Professor Mike Kennard

BEng (Hons) (University of Birmingham), PhD (University of Birmingham), MBA (University of Nottingham)

  • Professor of Teaching Practice
  • Director of Studies: Executive and Professional Education

Expertise: innovation, strategy, enterprise, andragogy

Mike Kennard is Professor of Teaching Practice and Director of Studies at Loughborough Business School, with responsibility for leading the MBA, EMBA, Apprenticeships and Executive Education portfolio.

Previously he was an Executive Education Programme Director and Senior Lecturer in Innovation, Strategy and Entrepreneurship at Alliance Manchester Business School, and Programme Director at the University of Birmingham for the MSc Advanced Engineering Management and MSc Management programmes. He has also held positions at Aston Business School as MBA Director, and the University of Nottingham as an Innovation Research Fellow.

Mike’s professional background is in engineering, where he worked at Rolls-Royce for over 10 years in a variety of senior management positions. These included Programme Manager for the Global R&T Programme and Programme Manager for the Trent 1000 Fan Module. Mike holds a first class BEng (hons) and PhD from the University of Birmingham, and an MBA from Nottingham University Business School, where he was awarded a scholarship and graduated with distinction.

Mike has designed and delivered a wide range of modules on UG, MSc, MBA, Apprenticeship and Executive Education programmes that have incorporated substantial educational enhancement and innovation. His latest book, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, was published by Routledge in 2021. He particularly focuses on teaching experienced leaders, and has successfully delivered courses to organisations including the NHS, Civil Service, Local Government, Royal Navy, British Army, RAF, Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems, General Electric, Intouch Group, Siemens and Stagecoach.

Mike’s contribution to teaching and learning has been recognised by various institutional, national and international academic bodies. He is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA), Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Teaching and Learning (University of Manchester), and Distinguished Fellow of the Teaching Academy (University of Birmingham). In 2022 Mike won the British Academy of Management Education Practice Award.

  • Co-Chair BAM Post-Experience Education Working Group
  • External Examiner University of Surrey
  • External Examiner Cardiff University
  • External Examiner Nottingham Trent University
  • External Assessor University College Cork