Neil Fletcher

Senior lecturer in finance and accounting

As a chartered accountant I held a variety of roles in practice, and in various  South Yorkshire based organisations, before becoming a senior lecturer in finance and accounting here at Sheffield Hallam. This experience underpins all that I teach.

My previous roles include
 • finance director of a £12 million Sheffield based charitable accountable body group, including finance director of the trading platform PBC Ltd
• group treasurer of Mettis Ltd, a £100 million+ international industrial group
• corporate finance executive, specialising in financial modelling and small cap leveraged transactions.
• auditor

I am presently a governor of Sheffield College, a £50 million+ further education college, and chair of the audit committee.

My particular pedagogic interest lies in helping people, especially non accountants, develop their organisational financial literacy. Literacy is about understanding and communicating, not simply replicating methods, techniques and algorithms. Furthermore, my research looks at how people use situated mathematical cognition to make sense of, and communicate, financial ideas within an organisation setting.

I am a member of the BAA special interest group in accounting education and also a member of the British Society for the Research into Learning Mathematics.

Finally, due to my career path, I have maintained an interest in corporate governance in the charitable and third sectors. This experience has led me to work alongside colleagues at the Centre for Voluntary Sector Research here at Sheffield Hallam University.
 
Postgraduate teaching interests
• corporate governance and ethics
• financial management in the public health profession

Undergraduate teaching Interests
• fundamental analysis: financial information for business decisions
• finance and Accounting for non Accountants
• corporate governance and ethics

Research interests
• organisational financial literacy
• situated mathematical cognition
• cultural historical activity theory
• corporate governance in the charitable and third sectors

June Clarke

Principal lecturer in business operations and systems

I teach across a range of related areas in the field of e-business, e-commerce and technology management. My work primarily involves the delivery of these topic areas to students at all levels within the Business School.

I also hold the role of European Regional Lead  and Hub Development Manager for Eastern Europe and, therefore, collaboration with overseas partners and student and staff exchange is an important part of my work.

In addition to my postgraduate qualifications (awarded by the Open University) in technology management and online and distance education, I am also a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. 

Postgraduate teaching interests
Innovation in the digital enterprise on the MBA programme
Undergraduate teaching interests
E-business management
Electronic crime
Information management
Managing hospitality resources

Research interests
Technology enhanced learning

Zuwaina Aladawi

Senior lecturer in business systems

I am a committed senior lecturer with over nine years of experience at leading UK academic institutions teaching students from various social and cultural backgrounds, possessing excellent and effective teaching methods that promote a stimulating learning environment. In addition, I have supervised masters students for course such as MSc Information Management, and in the topic of change management and leadership.

My primary interest is in systems ideas and the application of soft approaches to tackle unstructured problems. My research interests are in knowledge management, education and professional development, social innovation, and e-CRM. I have joined Sheffield Hallam University recently. I also worked in industry as analyst programmer in a leading international IT company.

Currently, I am the recruitment leader for international business top-ups, and work abroad under the Sheffield Hallam University Hong Kong programme. I constantly research to keep up-to-date with my subject areas and curriculum current.

Undergraduate teaching interests
• business analysis
• creating effective information systems
• strategic management of information systems
• management of information systems

Postgraduate teaching interests
• information management
• change management and leadership

Prabhu Udawatte

Senior lecturer in finance and accounting

I have joined Sheffield Hallam University relatively recently, having been attracted by the dynamic and applied nature of the organisation.

I am currently a senior lecturer in finance and accounting and I teach a broad range of modules in these areas at the undergraduate, postgraduate and professional levels. I am also a module leader for a number of modules in the areas mentioned above.

My research interests lie in the areas of capital market, mergers and acquisitions, accounting and financial models, financial reporting and innovations in management accounting techniques. I have published my work at various international conferences and I would like to highlight my work in the area or mergers and acquisitions.

In terms of my professional links I am currently an associate member of CIMA and I continue to maintain my professional profile via a network of professional contacts.

Teaching interests
• finance • financial accounting and reporting
• management accounting
• mergers and acquisitions

Research interests
• capital market research in finance/accounting
• earnings management
• evidence based accounting and finance practices
• mergers and acquisitions
• accounting and financial models

Denzil Watson

Principal lecturer in banking and finance

I am the leader of the banking and finance subject group at the University and I have co-authored an internationally renowned key academic text book - Corporate Finance: Principles and Practice.

As well as leading an academic group I have had several roles that have given me extensive experience of the learning and pastoral needs of UK and International students.

I am an external examiner for Staffordshire University at the British University Vietnam (Hanoi) looking after the quality and standards of their accounting and finance programme. I am a dedicated and enthusiastic teacher, my key subject areas at undergraduate and postgraduate level are financial management, corporate finance, international financial management, mergers and acquisitions, risk management and derivatives, micro-economics.

Teaching interests
• financial management
• corporate finance
• mergers and acquisitions
• risk management and derivatives
• micro-economics Postgraduate teaching
• corporate finance
• ACCA papers
• responsible for the delivery of MSc Banking and Finance, MSc International Bank Management and MSc Finance and Investment

Jamie Rundle

Senior lecturer in operations and quality management

I teach across a range of related areas in the field of operations and quality management and I specialise in process management, process improvement and lean management.

My work involves the delivery of the operations topic to students at all levels within the university, including full and part-time students, distance learners and professional development candidates. I particularly enjoy working with students at postgraduate level, where experience in industry can be shared extensively in the classroom, but equally introducing the concepts to undergraduate students prior to their gaining experience in the field is a rewarding part of my role.

