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Professor Kieran Fernandes

Executive Dean


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Executive Dean in the Business School

Biography

Professor Kieran Jude Fernandes is the Executive Dean of Durham University Business School, a globally ranked institution recognised for excellence in research, education, and societal impact. An internationally respected scholar and senior academic leader, he has held key positions including Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor (Development and Engagement), Associate Dean for Internationalisation, and Head of Department (Management & Marketing) at Durham.

A Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences, Professor Fernandes is also a Fellow of University College Durham and the Wolfson Research Institute, and serves as Trustee of the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art. He has held academic appointments at the Universities of Warwick and York, and served as Consulting Professor at the UK Cabinet Office’s Civil Contingencies Secretariat. Appointed by the UK Secretary of State for International Development as a Non-Executive Director of the UK National Commission for UNESCO, with special responsibility for Higher Education, he was later elected its Vice-Chair. He has directed the Northern Powerhouse Innovation Observatory, advised the World Smart City Forum, and served on numerous national and international advisory panels, including the UK Department for Transport’s Joint Analysis Development Panel and the Academic Advisory Council of the Chartered Management Institute.

Professor Fernandes has authored influential reports for UK Government departments and the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, shaping policy and strategy in operations, innovation, and technology management. A world-leading authority on modelling complex systems and digital innovation in supply chains, his research spans crime networks to global supply chains and has delivered measurable impact across construction, pharmaceutical, biotech, and digital sectors. He has published extensively in leading international journals, including Academy of Management Proceedings, International Journal of Operations & Production Management, International Journal of Production Economics, Journal of Business Research, and Annals of Operations Research, with his work widely cited for its originality and practical relevance. His research has been funded by prestigious bodies including the British Council, BEIS, ESRC, EPSRC, NASA, the Royal Academy of Engineering, and the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Production and Mechanical Engineering, a Master’s in Industrial Engineering, and a PhD in Engineering from the University of Warwick. His accolades include the University of York Vice-Chancellor’s Gold Medal for Internationalisation, the Rutherford Excellence in Engineering Award, and NASA’s Space Shuttle Main Engine Continuous Improvement Award. Named the Financial Times “Professor of the Week”, he has presented on the UN Sustainable Development Goals at major international forums, including the World Government Summit alongside UNESCO’s Director-General.

Mini Biography

Professor Kieran Jude Fernandes is Executive Dean of Durham University Business School, a globally ranked institution recognised for excellence in research, education, and societal impact. An internationally respected scholar in operations and innovation management, he is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences and has held senior leadership roles at Durham including Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor and Head of Department. His research on modelling complex systems and digital supply chains, funded by organisations such as ESRC, EPSRC, NASA, and the Royal Academy of Engineering, has shaped practice across sectors from pharmaceuticals to digital technologies and is widely published in leading journals. Professor Fernandes has served as Vice-Chair of the UK National Commission for UNESCO, Trustee of the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, and Director of the Northern Powerhouse Innovation Observatory, and has advised the UK Government, international organisations, and industry. His awards include NASA’s Space Shuttle Main Engine Continuous Improvement Award and the Rutherford Excellence in Engineering Award.

Research interests

  • Operations and Supply Chain Management – optimisation, digitisation, sustainability, and risk management.
  • Innovation and Technology Management – digital-driven business models, technology adoption, and innovation processes.
  • Complex Systems Modelling – modelling change and innovation in social, economic, and business systems.

Publications

Authored book

Chapter in book

Journal Article

Report

Supervision students

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