2025 Best 40-Under-40 MBA Professors: Richard Hodgett, Leeds University Business School

 

Richard Hodgett
Leeds University Business School

“Richard is an outstanding professor not only by means of his accomplishments and research but as a supportive and engaging teacher and mentor as well. His teaching methods help students to process complex information in a way that is useful and practical for real world instances. Apart from his academic background and skills, Richard has created various decision making tools that have assisted a number of large scale industries and have even been a critical component in helping such industries arrive at needed solutions. It further shows his skills and expertise and not just an academia.” – Kiya Mohammed

Richard Hodgett, 39, is an Associate Professor in Business Analytics and Decision Sciences and the MBA director at the University of Leeds. Formerly an Innovation Specialist, he joined Leeds University Business School over a decade ago to establish the MSc in Business Analytics and Decision Sciences. After leading this program, he became the Director of Student Education for the Management department. 

At the age of 36, Richard was appointed as the MBA Director, where he has since led the restructuring and development of the Leeds MBA. Today the Leeds MBA is #72 globally in the QS rankings, and #37 in Europe, according to the Financial Times. Richard’s teaching philosophy centers on conveying analytical and decision-making methods through practical, real-world cases that stem from his research working with industry.

Richard’s academic journey is marked by his continued success in securing substantial funding from several prestigious bodies, including UK Research Councils, Innovate UK, and the European Union. As a multi-disciplinary researcher, he is deeply invested in solving applied analytical and decision problems. He has made several contributions to industry, having supervised the development of various practical tools. These include a system to predict new musical talent, a decision support system for the pharmaceutical and specialty chemical sectors, and the optimization of customer returns for an international logistics company. Additionally, Richard is playing a pivotal role in integrating AI and machine learning into business intelligence dashboards for the legal sector.

Throughout his career, Richard has been very fortunate to collaborate with some of the most brilliant minds in his field, which has greatly enriched his professional and research endeavors. His work continues to bridge the gap between academia and industry, driving innovation and practical solutions in business analytics and decision sciences.

BACKGROUND

At current institution since what year? 2014

Education: PhD, “Multi-criteria decision-making in whole process design”, Newcastle University; MEng, Product Design and Development, Queens University Belfast

List of MBA courses you currently teach: Management Decision Making, Analytical Thinking and Data Management

TELL US ABOUT LIFE AS A BUSINESS SCHOOL PROFESSOR

I knew I wanted to be a business school professor when… aged 14 in the same week as a school teacher told my mother I wasn’t paying attention, I received my first cheque from a client of the web development company I set up. That moment developed my passion for business, and led to my aspiration to make learning interesting, engaging and applied.

What are you currently researching and what is the most significant discovery you’ve made from it? Working in the field of business analytics and decision science allows me the flexibility to select projects that captivate my personal interest. I focus on applied research, collaborating with industry partners across diverse sectors to address complex challenges that demand innovative methodologies and strategic, collaborative problem-solving.

One significant breakthrough in my research has been the development of a new decision-making method called Simulated Uncertainty Range Evaluations (SURE). This method is designed to assist decision-makers when faced with high levels of uncertainty. Currently, I am leading a project to create an easy-to-use web-based tool that incorporates SURE. If you’re interested in a sneak peek at the tool before its official release, feel free to check out the preview at https://decision.help

If I weren’t a business school professor… I’d likely be a building surveyor, property developer or work in financial services. Over the past 15 years, I have developed a strong passion for property development. It all began at the end of my PhD when my partner and I purchased a rundown narrowboat and restored it. From there, we took on a derelict Victorian house, complete with a precarious hole at the front door leading straight into the cellar! Years later, we became the proud owners of a stunning 17th-century cottage, which we stripped back to its original stone. Over the past decade, we’ve moved five times, each time acquiring larger, older properties in need of renovation. I make the most of my engineering degrees by doing most of the renovation work myself. 

What do you think makes you stand out as a professor? I excel in teaching complex analytical methods by avoiding the use of equations and instead demonstrating how they work using step-by-step approaches with real-world examples and case studies. I am deeply committed to the success of my students and strive to enable them to make a significant impact on the world and achieve well-deserved and substantial salaries. 

One word that describes my first time teaching: Stressed. After rushing to complete a project several months ahead of schedule in my previous role, I found myself with 2-3 weeks to prepare for teaching two brand new modules. I’m pleased the students didn’t notice how challenging it was for me at the time!

Here’s what I wish someone would’ve told me about being a business school professor: You can be the smartest person in the room, but without the gift of the gab, all that intelligence won’t get you very far (which applies to students, just as much as professors). 

Professor I most admire and why: It would have to be Professor Susan Hodgett (my mum). Her research and teaching areas are completely different from mine, as she uses qualitative approaches to theorize Area Studies. Despite starting her academic career later, having previously worked in politics, and secondary teaching, she completed her PhD after 40, excelled remarkably, and is now running a research centre on New Area Studies at the University of East Anglia. She served as President of various Canadian Studies and Area Studies Councils, nationally and internationally, and represented her interdisciplinary research field as Sub-panel Chair of the UK’s Higher Education’s Research Excellence Framework. Remarkably, she achieved all of this while raising two troublemakers, my sister and me.

TEACHING MBA STUDENTS

What do you enjoy most about teaching business students? Their curiosity, their genuine desire for new knowledge while using prior experiences to help tackle difficult problems in different ways. 

What is most challenging? Pitching teaching at the right level not to leave anyone behind and not bore the people who have done it before. 

In one word, describe your favorite type of student: Resilient

In one word, describe your least favorite type of student: Inconsiderate

When it comes to grading, I think students would describe me as… Transparent and hopefully fair. 

LIFE OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM

What are your hobbies? Going on adventures with my wife, 2 kids and 2 dogs. Besides that, I like building and tinkering with things. I recently set up a home automation system on my server after fitting solar tiles and re-roofing our house. 

How will you spend your summer? Teaching analytics and AI to the MBAs, followed by some quality time away with family and friends, ending with the MBA study tour in Berlin. 

Favorite place(s) to vacation: Bansko, Bulgaria – fun skiing in the winter, adventures exploring mountains in the summer, thermal springs, great food, nice people and inexpensive beer.  

Favorite book(s): (self-promotion alert!) Smart Decisions: A Structured Approach to Decision Analysis Using MCDA published by Wiley, available in all good bookstores!

What is currently your favorite movie and/or show and what is it about the film or program that you enjoy so much? I’ve recently enjoyed the latest season of Black Mirror. Some of the dystopian futures depicted are eerily plausible. 

What is your favorite type of music or artist(s) and why? I think being a Professor I’m supposed to state some kind of classical music but for me I really love electronic dance music. Sadly, my clubbing days seem to be behind me but my go to music remains house and DnB. 

THOUGHTS AND REFLECTIONS

If I had my way, the business school of the future would have much more of this… practice based experiential learning. I’m excited to see what opportunities future technologies might bring. In the short term, I’m particularly interested in the possibilities that VR simulations can offer. Providing a safe space to practice and prepare for job interviews or salary negotiations will undoubtedly help our students become more resilient and better prepared for challenges in the real-world.

In my opinion, companies and organizations today need to do a better job at… improving their understanding of AI, recognizing the value it can bring, and improving data management to effectively utilize it.

I’m grateful for… my wise, intelligent and supportive wife Louise (who is also a business school professor) and our two wonderful children, Sophie and Tom. 

DON’T MISS: THE ENTIRE 2025 ROSTER OF THE WORLD’S BEST 40-UNDER-40 MBA PROFESSORS