Dr Fiona Armstrong-Gibbs
Liverpool Business School
Faculty of Business and Law
Email: F.D.ArmstrongGibbs@ljmu.ac.uk
Telephone: 0151 904 1221
ORCID
Fiona is Programme Leader in Executive Education at Liverpool Business School and Chair of Baltic Creative Community Interest Company. She combines her practice and research to explore how social enterprises and community owned business models are a catalyst for responsible business growth, better ecosystems and contribute to sustainable local and regional economies.
Since 2019 Fiona has worked with the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and the One Day group of women to build a consistent evidence base calling for devolved policy which addresses gender inequalities in the region. This emerged from an activist perspective both to the pre pandemic economic industrial strategy and the post pandemic response from the CA. The 21/22 One Day Today report calls for change - greater representation, scrutiny and consideration of the impact of policy on women’s economic contribution in the region. As such the CA announced their commitment to a Gender Panel and action plan in 2022.
Fiona is also co-investigator on an MKTP with Faculty of Health and Cobalt Housing Association in North Liverpool that is developing a structured transformational approach for the organisation combining behavioural health data, multi stakeholder relationships and local wealth creation / community wealth building strategy in North Liverpool.
Degrees
2020, Liverpool John Moores University, United Kingdom, DBA
2013, London Metropolitan University, London, United Kingdom, PGCHE
2007, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom, MSc International Fashion Marketing
1997, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, United Kingdom, PgDip Fashion Marketing and Promotion
1996, Staffordshire University, Stoke-on-Trent, United Kingdom, BA (hons) Histoty of Art and Design
Academic appointments
External Examiner, Nottingham Trent University, 2023 - present
Programme Leader Executive Education, Liverpool Business School, Liverpool John Moores University, 2020 - present
Chief External Examiner, University of Westminster, 2017 - 2021
External Examiner, Southampton Solent University, 2013 - 2017
Highlighted publications
Armstrong-Gibbs F, Knight L. 2024. Developing a pathway to Sustainable Cities and Communities through a Leadership education programme Wall T, Leal Filho W, Trevisan L, Shore A. Sustainability in Business Education, Research and Practices :227-239 Springer 978-3-031-55996-9 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Report
Whiteman G, Armstrong-Gibbs F. 2024. Liverpool City Region Scale Up Ecosystem 2024 Liverpool City Region Scale Up Ecosystem 2024 Public Url
Kostopoulos I, Lyons-Tai H, Newson L, Armstrong-Gibbs F. Tenant Centric Strategic Report 2022 – Cobalt Housing MKTP
Newson L, Goldie S, Armstrong-Gibbs F. Community Enterprise- food pantries and supporting those living in poverty. Cobalt MKTP Research Report
Chapman S, Bridge L, Newson L, Armstrong-Gibbs F, Kostopoulos I. Cobalt Housing: Sustainability strategy and associated policies. 2023
Bridge L, Purcell G, Morley C, Newson L, Armstrong-Gibbs F, Kostopoulos I. Bridge L, Morley C, Purcell G, Newson L, Armstrong-Gibbs F, Kostopoulos I. 2023. Cobalt Housing: Training directory for all new starters
Chilton J, Bridge L, Newson L, Armstrong-Gibbs F, Kostopoulos I. 2024 Cobalt Housing: Communication Strategy & Policy
Awang M, Sewell R, Bridge L, Newson L, Armstrong-Gibbs F, Kostopoulos I. 2023. Cobalt Housing: Customer engagement strategy
Chapman S, Bridge L, Newson L, Armstrong-Gibbs F, Kostopoulos I. 2023 Cobalt Housing: EDI strategy and associated policies
Newson L, Stenton G, Armstrong-Gibbs F, Kostopoulos I. 2023 “More than a rent”: moving toward a tenant-centred approach. Cobalt MKTP Research Report
Newson L, Armstrong-Gibbs F, Kostopoulos I, Lyons-Tai H. 2022. THRIVE MKTP: 1 YEAR Knowledge Exchange Report & Priority Setting. Cobalt, MKTP
