Gillian Armstrong

Professor Gillian Armstrong MBE is a Professor of Business Education and Associate Dean – Development and Partnerships (Domestic) at Ulster University Business School.

Gillian was Director of the Business Engagement Unit for five years and was previously Head of the Department of Accounting, Finance and Economics for eight years. An accomplished and highly respected leader, Gillian has spent more than two decades in senior leadership positions within the higher education sector, progressing regional skills development, talent models and FDI opportunities across Northern Ireland and beyond. She has worked closely with a range of highly professional and dynamic teams within academia, industry and government, to ensure a responsive and innovative approach to emerging business needs and government strategy.

Gillian’s commitment to strengthening the competitiveness of the regional economy through enhanced skills provision led to the development of pioneering educational models that accelerate student employability and support employers in securing, upskilling and retraining talent across priority sectors of the economy.

Gillian's academic discipline is within Marketing, with a particular focus on Product Development and Consumer Research (awarded a PhD from Ulster University in 1998). She was a previous member of the Business and Management Research Institute (BMRI) and part of Unit 43 in the 2008 RAE and 2013 REF submission.

She is a fellow and an elected member of the Institute of Directors (IOD) Northern Ireland (NI) Committee, a Board Member of Arts and Business NI, and a past Council member of the NI Chamber of Council. Gillian is also actively involved with the Chartered Association of Business Schools (CABS), the voice of the UK's business and management education sector. She currently holds a Visiting Professorship at Hebei Geo University (HGO), China.

In 2023, Gillian was awarded an MBE for services to Higher Education and Business.