Global Advisory Board

David was recognised as an Entrepreneur in Residence in the Business School’s Ingenuity Lab in 2017, shortly followed by an appointment as the School’s second Professor of Practice in 2018.  As well as delivering teaching at all levels and dissertation supervision (MSc & [E]MBA) David continued to actively support the University’s start-up ecosystem and took on the roles of Director of Executive Education and Associate Dean (External Engagement).  In Spring 2023 he was appointed Dean of the Business School (UK).

Graeme was the Global COO for PwC’s Advisory business and was at the forefront of a doubling in size of the business from revenues of $7.5bn to $15bn. Alongside that role, Graeme had responsibility for leading the UK firm’s property management and workplace services functions and in establishing primary healthcare facilities for partners and staff.

Graeme’s expertise spans operational strategy, technology enablement, mergers & acquisitions, as well as finance operations and property management. He was at the forefront of the realignment of roles, responsibilities, and operating models to ensure sustainable success in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Among his many client projects and other assignments, Graeme was voted Midlands "Dealmaker of the Year" in 1996, was the UK Head of Corporate Finance and subsequently its Global Head. He took on responsibility for developing new business models for the delivery of global services and was a member of the Global Steering Committee responsible for developing proposals to change the way in which the PwC network operates. Graeme also led the project which redefined the way in which functional support to the PwC business is delivered.

Latterly based in London, he also worked in Pittsburgh and Birmingham. Graeme’s interest’s include golf, cricket, rugby, hockey (played both cricket and hockey for Nottingham University 1st XI and hockey at county, regional and international levels), travel and reading.

Hugh has a passion for building winning, customer-centric teams and finding new ways of building competitive advantage across the End-to-End supply chain. In his current role, Hugh leads design and development of future back strategies to successfully confront the challenges posed by our rapidly changing world. Outside work, Hugh is a keen tennis player. He currently represents Great Britain at World senior level and has career high age group world rankings of No. 3 in doubles and No. 82 in singles.

When not on international duty Hugh plays for clubs in Warwick and London, he also enjoys gardening and reading. Hugh lives in Warwickshire, UK with his wife Pru and children Holly (16), Thomas (14) and Arthur (8).

With a passion for equal access to learning, Sarah dedicated five years to serving as a Board Member of Inspire, a charitable society driving cultural and educational services across Nottinghamshire, where she also held the position of Chair of the Learning and Skills SubCommittee. In 2024, she further extended her impactful contributions by joining the University of Nottingham's External Advisory Board at the esteemed Business School.

Under Sarah's visionary leadership, Obu proudly stands as a founding signatory of the Charter for Inclusive Entrepreneurship from the University of Nottingham, alongside being a committed signatory of the Investing in Women Code and the Better Business Act.

Beyond her professional endeavours, Sarah is a recent convert to ultra-endurance. In 2022, she successfully 'Everested'. And in 2024 has set her sights on the Rim To Rim To Rim event at the Grand Canyon.

Prior to this, Khong was the Associate Dean (Research and Knowledge Exchange) of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus and set up the Centre for Interdisciplinary Data Analytics which focuses on business analytics, digital economy and AI technologies. He has more than 20 years of working in academia and conducting research in services marketing, marketing analytics, behavioural science, and text analytics. He has received more than RMB 1.5 million in competitive funding from various funding bodies such as the Malaysia Fundamental Research Grant Scheme, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation Funding, the Malaysia Ministry of Higher Education Translational Research Grant Scheme, etc.

Khong has served as a consultant focusing on service quality in one of the largest direct-selling companies in Malaysia. He was also involved in the Radio Audience Measurement project working with one of the leading global market insights and data analytics companies deriving the population proportionate to size stratified sampling. He led a team of researchers at NUBS, working with the capital market learning and development solutions provider of the securities commission, to study the trust of the financial services on the capital markets service providers in Malaysia. 

Peter is also heavily involved in giving back to society by helping provide better living environments for children in need across the globe. Led by Peter, Hape Group has made donations of more than RMB 24,000,000(in both products and cash) to people in need. In 2021, Peter launched Hape Nature Explore Education Base (HNEEB) project, which is a comprehensive space enabling children to learn through play and have a quality time with their parents. In 2023, Hape Child-friendly Experiential Learning Centre (also known as Hape Mathematics Museum) was established under the leadership of Peter, creating a more child-friendly space for children. 

