Broadcast: News items

Prof Steve McGuire

I am delighted to be starting at BMEc and Sussex. I am joining from Aberystwyth University, where I was that university’s first ever Chair in Management. Before that, I worked for nine years at the University of Bath’s School of Management.

Though most (not all!) of my academic career has been in management schools, my background is as a political scientist. I have politics degrees from the universities of Calgary and Toronto. I did my DPhil work at Oxford, under the supervision of Andrew Walter. My dissertation, using aerospace as a case study, looked at how firms and governments worked to create competitive advantage in the sector, and the implications this had for trade relations. So throughout my academic career, I have used the work of scholars at Sussex, whether it be trade policy research or work on innovation and technology policy. For me, the strength of Sussex and BMEc lies in the commitment to teaching and research that crosses disciplinary boundaries. 

I know that BMEc’s rapid growth – admired by those outside the University – has posed genuine challenges for staff. My hope is that the next phase of the School’s growth and development can be characterised by a greater sense of ownership of that process by colleagues. 

Prof Steve McGuire
Head of the School of Business, Management and Economics