I have many years of industrial management experience in the printing and publishing sector, as well as first-hand experience of continuous process improvement facilitation in manufacturing and supply chain. I am currently the course leader for the MBA part-time programme.

I have a range of interests including the development of case studies for teaching, I am currently working on cases in the area of operations and supply chain for the disaster relief and charity sector. I also have an independent reviewer role for the Oxford University Press future publications.

I hold an MBA from the University of Nottingham and am a fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a member of the Chartered Management Institute. I firmly believe that continuous personal and professional development is essential in today’s competitive environment.

Teaching interests
• operations management
• quality and performance
• process management
• lean management

Postgraduate teaching
• MSc Total Quality Management (distance-learning) / MBA Operations and Performance
• supervisory role on a number of MSc courses and the MBA programme
• course leader for MBA part-time

John Joyce

Professor of Accounting Education

I am a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and have a Masters in Business Administration.

I am a dedicated and enthusiastic teacher and supervisor. I aim to inspire and help students at all levels within the university from new undergraduates through to the supervision of PhD's. I am the holder of the Sheffield Hallam University Teaching Excellence Award. My major teaching interests are management accounting and professional skills development.

I have published extensively in both professional and referred journals on accounting education. Specific interests include communication apprehension, self-efficacy, financial literacy, and the development of vocational skills. I am a reviewer for several academic journals.

I have worked extensively with accounting professional bodies. I was awarded the title “CIMA Education Advisor” by the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants for my underpinning research for the "Beyond 2000" initiative. This was of great significance for CIMA: it underpinned the realignment of the assessment policies and structure of the professional qualification.

I have a long history of involvement with the professional bodies. I am a former Member of the Councils of CIMA and the Association of Accounting Technicians. Examples of my current involvements are: CIMA's Academic and Technical Consultant, member of CIMA's Research and Development Panel, member of CIMA's Expert Review Group, and member of AAT's Assessment Advisory Board.

Teaching interests
• management accounting
• professional skills development
• research methods

Research interests
• research informed teaching
• financial literacy
• professional development

Faisal Sheikh

Senior lecturer in accounting and finance

I am a senior lecturer in accounting and finance with extensive experience in practice, industry, and not-for-profit accounting. My first degree was a BSc (Hons) in Economics with studies in Canada and last year I successfully completed the Post Graduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning with distinction.

I am also currently undertaking a Doctorate in Business Administration focusing on accountability in the international non-governmental sector.

I have full membership and excellent links with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and Ernst and Young Northwest alumni.

Undergraduate teaching interests 
• level 4 financial accounting
• level 4 business analysis
• level 5 management accounting applications
• level 5 managing finance
• CIMA
• placement officer
• business engagement

Research interests
• accountability in the not-for-profit sector
• accounting education / pedagogy
• international accounting standards
• Islamic accounting

Jayne Revill

Principal lecturer in business systems

I am a principal lecturer in business systems and a member of the Department of Finance, Accounting and Business Systems at Sheffield Business School. My main areas of focus are information systems, quantitative analysis and accountancy. I teach on a range of undergraduate and masters programs and I am the module leader for one of the largest undergraduate modules in the Business School.  I am also a fellow of the Higher Education Academy and I have received a teaching excellence award in recognition of my contribution towards improving pedagogic learning.
 
Specialisms and interests
I am an extremely enthusiastic teacher and I strongly believe in reflecting on practice and continuous personal and professional development. I have a keen research interest in teaching and learning pedagogy and developments in this area. I am also the e-learning coordinator for the Business School and as such I play pivotal role in the School's adoption of new technologies to enhance student experience.  My role includes, among others, the dissemination of best practices in pedagogic learning across the Business School and facilitating the adoption of new technology to deliver better student experience.  Consequently, my research is focussed on areas of e-learning and pedagogy. I have conference papers to my credit and I am keen on developing further interesting proposals of merit in this area.

Teaching interests
• quantitative analysis
• financial analysis
• information systems
• consultancy projects
.

Rona O'Brien

Head of department

I am the Head of department for finance accounting and business systems for the Sheffield Business School, a Member of Council and Chair of the Assessment Quality Board for the Institute of Financial Accountants.  I am a member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and I am a member of the Executive of the Committee of Heads of Departments of Accounting and Finance.

I am particularly interested in promoting the quality of the student learning experience and have worked as a Chair and Quality Reviewer for the NCAAA for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and as an External Examiner for several UK universities.

My area of special interest is in the area of performance measurement and decision making and I have also researched on the use and efficacy of assessment feedback for students. I also enjoy teaching professional skills for accountants on the accounting awards. 

Damien Taylor

Senior Lecturer in banking and financial management

I joined Sheffield Business School in 2010, after a 12 year career in industry. I graduated from Sheffield Hallam University in 1998 with a BA (Hons) in Financial Services after which I joined the Royal Mail graduate finance scheme.  Having worked for Royal Mail and it’s subsidiaries for 12 years, latterly as Head of Finance for the Post Office, I left to rejoin the University as a member of the academic team.

I am both course leader and recruitment leader for the international finance courses at undergraduate level.

I teach a range of modules in the financial management subject area at undergraduate, masters and professional levels.

I am a member of The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and I also work closely with the Chartered Insurance Institute, the Chartered Institute of Securities and Investments and the Chartered Banker Institute.

In addition to my teaching specialisms I am interested in short term currency, equity and commodity trading. I study technical analysis and enjoy designing and testing new strategies.