Peter has been recognised with awards including the Ningbo Camellia Memorial Award, Zhejiang West Lake Friendship Award for Foreign Experts, Ningbo Special Foreign Entrepreneur Award, Ningbo Brand Person of the Year, Honorary Citizen of Ningbo, Best Social Responsibility Award (Ningbo Businessmen for ten years), Touching Ningbo Top Ten Charitable Characters, Ningbo Charity Star, Outstanding Foreign Entrepreneur, among other accolades. He has received several Social Service Awards from CBME , recognized as the Most Influential Person by Ningbo Brand Committee and nominated as a 2023 finalist of TOTY’s Champion of Sustainability award.

She leads the Xiecheng Group into becoming a company that is involved in manufacturing, finance, real estate, tourism and transportation industries, and has achieved outstanding results. Under her leadership philosophy of integrity and innovation, the manufacturing division of Ningbo Xiecheng Group has grown from RMB 350 million in 2016 to RMB 1 billion. She also set up the Group's investment division, and successively invested in Ningbo and Shenzhen to cultivate several enterprises to be listed on the stock market. She is also the recipient of the University of Nottingham Ningbo China's "Alumni of the year 2018" award, member of Ningbo city’s Municipal People's Congress representative, and senior economist.

Before academia, David spent twelve years working significant publicly listed corporations, including Singapore's Neptune Orient Lines, one of the largest container shipping businesses and BlueScope, the major Asia-Pacific steel business.  David was admitted into legal practice in 1988 and signed the Victorian Bar Roll in 2010. After commencing a full-time academic career in 2014, David maintained a part-time practice as an Arbitrator/Mediator and commercial Barrister at the Victorian Bar in Melbourne. He is a Fellow of both the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK) and the Singapore Institute of Arbitrators, a Past President of the Maritime Law Association of Australia and New Zealand and a Titulary Member of the Comite Maritime International. He has particular expertise in trade and shipping law and international business.

Prior to joining the University of Nottingham, David was Head of Industry and External Engagement for the Business and Law schools of Victoria University in Melbourne, Australia. Previously he was with RMIT University in Melbourne as MBA Director and Director of RMIT's postgraduate Juris Doctor program.  

Datin Maznah is an Independent Board Member and serves on the Investment Committee of BIMB Investment Management Berhad, contributes her expertise as a member of the Investment Committee for Healthbridge Capital, in Australia, and sits on the Board of Trustees for the Hearts of GOLD Foundation, supporting learning-disabled individuals.

Her previous leadership roles include the Chief Executive Officer of AmInvest, managing around USD 10 billion. She also served as the Chairman of the Investment Panel of Tabung Haji.

Beyond corporate roles, Datin Maznah advises companies in technology, IoT, and social enterprise sectors. She has earnt recognition in the TOP 50 of the Islamic 500 as one of the most influential figures in the World Halal Economy and the Top 50 most influential women in global Islamic business and finance by Cambridge IFA.

Datin Maznah holds a professional qualification from the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (UK) and has attended numerous executive management programs, including the Investment Management Program at Harvard Business School. She is a regular speaker at international conferences and has contributed to several high-profile publications.

Molly's career with Rampai-Niaga began in 1995 as a Communications Executive. Over the years, she advanced through various roles, eventually becoming General Manager in 2003. Her leadership was instrumental in expanding the business beyond Malaysia, spearheading the Group's entry into Vietnam in 2009 and Cambodia in 2019, as well as overseeing the acquisition of the Sabah market in 2015.

In 2011, Molly was appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Rampai-Niaga, and in January 2019, she became the CEO of the Group. Under her leadership, InNature achieved significant milestones, including its listing on the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia in 2020, and its inclusion in both the FTSE4Good Bursa Malaysia and FTSE4Good Bursa Malaysia Shariah indexes.

As part of the Group's succession plan, Molly stepped down as CEO in July 2023 but continues to serve as Executive Director. A firm believer that business can be a force for good, Molly remains committed to driving the Group’s Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) agenda.