The high school failure who became a professor

My path into higher education was not conventional.

I failed most of my subjects in school and left with poor results. Despite that, I was admitted to university, an opportunity that changed the trajectory of my life. What I lacked in early academic success, I made up for with curiosity and a growing determination to understand how complex systems work: the planet, organisations, technologies, and the institutions that shape society.

That determination led me into advanced study in artificial intelligence, business, leadership, and emerging technologies. My early research work explored artificial intelligence and later organisational strategy, themes that continue to influence my advisory work today.

Over time, I built an academic career that included teaching across the MBA curriculum, conducting research, and working with leaders from organisations such as Ford, Aviva, Centrica, and Coca-Cola. I later held senior roles in higher education, contributing to programme development, institutional strategy, and academic governance.

Today, I work as a Principal Higher Education Advisor running my own successful practice, supporting universities and higher education providers on strategy, governance, course development, and institutional growth.

Much of my work sits at the intersection of academic thinking and institutional practice. Universities and higher education providers face increasingly complex challenges: regulatory change, technological disruption, new business models, and the growing influence of artificial intelligence. These are not problems solved by simple technical answers. They require careful thinking, sound governance, and practical institutional experience.

Over four decades, I have worked with more than 3,000 leaders, managers, academics, and entrepreneurs. My approach combines academic insight with practical decision-making, helping institutions move from uncertainty to clarity.