Diane Jamieson

Principal lecturer in audit and assurance and forensic accounting

I joined Sheffield Hallam University recently, having gained years of experience within the accountancy profession.

I am currently a principal lecturer in audit and assurance and forensic accounting and teach on a broad range of modules in these areas at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. I am also the programme leader for the finance courses. My role involves looking after students' experience on their course and overseeing course design, employability and student support.

I specialise in forensic accounting and auditing and assurance, having worked at one of the big four accountancy practices for 26 years.

My professional links include the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, and the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners.

Teaching interests
• forensic accounting
• accounting and finance
• audit and assurance

Postgraduate teaching
• forensic accounting
• audit and assurance

Undergraduate teaching
• accounting and finance
• forensic accounting

Martin Roberts

Senior lecturer in finance and accounting

I teach across a range of related areas in the field of finance and accounting, and I specialise in management accounting.

I am a Fellow Chartered Management Accountant (FCMA), awarded by the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) for previous and ongoing involvement in the accounting profession at a senior level. I am on several examination panels for the chartered and certified professional accounting bodies.

I have many years experience working for large FTSE100 companies including, Cadbury's, Smith and Nephew, Rexam, Alliance and Leicester. As well as lecturing, I am also currently working with Eldon Electric Ltd as a consultant UK finance director.

I am an active member of the finance accounting and business systems research and scholarly activity group. I have been involved in published papers, presented papers, and been awarded grants on many pedagogic issues such as group work, communication apprehension and financial literacy. I have a Masters degree in business research. The PhD I am studying is based on research into communication apprehension and self-efficacy in accounting students.

Teaching interests
• accounting
• accounting and financial management
• business and accounting
• facilities management

Research interests
• financial literacy
• undergraduate teaching
• management accounting
• managing finance
• professional accounting skills for business decisions
 
Postgraduate teaching
• CIMA p1
• facilities management
• SIG executive development programme
• Youngman's executive development programme

Simon Brook

Senior lecturer in finacial and management accounting

Prior to joining Sheffield Hallam I worked as an accountant in both the public and private sectors having qualified with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) in 1993. More recently, I specialised in charity finance and held senior financial positions at Macmillan Cancer Support and St John Ambulance.
 
I joined Sheffield Hallam University as a senior lecturer in 2007 and very much enjoy helping and supporting our students. My main teaching areas are financial accounting and taxation.
 
I am course leader for BA Accounting and Financial Management, a role with responsibility for ensuring our students have a good course experience.
 
I am also external examiner for De Montfort University, Leicester, helping with the quality and standards of their accouting and finance programme.

Teaching interests
• financial accounting
• personal taxation

Undergraduate teaching
• financial accounting
• financial accounting and reporting
• audit and personal tax
 
Postgraduate teaching
• ACCA - international financial reporting

David Kyle

Principal lecturer in financial accounting and reporting

I joined Sheffield City Polytechnic in 1976 so have extensive teaching experience in the areas of accounting and finance.  I am proud of having close links with the major professional bodies in the department's area of work and an indirect link with my previous employer.  I am an Associate member of both the Chartered Institute Management Accountants (CIMA) and the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA).  
 
My main teaching interests relate to financial accounting and corporate reporting at all levels (undergraduate, postgraduate and professional courses) as indicated in the listing below.  I appreciate the issues involved with these disciplines are complex and I strive to provide clear explanations of them to support student understanding and development. 
 
I currently work with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants as the assessor for one of their Fundamentals level papers and previously held a similar role with CIMA.  I am Chairman of the Sheffield and District Group for ICSA and have held a number of appointments with that body including, examiner, branch secretary, committee membership at national level.
 
I previously worked for J W Thornton Ltd (confectioners - now Thorntons plc) in Sheffield as financial accountant and I still take a close interest in the financial affairs of that company, primarily through use of its corporate report.  I am currently acting as a financial adviser to a senior member of the Thornton family.
 
Teaching interests
• financial accounting
• financial and corporate reporting 
• development of accounting standards 
• use of corporate reports to evaluate organisational performance      

Ian Pagdin

Senior lecturer, finance, accounting and business systems

I teach across a range of modules within the Sheffield Business School, including  business environment, principles of investment, risk management and investment and advanced portfolio management.

My work involves teaching at Level 4, 5, 6, and 7, I find it to be particularly rewarding to help students progress through the various levels of study. I am also module leader for the risk management and investment module.

In addition to my academic work, I am a practicing independent financial adviser, running a small business together with my business partner. This involves giving professional advice on finance, lending, investments, pensions and insurance. I find that this can provide useful real life experience to bring to the various courses on which I teach. I have 18 years experience in the finance industry, 15 of these as an independent adviser.

I have professional links with the Financial Services Authority (FSA), the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) and Sheffield Life and Pensions Society, I am also the chief examiner for the IFS School of Finance L5 insurance module.

Postgraduate teaching interests
• advanced portfolio management
• supervisory role on finance masters courses

Undergraduate teaching Interests
• business environment
• principles of  investment
• risk management and investment
• placement tutor

John Parker

Senior lecturer in finance

My teaching interests are in the area of corporate finance and financial management awareness. I teach and facilitate across a range of final year undergraduate and post graduate courses together with a variety of bespoke corporate programmes. I have over 20 years experience in senior financial roles and I am particularly interested in financial management for senior non financial managers.

Away from the University I have held a number of non executive director appointments and I am currently a NED, and Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee, for one of the UK's leading hospital foundation trusts. The fact that I am still involved in corporate decisions and corporate governance helps me to understand the issues faced by corporate learners.

