Professor David Gibson

Biography

As Professor of Practice in Entrepreneurship, within the Institute of Business, Industry and Leadership, I work with future entrepreneurs to help them transform their ideas into tangible products and services, educating, coaching and mentoring them to increase their probability of success.

In the world that emerges from the existential threat post Covid-19, the landscape will be littered with debris from the creative destruction of a capitalist society experiencing change accelerated sharply by factors such as ever-increasing internet shopping instead of traditional shopping, mass home working and an exodus from city centres.  This new environment will be extremely challenging for some people and organisations to navigate, yet it will be a world of opportunities for entrepreneurs.  My knowledge, skills and experience will help the new generation of entrepreneurs to explore, grow and thrive in this ‘new normal’ ecosphere.

My early career was in business, qualifying as an accountant and working closely with start-ups and early lifecycle organisations, gaining insight into the critical success factors, that I later codified in my series of books, starting with ‘The E Factor’.

My experience includes working in areas such as Northern Ireland and Merseyside, which had experienced major change, as the industrial society transformed into the information society, and traditional employment roles were heavily impacted, leading to a reduction in opportunities for local people – the work I did helped people to find their way to success and I am proud of these achievements, to this day.

Cumbria has also experienced change over the last century, with the traditional coal mining industry disappearing and new sectors, such as nuclear and tourism developing.  Similar challenges arise from this ongoing transition, yet at the same time technology and changing attitudes around the world open up exciting local, regional, national and international opportunities, as the United Kingdom seeks to develop new trade deals with partners lying to all four points of the compass.

As well as my role at University of Cumbria, I am an Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Enterprise and Entrepreneurship and a national teaching fellow with the Leadership Foundation.

I was a full time Entrepreneur for fifteen years.

Publications

I have written five books including the award winning "The E Factor – Entrepreneurial Competences for Personal and Business Success," which was published in 2006 by Pearson Education. An updated revised edition is planned to be published late in 2021.
Additionally, I am working on a series of nine books to take a deeper dive into the competences described in "The E Factor" and these are planned to be published, starting with the first title anticipated in the second half of 2021.
I have published over thirty research papers, and my entrepreneurial competence model is now used throughout the world.

Recent external roles

I am best known for embedding Entrepreneurship at Queens University Belfast and Liverpool John Moores University, winning numerous national and international awards.
I was given the award of "most innovative educator in the UK" in 2012 by The Higher Education Academy.
At Liverpool John Moores University, my enterprise work with staff and industry won the Enterprising Britain award, the EEC entrepreneurial skills award and the "Outstanding Global Program" Award from the United States Association of Entrepreneurship Education.

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