Christopher R Jones
Nang Rong, Thailand
Summary
Experienced Dean and Academic Leader with focus on fostering academic excellence and innovation. Led initiatives that enhanced student outcomes, including satisfaction, engagement, retention and completion. Recognised across all previous employers for ability to drive impactful changes in curriculum development and institutional growth. Uses relationship-building talents and inclusive communication style to forge long-lasting connections and enhance operations.
Overview
27
27
years of professional experience
Work history
Programme Director
Nishkam Civic Association
Birmingham, West Midlands
10.2024 - Current
- Since joining we have a 100% learner retention rate and overall satisfaction score of 4.63 (out of 5).
- Provide strategic direction to the education arm of the business as a member of the Senior Leadership Team.
- Provide academic leadership and direction to the management of the delivery of all programmes.
- Provide direction and guidance to tutors on curriculum development, ensuring materials meet academic and apprenticeship standards.
- Coordinate the integration of learning materials with the VLE development team to ensure usability and accessibility for all students.
- Oversee the scheduling and delivery of online learning sessions, ensuring consistency in teaching quality across all modules.
- Develop and implement quality assurance systems and processes to meet ESFA, CMI, university partner(s) and Ofsted standards and expectations and prepare the team for inspections as and when required.
- Contribute to the recruitment of highly experienced tutors and mentors for the delivery of all existing programmes and for the future growth and development of new programmes.
- Lead and facilitate validation events, awarding body audits, funding organisation inspections and other key events as and when required.
Content Writer (Part-time)
University of Derby
Derby, Derbyshire
02.2025 - Current
- Create innovative content for their online Project Management Integrated Masters degree.
- Undertake all elements of programme design including writing content, developing assessment briefs, interpreting Learning Outcomes from the original specification.
- Work remotely with the learning design team and academic management to ensure content meets the brief.
CEO and Responsible Officer
BQSL Limited
Chester, Cheshire
04.2023 - 10.2024
- Developed strategic plan and its business plan.
- Led development and submission of Ofqual recognition proposal.
- Created all promotional material and qualification specification template.
- Managed team of four that built all curriculum across three programmes: Business, Hospitality, and Cyber Security to completion of five Level 3 and 7 Diplomas.
Principal
Applied Business Academy
London
09.2020 - 03.2023
- Actively lead the academic team in their transition from Further Education to Higher Education.
- Supported the CEO in securing OfS approval.
- Created the Strategic Plan to 2025, updated all of the key policies, chair Academic Board and report quarterly to the Board of Governors.
- Established a partnership with University of West London and secured validation of first degree: BA Innovation in Learning and Development.
Director of Business and Operations
True Education Partnerships Ltd
Liverpool
09.2019 - 03.2020
- Business analysis: Performed analysis and quarterly reporting of the organisation's operational performance.
- Leadership: Managed the operational team that delivered transformational experiences to young people, through organising global sister school partnerships.
- Project management: Developed and implemented a process flow in Asana to model the organisation's entire operations.
- Strategic thinking: Created a strategic plan for a new product aligned to school improvement on OFSTED performance metrics.
Professor and Dean of the Business School
University of Chester
Chester, Cheshire
08.2018 - 05.2019
- Future thinking: Strategically re-positioned Faculty around future oriented curriculum, including new degrees in Experience Economy and FinTech.
- Provided strong leadership to over 100 members of staff and circa 2,000 students.
- Culture change: Created new cultural vision for Faculty around six themes that included equality & diversity and respect for others.
- Performance management: Managed Faculty's financial budget and developed strategies to increase student numbers based on evidence from a range of data sources.
- Relationship building: Developed commercial relationships with industry partners and regional SMEs to increase real world focus of Faculty.
Professor and Director of Falmouth Business School
Falmouth University
Falmouth, Cornwall
08.2017 - 07.2018
- Customer oriented leadership: Implemented radical retention strategies that led to increased retention rate of 94%, which was 4% better than at same point last year.
- Innovation in teaching: Led team through total programme change framed around unique pedagogy of real business and future skills. This meant learning by doing, rather than learning by listening.
- Relationship building: Forged new business relations with: Eden Project, Duchy of Cornwall Estate, Samworth Brothers and The Rick Stein Group to bring real business thinking into student's learning.
Professor and Head of the Business School
Wrexham University
Wrexham, Wrexham
08.2012 - 06.2017
- Student satisfaction: Increased School's National Students' Survey ‘overall satisfaction' rating from 65% in 2012 to 87% in 2017. Achieved by taking School through transformational culture change.
- CPD portfolio: Created and managed team of business development managers to sell professional development to range of businesses within region. Successfully developed courses in marketing, accounting and leadership that generated profitable income for the university.
- Collaboration: Chaired HE/FE collaborative team that secured £4.3m European Social Fund project.
- Student recruitment: Increased undergraduate student numbers within Business School by over 40% from 2012 to 2016.
- Financial management: Exceeded surplus target in 4 out of 5 years by managing costs and developing strong revenue-generating pipeline.
- Academic standards: Addressed teaching standards and modernised assessment methods. Overhauled student academic performance within School to 25% ‘1st' classifications and 35% at 2:1 by 2017.
- Research supervision: Supervised two PhD students to completion of studies.
