Personal statement

After working for professional accounting firm KPMG (since leaving university) I joined the University of Strathclyde as Research Fellow on the £100,000 ICAEW-sponsored research project investigating the accounting treatment of new financial instruments.

My academic career as a researcher at the University of Strathclyde has spanned nearly 30 years since then. I have held a Professorship in Finance since 2002 and I have served six years as Head of Department.

As Head of Department I was responsible for two very successful REF (UK Research Excellence Framework) submissions, where we were rated as the top department in Scotland and in the top 10 UK.

As Head of Department the Accounting and Finance department at Strathclyde I moved the department to number 1 ranked in the UK based on research, teaching and employability in the UK Good University Guide.

Research

My research efforts are aimed at the highest quality papers, but also quantity by collaboration and team-building. On the 2014 REF submission I had 10 papers for the five year census period. I have mentored the research progress of a number of PhD students/junior/less experienced colleagues.

I have researched and published in a number of areas of finance with my main expertise being in; hedging, accounting disclosures, corporate finance (including insider trading and corporate M&A announcements), international finance (FDI, international investments), and asset pricing (performance studies, investment and unit trusts). I have published [or forthcoming] 77 refereed articles in quality academic journals (2 to 3 publications in quality referred journals per year). These journals represent a wide range of international and domestic outlets – primarily in finance, but also in accounting; international business and economics. I have published with 54 different authors from 13 different countries.

The journals include on the 4* list (UK ABS Journal Ranking List) Journal of Corporate Finance; British Journal of Management, Journal of International Business Studies; European Journal of Operational Research and internationally recognised 3* journals including Journal of International Mondey and Finance, European Financial Management; Journal of Empirical Finance; Journal of Banking and Finance; Journal of Business Finance and Accounting; Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting; Journal of Multinational Financial Management; Financial Review; Journal of Financial Research; Journal of Financial Services Research.

My work is widely cited and my papers are consistently in the top downloaded articles on journal websites. My most influential paper is cited on 118 papers according to Googlescholar, with an overall score for my papers of over 1300 citations.

I have held Visiting Professor posts at Hong Kong Baptist University, University of Queensland, University of Salamanca and IFM (Tanzania).

I have refereed for the UK government funding body (EPSRC) on a number of prospective research grants.

I am an active PhD supervisor and I have supervised 25 students to completion over my academic career. I am currently supervising 7 PhD students as primary or secondary supervisor. I have been the external PhD examiner on 15 occasions and I have been the internal PhD examiner at Strathclyde on 10 occasions. I was also the external examiner on Taught PhD programme Cass Business School 2008-2013.

Teaching experience

• Member of CPAF panel for the QAA Benchmark Statement for Finance Curriculum, 2009, 2011 and 2015 and for Accounting 2015.
• Student feedback on all of my classes is very positive as reflected in student review forms from MBA, MSc and other courses including external courses (average over 4.7 in a 5 point scale-available on request).
• Winner of the Most Enthusiastic Lecturer at Strathclyde University 2015.
• Shortlisted for Best Overall Lecturer at Strathclyde University 2016.
• Shortlisted for Best in Faculty at Strathclyde University 2017.
• Nominated for Teaching Excellence Award 2018 in each of the three categories Supportive, Enthusiastic and Innovative (for seventh year in a row).
• Teaching experience on MSc and MBA programmes in France, Spain, Switzerland, Greece, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Mainland China, Bahrain, Oman, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Australia and Tanzania.
• I have taught courses and/or supervised students at the University of Edinburgh, University of Stirling, University of Bristol and University of Birmingham.

Over my career I have enjoyed teaching on a large number of different classes on the full-time MSc Finance programme and in the first, third and honours year undergraduate programmes in topics spanning Financial Theory, Corporate Finance, Investments, Asset Pricing, Financial Markets, and Derivatives and Treasury Management. I have supervised large numbers of finance dissertations and MSc projects (around 400 projects).

I have been external examiner in a number of Universities including: MSc Financial Management Glasgow Caledonian University 1998-2000; MBA Glasgow  University 2001 – 2005: MBA University of Exeter 2003 – 2006; MSc Investment and Finance University of Ulster 2004–2006; MSc Finance UCE Birmingham 2004-2008; MSc Finance University of Westminster 2004-2008; BA University of Manchester 2006-2010; BA University of Lancaster 2008-2012; BA University of Edinburgh 2009-2013; MBA/MSc University of Leeds 2006-2011; BA University of Stirling 2013; MSc University of Edinburgh 2017-present; MSc University of Lancaster 2017- present.

Current Teaching

I am currently the class leader on AG151 - first year introduction to accounting and finance (300 students) and MSc Derivatives and Treasury Management (220 students). Additionally, I teach on the distance learning MSc Finance programme in Tanzania and I am actively involved in the MBA at Strathclyde and teach the intensive seminars in Singapore, Malaysia, Dubai and Abu Dhabi. My teaching has links to the accounting and finance profession including Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland and Association of Corporate Treasurers.

External Links

I have always pursued active participation in professional and industry adviser bodies. Connections to financial and accounting industry and professional bodies in Scotland and the UK are well developed and used to enhance my research and teaching. I have developed departmental connections to a number of financial services firms including Morgan Stanley, Aggreko, Citi Group, Blackrock, PwC and KPMG.

Current participation in professional, industry education adviser bodies including:

• Member of Glasgow Economic Leadership Finance & Business Services (14 members representing government, industry and universities)
• Member of ICAS Qualification Board (15 members representing professional accounting firms)
• Board of Governors of Glasgow Academy
• Chair interview and promotion panels at Glasgow, Edinburgh, Exeter, Bristol, Cardiff, Aberdeen and Leeds Universities.