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Tuesday, 15 July 2025
My name is and I am Professor of Marketing at the Kemmy Business School, ɫƵ. My research critically explores the intersection between marketing, consumption, vulnerability and policy in a number of key contexts including consumer finance, economic insecurity and crisis consumption, sustainability, and complex service systems.
What is your background?
I have almost 30 years’ experience as a marketing educator and researcher. My academic journey began when I undertook my undergraduate studies in International Marketing and Languages (French & German) at Dublin City University before completing a Masters in International Marketing at the Michael Smurfit Graduate School of Business, University College Dublin. I worked as a Marketing Executive and Brand Manager for a number of years before joining academia where I earned my PhD at the University of Birmingham, UK. I held marketing lectureship roles at a number of Irish universities before moving to the Kemmy Business School where I am now Professor of Marketing. Over the years, I have forged close links with several universities across Europe and held positions as Visiting Lecturer/Professor. As a researcher, I collaborate with a wide range of Irish and European academic colleagues and partners as well as key stakeholders in industry and practice. I have also served as Honorary Senior Research Fellow and International Research Fellow at my Alma Mater - University of Birmingham and have been invited to give keynote speeches on topics related to my research expertise.
What are my research interests?
My research critically explores a range of key issues relating to marketing, consumption and vulnerability. For example, I have investigated the impacts of consumer credit and problem debt, consumer responses to austerity, experiences of family caring, sustainable consumption practices, and consumer brand experiences and engagement. My focus is on revealing key marketing and consumer outcomes particularly for people experiencing vulnerability in order to identify the roles and responsibilities of key players in the market and highlight the social and public policy implications.
What kinds of projects have I been involved in?
I have worked on several funded multi-country research projects including exploring the consequences and policy implications of consumer debt in a culture of credit and excessive spending among young people and lower income groups in Ireland and the UK. In addition, collaborating with research partners across 6 countries in Europe, I have investigated the long-term effects of government-imposed austerity measures on consumers, revealing the impacts on their consumption and identity as well as underlining the acute need for those impacted to develop persistent resilience and on-going adaptation to recurrent crises.
What is my core focus area at the moment?
More recently my attention has focused on family-caring and the challenges experienced by families in their interactions with services systems to secure much-need services for their loved ones who have complex long-term or life-long needs such as dementia and ASD. In a recent Irish-Finnish research project, we specifically spotlight the on-going challenges for families who encounter resource restriction & misalignment as well as inadequate support from service providers which collectively trigger and perpetuate experiences of vulnerability, ill-being and entrapment.
In terms of interdisciplinary work, my research spans various disciplines beyond marketing and consumption. This is particularly reflected in my recent book co-edited with UK colleagues titled “Researching Poverty and Austerity: Theoretical Approaches, Methodologies and Policy Applications” which was nominated for the CABS, CMI and BAM Publication of the Management Year 2024 Award. It includes contemporary contributions and insights on poverty and austerity from a wide range of perspectives including marketing, consumer research, sociology, psychology, economics and human geography.
How does your research influence your teaching?
I firmly believe in the value of research-led teaching and have actively engaged in integrating my research expertise into my modules, assuring applied significance and relevance for student learning. As an example, I teach a module called Marketing & Society on the MSc in Marketing, Consumption and Society programme which critically considers the roles and responsibilities of marketers and consumers, and challenges students to identify the potential negative implications for firms/ marketers, consumers and society. In all my teaching, I strive to ensure that my students are not just knowledgeable, skilled and empowered but are also critical, responsible and ethically aware of the impact they can make as future marketing graduates.
Any final observations?
We live in a highly dynamic and progressive society but also one which is arguably increasingly precarious, insecure and unequal for many. As a researcher and educator, I believe that I have a responsibility to critically investigate marketing practices and consumer-related challenges and in particular give voice to those who are experiencing vulnerability and inequality in the hope of effecting real change and helping create a more equitable and sustainable world for all.
