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Our people
Our team of renowned academics and specialists deliver innovative research and tailored training that drives real-world business impact. Together, we equip businesses and partners with insights to thrive in a changing economy.
Meet our Centre Director
Professor Rui Torres de Oliveira holds dual positions at the Deakin Small-to-Medium Enterprise Research Centre: as Centre Director and as its Sustainability Lead. Rui has a background in civil engineering, holds an MBA, and earned his doctoral degree in business from Manchester Business School. Before transitioning to academia, Rui spent nearly two decades in the industry, working with multinational companies in various international settings.
He lived in China for over seven years, where he held executive management positions before moving to the USA as an academic. In Australia, he taught and conducted research at the University of Queensland and Queensland University of Technology, before joining Deakin University.
His research interests include strategy, entrepreneurship, innovation, international business and sustainability, with a particular emphasis on their application to multinationals, SMEs and family businesses. He continues to engage with the industry as a consultant and a researcher.
We are your partner for SME expertise in applied research, policy implications and specialised training.
Director, Deakin Small-to-Medium Enterprise Research Centre
Our leaders
Our team brings together renowned academics and specialists with deep expertise in SMEs. We deliver innovative research, tailored training and insights that create real impact for business and policy.
Honorary Professor George Tanewski is the former Director and Policy Advocacy Lead at the Deakin Small-to-Medium Enterprise Research Centre, and one of its founding members since 2013. A Professor of Accounting, George’s research interests include disclosure matters related to financial reporting and corporate governance with a focus on the SME ecosystem and the not-for-profit sector, the value relevance of financial reporting and ownership structure issues associated with both public and private companies.
Professor Andrew Noblet is a professor in the Management discipline group at Deakin Business School and the Wellbeing Theme Lead at the Deakin Small-to-Medium Enterprise Research Centre. Andrew’s recent research has focused on workplace mental health interventions, particularly those that can simultaneously address the work-based sources of health (or ill-health) while also equipping employees with the skills and knowledge to better cope within increasingly complex and challenging working environments.
Professor Rajeev Sharma is a professor in the Information Systems and Business Analytics discipline group at Deakin Business School and the Digital Transformation Theme Lead at the Deakin Small-to-Medium Enterprise Research Centre. He is also Director of the AI and Future of Business research unit. Rajeev’s research focuses on business analytics, digital strategy, innovation management and method bias.
Associate Professor Sam Tavassoli is an associate professor in the Management discipline group at Deakin Business School and the Innovation Theme Lead at the Deakin Small-to-Medium Enterprise Research Centre. He is also an affiliated research fellow at the Centre for Innovation Research (CIRCLE), Lund University, Sweden. His research and teaching focus on the innovation strategies of firms, diversity and innovation, and entrepreneurial ecosystems.
Associate Professor Alfred Presbitero is an associate professor at Deakin Business School and the Internationalisation Theme Lead at the Deakin Small-to-Medium Enterprise Research Centre. He is one of the world’s leading experts in cross-cultural and international management and is also the MBA (International) Director. Alfred also consults and works with organisations across Australia and the Asia Pacific region in the areas of people and culture.
Associate Professor Jeff Shao is an associate professor at Deakin Business School and the Leadership and Growth Theme Lead at the Deakin Small-to-Medium Enterprise Research Centre. His research specialises in leadership, emotions and cross-cultural management. Jeff received Deakin’s 2023 Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Career Excellence and currently serves as Director of the Master of Leadership program and Co-Director of the HDR program.
Pete Williams is a Professor of Practice at Deakin Business School and Consultant Advisor at the Deakin Small-to-Medium Enterprise Research Centre. An entrepreneur and award-winning author, his expertise spans strategic marketing, business growth and innovation, with a career across industries from telecommunications to e-commerce.
Dr Wade Halvorson is an entrepreneurship academic and innovation strategist at Deakin Business School, and Training Lead at the Deakin Small-to-Medium Enterprise Research Centre. His research and teaching focus on entrepreneurial mindset development, decision-making tools for SMEs and the future of work.
Sushmitha Singh is our Operations Manager, an MBA (Cyber Law) graduate from Deakin and Director of Digisafe Education and Training Services, where she leads cross-border initiatives to promote cyber safety awareness among schools, clinics, and SMEs in India and Australia. With experience spanning over 7,000 students and 30+ organisations, she bridges cyber education, leadership, and digital governance.