My research interests include the use of group work in accounting education and the development of professional accounting skills. I am interested in self efficacy and how this can be identified and reflected in the learning process.

I am proud of the fact that my first degree is from Sheffield Hallam and I also hold an MBA from Cranfield University and a Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy. Professionally I am an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Bankers and hold the Chartered Institute of Marketing Certificate in Marketing.

Postgraduate teaching interests
• MBA  Finance
• finance and marketing for MSc engineering and building awards
• supervisory role on a number of Masters courses and the MBA programme

Undergraduate teaching Interests
• corporate finance
• financial management for business
• professional accounting skills for business
• course leader TARC top up degree

Lucian Tipi

Principal lecturer in business systems

I have worked in a variety of industries including the armed forces, the steel industry, the IT and consultancy industry and lately in academia. I have both UK and international work and teaching experience. I am now leading the Business, Operations and Systems group in Sheffield Business School. 

I have worked on a broad range of projects, particularly in IT and IS. These projects were focused on enhancing organisational effectiveness and achieving competitive advantages through technology investment. At Sheffield Business School I have led on a number of consultancy projects with a business improvement aim. 

I have links to both undergraduate and postgraduate courses including, business studies, international business studies, business management, business economics and forensic accounting. I have led the development of a broad range of business related modules and courses. 

I have links to a number of professional bodies, notably the British Computer Society and the Higher Education Academy. I am a Chartered Member of the British Computer Society and branch secretary for the South Yorkshire Branch. I am also a Fellow Member of the Higher Education Academy.

Postgraduate Teaching
• innovation in the digital enterprise
• e-business management
• electronic crime 

Undergraduate Teaching 
• electronic crime
• managing decisions
• e-business management
• business analysis

Research interests
• improvements in learning, teaching and assessment
• information systems security

Amanda Foster

Principal lecturer in business operations

I am a principal lecturer in the business operations and information systems group specialising in the strategic management of information, systems and knowledge. Key topics that I teach are information strategy, innovation with technology, e-business, knowledge management, project management, the social and organisational impact of technology in organisations and investment appraisal and added value related to technology projects .

I have links with Chartered Management Institute (CMI).

I am also leading on the development of Sheffield Management Society which will be a forum for students and staff to meet several times a year to debate business issues, attend guest talks and lectures given by external contacts and to join, where possible, the network branch events of the CMI, this will be open to all undergraduate students.

Postgraduate teaching interests
• MBA programme within Sheffield Business School
• module leader for the innovation in the digital enterprise module
• module leader for investment appraisal and business benefits for IS/IT module 

Undergraduate teaching interests
• information and knowledge management
• leading on level 6 modules 
• level 4 modules, for example, financial and management information
• working with the new students.

I am the business studies and marketing courses programme leader managing eight courses with over 1500 students.

Research interests
• e-government, evaluation of information and systems and knowledge management.

I am currently a doctoral student undertaking a Doctorate of Business Adminstration through Sheffield Business School.

Michael Charlton

Senior lecturer in Business Systems

I joined Sheffield Business School in 2011 after a 15 year career in industry.
I am a member of the Business Operations and Systems (BOS) subject group and I teach across a range of modules in this area, specialising in operations management, systems thinking and project management. I teach at undergraduate, postgraduate and professional CPD levels.

Prior to joining the university I was a senior commercial manager in the clothing industry and a project consultant in the public sector. As a commercial manager I project managed a number of successful IT projects including implementation and development of ERP, CRM and forecasting systems. In the public sector I managed a portfolio of housing capital projects, including a major investment in a flagship housing regeneration scheme. Where possible I like to bring my professional experience in to my teaching.

I hold a BA in Management Systems from the University of Hull (1989) and an MBA from the University of Nottingham (2007). I am a fully qualified Prince2 practitioner.

My professional and research interests lie in the development of systems thinking and problem structuring methods (PSMs) to help improve the definition and delivery of successful projects and to aid innovation in services, business process design and information systems deployment. I am particularly interested in how problem structuring methods can be used in planning, consultation and community involvement. 

My key interests are
• operations management
• systems thinking
• enterprise resource planning
• corporate social responsibility and business ethics

My current teaching responsibilities include

Postgraduate and professional qualifications
• module leader for both performance measurement (DL) and the elective MBA module operations and performance
• module leader for CIMA E1 enterprise operations
• tutor for CIMA E2 enterprise management

Undergraduate
• tutor on various level 4, 5 and 6 modules
• module leader for business systems and processes (BSP)

Ian Sharpe

Principal lecturer in fnance and banking

I joined the university in 1995 and since then, I have been a course leader for undergraduate and postgraduate courses in finance and banking, a personal tutor, a placement tutor and I am currently responsible for recruiting undergraduate students to Sheffield Business School.

My teaching mainly relates to economics, banking and financial markets but I also run a
module that investigates the big issues that are affecting financial services firms and the strategies that these firms are pursuing. Prior to joining the university, I worked for a bank and I have a range of contacts who work in finance. This enables me to link my teaching to real-world developments and to draw upon the experience of individuals working in banking and insurance.

I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a qualified banker and I have an MBA from Durham University.

Undergraduate teaching interests
• macroeconomics
• financial markets and institutions
• investment banking
• international financial markets
• strategic issues in financial services

Postgraduate teaching interests
• banking and financial markets

Brian Pine

Senior lecturer in accounting

I am a chartered certified accountant, having spent the formative years of my accountancy career progressing with two blue-chip multinational companies, and then as a board member of an autonomous operating subsidiary of another blue-chip multinational.  As a registered auditor, I subsequently developed a thriving  accountancy practice that provided auditing,   taxation and forensic accounting services to a broad national client base of SMEs.

