Strategic decision-making, mergers and acquisitions, strategy implementation

Top management teams

Social psychology

SME internationalization

Neil is an Associate Chartered Accountant, and prior to pursuing an academic career he worked for KPMG in London, in both their mergers and acquisitions and audit practices. He has worked for Aston Business School since 2009, teaching on both the undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.

His research interests lie in the broad domain of strategy. In particular, he is interested in senior executives and the strategic decisions that they make. His recent research has looked at the processes (e.g. rational, intuitive, political) by which senior executives make strategic decisions—and whether certain processes are more, or less, successful than others. This programme of research has also studied the effects of context (e.g. the characteristics of the decision-makers, the external environment) on decision processes and outcomes. Related research interests include mergers and acquisitions, and strategy implementation.

• Ph D, Aston University, 2014. Subject: Strategic Management

• MSc, Aston University, 2010. Subject: Strategic Management

• BSc, Aston University, 2004. Subject: Managerial and Administrative Studies

• BSM991A Crafting Organizational Strategy (Executive MBA)
• BMM662/665 Creating and Delivering Customer Value (Executive MBA)

• BM1134, Introduction to Marketing Management

• BM2257, Marketing

• BM3399, Strategic Management

• BMM600, Marketing Management

• BMM601, Marketing Management

• BMM656, Marketing Consultancy

• MBAPROJA, MBA Project

• MSCDISS, MSc Dissertation

Neil’s PhD research was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).

Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Associate Chartered Accountant, Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. (2007 - Present)   

Phone: +44(0)121 204 3093 
Email: n.shepherd@aston.ac.uk
Room: ABS423