Professor Richard Kerley is currently Professor of Management and Vice Principal (Commercialisation and Internationalisation), where he has been since January 2003. He is currently responsible for international development and commercial strategy. His current involvement in this has led to developments in Switzerland; Singapore; India; Greece; the USA and the PRC.

He was previously at the University of Edinburgh and the Scottish Local Authorities Management Centre, University of Strathclyde . He has also been a visiting scholar at Yale University.

Before entering academic life, Richard worked in advertising, hospitality and in prison education. He also worked for four different councils, in adult education and then latterly in staff and management development. He is currently also a Non Executive Director and chairs the board of The Audience Business (a not for profit audience development organisation); is a director of the Centre for Scottish Public Policy and the Edinburgh Mela.

Richard is the author of various books, research papers, academic journals and numerous articles in the quality print media. His most recent publications include a book chapter on performance in public services and journal papers management of urban car parking as an example of effective practice in public management.

Richard chaired the Scottish Executive Working Party on Renewing Local Democracy; the report of which was published in July 2000 and which was legislated for in June 2004 as the Local Governance Act.

He has supported research activities through grants from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Scottish Consumer Council, Alcohol Scotland, The Accounts Commission Scotland, Tayside, Edinburgh and Fife Councils, the Association of MBAs and the Scottish Government.