Dr Maria Allen joins Salford Business School as new Associate Dean Academic

University of Salford Business School has appointed Dr Maria Allen to the role of Associate Dean Academic (Quality Assurance and Enhancement) from September 2024.

Maria, who has over twenty years’ experience in higher education, joins from Manchester Metropolitan University’s (MMU) Business School, where she has held various departmental and faculty positions, including Programme Leader, Departmental Education Lead and Faculty Employability Lead. Throughout her career, she has had a significant impact on improving students’ career prospects and graduate outcomes through her work on the curriculum, spearheading numerous strategic initiatives on work-related learning that transformed the employability of students and gave them a greater chance of achieving their ambitions.

Maria comments: “As someone who has proudly lived and worked in Greater Manchester my entire life, I am excited about joining Salford Business School, a dynamic and fast-growing institution that prioritises local roots and global ambition. By placing students at the heart of everything it does, University of Salford echoes my own values and aspirations for students. It is an ideal place for me to contribute and grow.”

As an Associate Professor, Maria’s research has focused on employee voice, gender, equal opportunity/diversity management policies, plus comparative capitalisms and institutions. She has been published in leading international journals, including the British Journal of Management, International Journal of HRM (Human Resource Management), Socio-Economic Review and Work Employment and Society.

Liz Larner, PVC (Pro Vice-Chancellor) Interim Dean, Salford Business School, added: “We’re thrilled to welcome somebody who is as well respected as Maria to the School. Maria’s experience and career to-date is outstanding. We’ve seen first-hand the work she’s done at MMU and we’re excited for her to lead the Salford Business School team on its strategic work in enhancing learning, teaching and quality assurance, as aligned to the University’s priorities.

“In recent years we’ve made a great deal of progress on graduate outcomes with many of our students going on to be incredibly successful. We’re confident Maria will be an excellent addition to the team and her work will further enhance the work we’ve been doing to advance us even further in this space, ensuring our students are reaching their full potential.”

During her time at MMU, Maria also held positions on the Faculty Executive Group, and she collaborated with the Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education to help deliver the University’s education strategy.

In addition, Maria has a pre-existing connection to Salford, with her younger sister having studied Podiatry at the University’s School of Health and Society, before going on to practice within her own business.

Maria concluded: “I can’t wait to get started and am looking forward to immersing myself in the current portfolio, to identify strategic opportunities that will enhance yet further the experience and prospects of students at Salford Business School.

“I am most excited about the opportunity to contribute to the University’s dynamic and ambitious vision. I am looking forward to working with a diverse, talented and vibrant community, to implement innovative strategies that will enhance learning, teaching and assessment. It’s clear Salford prioritises high performance by fostering industry partnerships and real-world engagement to prepare students for life, while ensuring they have a positive and impactful experience and I’m delighted to be a part of this.”

For more updates from the University of Salford Business School, visit: https://www.salford.ac.uk/news.