Remembering Allan Gibb: A pioneer in the field of small business and entrepreneurship

Abstract

helped establish small business and entrepreneurship as an academic subject in universities across the United Kingdom and Europe. He built an international reputation in the field, contributed to key policy and practitioner developments and established one of the leading enterprise development centres in the United Kingdom. He passed away in December 2019. This short memoriam considers his impact and legacy, and celebrates his contribution to the field. 'diaspora' moved on to practitioner and policy careers in private and public entities such as the Department for International Development (DfID), the World Bank and policy bodies such as the National Centre for Entrepreneurship in Education in the United Kingdom. On retiring in 2000, Allan stayed on as Chair of the SBC's successor-the Foundation for SME Development-until its absorption back into the Business School in 2003. He also forged a successful career as a consultant to multiple organisations, notably the Soros Open Society Institute, and was a key adviser to the National Council for Graduate Entrepreneurship (NCGE), which Entrepreneurial University Leader Programme (EULP). EULP has become a major development programme for university leaders across the United Kingdom and beyond. He received 962889I SB0010.