Rebecca Padgett

Profile

I am a Senior Teaching Fellow/ Assistant Professor at Leeds University Business School and within this role I am the Academic Lead for External Engagment and Education across the Business School

I research and am advancing knowledge and translational activty to better bridge the gap between industry and education. My research focusses on enterprise, innovation and growth, work readiness & employability and experiential learning.

I am an energetic, resilient, tenacious, learner focused educator. I am unapologetic in doing everything I possibly can to unite, equip and inspire current and future leaders to reach their potential

Collaboration with industry and academia is the area of my role I enjoy the most and have been lucky to have built some enviable relationships and partnerships and have sustained positive learner feedback

With a track record in the leadership and delivery of higher education of UG, PG & Executive Education. I have led academic departments maintaining robust quality procedures. I have run modules that are small and intimate to modules that are vast across two campuses, with +600 students and a teaching team of 10. I was chosen to be one of only 2 academics worldwide to design and deliver leadership training for the FIFA World Cup 2021. I designed and led as Academic Programme Director the £6m WYCA Innovative Entrepreneurs Programme- the first programme of it's size and scale involving 12 high profile partners. I have been part of a small team developing the curriculum for the Government’s Help to Grow programme. Additionally, I have set up and established award winning co-curricular programmes and received QAA and EQUIS commendation for my work

Prior to my experience in Higher Education I am proud of my proven and significant consultancy experience. I have worked extensively with leading brands and household names across sports, leisure and hospitality sectors leading and operating at board and ministerial level across the public, private and voluntary sectors. I have developed and led education programmes, sporting events and businesses on an international, national and local level.

I thrive on a challenge and work well under pressure while remaining results orientated. I am a collaborative and understand the need to demonstrate value and results to cross boundary departments as well as to the executive team. I aim to lead without dictating and support and appreciate people alongside the values and necessity of team cohesiveness. It’s also fairly well known that I like to have a bit of fun along the way

Other responsiblities

• Chief Examiner- PG CPD Framework (Flexible/ Executive Education)- Ulster University
• External Examiner- BSc Sports Business Managment- Sheffield Hallam University
• Examiner- MBA Consultancy Projects- The University of Manchester, Alliance Manchester Business School

Responsibilities

• Academic Lead Education External Engagement
• Academic Programme Director Executive Education
• Module Director

Research interests

I have a wide range of research interests including:

• Enterprise, Innovation and Growth
• Experiential learning
• Non linear careers and graduate transfer into employment
• Student, employer and academic perceptions of education and employability
• The development of graduate attributes through authentic assessment and curriculum enhancements
• Leadership and managment development

Publications:

• Donald, W. E., Mouratidou, M. Hughes, H. P. N. & Padgett, R. C. (2025). Employability, aspirations, and career resources: Reflective diary insights from postgraduate international students. Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, 15(3), 652-667
• Hughes, H. P. N., Padgett, R. C. & Donald, W. E. (2025). Preparing students for hybrid working: The place and case for authentic assessment via online presentations. Industry and Higher Education, 39(2), 129-133
• Padgett, R.C. and Donald, W.E., 2023. Enhancing self-perceived employability via a curriculum intervention: a case of “The global marketing professional” module. Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, 13(1), pp.22-35.

Conference Presentations include:

• Padgett R.C. and Perlman- Dee P. (2025) Innovative curriculum design and experiential learning is the pain worth it? Using live brief projects to bridge the gap between industry and education. Chartered Association of Business Schools LTSE Conference, Nottingham. 19-20 May 2025.
• Padgett R.C. and Thristan C. (2025) Cross boundary collaboration: Developing successful educational ecosystems both in and beyond the university. Chartered Association of Business Schools LTSE Conference, Nottingham. 19-20 May 2025.
• Padgett R.C. (2024) Critical reflections on making enterprising co- curricular work. Opportunities to grasp, partnerships to make, challenges and lessons learned. Advance HE Employability Symposium, Leeds, 25^th April 2024
• Padgett R.C. and Kinsey, N. (2023) Developing entrepreneurship pedagogy and in curriculum delivery to enhance the self-perceived employability of students- A case of The Global Marketing Professional. Proceedings of USASBE International Conference. Florida State University, Tallahassee Florida. 18-22 January 2023
• Padgett R.C. (2022) Making a Difference- Using learning gain and student feedback to develop a programme of activities to enhance and enrich curriculum for taught postgraduate students- A case study approach. Advance HE Employability Symposium, Birmingham. 25^th April 2022
• Padgett, R.C. and Webb, A (2021), A case study of cross boundary working, creative assessment strategies and the use of digital technology to enhance the employability of undergraduate students. UCISA, Is the future blended? The future of work, teaching, learning and the ‘university’ in a post- pandemic world conference. Online. 12-13 May 2021.
• Padgett, R.C. (2021) Preparing students to be work ready and to meet their potential- A Case Study of York Business School. Chartered Association of Business Schools Conference, Online. 29-30 June 2021.
• Padgett, R.C. and McCullough, N. (2021), How can learning and teaching pedagogy in events management education positively develop, belonging, participation, confidence and work readiness?, Association of Event Management Educators Forum. Southampton. 1-2 July 2021.
• Padgett, R.C. (2020) Success Lab, A case study of York Business School in enabling students reach their potential. Chartered Association of Business Schools Conference. Online, 28-30 June 2020.
• Marsh Davis, K. and Padgett, R.C. (2019) The Success Lab, Innovation in Employability Development. In British Academy of Management Conference, 19 June 2019, York St John University.

Invited Keynote

• Padgett, R.C. (2024) Industry and education collaboration- what it is and what it’s not. Yorkshire Business Woman, 2^nd August 2024
• Padgett, R.C. (2023) How industry and education, could and should collaborate better. Business Catalyst Club, 30^th November 2023
• Padgett, R.C. (2022) Business Matters: Recruiting and Retaining Talent for SME Growth. Brand Yorkshire. 6^th October 2022
• Padgett Rebecca (2022) The labour market, challenges and impact on businesses. SME Forum, Leeds University Business school 3rd May 2022

Book Chapters

• Padgett, R. C. (2024). Lived experience insight: Student engagement strategies. In W. E. Donald (Ed.), Strategic Opportunities for Bridging the University-Employer Divide (pp. 73-74). IGI Global
• Hammersley, J., Malone, C., Querin, O. M., Tunstall, R., Thompson, C., Rofe, J. S., Padgett, R. and Nerantzi, C. (2024) Streamlining curriculum storyboarding using AI, in: Abegglen, S., Nerantzi, C., Martínez-Arboleda, Karatsiori, M., Atenas, J. and Rowell, C. (Eds.) (in preparation) Towards AIliteracy: 101+ creative and critical practices, perspective and purposes, a #creativeHE crowdsourced collection

Qualifications

• MA Sports Business
• Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA)
• Certified Management & Business Educator (CMBE)

Professional memberships

• Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA)
• Fellow Chartered Management Institute (FCMI)
• Fellow Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (FCIMPSA)
• Fellow Institute of Leadership and Management (FInstLM)

Student education

Teaching Undergraduate, Postgraduate and Executive Education at Leeds Unversity Business School.