Professor Mark Durkin appointed to key leadership role at The Open University

The Open University is thrilled to announce the appointment of Professor Mark Durkin as the new Executive Dean of the Faculty of Business and Law, marking a significant transition in his academic career. Professor Durkin is leaving Ulster University Business School, where he held various academic and leadership positions including Head of School, Director of Student Marketing, Professor of Marketing and Executive Dean.  In a decision that has garnered attention and praise within the academic community, Mark will take the helm as the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Business and Law at The Open University on the 1 December 2023. Known for his commitment to embedding entrepreneurial leadership principles within the business curriculum, and championing the needs of the part-time learner, Professor Durkin's move is not just a significant step in his career but an important development for the field of business and law education.

As Executive Dean, Professor Durkin will lead The Open University’s triple accredited Business School (fewer than 1% of business schools worldwide hold this prestigious honour) and the Law School which produces more Law graduates than any other university in the UK and is celebrating its 25^th birthday this year.

Professor Durkin brings with him a wealth of experience and expertise. Prior to entering academia, he spent over a decade in various service, sales and strategic marketing roles within the Bank of Ireland Group. He completed his PhD in 2005 (Loughborough University, UK) which focused on remote banking relationships, and he was awarded the UK Chartered Institute of Marketing’s ‘Marketing Person of the Year’ in 2006 in recognition of his contribution to marketing education in Ireland. 

Professor Durkin is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, a Fellow of the Institute of Banking, a Fellow of the Institute of Directors and is a Senior Fellow of the UK’s Higher Education Academy. In 2020 he was elected by members to the International Board of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) and in 2022 was elected Vice-Chair. He serves in a voluntary capacity as a Director on the board of Friends of the Cancer Centre and The Odyssey Trust Company, two Northern Ireland based charities.

The appointment of Professor Durkin at The Open University signals a new era of innovation and planned growth for the Faculty of Business and Law (FBL). The Open University is known for its pioneering approach to education, offering distance learning opportunities to a global student body. As the new Executive Dean, Professor Durkin is expected to lead the faculty to new heights. He said, ‘for wider UK society, having a working population that can think and act differently around opportunity - and can confidently find opportunities in increasingly uncertain environments – is the foundation of an entrepreneurial economy. FBL will continue to be a responsive and inclusive agent of positive change in Business and Law as well as an increasingly innovative education leader internationally.’

Professor Durkin completed all his higher education on a part-time basis, a process that took eighteen years. He is especially interested in further developing the mission of The Open University to be open to people, places, methods and ideas to create even more value and reaching even more people who may not feel a university education is ‘for them’.

In response to his appointment, Professor Durkin expressed his enthusiasm for this exciting new role, stating, "I feel honoured to be entrusted with leading such an amazing Faculty. The pluralistic mission of The Open University being open to people, places, methods and ideas has never been more important and the out-workings of that in a business and law education context has never been more relevant in today’s turbulent environment. Future economic growth and societal success will rest in proactively enabling people, irrespective of background and prior education, to seize new opportunities and convert these into value for themselves, their communities and society more widely.”

Professor Durkin’s transition is expected to be a smooth one, with his deep knowledge and dedication to higher education ensuring a seamless integration into his new position. His presence is set to have a profound impact on the faculty’s academic programs, curriculum development, internationalisation and research initiatives. 

John D’Arcy, Director of The Open University in Ireland, welcomed Professor Durkin’s appointment, saying, "We are delighted to have Professor Mark Durkin join our academic leadership team. His extensive experience, dedication to education, and vision for the future of business and law education align perfectly with our mission. It will be wonderful to have Mark based in our Belfast headquarters and joining me at the OU’s leadership table, adding to The OU’s unique four nations presence as a university. I look forward to working with Mark to further enhance our educational offerings across the UK and Ireland. "

Professor Durkin’s appointment follows the recent announcement of Professor Adrienne Scullion, former Pro-Vice-Chancellor for the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Queens University, as Executive Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences within The Open University. Both appointments will further enhance The Open University’s status as a four nation focused University and are a huge investment in The Open University’s leadership team.