Meet our academics - Management School - University of Liverpool

Jason Laws: Associate Dean (Postgraduate)

Jason works with the Directors of Studies of the MSc programmes to ensure that we deliver an excellent student experience by developing a range of up-to-date skills, knowledge, and orientation to critical thinking that our students will need as they move into the workplace.

Dr David Cockayne: Deputy Associate Dean (Postgraduate)

David leads projects and initiatives designed to enhance and innovate the student experience across all PGT programmes. His research and teaching interests involve the application and impact of new and emerging technologies in marketing, innovation management, and education. David is currently working on projects studying gaming, eSports, the application of virtual and augmented reality in business and corporate education, and the shaping impact of generative artificial intelligence on marketing and management practices.

Dr Kostas Pappas: Director of Studies, MSc Accounting and Finance

Kostas is an assistant professor of Accounting in the Accounting and Finance group. He holds a PhD from Alliance Manchester Business School, University of Manchester, and his research interests are in the area of market-based accounting, including earnings quality, debt contracting, and corporate disclosure.

Dr Mohamed Maher: Director of Studies, MSc Advanced Marketing

Mohamed is a Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Marketing. He has more than 12 years of experience teaching in Higher Education in Egypt and the UK, and his research interests include multichannel and omnichannel service touchpoints, online and social media service encounters, using robots and AI in service delivery and qualitative digital research methods in marketing.

Dr Çağatay Iris: Director of Studies, MSc Business Analytics and Big Data

Çağatay is a lecturer in Operations and Supply Chain Management. His research interests lie in transportation and logistics, including freight transportation, next-generation ports, shipping, hinterlands, urban logistics, crowdshipping, and energy management in supply chains, and he mostly uses mathematical modeling and data analytics methods to improve the performance of these systems.

Dr Chi Wan Cheang: Director of Studies, MSc Data Science for Economics

Chi is a Lecturer in Economics at the Management School. Her research interests are mainly time series analysis and applied econometrics. Chi has contributed to a wide range of research projects for topics in financial and portfolio management, housing economics, and planning policies. She has also completed policy-related projects.

Dr Lauren Sinton: Director of Studies, MSc Digital Marketing and Analytics

Lauren completed both her master's degree and PhD at the Management School and is now a Lecturer in Marketing. Her research focuses on service systems and networks, paying particular attention to collaborative working in the healthcare sector, and has worked with industry partners from primary healthcare to advance knowledge on the implementation and establishment of models of collaborative working.

Professor Ian Burn: Director of Studies, MSc Economics, MSc Economic Policy and Data Analytics

Ian received his PhD from the University of California-Irvine and is an applied microeconomist who uses field experiments to study the economics of discrimination. His work has examined the effects of prejudice and bias against older workers, women, and the LGBT community. His current research focuses on the economic impacts of stereotypes in the workplace.

Dr Aparna Venugopal: Director of Studies, MSc Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management

Aparna has an undergraduate degree in mechanical (production) engineering, a master’s in business, and a doctorate in management. She was a licensed professional engineer from the Association for Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of New Brunswick. Her research interest revolves around organisational ambidexterity, stakeholder engagements in entrepreneurial opportunity realisations, and the influence of othering in entrepreneurial standpoints within grand challenges.

Dr Davide Avino: Director of Studies, MSc Finance

Davide is a Senior Lecturer in Finance. His research shows how policy-relevant signals can be extracted from financial markets via an analysis of traded prices of financial instruments based on advanced statistical methods (including time series econometrics, panel data analysis and optimisation techniques).

Dr Yung Chiang Yang: Director of Studies, MSc Finance and Investment Management

Yung Chiang Yang is a Senior Lecturer in Finance at University of Liverpool Management School. He holds a PhD in Finance from Nanyang Technological University. His research interests are in the areas of empirical assets pricing, market microstructure, international capital market, and socially responsible investment.

Gavin Brown: Director of Studies, MSc Financial Technology

Gavin is an associate professor in Financial Technology. His research focuses on payment technologies & the future of money, specifically cryptocurrencies and stablecoin pricing. Gavin is a Fellow of The ICAEW as a chartered accountant, is listed on the FCA’s Register and is also a Co-Founder and Director of a digital assets fund.

Dr Yaru Chen: Director of Studies, MSc Human Resource Management

Yaru’s research lies in the field of public management and organisation studies. Her research is informed by a number of theoretical perspectives, including professional identity, role identity, sensemaking and sensegiving. Yaru’s recent work has focused on applying these theoretical lenses to explore the adoption and diffusion of innovation in healthcare organisations.

Dr Vasilis Gotsis: Director of Studies, MSc International Business

Vasilis has taught in many academic disciplines, mainly in the field of international business and management. His research interests lie in the area of International Business and service failure and recovery for the airline industry.

Dr Ming (Lily) Li: Director of Studies, Master in Management

Lily is a senior lecturer in International Human Resource Management, her research is in the areas of cross-cultural management, international HRM, global leadership, Chinese management, and application of research methods. She has taught undergraduate, master's, MBA and executive education programmes in Ireland, China, France, Singapore, Japan and Sri Lanka.

Dr Natasha Clennell: Director of Studies, MSc Marketing

Natasha is a Lecturer in Marketing (Assistant Professor) and has experience as an industry professional, having held positions in senior marketing roles at BBC, DWF and MediaCityUK. Her research is focused on inter-organisational innovation projects, strategic networks, innovation, and digital media.

Dr Robert Forster: Director of Studies, MSc Money and Banking

Rob is a Lecturer (Assistant Professor) at the University of Liverpool. He received his PhD in Economics from Cardiff University and prior to joining the Management School he was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Data Analytics for Finance and Macro (DAFM) Research Centre at King's College London. Rob's main research interest lies in the area of housing, financial stability and macroprudential policy.

Dr Matthew Tickle: Director of Studies, MSc Operations & Supply Chain Management

Matthew holds a BSc and PhD in Operations Management from the University of Liverpool and previously worked as a project manager in the software development industry. His research interests include humanitarian supply chains (i.e. studying how best to get relief to those in need after a disaster has struck) and quality management tools and techniques.

Dr Joanne Lyubovnikova: Director of Studies, MSc Occupational and Organisational Psychology and MSc Organisational Psychology

Joanne is a senior lecturer in Organisational Behaviour and a registered occupational psychologist. Her current research focuses on five interrelated areas: team composition and processes, team leadership, team innovation and creativity, multiple team membership and teamwork in the context of healthcare.

Dr Jennifer Davies: Director of Studies, MSc Project Management

Jennifer is a Lecturer in Project Management and alumna of the University having completed a BA in Popular Music and an MSc in Operations & Supply Chain Management. Her research focuses on the impact of blockchain and artificial intelligence in the music industry. Jennifer has been active in the Liverpool music scene for many years and her music has soundtracked a wide range of TV shows on Netflix, Amazon Prime, Sky TV, BBC, Channel 4 and ABC.

Dr Sue Minten: Director of Studies, MSc Sports Business and Management

Sue is a Senior Lecturer Sports Business. Her PhD examined graduate employability in the sports industry, focusing on transition into the workplace. She also has an MSc in Leadership Practice and Responsibility and an MBA and is accredited by the British Psychological Association. Prior to entering academia she worked in sports facilities management and is still actively involved in the sport industry as a community director and board member for Burnley Leisure Trust.