With  a keen interest in the development of subject areas particularly relevant to practising  accountants, since 1997 I have served on the auditing examinations panel  of the Association  of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA ), both as an assessor and as an auditing examiner.  Since 2002 I have also served as a member of the ACCA's tax committee and global forum for taxation, the conduit through which the Association represents its  members on taxation matters by liaising with government agencies and other organisations  about taxation systems generally and practical issues arising. 

Since becoming a teacher at Sheffield Hallam University, I have also served as an external  examiner and adviser on examination and curriculum matters to several UK and overseas  universities.  I served as the only ACCA nominee to provide independent auditing compliance advice to ACCA practitioners in North West England and I have served as the chairman of a series of CPD conferences for ACCA practitioners in that region.  
  
I am very enthusiastic about teaching both undergraduate and post graduate level students,  and endeavour to ensure that students' experience is enhanced by integrating into my teaching the extensive practical knowledge obtained in my career to date. 

 Teaching interests
• international auditing and assurance
• taxation.
• forensic accounting
• financial accounting
  
I also enjoy developing contemporary accountancy courses of study that are particularly relevant to students wishing to pursue a career in professional practice.

Trevor Hassall

Professor of Accounting Educations

I am an internationally renowned Professor of Accounting Education and a Visiting Professor for Victoria University, Melbourne and the University of Western Sydney. My research interests are in the areas of financial literacy and professional development for finance and, accounting specialists. My key education interests are corporate reporting, professional skills development, and research methods.

I am a member of the editorial review board of Accounting Education - an International Journal and I have an international profile as a member of the editorial board for "Revista de educación en contabilidad, finanzas y administración de empresas" (The Spanish journal of accounting, finance and management education). I have other interests as well, reflected by my role of vice chair for the Life Long Learning Policy Committee and council member for the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants.

I am a dedicated and enthusiastic teacher and I am an active member of the BAA special interest group in accounting education. I have recently received a Teaching Excellence Award at Sheffield Hallam University.

Teaching interests
• corporate reporting
• professional skills development
• research methods

Research interests
• research informed teaching
• financial literacy
• professional development for finance and accounting specialists

Malihe Shahidan

Senior lecturer in supply chain management

I am an experienced senior lecturer in the business, operations and systems subject group at the Sheffield Business School. I am also the course leader for the MSc Total Quality Management and Organisational Excellence distance learning course.

My interests include engaging with roles such as journal reviewer for the Sheffield Hallam University Student Engagement and Experience Journal, mentor for the Sheffield Enterprise Agency and Managing Director of the Professional Women Society.

I have a background in computer science, having achieved a BSc and an MSc in this area. I am keen on continuous professional and personal development, to this effect I have achieved a PhD in e-supply chain management which resulted in direct links with my current teaching portfolio. In terms of continuous professional development I am regularly involved in events in the areas of project management, knowledge management, innovation and quality.

Teaching interests
• supply chain management
• business management
• business systems
• operations management
• quality

Postgraduate teaching
• Total Quality Management
• supervisory role on the PhD and DBA programmes

Research interests
My current research is focused in the areas of quality, operations and information technology. I have a significant research portfolio which directly contributes to the development of the teaching materials utilised in the classroom.

Arun Sukumar

Senior lecturer in finance, accounting and business systems

I am currently a senior lecturer in business systems. I joined Sheffield Business School recently and I am now part of the faculty delivering courses in operations management and management science. I have an MBA in Information Management from the University of Hull and a PhD in Risk Management from Glasgow Caledonian University. I did my under graduate degree in chemical engineering from the University of Madras, India and currently, I teach on a range of business related modules and professional courses.

My current research interests are in the areas of information systems, risk management, information governance and innovation in SMEs. I am also developing the research portfolio of the department and contributing to the research outputs of the School. I am also involved in practice based research and want to develop interesting research projects of merit, capable of attracting external funding.

Teaching interests
• information systems
• operations management
• business analysis
• information systems auditing

Research interests
• information systems risk management
• Information governance
• innovation
• supervision of MSc and PhD students

Xiaohong Li

Senior lecturer in operations management

My teaching focuses on operations management and business modelling related modules. I am involved with a broad range of topics within the operation management field and apart from the operations management and applications in operations management modules I also teach operations planning and control, project management, supply chain management and managing business process and information. I have taught a variety of business modelling approaches, including, forecasting, linear programming, simulations, and many others.

I am an active researcher in the business and management related areas and also teach research methods at postgraduate level.

Teaching interests
• operations management
• business modelling
• supply chain management
• project management

Postgraduate teaching
• total quality management
• supervisory role on the PhD and DBA programmes

Research interests
• econometric modelling
• supply chain risk management and outsourcing
• project management in the humanitarian and development industry
• sustainability and environmental sustainability for a variety types of organisations
• facilities management studies
• general management

Qianqian Wu

BA (Honours) Accounting and Financial Management

`When choosing which university to study at I considered the location, security of the city and the cost of living. Sheffield Hallam University has outstanding conditions for international students. The campus is convenient for students, the cost of living is low, and Sheffield is a safe city.

When I graduate I want to be a professional accountant and take the ACCA or CIMA exams. Graduates from my course can get exemptions from a number of professional body examinations'.

