Professor Richard Kerley is currently Professor of Management with a specific interest in public service management.. 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; Newbattle Abbey College: 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 on the management of urban car parking and Outcome Agreements in local government. 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 carried out research projects supported by 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. He has been engaged in consultancy projects by government; local governments; government agencies; voluntary organisations and trading companies in property development; retail and the law.