Former FA Chief Executive and University of Liverpool graduate, Brian Barwick, has been appointed Visiting Professor at the University’s Management School.
Professor Barwick, who graduated from the University with an economics degree in 1975, will lead seminars in strategic management and help supervise student projects as part of Liverpool’s MBA Football Industries programme. He will also support students in preparing for jobs within the industry and help build on the Management School’s links with businesses around the world.
After graduating from Liverpool, Professor Barwick joined the BBC’s sport department where his role included Editor of ‘Match of the Day’. He left the BBC as Head of Sport, to become Controller of Sport at ITV and was responsible for launching the ITV2 channel in 1998.
He began his role as Chief Executive of the Football Association in 2005 and during his term of office oversaw the opening of the new Wembley Stadium and led the FA to record broadcast and commercial deals. He also led on the appointment of Fabio Capello as Coach of the England team in December 2007. Professor Barwick will work part-time at the University and lead his first seminar as Professor of Strategic Management in February.
Professor Barwick said: “I have been interested in working in higher education for a long time and I am delighted to be able to fulfil this ambition at a top university and in the city I grew up in. I have experienced some challenging and exciting times in both my television and football careers and I look forward to being able to share these experiences with the next generation of industry leaders.”
Professor Murray Dalziel, Director of the University’s Management School, added: “Brian has a wealth of experience in the football and media industry and will be a valued addition to our strong team of researchers. We hope that Brian will particularly enjoy working with students on our MBA Football Industries course – the first of its kind in the world. Our students undertake real assignments in the industry and Brian will be a great coach for them.”
Professor Barwick will also take on a wider ambassadorial role, representing Liverpool graduates both in the UK and in Asia, where the University has opened an institution called Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) based at Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP) in China.
Notes to editors:
1. The University of Liverpool’s Management School (ULMS) was established in 2002 and formed as a result of the merger of existing departments, institutes and units from across the University. Five divisions were formed within ULMS which represent areas in Accounting and Finance, e-Business and Operations Management, Economics, Management and Marketing and International Business. The Management School’s post-graduate program includes an MBA in Football Industries, which aims to combine professional development with an awareness of the issues involved in football management, marketing and administration.
2. The University of Liverpool is a member of the Russell Group of leading research-intensive institutions in the UK. It attracts collaborative and contract research commissions from a wide range of national and international organisations valued at more than £93 million annually.