Karise Hutchinson is a Professor of Leadership at Ulster University.  Working in Higher Education for over 20 years, her passion for education, entrepreneurship and leadership has earned her opportunities to work with businesses both large and small across the world as well as publishing in both academic journals and industry spheres.  She is an author, award winning researcher and Professor of Leadership.  The impact of Karise’s latest leadership research published in her book ‘Leadership and Small Business - the Power of Stories’, has received several accolades including the Global Education Practice Award from the British Academy of Management in 2016 and the Outstanding Contribution award from the Chartered Management Institute in 2017 for her leadership and contribution to public service.  As a dedicated lifelong learner, Karise completed her Diploma in Company Directorship from the Institute of Directors in 2022. 

Formerly Provost and Head of School at Ulster University, she is driven by a passion to support the development of strong and healthy citizen leaders, present and future, and inside and outside academia. Following her TEDx talk at Stormont Parliament Buildings in Belfast in 2020, she was invited to work on the first leadership development film animation to inspire a generation of global learners with White Elephant produced by global video and animation company Makematic.  In 2019 she received the award of PhD research supervisor of the year and continues to advocate for better leadership and management learning for UK academia on the Strategic Advisory Board of Advance Higher Education.  This led to research with the London School of Economics conducting a review of the Higher Education sector in Northern Ireland for the British Council in 2022.   

The impact of her research has attracted attention across the world helping to make a difference in school leadership in Africa, mental health in children living in Malaysia, as well as safety education for school children with the Police Service in Northern Ireland.  Closer to home, her latest research explores collective leadership responsibility in the public sphere.  Vice Chair of the Centre of Democracy and Peace Building Fellowship Programme, she has helped led the reimagination of political leadership development in Northern Ireland by co-creating the first independent and non-partisan executive programme for public leaders opening up the traditional boundaries of the leadership system.  Karise is also a non-executive director of several non-profit organisations she is dedicated to advocating for practical, emotional and financial support to families in poverty as well as supporting the growth of the small business sector in Northern Ireland.