Robbie Cairns
ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½
Biography
Biography
Robbie Cairns is a Senior Lecturer in Strategy and International Business at ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ Business School. He combines over 25 years of international industry experience with academic teaching and executive development, bringing a strongly practice-led perspective to his work. His expertise centres on strategic leadership, organisational change, and digital innovation within global business contexts.
Prior to entering academia, Robbie held a range of senior roles across industry, including serving as Chief Operations Officer in a UK-based start-up and as a member of the Senior Leadership Team at a leading international economics and transport consultancy. This extensive experience informs his teaching, enabling him to connect theory with real-world strategic challenges faced by organisations operating in dynamic and uncertain environments.
In addition to his academic role, Robbie is the founder of Phenomenal Development, a boutique consultancy specialising in corporate strategy, leadership development, and executive coaching. Through this work, he has supported entrepreneurs, managers, and senior leaders across Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East. He is also an Affiliate Executive Coach at IMD Business School, contributing to programmes on leadership, sustainability, innovation, organisational change, and crisis management.
Robbie’s academic practice integrates insights from executive coaching and organisational development into strategy and international business education, with a focus on developing reflective, adaptable, and globally aware leaders.
Professional Engagement and Impact
Through his consultancy and executive education work, Robbie has contributed to leadership and organisational development across a wide range of sectors and international contexts. His work focuses on enhancing strategic thinking, leadership effectiveness, and organisational capability, supporting individuals and teams to navigate change and uncertainty.
His ongoing engagement with global organisations informs both his teaching and research, ensuring that his academic work remains relevant, applied, and impactful.
Areas of specialism
University roles and responsibilities
- Academic Teaching Lead for SII-DUFE Summer Schools
My qualifications
Postgraduate Certificate in Management Education
Postgraduate Diploma in Coaching & Mentoring
MA in Human Resource Development
Affiliations and memberships
Association of Project Managers
ResearchResearch interests
Robbie’s research focuses on the intersection of strategy, leadership, and organisational practice. His areas of interest include:
- Strategic leadership and decision-making in complex environments
- Organisational culture and change
- Strategy-as-practice and the lived experience of strategising
- Executive development, coaching, and psychometrics
- Digital innovation and entrepreneurship in global contexts
His work adopts an applied and practice-informed perspective, often drawing on insights from executive education and industry engagement to explore how strategy is enacted in organisations.
Research interests
Robbie’s research focuses on the intersection of strategy, leadership, and organisational practice. His areas of interest include:
- Strategic leadership and decision-making in complex environments
- Organisational culture and change
- Strategy-as-practice and the lived experience of strategising
- Executive development, coaching, and psychometrics
- Digital innovation and entrepreneurship in global contexts
His work adopts an applied and practice-informed perspective, often drawing on insights from executive education and industry engagement to explore how strategy is enacted in organisations.
Supervision
Postgraduate research supervision
Robbie supervises postgraduate students on the ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ MBA and supports final-year undergraduate research projects, particularly in areas relating to strategy, leadership, and organisational change.
Teaching
Robbie teaches across undergraduate, postgraduate, and MBA programmes, delivering a practice-led learning experience that emphasises critical thinking, real-world application, and leadership development.
His teaching includes:
- MANM066 - Strategic Change Management (MBA) – Module Leader
- MAN3110 - Globalisation of Emerging Markets – Module Leader
- MAN2205 - Working in a Global Context – Module Leader
- MANM537 - Digital Innovation – Co-Module Leader
- MANM298 - New Business Venturing
- MAN3090 - International Business Strategy
- MAN3132 - Entrepreneurship and Innovation
- MAN1146 - Global & Sustainable Business Management
He is also Academic Teaching Lead for the SII-DUFE Summer School, focusing on international business, digital innovation, and entrepreneurship.
Robbie’s teaching philosophy emphasises bridging theory and practice, equipping students with the skills and mindsets required to navigate complex global environments and lead effectively.