Nikki McQuillan

Overview

Dr Nikki McQuillan is the Course Director for the Degree Apprenticeship in International Hospitality Management in the Department of Hospitality, Tourism and Events Management at Ulster University. Nikki studied for a BA (Hons) in Hospitality Management at Huddersfield University.

In 2003 she completed an Ulster University MA in Human Resource Management and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.  In 2011 Nikki returned to lecture in Higher Education where she completed her Post Graduate Certificate in Higher Education Practice. She is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a Fellow of the University’s Centre for Higher Education and Research Practice.  Before joining Ulster University, Nikki was co-founder of the Streat Cafe business which grew from one cafe to a large franchise business with 45 sites across Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Scotland. She was involved in company strategy, directed human resource and training strategy, and project managed the set-up, fit-out, and people plans of all new cafe openings until the business acquisition in January 2010.  Investors in People have recognised Nikki’s human resource strategy, and the Streat was the first cafe and the first franchised business ever to win a UK National Training Award and IFA’s Franchise of the Year in 2010. 

Developing a research profile has initially been focused on the development and sustainability of the student experience at Ulster and this is documented in her publications to date.  Nikki’s doctoral research specialism is entrepreneurial leadership and SME growth. She is also programme director for the departments workforce management development programmes serving to grow the professionalism of the Tourism and Hospitality Industry.

Nikki specialises in teaching event management, leadership, and human resource management. She is an external examiner for Queen’s University Belfast's teacher training colleges (St. Mary’s and Stranmillis) in business and enterprise. Additionally, Nikki holds external examiner roles at Technological University Dublin and the University of Surrey. She also volunteers on the executive steering group for Hospitality and Tourism Skills (HATS) Northern Ireland.