Nicky Smith

Nicky Smith serves as Senior Lecturer and Foundation Year Programme Leader in the Department of Operations, Technology, Events and Hospitality Management at Manchester Metropolitan University's Faculty of Business and Law. Her current academic responsibilities include:

• Foundation Year Programme Leader (2021–present)
• Departmental Wellbeing Champion (2018–present)
• Departmental Employability Lead (2017–2021)
• Departmental Placement Manager (2011–2016)

With a background spanning 32 years in global event management—including senior roles at a London event agency and 22 years as Incentive and Event Director for NWS Bank—she transitioned to academia to share industry expertise. Her research concentrates on career development frameworks, work-based learning systems, and international internship structures, informed by MMU collaborative projects in Kenya (2011) and China (2012).

Smith maintains significant external engagement through eating disorder advocacy, serving on NHS complex case review panels, Kings College London research initiatives, and Oxford University's Emerging Minds Advisory Group. Her professional affiliations include former committee roles in FLIGHT (PATH) and ASET, where she organized the 2011 PATH conference.