Oxford Brookes Business School Professor Tim Vorley joins board of Experience Oxfordshire

Professor Tim Vorley, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean of Oxford Brookes Business School, has been appointed to the board of Experience Oxfordshire.

Professor Vorley leads on Entrepreneurship and Enterprise at Oxford Brookes University and was awarded an OBE for services to Enterprise, Entrepreneurship and Innovation in the 2023 New Years Honours list. 

Experience Oxfordshire is the Destination Management Organisation (DMO) and VisitEngland accredited Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) for Oxfordshire. It is a partnership organisation focused on driving growth across the visitor economy of Oxfordshire in a productive, sustainable way.

Professor Vorley has led a wide range of research projects and initiatives in the UK and internationally, funded by bodies including UK Research and Innovation, and the European Commission. His work primarily focuses on entrepreneurship, enterprise and innovation, and he has previously worked on projects about community business and social enterprise. 

Through his work Professor Vorley is engaged across government departments, and has worked with LEPs, Devolved Administrations, and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development on innovation and enterprise.

He is also Vice Chair of the Small Business Charter, created by Lord Young to recognise business schools that play an effective role in supporting small businesses and student entrepreneurship.

Commenting on his appointment, Joanna Davidson CBE, the Chair of Experience Oxfordshire, said: “We are delighted to have Tim join us on the Experience Oxfordshire board. Our organisation’s ambition is to ensure Oxfordshire’s visitor economy thrives, to the benefit of all. In the current uncertain operating environment, Tim’s skill-set, with his in-depth knowledge of the small business sector and his extensive experience in research-based policy development, will be an invaluable asset. We look forward to having his input into shaping Experience Oxfordshire’s future business activities in support of our partners and the broader visitor economy of the county.”

In response to his appointment, Professor Vorley OBE, said: “I am grateful to the Experience Oxfordshire board and trustees for this warm welcome. Given my role at Oxford Brookes University, I completely recognise the importance of the visitor economy and its contribution not only financially but also socially and culturally within Oxfordshire and across the UK. These are challenging times for businesses, but Oxfordshire is very well placed to respond positively to current circumstances and I have remained impressed with Experience Oxfordshire’s work in supporting the sector. I’m looking forward to working with this committed group of talented people on building the value of the sector and ensuring its future resilience.”