Biography

As Executive Dean of the Business School at University College Birmingham, Dr David Paulson oversees the departments of Business and Enterprise, Hospitality and Tourism, and Creative Industries. Previously, David was Professor of Practice in Leadership and Management at Queen’s University Belfast, following an earlier career serving in international management roles with the US multinational General Electric and as managing director of SMEs supplying international commercial customers.

His PhD at Cambridge University was published in 2023 as Family Firms in Postwar Britain and Germany: Competing Approaches to Business. It compares the historic performance of West Midlands SMEs and their German Mittelstand counterparts and argues for the importance of supportive ecosystems, particularly in relation to skills and leadership development – all areas in which University College Birmingham makes a significant regional contribution. 

David was previously a member of the Northern Ireland Productivity Forum and now serves on the Advisory Panel for the Business Commission West Midlands. He is committed to further developing the University's range of courses for UK and international students, including business professionals who want to enhance their personal effectiveness, and working closely with the region’s business community.