Colleagues,
I am now delighted to announce that Professor James O’Kane has been successfully appointed Dean of the Business School and will join the University in February 2016.
Professor O’Kane has worked in higher education for 28 years; 12 years in an engineering and computing school and 16 years leadership experience in three Business Schools. Prior to academia he worked in the defence industry where he developed signal processing mathematical models for HF radar systems. James is a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the Operational Research Society. His PhD is in Business Modelling and Artificial Intelligence applied to Flexible Manufacturing Systems and his main research interests are business improvement and simulation of manufacturing systems. He has over 20 years’ experience of leading and managing knowledge transfer projects and 10 years’ experience of leading and managing International partnerships. His Business School leadership experience includes eight years as a Reader and Head of the Technology and Operations Management Division in Newcastle Business School, Northumbria University. Following this, he spent six years at Staffordshire University Business School as Associate Dean with responsibility for Partnerships, Research, Enterprise and Commercial Development. Since 2013 he has been the Director of Edge Hill University Business School with overall responsibility for the strategic direction of the School.
I’m sure you will all join me in welcoming James to Edinburgh Napier.
Stewart Falconer will continue in the position of interim Dean until James starts. I would like to thank Stewart for all his hard work and dedication, not only in the role as interim Dean during the transition from faculty to school structure, but also in his role as Head of School prior to the restructure.
The recruitment process to appoint a Dean to the School of Arts & Creative Industries is continuing and I hope to be in a position to update you on this in the New Year. Meanwhile Pauline Miller Judd is continuing in the role of interim Dean.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to
contact me.
Regards,
Alistair Sambell
Vice-Principal & Deputy Vice-Chancellor