David Adams

BA (Honours) Accounting

`I had a work placement at the Sheffield office of Grant Thornton, an international firm of accountants during the third year of my degree. The experience was extremely useful. Not only did it allow me to secure a graduate training contract with the firm upon completion of my degree, it gave me a fantastic insight into the “real world” of accounting. The skills I developed during the placement year were of great benefit to the final year of my degree and enabled me to achieve a grade higher than I would have obtained had I not done the work placement.

I would strongly recommend that students on this degree take up a work experience placement wherever possible. Not only will this help you with the final year of your course, but it will give you a significant advantage over other graduates when it comes to finding a job once you have graduated.

This course helped me secure a training contract during my placement year at Grant Thornton. It also gave me a great start to my career for a number of reasons.

Firstly, it provided me with the technical accounting skills to assist me with the workload of a trainee auditor. I had a natural competitive advantage over other trainees in the firm because I started out with a more relevant skills set which allowed me to progress quicker than many other trainees.

Secondly, I found that I had a greater level of vocational skills than some of the other trainees. In particular it became evident that I had much more experience of giving presentations than many other graduates. Although no one really enjoys doing presentations, the more you practice them the better you become, and this was certainly evident during my time at Grant Thornton.

Finally, and arguably most importantly, the degree gave me a number of exemptions from the professional ACCA exams which greatly reduced the amount of further study required to become a fully qualified accountant. I completed the ACCA professional exams during my training contract with Grant Thornton.

My first job after leaving University was to start my training contract at Grant Thornton. I spent three years working in the audit department.

I left Grant Thornton in early 2009 to join Firth Rixson, a Sheffield based international engineering business, initially as a financial accountant and more recently as the group business analyst. My role involves liaising with staff from various departments in the business across the UK, US, Asia and Eastern Europe and is extremely varied and challenging.

In future I'd like to be the finance director for a company. The challenge of running a business has a strong appeal for me. However, a career in finance can be so varied that I honestly don’t know where I will end up, I guess it depends on what opportunities become available to me.

I had a fantastic time at Hallam. The university experience, both social and academic, is one that I would thoroughly recommend to potential students and was one of the most enjoyable periods of my life.'

I left university equipped with the skills to tackle a challenging and rewarding career and I now use many of the skills I learnt at Hallam on a daily basis.

Craig Law

BA (Honours) Accounting and Financial Management

Why did you choose to study in Sheffield and at Sheffield Hallam University?
'After visiting a number of open days at Sheffield and other universities I decided to study in Sheffield. The city had a safe feeling about it and the people were very friendly as well as the good transport links to other cities and the peak district.

Sheffield Hallam was one of a small number of universities that offered a course which matched my requirement of having a sandwich year but additionally it also had excellent learning facilities as well as a good social aspect. The city, though small, is vibrant and energetic but still has tenuous links to the old steel manufacturing industry. The sports teams at Hallam also interested me and provide a great opportunity to make friends.

Why did you choose to study your particular course at Sheffield Hallam University and what are you hoping to achieve?
One of the reasons I decided to study the course provided by Sheffield Hallam was the placement year opportunities, which is something that is highly valued by employers. Another reason was the variety of modules that could be studied,
this allowed me to tailor the course to my individual desires and has helped me shape my future career through studying different core and elective modules.

What are the best things/highlights of your course?
Throughout my course I have been impressed with the experience that the lecturers and tutors have as well as how relevant, up to date and practical the course is, especially after being on placement. I feel that the wide range of subject areas available to study has allowed me to build a sound foundation of overall financial knowledge and commercial awareness that will stand me in good stead for potential job opportunities. Another positive is the host of extra curricular activities that you can take part in which not only boosts your CV but allows you to develop your skills.

Have you taken a work placement and if so where, what was your job and how has it benefited you?
I spent my placement year working at the Ratcliffe on Soar Power Station, Nottingham, working for E.ON UK. This placement allowed my to put into practise the academic theory that I had learned throughout my studies but also gave
me excellent business exposure and responsibilities in arguable one of the most changing, demanding and customer aware business industries, energy.

How do you rate our teaching and learning facilities and why?
The teaching quality provided is excellent and varied in the delivery methods. A main reason for this is the experience and other roles that the lecturers have been involved with. This allows them to be constantly at the forefront of the industry, meaning they are up to date and accurate in the information that they are delivering. In my experience, the staff have been friendly, approachable and always there to give a helping hand if required, regardless of how simple the problem. This not only applies to the lecturers of your own faculty but from others as well.

The learning facilities offered at Hallam are second to none, the library is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The library has over 700,000 books allowing you to do a lot of reading around the subject if desired. The library also provides meeting booths and rooms, video editing suites and an IT support service.

What student support services do you find useful, for example IT support, Student Health, career guidance, accommodation service?
The standard of these services through my limited experience has been exceptional, the careers guidance service comes in really handy when applying for placement positions, graduate opportunities and part time jobs. The IT support function provides a wide range of good services from printer queries to computer software issues.

Would you recommend Sheffield Hallam University to your friends if so why, if not why not?
I would definitely recommend Sheffield Hallam to friends due to the facilities available regardless of your course choice and also due to the high teaching standard offered throughout the university. The opportunities are endless and the support in helping to achieve your goals, no matter what these may be, is provided throughout your course.

What advice would you give to prospective students?
My advice would be to do a lot of research into your prospective course as well as your chosen institution. You will be living and studying there for three to four years of your life, so make sure you're comfortable and happy there, otherwise you will not make the most of the university lifestyle.

