Professor Thomas Birtch

About me:

Thomas A. Birtch is an Associate Professor in the SITE Department at Exeter Business School. Prior to joining the University of Exeter, Thomas has held appointments at the University of South Australia, the University of Nottingham, The Chinese University of Hong Kong and the University of Cambridge as well as visiting affiliations at MIT and other prominent institutions.

Thomas enjoys nothing more than learning from his students and seeing them excel in their careers. For his teaching, he has received a number of accolades and broken teaching evaluation records at multiple schools. He has taught extensively at all levels in the university setting (e.g., undergraduate, postgraduate, executive and post-experience) in Asia, North America, and Europe and is the author of a range of widely adopted teaching materials, resources, and case studies. Thomas is also an active and award winning researcher having received numerous prestigious research grants and prizes and having published extensively in leading international academic journals.

His background in industry is extensive and includes holding senior executive level and management positions in both the private sector (e.g., MNCs and SMEs) and government spanning three continents. For example, Thomas has held appointments at both the Federal and Provincial levels of government in Canada, including in the Ministry of Finance for the Province of Ontario for which he helped establish new government accounting standards and oversaw and advised on multi-billion dollar capital and operating plans for line ministries (e.g., Education, Health, Transportation, Tourism and Culture). In the Federal Government of Canada he was one of the youngest appointees to the role of Divisional Chair of the Material Review Board and developed asset management policies and specifications that were adopted nationally. In the UK, he has been an advisor to multiple government departments as well as to prestigious government taskforces, such as for regional development agencies and HM Treasury. Thomas has consulted in over 30 countries, especially in the Oil & Gas, Pharmaceutical, Financial Services, Construction and Real Estate, Hospitality and Tourism, Technology, and Manufacturing industries and is a specialist in international business combinations, post-merger integration, business performance, and human capital development (e.g., psychometric testing, computerized information systems, synchronous and asynchronous learning platforms, customized executive and corporate training and development). He has also been an advisor to a variety of government bodies, professional associations, and non-profit organizations on a global scale. He is a serial entrepreneur and currently serves as a Non-executive Director on several Boards.

He completed his doctoral studies at the University of Cambridge and has either studied at or received qualifications from other prominent institutions, such as MIT, Harvard, Reading, Western Ontario, and the Sorbonne. In his spare time he is an avid photographer, a Dim Sum aficionado, and an aspiring coffee Barista.

• Leadership and strategic decision-making
• The performance of individuals and organizations across borders
• Innovation, creativity, and knowledge management
• Entrepreneurship and family business

Thomas is the recipient of numerous research awards, honors, and prizes. For example, he has won multiple Best Paper awards at the Academy of Management, including two during a single year. His research regularly appears in highly regarded academic journals, such as the Journal of Management, Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Management Studies, Human Relations, Management International Review, Journal of Business Ethics, International Journal of Human Resource Management, Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, International Journal of Hospitality Management, and Asia-Pacific Journal of Management among other outlets. His research has also been recognized for its impact on practice. He is highly active in the generation of research income from research councils, corporations, charitable foundations, and government, efforts which have led to in an excess of USD 5 million in research grants. He is the founder/co-founder and director of several research centres, including the International Centre for Incentives, Rewards and Performance (ICIRP).

• PhD