- Innovative thinking: Created suite of new degree programmes, including UK's first undergraduate degree in FinTech, in order to provide market differentiation.
Director of Commercial Outreach
The Management Centre, Bangor University
Bangor, Gwynedd
12.2007 - 07.2012
- MBA Programme Director: Managed two cohorts to completion of Executive MBA with zero drop outs and 100% pass rate.
- Analytics training: Created and delivered bespoke course for senior managers in quantitative decision-making and up-skilled over 150 senior police officers in North Wales on Performance Data and Analytics.
- EIA modelling: Led team that secured and delivered numerous Economic Impact Assessment projects, including EIA of Welsh Government Relocation Strategy.
- Executive training: Developed suite of executive education products in areas of business analytics, leadership and economic development.
- Business consultancy: External consultant for Wales Co-operative Centre providing business support to several local social enterprises.
- Business planning : Developed financial forecasts for initial business plan of £30m Pontio project in Bangor.
Managing Director
Moose Golf Clothing Ltd.
Flint, Flintshire
03.2004 - 08.2007
- B2C: Created new brand of golf wear, which retailed through mail order, internet and wholesale channels.
- B2B: In 2007 Moose clothing was stocked in 35 retail outlets across UK and major sports store in Czech Republic.
Senior Decision Analyst
Unilever plc (Corporate Division)
London
08.2002 - 03.2004
- Causal analysis: Performed data analysis for high profile decision to launch Flora ProActiv. This high profile project was key driver of Unilever's growth strategy.
- Predictive modelling: Developed Monte Carlo simulation models to predict key operational outcomes within their transportation infrastructure, enabling Unilever to make significant cost savings on transportation of frozen food.
Relationship Marketing Research Manager for Europe
Unilever plc (Lever Faberge)
Paris, France
05.2001 - 08.2002
- Inferential analysis: Provided data mining insights and consultancy to 14 European territories, principally using SAS Enterprise Miner.
- Predictive modelling: Created new ‘Most Valuable Consumer' (MVC) profiles for Czech Republic and Spain, which proved to increase annual turnover of €7m and €15m respectively.
- Communication skills: Developed and co-presented report to CEO of Unilever France demonstrating incremental value of direct marketing spend over mass media spend in French and U.K. markets.
- Performance improvement: Implemented harmonised framework for key relationship marketing campaign metrics across all European countries, enabling European territories to communicate and compare results in consistent form.
Consultant Statistician
Unilever plc
Sharnbrook, Bedfordshire
07.1998 - 05.2001
- Worked on number of R&D project teams within Food and Personal Care categories.
- Managed collection, analysis and reporting of data across consumer trials in order to support marketing and efficacy claims.
- Acquired in depth expertise in SAS and R software.
- Conducted analysis using variety of tools, including Factor Analysis, mixed models and Structural Equation Modelling.
Education
Diploma in Management Accounting - Management Accounting
Chartered Institute of Management Accounting
London2009
Ph.D. - Econometrics: "A Bayesian Analysis of Stochastic Unit Root Models"
The Nottingham Trent University
Nottingham, U.K.1999
M.Sc. - Statistics
University of Kent
Canterbury, U.K.1994
Bachelor of Science - Mathematics
University of Manchester
Manchester, U.K.1993
A-levels - English (A), Computer Science (A), Mathematics (B)
Flint High School
Flint, U.K.1993
10 GCSEs - Inc. Mathematics, English And Business Studies
Flint High School
Flint, U.K.1990
Skills
- Motivational leadership and management
- Strategic relationship building
- Engaging audiences
- Analysis and synthesis of data
- Inspiring people to think differently
Affiliations
- Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA)
- Chartered Management Institute (CMI)
References
References available upon request
Research Publications
Published three papers to peer reviewed journals and published over ten private research papers for commercial clients.
Timeline
Content Writer (Part-time)
University of Derby
02.2025 - Current
Programme Director
Nishkam Civic Association
10.2024 - Current
CEO and Responsible Officer
BQSL Limited
04.2023 - 10.2024
Principal
Applied Business Academy
09.2020 - 03.2023
Director of Business and Operations
True Education Partnerships Ltd
09.2019 - 03.2020
Professor and Dean of the Business School
University of Chester
08.2018 - 05.2019
Professor and Director of Falmouth Business School
Falmouth University
08.2017 - 07.2018
Professor and Head of the Business School
Wrexham University
08.2012 - 06.2017
Director of Commercial Outreach
The Management Centre, Bangor University
12.2007 - 07.2012
Managing Director
Moose Golf Clothing Ltd.
03.2004 - 08.2007
Senior Decision Analyst
Unilever plc (Corporate Division)
08.2002 - 03.2004
Relationship Marketing Research Manager for Europe
Unilever plc (Lever Faberge)
05.2001 - 08.2002
Consultant Statistician
Unilever plc
07.1998 - 05.2001
Diploma in Management Accounting - Management Accounting
Chartered Institute of Management Accounting
Ph.D. - Econometrics: "A Bayesian Analysis of Stochastic Unit Root Models"
The Nottingham Trent University
M.Sc. - Statistics
University of Kent
Bachelor of Science - Mathematics
University of Manchester
A-levels - English (A), Computer Science (A), Mathematics (B)
Flint High School
10 GCSEs - Inc. Mathematics, English And Business Studies
Flint High School