2009 he was a visiting professor at the College of Europe. He has also taught on degree and executive-development programmes at the Audencia Nantes Management School, the University of Bath and the Vlerick Business School.
His research interests are in the areas of international political economy, international business and corporate political activity. He has a particular interest in the interaction of firms and governments in international trade, and has published a number of papers on the World Trade Organisation. He has also written extensively on technology policy in Europe and the United States.
Professor McGuire is currently researching regional trade agreements and investment flows across the Atlantic as part of a major EU Framework Seven project.
His previous research has been funded by the British Academy, the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation and the Nuffield Foundation.
He serves on the editorial boards of two journals, Business and Politics and European Journal of International Management. He is also a member of the ESRC’s Peer Review College.
Professor Hans Van Der Heijden will continue as Acting Head of BMec until Professor McGuire assumes the permanent role in March 2015.