Adam McNall

I joined the University in 2022 as the first-ever Accreditations Manager. My main role centres around three different strands:

• Ensure compliance with the requirements of current professional body accreditation and membership organisations we partner with in the Faculty, including AACSB, BGA, CMI, EFMD, Small Business Charter and the United Nations' Principles for Responsible Management Education (UN PRME).
• Develop the relationship with and integration of current professional body accreditation and membership organisations.
• Work with colleagues, both academic and professional services, to expand our portfolio and successfully gain new professional body accreditations and memberships for the Faculty.

I worked closely with Dr Derek Watson at the forefront of Sunderland Business School's successful awarding of the Small Business Charter (SBC) accreditation in 2023, and we are currently working towards our SBC reaccreditation due in 2026. I also write Sunderland Business School's annual UN PRME Sharing Information on Progress (SIP) Reports. There are further exciting plans for the accreditations agenda going forward across the Faculty and I am excited to lead their development.

In addition to my role, I am a member of the University's Strategic Environmental Sustainability Group (SESG), Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) subgroup, and one of four Sustainability Champions in the Faculty of Business and Technology, helping to promote and advance the sustainability agenda at the University.

Furthermore, I am also the Nominated Building Manager for the Reg Vardy Centre, working with the University's Health and Safety Team to ensure continued compliance with environmental, health and safety requirements.

In 2025, I began studying the Level 7 Senior Leader Apprenticeship/MBA Strategic Leadership here at Sunderland.

Externally, I participated in the development of the CMI's new Sustainability Leadership qualifications in 2025, and later featured as their Chartered Manager of the Week.

Prior to joining the University, I graduated from Northumbria University in 2017 with a First Class Honours degree in BA (Hons) Business Leadership and Corporate Management. I worked as a Regulatory Compliance Officer at an SME large-format point-of-sale printing firm, ensuring the company's continued compliance with several quality, environmental, and social-related accreditations and certifications, including ISO 9001, ISO 14001, FSC, PEFC, and Investors In People.