About Me

Paul has acted for a wide range of clients in the public and private sectors, which included providing strategic advice to organisations such as the UK Government; Deputy Prime Minister’s Office; Northern Ireland Government; Ministry of Defence (UK); China People’s Liberation Army; World Bank; China Development Bank; Caribbean Development Bank; BT; Shell; Guinness; hospitality and tourism organisations; and an increasing number of for-profit, non-profits and local, regional and global higher education institutions.

Paul is currently working on several innovative sustainable strategy projects to help organisations boost their economic, social, and environmental impacts.

Strategic Development and Advisory Committees

During his term as Director of Kent Business School, he provided strategic, academic, and operational leadership, which increased revenue by 56% and UK student numbers by 17%. He formulated and implemented new strategic partnerships in Mainland Europe, the Middle East, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Africa, and Brazil.

Paul has served as Chair of the UK Chartered Association of Business Schools (CABS) Research Steering Committee (2008-2011) and Member of the CABS Executive Committee (2008-11). He chaired the 2010 ABS Annual Research Conference and the 2010 ABS Annual Doctor of Business Administration Conference. Paul has served on the Institute of Business Ethics UK Advisory Council (2010-2017) and Westminster Business School Advisory Board (2010-2016) and is the Founder and Inaugural Chair of the CABS International and External Relations subcommittee (2011-2013).

Training and Facilitation

Paul has completed the Experienced Deans’ and New Deans’ Seminar Series, Association to Advance Collegiate School of Business (AACSB) International. In addition, he completed the International Deans’ Programme, Association of Business Schools/European Foundation for Management Development, and the Leading Change and Organisational Renewal Programme at Harvard Business School, Harvard University.

He has assisted global universities by creating strategic development and implementation plans. He has facilitated universities, faculties, divisions, schools, and departments to pivot in repositioning strategies and building and enhancing research capacity and capability. He has been used as an external advisor for the Research Assessment Exercises, UK and more recently, the Research Excellence Framework 2014, 2021, and 2029 for all levels of research-intensive universities. In addition, Paul has been used as an external advisor for Professorial appointment panels in several countries worldwide, so he is well qualified to offer insights into shaping academic-related strategies. Professor Phillips brings about change through agile strategic management, innovation, design thinking, visual techniques and technology to help (re)shape and drive impact transformation across universities, businesses, governments, processes and people. 

Honorary Appointments and Publications

Professor Phillips has served as a Visiting Professor at three universities in China: The School of Business Administration, Hunan University, Changsha; International Business School, Beijing Foreign Studies University, Beijing; School of Economics, Shandong University, Ji’nan.

Paul has recently written three books: Newman, V. and Phillips, P. A. (2023) The Research Impact Strategy Playbook; Phillips, P. A. Subramanian, K V and Newman, V. (2019) Management Consultancy Through an Academic and Practitioner Perspective, and Phillips, P. and Moutinho, L. (2018) Contemporary Issues in Strategic Management (Routledge).

Routledge has commissioned Professor Phillips to write a book entitled Sustainable Strategic Management: Leadership with Purpose, which is due for publication in Jan 2026.