Gary is a Professor of Entrepreneurship at Northumbria University, and Visiting Professor at Lincoln International Business School.
His research focuses on geographical dimensions of rural entrepreneurship and innovation, particularly the impacts of growing mobility and interdependence between urban and rural areas. The ways in which rural businesses create social as well as economic value, and their contribution to sustainable living environments are all of critical importance for rural scholars and communities alike.
His route to an academic career began at Cambridge where he studied for a degree in Land Economy. Three years working as a commercial property surveyor gave him a good grounding in the real world of business before he was awarded an ESRC scholarship to study for his research masters and PhD in the Centre for Rural Economy at Newcastle University.