Professor Christian Harrison, a Nigerian-born academic and Director of the Centre for Leadership and Empowerment at the University of Greater Manchester, has been elected as the next Chair of the British Academy of Management (BAM), becoming the first Black person to lead the organisation in its 40-year history.

Harrison, who is also Professor of Leadership and Enterprise at the university, will formally assume office in January 2027, succeeding to one of the most influential leadership positions in the United Kingdom’s management research community.

His election marks a historic milestone for the British Academy of Management, the UK’s leading learned society for management research, education and practice, which supports thousands of academics, doctoral researchers, educators and practitioners across Britain and internationally.

Beyond breaking a long-standing racial barrier, Harrison’s emergence is being hailed as a significant achievement for African scholarship and a testament to the growing global recognition of African academic leadership.

A member of the Academy for more than 14 years, Harrison has held several strategic leadership positions within BAM. He currently serves as Co-Vice Chair of Communities, where he has overseen the expansion of the Academy’s Special Interest Groups, conference tracks and scholarly communities.

During his tenure, the Academy recorded substantial growth in member engagement, launched new Special Interest Groups and expanded its academic and professional development programmes.

He also previously chaired the Leadership and Leadership Development Special Interest Group, transforming it into one of BAM’s largest and most active scholarly communities.

Harrison co-founded the Academy’s African Studies Track, providing a platform to advance African scholarship in the management discipline. He also chaired BAM’s 40th Anniversary Working Group and was honoured with the prestigious BAM Medal for Contribution to Communities in recognition of his outstanding service.

Reacting to his election, Harrison described the appointment as both an honour and a responsibility.

“I am deeply honoured and humbled to have been elected Chair of the British Academy of Management. BAM has been my academic home for over fourteen years, and throughout that time I have been privileged to work alongside exceptional colleagues who are passionate about advancing management research, education, and practice,” he said.

He thanked members of the Academy for their confidence in his leadership and pledged to serve with integrity, collaboration and purpose.

“I would like to sincerely thank the BAM community for the trust and confidence they have placed in me. This election is a privilege that I do not take lightly, and I am committed to serving our members with integrity, purpose, and collaboration.”

Reflecting on his Nigerian roots, Harrison said the appointment carries deep personal significance and demonstrates that excellence and leadership transcend geographical boundaries.

“As someone whose academic journey began in Nigeria, this appointment is particularly meaningful. I hope it demonstrates that excellence, commitment, and service know no boundaries and that our learned societies are strengthened when they reflect the diversity of the communities they serve.”

Demographics

He expressed hope that his emergence would inspire scholars from underrepresented backgrounds to pursue leadership positions in academia.

Harrison outlined an ambitious vision for the Academy, centred on strengthening collaboration, expanding global partnerships, supporting academic career development and embedding equity, diversity and inclusion across the organisation.

He also pledged to promote research addressing pressing global issues, including responsible leadership, sustainability, artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship, organisational transformation, public policy and the future of work.

His appointment further enhances the University of Greater Manchester’s profile as a centre for research excellence and international engagement.

When he assumes office in January 2027, Harrison will become only the 19th Chair in the Academy’s history, ushering in what many observers see as a new era of greater inclusion, global engagement and innovation for one of the world’s leading management scholarship organisations. (The Nation News)

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