What are the best things about Sheffield?
Sheffield as a city and the surrounding areas provides a whole host of things
to do, from the vibrant lifestyle and night life to a whole host of professional sports teams. Sheffield has excellent travel links to other Northern cities as well as good links to London. Being on the edge of the peak district offers the potential to get involved in the great outside if that’s your thing, but also has a good range of activities to do within the city itself

Ashley Rabatin

BA (Honours) Accounting and Financial Management

`Having not attended any university open days, and being the other side of the world on a gap year, I had to make my decision based on Sheffield Hallam's incredible reputation with students who had graduated. Strangely I met many people abroad who had graduated from Sheffield Hallam and they could not fault the all-round experience and education they received from this university. This along with the sports facilities/activities available in Sheffield and Hallam's desire to get students on a placement year re-enforced my desire to attend Sheffield Hallam.

I chose accounting and financial management based on my ability with figures and because it is a very credible degree which will show employers that I am a capable student. The financial background and knowledge the degree will give me will enable me to consider many roles within business as a financial intellect is highly valued, particularly in times of financial downturn/economic crisis.

I have to say that the quality of the teaching, 9 times out of 10, is excellent. The tutors are very driven for all students to succeed and make themselves available outside of teaching hours to give further assistance. The directed learning is also aimed at the future, giving students the best possible chance in the real world, by focusing on employable skills. There are also extra opportunities available, for example, a four day Common Purpose leadership course, which is widely recognised by employers, and was funded by the university.

My work placement was at the head of financial services in the UK for BOC Gases, the Linde Group in Sheffield. My role was as a general finance student and my responsibilities included

• month end accounting duties, including liaising with other teams and the wider business where necessary
• ownership of consolidated invoices
• project management - the transfer of general accounting month end processes to an online workload management tool.
• involvement in the recruitment of incoming placement students

My understanding of finance in the real world has dramatically improved from placement and I am able to draw from real experiences when completing work in my final year. I believe the placement year experience is crucial and has developed my CV making me far more employable.

I have never heard of any students or friends who have had a bad experience at Sheffield Hallam. The city itself is incredible for students, it is safe and welcoming. The student atmosphere is great with both the city and main student housing area being so close and centrally located. And the Peak District is a stone's throw away.

My advice to prospective students is ensure you pick the university and degree you want to study carefully. It will be a huge part of your life so you want to make the right choice. The chances are you will make friends for life. I would love to turn back the hand of time and repeat my experience all over again! I would also like to thank all the relevant staff and students for their time, efforts and friendship during my time at university.'

Besnik Ibrahimi

BA (Honours) Banking and Financial Management

'The best thing about this course is that you are taught by people who have worked in the industry and therefore it allows you to engage into deeper conversations about specific topics. The industry is going through rapid change at the moment and very often we get to discuss current events which make the course more interesting.

'The teaching and learning facilities at Sheffield Hallam are fantastic. The rooms are spacious, equipped with the latest technology and are very user friendly, both for students and tutors. The learning centres are also well equipped and offer facilities for quiet individual study as well as rooms for group work.

'I would highly recommend Sheffield Hallam for the following reasons
• great atmosphere
• high standard of teaching
• helpful staff
• good learning resources
• opportunities to work for a year to gain experience
• good career prospects
• good location.'

Phillip Hagan

BA (Honours) Banking and Financial Management

`I chose Sheffield Hallam as it was one of the few Universities to offer a banking degree and I had heard lots of good things about Hallam and Sheffield.

I hadn’t planned on coming to Hallam and came through clearing, due to the mismarking of one of my A-levels. At the time I was a bit disappointed, but I can now see this was a blessing in disguise as my experience has been both valuable and enjoyable.

I chose to study banking and finance because it's an area of personal interest and I thought it would allow me to pursue a career in investment banking. My aim is to achieve a 1st in my degree.

The best part of the course was my work placement at Morgan Stanley in their European Headquarters based in Canary Wharf, London. My placement year helped in many ways, it confirmed that I do want to work in the financial services industry and that I am capable of having a successful career.

I have been offered a graduate placement, back at Morgan Stanley, which has taken a lot of the pressure of in the final year and allowed me to concentrate on my studies. It helped financially, allowing me to clear my overdraft and helped to fund my final year at university. Also you gain real world experience which puts you ahead of the competition when it comes to applying for graduate jobs.

The best part of the course whilst studying has to be final year, as it becomes more course specific and I am now studying modules with real world applications ahead of starting a career in the financial services industry.

The facilities at Sheffield Hallam are superb, with lots of computers, that are available 24/7, a great library, which provides facilities for silent study. The IT systems such as Blackboard are really helpful and are continually improving, with Google mail being the integrated system for email and timetables. Students with learning difficulties are able to access a wide range of support too, which is important.

My advice to students thinking of coming to Sheffield Hallam is make sure you have an idea of the career you want, as this will determine how helpful your course is to you. Also, with a wide range of courses available, make sure you understand what topics will be covered throughout your studies, and that you are capable of learning the content. Finally, there is no point in coming to university unless you have an ultimate goal.'

Kelly-jayne Johnson

BA (Honours) Accounting and Financial Management

`I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Sheffield Hallam. The University has some brilliant facilities, even better tutors and an impressive support network.

I really loved living in Sheffield, particularly in my final year when I lived just moments away from the city centre. Everywhere is so easy to reach via the city's transport network. Growing up in a more rural area it was a huge change for me living in a city, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Prior to enrolling on this course I had no experience of accountancy, however I have always had a keen interest in numbers. I wasn’t sure at that time where I saw my career going, but I thought a degree in this subject would not do any harm.