Newson L, Stenton G, Armstrong-Gibbs F, Kostopoulos I. 2022. Report. What Tenants Say & What they Need. Cobalt Housing MKTP
Armstrong-Gibbs F, Lyons-Tai H, Kostopoulos I, Newson L. 2021. Value proposition- Executive Board. Cobalt Housing MKTP
Newson L, Quaglieri-Woods R, Ford K, Armstrong-Gibbs F. 2021. Housing associations hold the key to improving tenant subjective wellbeing via responsiveness to individual needs. Cobalt MKTP Research Report
Kostopoulos I, Lyons-Tai H, Newson L, Armstrong-Gibbs F. 2021 Skills Gap Analysis MKTP Enterprise Report. 2021. Cobalt Housing MKTP
Newson L, Ford K, Quaglieri-Woods R, Armstrong-Gibbs F. 2021 Home Sweet Home: The Impact of Housing on the Subjective Health and Wellbeing of Tenants in North Liverpool. Cobalt MKTP Research Report
Conference publication
Smith S, Wall T, Rowe L, Whiteman G, Agboma F, Knight L, Armstrong-Gibbs F. 2024. Addressing oxy‘moronic’ educational practices: Examining and engaging paradox for embedding SDGs into postgraduate capstone projects British Academy of Management 2024 Conference Proceedings, British Academy of Management Conference Publisher Url Public Url
Armstrong-Gibbs FD. 2016. Baltic Creative Community Interest Company: Critical Success Factors in Creative and Digital Clusters in Liverpool, UK Abstracts of the Papers Presented at the 4th International Conference on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 4th International Conference on Innovation and Entreprenurship Publisher Url Public Url
Armstrong-Gibbs F. Exploring strategic intentions to develop gender balanced boards in social enterprises Gender Work and Organisations 11th Biennial International Interdisciplinary Conference 2021 Transforming Contexts, Transforming Selves: Gender in New Times Author Url
Armstrong-Gibbs F. An exploration of the position and perception of social enterprises in the global fashion industry with a Polanyian lens Manchester Fashion Institute FMCd 2nd Colloquium Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Armstrong-Gibbs F, Knight L. Developing a pathway to Sustainable Cities and Communities through a Leadership education programme in Sustainability in Business Education Wall T, Trevisan LV, Filho WL, Shore A. Sustainability in Business Education, Research and Practices, European Symposium for Sustainability in Business Education 2023 Publisher Url
Journal article
Reed MS, Merkle BG, Cook EJ, Haferty C, Hejnowicz AP, Holliman R, Marder ID, Pool U, Raymond CM, Wallen KE, Whyte D, Ballesteros M, Bhanbhro S, Borota S, Brennan ML, Carmen E, Conway EA, Everett R, Armstrong-Gibbs F, Jensen E, Koren G, Lockett J, Obani P, O’Connor S, Prange L, Mason J, Robinson S, Shukla P, Tarrant A, Marchetti A, Stroobant M. 2024. Reimagining the language of engagement in a post-stakeholder world Sustainability Science, DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Armstrong-Gibbs FD. 2019. On becoming an organizational autoethnographer; considering the ethical perspectives of the research application process. Journal of Organizational Ethnography, DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Armstrong-Gibbs FD. 2014. Embedding Enterprise Education: the Fashion Project Investigations in university teaching and learning, 9 :3-7 Publisher Url Public Url
Chapters
Armstrong-Gibbs F, Knight L. 2024. Developing a pathway to Sustainable Cities and Communities through a Leadership education programme Wall T, Leal Filho W, Trevisan L, Shore A. Sustainability in Business Education, Research and Practices :227-239 Springer 978-3-031-55996-9 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Armstrong-Gibbs FD, Brown J. 2023. The Resilience and Adaptability of an Innovative Ecosystem of Creative Entrepreneurs during Crisis Times: Baltic Creative CIC – A Case Study Creative (and Cultural) Industry Entrepreneurship in the 21st Century Vol: 18, Part A 18 :105 Emerald 9781803824123 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Armstrong-Gibbs F, Brown J. 2023. THE RESILIENCE AND ADAPTABILITY OF AN INNOVATIVE ECOSYSTEM OF CREATIVE ENTREPRENEURS DURING CRISIS TIMES: BALTIC CREATIVE CIC – A CASE STUDY Contemporary Issues in Entrepreneurship Research 18A :105-118 DOI Publisher Url
