Dean
BA (Econ), MBA, Cert Ed
Professor Callaghan took up his post as Dean of the Faculty of Business and Law in December 2011. He previously worked at Sunderland Business School in the 1990s, and followed that with a period as Deputy Director for the Centre for International Education at the University of Sunderland.
From 2000, Bernie was CEO of one of the North East’s most successful digital and technology groups, managing the strategic development of a portfolio of companies and new product ideas.
In 2007, he was a member of the team that was established to lead a Management buyout of one of those companies, backed by a London-based private equity firm, and subsequently took on the role of International Development Director, where he spent a lot of time developing the business’ presence in the USA and Canada.
Bernie took up the role of CEO of Sunderland Software City in 2009, working with colleagues and partners to inspire and encourage the growth of the industry within the North East of England. Having secured new funding streams, and overseen the construction of the new Software Centre in the City of Sunderland, Bernie returned to the University to take on his present role.
Passionate about education, technology and internationalism, Bernie believes that Universities should be at the heart of enterprise and economic development, be international in their outlook, but at the same time be responsive to the needs of local and regional business and the wider local community.