I am Professor of Applied Sports Economics in the Faculty of Business and Law at Manchester Metropolitan University. I am a member of the Sport Policy Unit and the Institute of Sport.  I joined Manchester Met in February 2023 from Sheffield Hallam University, where I was a senior research leader in the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences and the Sport Industry Research Centre (SIRC).

My research focuses on the societal impact of sport and physical activity and specifically on measuring the economic and social benefits and costs of the sector.  I am a global expert in social impact analysis and utilising Social Return on Investment (SROI) to measure and value the non-financial, non-market effects of participation, volunteering and major events. I have published over 100 research outputs on the economics of sport, including peer reviewed journal articles, research reports, peer reviewed conference proceedings and other scholarly outputs. 

I work closely with public, private and third sector organisations to bring academic rigour and challenge to the policy process, and to address challenges facing the sport and physical activity sector. I have conducted social value research for a large number of UK-based and international organisations, including central and local government, non-departmental public bodies, charities, National Governing Bodies. commercial sports organisations and event organisers.

I am a member of two international Scientific Advisory Committees, Chair of the Europe Active Research Board (THiNK Active) and an editorial board member for several journals including European Sport Management Quarterly, the International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics and Annals of Leisure Research.  I am an active member of the Institute of Social Value (formerly Social Value UK).

I have over 20 years’ experience teaching and supervising PhD students in the discipline areas of sport management, economics and geography and I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FEA).