Internet publication
Wall T, Smith S, Rowe L, Whiteman G, Armstrong-Gibbs FD, Knight L, Agboma F. 2024. Creating the Embedding Impact Toolkit Publisher Url Public Url
Book review
Armstrong-Gibbs FIONA. 2022. Methodologies for practice research: approaches for professional doctorates Action Learning : Research & Practice, 19 :222-224 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Books (authored)
Armstrong-Gibbs F, McLaren T. 2017. Marketing Fashion Footwear The Business of Shoes Bloomsbury Publishing 9781472579317
Armstrong-Gibbs F, McLaren T. 2017. Marketing Fashion Footwear Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 9781472579317 DOI Publisher Url
Exhibition
Wright L, Armstrong-Gibbs F. Photography of the work of designer Pam Hogg
Membership of professional bodies:
Chartered Association of Business Schools (CABS), CMBE. 2024
Chartered Management Institute (CMI), Member. 2019
Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ISBE), Member. 2019
Creative UK, Member (Baltic Creative CIC). 2018
Social Enterprise UK, Member (Baltic Creative CIC). 2013
Media Coverage:
Interview with HTSI fashion editor at FT.com on fashion footwear and Adidas (opens in a new tab) 2024
Invest Liverpool City Region Interview (opens in a new tab) 2022
Metro mayors are all men – but women’s voices are needed for the best pandemic recovery 2021
www.independent.co.uk (opens in a new tab)
theconversation.com (opens in a new tab)
Ethos Blog Series - The future of sustainable footwear 2019
ethos-magazine.com (opens in a new tab)
ethos-magazine.com (opens in a new tab)
ethos-magazine.com (opens in a new tab)
Woman's Hour #giveupyourseat campaign by the Women's Leadership Group (opens in a new tab) 2017
BBC TV and follow up radio interview about gender imbalance in the LCR metro mayoral cabinet relating to Liverpool and the Creative Industries
www.bbc.co.uk (opens in a new tab)
www.bbc.co.uk (opens in a new tab)
External PGR examinations performed:
Professional Doctorate, University of Chester, A creativity training gap? - Employers’ perceptions of apprentices’ creativity and contributions to the creative and cultural workplace. 2024
Other invited event:
Online, Invited Speaker at CPD workshop on Community Development for the Institute of Economic Development, The role of community led development in economic regeneration. 2024
Baltic Triangle, Liverpool, Panel discussion titled “To Scale or Not to Scale,” aimed to provide SMEs and micro-businesses with crucial insights on when and how to grow. https://www.baltic-creative.com/discover-these-ten-powerful-tips-for-scaling-your-business/, Baltic in Bloom “To Scale or Not to Scale”. 2024
Manchester, invited speaker at symposium exploring women taking over spaces and places, Women in Space. 2023
Online, Speaker at CPD workshop on Community Development for the Institue of Economic Development https://ied.co.uk/news_events/putting_community_at_the_heart_of_economic_development/, The role of community led development in economic regeneration. 2023
Liverpool Business School, Invited speaker at branch meeting for Association of Project Managers, Baltic Creative - reflections on a Liverpool based project. 2022
Onliine, Keynote on Creative Industries Leadership to global audeince in SE Asia. What kind of leaders do we need for the creative industries to thrive?, British Council Creative Hubs for Good 2022 keynote on Creative Industries Leadership. 2022
Cunard Building, Liverpool, Live panel discussion with Jude Kelly CBE and Kelly Beaver (IPSOS) about, women leadership and how we use data to make better decsions., The Un-datables at The Good Business Festival 2022. 2022
WBG HQ London, https://www.wbg.org.uk/event/gender-responsive-budgeting-an-international-and-local-lens/, Gender responsive budgeting an International and local lens. 2021