The course exceeded my expectations. I recall doubting my choice in the first few months, many people on my course had done A levels and other courses in accounting, whereas it was completely foreign to me, I never thought I would catch up. However, the course content and the tutors made it interesting and fun to learn, so I stuck with it and the knowledge started to sink in.

The study materials were fantastic, I cannot fault them. I particularly remember how useful the materials in subjects such as Corporate Finance and Corporate Treasury Management were. My favourite module was Corporate Finance, I thoroughly enjoyed every element of this syllabus. The most surprising bit of the course was Corporate Treasury Management, at first I thought I would never understand this, however, by the end of the year I found the most challenging parts of the syllabus interesting and actually enjoyed the subject.

I also thoroughly enjoyed the Taxation module in the second year of my course, This included a piece of coursework that I could really get into. The coursework was difficult and time consuming, but very rewarding when I received my results.

The workload at times seemed tough and we all grumbled at the amount of course work and home work etc. However, looking back it was worth it, and essential. There is only a limited time to fit in a lot of content so the timescales had to be tight and frequent.

I cannot fault the support I received from my tutors at Sheffield Hallam. There were occasions when I needed clarification on issues and found the tutors incredibly flexible in terms of meeting for a coffee to discuss face to face, or by emails etc.
I got a first class honours degree with two awards for the highest marks of the year in two different modules (Taxation and Corporate Finance).

I must also add that two of the most significant highlights for me during my degree were the prize giving ceremonies the University organised for the outstanding achievement awards. I attended two of the ceremonies for different awards and both were fantastic occasions!

I am currently working as a senior accountancy assistant in the Corporate and EFM Directorate with Tees, Esk and Wear Valley’s NHS Foundation Trust. The course has provided me with the technical knowledge to undertake my job. It was also a fantastic stepping stone to my success with CIMA (I gained the highest mark in the world on a professional exam). I'm sure that had I not done this degree I would not have achieved all I have with CIMA.

Now I have passed the final stage of the CIMA qualification my aim for the next 12 months is to ensure that I have more relevant practical experience to complete the qualification overall.

I would advise anyone interested in a career in finance to take the BA (Honours) Accounting and Financial Management course at Sheffield Hallam University. It creates a fantastic opportunity to gain the technical knowledge required in practice and also allows for that vital experience that will be a major help in finding employment after university. However, if you are looking for an ‘easy’ four years this is not the right degree for you, the content is intense from day one, yet interesting and enjoyable.

I would like to say thank you to all involved in the delivery of such fantastic tuition. I believe that without the foundation that my tutors at Sheffield Hallam helped me build I would not have gone onto achieve all that I have done to date.

I would recommend this university to anyone, not only owing to the particular course that I undertook but also because of the fantastic facilities and ethos of the University as a whole.'

Jake Turnbull

BA (Honours) Banking and Financial Management

'I came to visit Sheffield Hallam on an open day, within the first hour or so I knew I wanted to study here, it had a good feel and all the facilities looked great. Also looking around the town on the day really made me certain that Sheffield was where I wanted to live and study.

'When looking at similar courses across England, the course at Sheffield Hallam stood out from the rest, it sounded exactly what I wanted to do, including the choice of doing a placement year. I am hoping to achieve at least a 2.1 in my final year, hopefully doing really well in my placement leading on to a graduate job. Also I am planning on spending two months in China over the summer on an internship programme.

'The facilities are great, the library is huge and has everything I need to get on with my assignments. I’ve found the career guidance really helpful with my C.V, looking for summer internships and beginning the search for my placement. My accommodation is also really nice and comfortable.

'I’m having a great experience here due to the teaching staff, facilities and the city which is great with an amazing nightlife, every night of the week there is somewhere great to go. The city generally has a great feel and is a really clean place.

'If your thinking about coming to Sheffield Hallam, come and check it out, it's great!'

Rabia Larab

BA (Honours) Accounting

'I am from Sheffield, so I decided to stay at home and study at Sheffield Hallam. I chose Sheffield Hallam because the courses that are available, because it has such friendly atmosphere and being in heart of the city, it is very convenient for me to travel to the University.

'When I visited the university on an open day I realised that this was the place for me because the atmosphere was great, I saw groups of friends working together and also having great time together, which is what I had in mind for my university life.

'I have always wanted to study accounting, I looked at the course at many other universities, but I found that the accounting course at Sheffield Hallam seemed the best. When I read the course profile I realised that there is so much hidden within this course in terms of future plans and how the university itself prepares the students to achieve what they want to achieve.

'I am hoping to pass this course with great results, which would enable me to go on to obtain professional qualifications with ACCA. This is something I had in mind before I started university, but after being at Sheffield Hallam and studying accounting I am now 100 per cent sure about it.

'The University has great links with people from the professional accounting bodies which is beneficial for students like me who want to get professional qualifications.

'The best thing about the accounting course is the new skills I am learning that are going to help me in the future. The highlight of my time at Sheffield Hallam would have to be the group of people I have met, we can work together and help each other out and also have a great time together.

'The teaching and learning facilities are excellent, because the teachers at Sheffield Hallam are excellent. They have an in-depth knowledge of the subject and there is always help provided if you are struggling with anything.

'I have recommended Sheffield Hallam to my brother who is a prospective university student this year and would definitely recommend it to my friends and any other prospective students.

'Sheffield has everything. It is full of great people, it has great places to see and I am proud to be a part of Sheffield.'