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Professor Tom Williamson

Tom Williamson
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Assistant Principal at ARU Peterborough

Tom is currently Assistant Principal of ARU Peterborough, responsible for the Faculty of Business, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and the Faculty of Creative and Digital Arts and Sciences. He is a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) and holds the CMBE with the Chartered Association of Business Schools (CABS).

Twitter: @DrTomWilliamson

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View Tom's profile on Research Gate

Location:
Peterborough
Areas of Expertise:
Accounting and Finance , Business Management , Entrepreneurship and technology startups
Research Supervision:
Yes
Background

Tom has held previous roles as Head of School of the School of Economics, Finance and Accounting at Coventry University, Associate Head (Student Experience), and was formerly Chair or Enterprise Educators UK. 

Tom's research explores the role of universities in providing support to Start-Ups, SMEs, and Entrepreneurs. As a practitioner Tom has previously sat on, and chaired, the Board of EEUK and is currently a management board member of the Small Business Charter. Tom is a member of the Steering Board for The Lilac Review, an independent government backed review, tackling the inequality faced by Disabled founders and aiming to level-up entrepreneurial opportunity across the UK. He is a small business owner and has been involved in many start-ups further highlighting his interest and commitment to the enhancement of education by closely engaging with Industry and entrepreneurs. He completed his PhD (Entrepreneurship) in 2015 entitled, “To what extent can universities create a sustainable system to support MSMEs? A focus on the West Midlands region”.

Spoken Languages

French

Research interests
  • Enterprise and Entrepreneurship
  • Regional Development
  • Micro Business and Start-Ups
  • Business Incubation
  • Enterprise Education and Pedagogic Innovation
  • Innovation
  • Small Business Support
Areas of research supervision
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Regional Development
  • Enterprise Education
  • Innovation
  • Small Business Support
Teaching
  • BSc Accounting & Finance
  • BSc Business & Management
  • BSc Entrepreneurship
  • BSc Marketing
  • BSc HRM
Qualifications
  • PhD - Entrepreneurship, Coventry University
  • PGCert - Higher Education Professional Practice, Coventry University
  • BA (hons) – Human Resource Management, Coventry University
Memberships, editorial boards
  • Chartered Association of Business Schools – Certified Management & Business Educator (CMBE)
  • Enterprise Educators UK – Board Member, Former Chair, Honorary Fellow
  • Higher Education Academy – Prinicipal Fellow
  • Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce (RSA) – Fellow
  • Trustee and Vice-Chair – Peterborough Keys Academy Trust
  • International Entrepreneurship Educators Programme – Fellow
Selected recent publications
  • Pittaway, L., Gazzard, J., Shore, A., Williamson, T. (2015) "Student Clubs: Experiences in Entrepreneurial Learning”, Entrepreneurship and Regional Development.
Recent presentations and conferences
  • Williamson, T., Smith, K., McLuskie, P., Carey, C., Sisay, S. (2019) “Entrepreneurial Intent on Induction to Undergraduate Business Courses: A Comparison of Two Higher Education Institutions in the UK", Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship 2019, 14th-15th November 2019, Newcastle. (Best Paper Nominee)
  • Williamson, T., Lockyer, J. (2019) “Towards a sustainable university led system of support for MSMEs: A focus on the West Midlands region", Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship 2019, 14th-15th November 2019, Newcastle. (Best Paper Award).
  • Chartered Association of Business Schools Annual Conference 2019, 4th-5th November 2019, London. Panel Discussion Chair and Presenter: “Delivering small business growth programmes in an uncertain funding environment”.
  • Williamson, T., Warin, C., Wheeldon, C. (2018) “Learnings from Japan: an EEUK Mission”, International Entrepreneurship Educators Conference 2018, Leeds, 5th-7th September 2018.
  • Smith, K. Williamson, T. McLuskie, P. (2017) “Entrepreneurial Intent and Experience: A five-year study of undergraduate students at induction at a UK University”, Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship 2017, 8th-9th November 2017, Belfast.
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