Fiona is the Programme Leader on the pioneering level 6 top up programme - BA (Hons) Fashion Management. She devised the programme structure, and successfully led the programme to first time validation in 2019, welcoming the first cohort of students 6 months later. This course continues to be the leading top up programme within the faculty.
Fiona is also Senior Lecturer on the BA (Hons) Fashion Buying programme, teaching Fashion Business across all 3 levels. She is module leader for 5 modules and an active dissertation supervisor. Fiona has completed a PGCert in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education with her specialist research project focussing on improving assessment literacy for students in order to better prepare them for industry. Fiona is also interested in experiential learning and believes that students learn best when they are ‘hands on’. As a result of this, Fiona founded the DMU Global Trip to Porto in Portugal, where students participate in simulated negotiation tasks with suppliers in order to facilitate active learning.
Prior to her academic career, Fiona spent 13 years at Next Plc as a buyer, gaining experience across multi-product areas. She was selected to partake in a 2 year secondment in project management - leading Next’s high profile supplier and sponsorship programme for the London 2012 Olympics. This involved managing the design, development, manufacturing and kitting out process for the British Athletes’ formal-wear, and opening and closing ceremony-wear as well as London 2012 commercially licensed products.
Fiona left a buying career to pursue an entrepreneurial opportunity,, helping to set up a luxury British made girlswear brand. Fiona’s commercial experience in design management and entrepreneurship led her to study for a Masters Degree in this subject.
Fiona is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and an active Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.