Dr Ioannis Christodoulou
I am a Senior Lecturer in Business Strategy with multiple awards on my teaching contribution and an extensive portfolio of impactful research.
Amongst other posts, I am also the Deputy Research Leader for the School of Management and Marketing, Academic Cooridnator for the CEMS (Global Alliance of Masters in Management)Thought Leadership Initiative.
In my role as a Senior Lecturer at Westminster Business School, my responsibilities encompass a multifaceted array of academic and administrative duties, all aimed at enhancing the educational experience and strategic development within the institution.
As the Deputy Research and Knowledge Exchange (RKE) Leader for the school of Management and Marketing I am responsible for the following tasks: Growth in research and KE income above the benchmark for our peer group, Develop research communities to grow UoW research income and profile. Pursue clear plan of activities to support people and culture and Preparation for REF 2029
As the Case Centre Member and Representative for the Westminster Business School I aim to design dynamic case writing courses and build a case community of practice in our school. Furthermore, I organize and plan to run training sessions on: ‘’teaching in the digital age by modernising case study methodology through technology integration’’, ‘’delivering a real-life case learning experience’’, ‘’case method as a potent tool for coaching startup founders’’, and ‘’explore AI-generated case content innovative applications for faculty’’.
As the Assistant Director of the Service Research & Customer Experience Centre of the University of Westminster, I aim to expand the research capacity of the SRCE centre, by organizing research workshops withing WBS (to
over 30 participants across UoW), applying for research grants, creating a mentoring programme for our ECRs.
I am also an active research member of the Forum for Uzbek and Silk Road Studies and active research member of the Cross Cultural and Global Management group
As an SL, I am also tasked with the meticulous design, development, and delivery of lectures and seminars tailored to final year undergraduate and postgraduate students, with a particular focus on MBA cohorts, pertaining to the domains of business strategy and strategic management. At the same time for the last 10 years, I successfully lead the international consultancy module (and its previous versions) taking the MBA students to a transformational experience in working with a client company abroad in solving consultancy cases. My teaching is always research-informed, interactive and engaging encompassing new teaching technologies and methods. Furthermore, I undertake the supervision of dissertations for postgraduate students, alongside mentoring three doctoral candidates within cognate research domains.
Integral to my academic engagement is my involvement in the rigorous processes of institutional assessment and validation, notably as a panel member and internal reviewer for the recent Research Excellence Framework (REF) at Westminster Business School. My scholarly contributions manifest notably through the publication of seven papers within the current academic year, of which three have attained a distinguished 3-star rating within the ABS listing framework. Currently I am an active member of Service Innovation & Customer Experience Centre, I have more than 10 papers to be submitted within 2024 and two research fund applications.
Over the span of a decade, I have assumed the mantle of managing the largest module at WBS, catering to a considerable cohort comprising over a thousand students and supported by a team of twenty-two colleagues annually. This stewardship has been underscored by laudatory commendations from students, culminating in nominations as 'Champion of Educational Experience', 'Outstanding Teacher', and 'Personal Tutor', alongside the prestigious accolade of 'Best Teacher' within the University, a distinction consistently reaffirmed through successive nominations. I feel that my stewardship has been important in augmenting the National Student Survey (NSS) results, impacting positively on student satisfaction and engagement.
In tandem with my pedagogical endeavours, I am actively engaged in fortifying the school's external relations and business development initiatives, orchestrating outreach activities to secure sponsors and funding whilst fostering symbiotic linkages between academia and industry. Noteworthy initiatives include the organisation of alumni events and business meetings in the past, featuring organisations such as BA and BBC, garnering commendable attendance and feedback. Additionally, I play an instrumental role in workshops dedicated to the advancement of the School's and University's strategic imperatives.
Furthermore, working closely with the marketing team of WBS in the past I actively participated in the international expansion initiatives aimed at augmenting the prominence of WBS's postgraduate and MBA offerings, leveraging participation in targeted fairs and forging strategic partnerships both domestically and abroad, resulting in a robust pipeline of prospective students.
Beyond the confines of academic institution, I actively disseminate my research insights as a guest lecturer and invited speaker, championing discourse on Middle Management and Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Strategy across diverse platforms and media channels, thereby amplifying the visibility and reputation of both my research endeavours and Westminster Business School as a whole.
Education
PhD Strategic Management, Athens University of Economics and Business
MBA, Athens University of Economics and Business - Budapest University of Economics and Public Administration
BSc Marketing and Management Science, Athens University of Economics and Business
Professional memberships
Strategic Management Society, Member
Academy of Management, Member
European Academy of Management, Reviewer
British Academy of Management, Reviewer, Member
EURODOC, Member
Cognitive Edge, Accredited Practitioner and Member
Presencing Institute, Member
Hellenic Association of Doctoral Researchers, Public Relations Representative (2004-2007), Member
MBA Alumni of Athens University of Economics and Business, Member
Greek Marketing Academy, Member
JADE HELLAS (Greek Federation of Junior Enterprises member of JADE EU), Programmes Developer (2005-2007), Member
Hellenic Institute of Marketing, Member
Hellenic Management Association, Member
Economic Chamber of Greece, Member
Consultancy and professional practice
ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES
Ioannis has worked as a Coordinator of Strategic Management and Business Policy Laboratory (Research Centre) for Athens University of Economics and Business
As Head of Corporate Development in his earlier academic UK post he proposed, developed and managed the following activities:
Ioannis also worked as a Programme Leader for Executive Consulting and Training programmes and was a member of Total Quality Team (TQT) for validations, reviews, exam boards, academic panels, in his previous University post.
He has also served as Communication and Promotion Representative for Hellenic Association of Doctorates Researchers - Hel.As.D.R. with the following responsibilities:
ORGANISATION OF CONFERENCES
Executive member in the organising committees of:
Ioannis is currently developing heavily his research portfolio. His research areas deal with Middle Management, Blue Ocean Strategy, SMEs and Strategy as Practice.
He has served as track co-chair for the Strategy as Practice track for the British Academy of Management for 3 years and he is quite active in research networking.
At the same time, Ioannis is serving as a reviewer for various prestigious academic journals and conferences such as European Journal of Management and BAM conference. He is part of the 'Service Research and Customer Experience Research Group '' at Westminster Business School.
He is currently working on publications such as :
- Blue Ocean Strategy and development pathways,
- Middle Managers strategic roles in a digital environment,
- SMEs digital strategizing.
Finally, Ioannis, has 4 PhD completions so far and currently he is happily supervising PhD students on areas that cover Strategy, Strategic Decision Making, Sustainable Business Models, Blue Ocean and Innovation.