Villa Nova De Famalicao, Portugal, Invited by the Mayor of Villa Nova De Famalicao to advise and develop a strategic plan for the repurpose and regeneration of a post-industrial textile mill town in Northern Portugal., Riba d’Ave Challenge. 2019
Conference organisation:
Co -organiser, Post - GWO 2023 Conference in Africa Symposium Sustainable Digital Transformation for Women Entrepreneurs, https://www.gibs.co.za/news-events/events/open-programmes/pages/post---gwo-2023-conference-in-africa-symposium.aspx. 2024
Public engagement:
Public talk or lecture, Community and Business Place Leaders in the Liverpool City Region, Co-Organiser, Place Leadership Symposium, Exploring how place-based leadership can be cultivated to create social value. Identifying the skills and needs relevant to a Place Leadership Development Framework. Collaborative opportunities to connect, exchange ideas, and build relationships. 2024
Public consultation, Liverpool City Region women, Events, Principal / lead researcher, This project is funded by LJMU as part of Research England’s Strategic Priorities fund. The purpose is to build on the voluntary actions and activity sparked by One Day and formalise and deepen partnerships and collaborative opportunities with the LCR CA. It highlights the importance and need for more evidence-based research and data broken down by gender and race, which can better support policy making at a local level to be more effective, LJMU continues to support this work., Liverpool City Region, One Day, One Day is a civic group, formed to improve inclusive growth in the Liverpool City Region. Its specific aim is to increase the visibility of women who work in the region, by lobbying Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and advocating for change., https://www.onedaylcr.com/today. 2019
Conference presentation:
Oral presentation, Copenhagen Business School, International Studying Leadership Conference 2023, Exploring a new paradigm for place based public leadership in complex times: how do leaders acquire the connectedness needed for collaborative work to advance their places’ mission?. 2023
Oral presentation, Stellenbosch University, Gender Work and Organisation - Marginalised Gender Identities - How can Intellectual Activism transform Work and Organization 2023, Feminist social movement for change in the devolved English regions: One Day in Liverpool. 2023
Oral presentation, LJMU, European Symposium for Sustainability in Business Education,, Developing a pathway to Sustainable Cities and Communities through a Leadership education programme in Sustainability in Business Education. 2023
Oral presentation, Onliine, FMCd 2nd Colloquium Fashion SIG for the Academy of Marketing, Applying Polanyian concepts to investigate the position and perception of social enterprises in the global fashion industry. 2021
Industrial connections:
My MCT (Merseyside Community Training), Non Executive Director - voluntary, https://mymct.co.uk/. 2023
Baltic Creative Community Interest Company, Chair and founder Director, http://www.baltic-creative.com/.
Award:
Emerald Literati Awards, Outstanding Reviewer 2023. 2023
LJMU, Vice Chancellors Award for Excellence in promotion of EDI in Research and Knowledge Exchange (faculty winner). 2022
External committees:
Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, Co-Chair, Womens Equity Panel. 2023
Creative UK, Creative UK Council member, https://www.wearecreative.uk/champion/uk-council/. 2022
Other Professional Activity:
Womens Budget Group (WBG) ECN Macroecomonic Working Group and roundatable Green and Caring economy report. 2022
British Federation of Women Graduates Doctoral Student awards reviewer 2019 - present.
Research Grants Awarded:
Duration of research project: 24 months, Grant value (£): £179,546, Innovate UK, Lisa Newson (PI); Fiona Armstrong-Gibbs (Co-I), Ioannis Kostopoulos (Co-I), KTP Cobalt Housing. 2021
Teaching qualification:
PgCert Learning and Teaching in Higher Education with distinction. 2013
Fellowships:
Higher Education Academy, Fellow. 2013