Dr Ruwan Nagahawatta is a Teaching Fellow in the Information Systems and Business Analytics discipline group at Deakin Business School and a researcher within the Digital Transformation theme at the Deakin Small-to-Medium Enterprise Research Centre. His research focuses on cloud security and privacy in SMEs, human-centric security, IT governance, and AI security. Ruwan also actively contributes to the information systems and cybersecurity research community.
Professor Matthew Fuller-Tyszkiewicz is the Associate Dean for Research and Impact in the Faculty of Health. His work focuses on developing robust methods to assess psychological and physical health conditions and leveraging digital health interventions and data-driven models to improve prevention and wellbeing. Matthew’s expertise in measurement science, e-health tools and longitudinal modelling bridges academic research with practical application in business, policy and community settings.
Rajiv Dube is a Professor of Practice at Deakin Business School. With 30+ years of leadership experience in major Indian conglomerates (including Tata Group and Aditya Birla Group), his expertise spans corporate governance, international trade, sustainability and industry-academic partnerships. At the Centre, Rajiv brings strategic insight into Australia–India business ecosystems, shaping policy dialogues, SME internationalisation and innovation frameworks.
Darren Scammell is an Independent consultant and Professor of Practice at Deakin Business School specialising in financial services, risk management and sustainability reporting. With 40 years’ experience across Australia and the UK, he has advised leading organisations including ANZ, NAB, BUPA and UniSuper. A former Partner at Grant Thornton and KPMG, Darren’s expertise spans accounting, IFRS, integrated reporting and ESG compliance. He is a Fellow and Past President of CA ANZ and has held governance roles such as Chair of Finance and Risk at Haileybury School Melbourne for 15 years.
Associate Professor Santu Rana
Leads the Artificial Intelligence and Analytics theme at the Deakin Small-to-Medium Enterprise Research Centre and plays a key role in Deakin’s Applied Artificial Intelligence Institute. His research focuses on advanced machine-learning methods, Bayesian optimisation and deploying AI systems in industrial and business contexts to enable smarter decision-making and efficiency. Santu brings a data-driven edge to the Centre’s SME innovation and digital transformation agenda.
Professor John Hopkins is from the Department of Management at Deakin Business School. A recognised thought leader on the future of work and organisational flexibility, his research explores hybrid work, flexible work arrangements, workplace resilience, and how emerging technologies such as generative AI can support employee mental wellbeing, productivity, and work design.
Associate Professor Kristijan Mirkovski is the Associate Head of School, International and Transnational Education at Deakin Business School and contributes to the Centre’s Digital Transformation and Innovation themes. His research focuses on digital innovation, SME capability development, technology adoption, open innovation, and human–AI collaboration.
Associate Professor Shea Fan is from the Management discipline group at Deakin Business School and contributes to the Deakin Small-to-Medium Enterprise Research Centre’s Wellbeing theme. Her research program has long centred on employee and entrepreneurial wellbeing, with work examining workplace loneliness, extreme work demands, global mobility, and wellbeing challenges faced by entrepreneurs and migrant business owners.at
Associate Professor Lisa Spagnolo is from Deakin Law School and is a leading international scholar in transnational commercial law, with particular expertise in the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) and cross-border contract harmonisation. Her work spans global contract law, international dispute resolution, digital trade, and the impact of emerging technologies such as AI and smart contracts on cross-border commerce.
Associate Professor Vicki Huang is from Deakin Law School, specialising in intellectual property law and contributing to the Centre’s Innovation theme. Her work examines how patents, trademarks, copyright, AI, and emerging technologies shape innovation and regulatory systems in Australia and internationally.
Dr Annette Nguyen is a Senior Lecturer in Finance at Deakin Business School and contributing to the Deakin Small-to-Medium Enterprise Research Centre’s Internationalisation theme. With over a decade of expertise in asset pricing, factor modelling, and global behavioural finance, Annette’s research provides valuable insights into how firms create value, respond to market signals, and operate within global financial environments. Her work spans top-tier international finance journals and examines cross-market dynamics, including studies of the Chinese and Australian financial markets.
Dr Mony Sok is a Senior Lecturer in Marketing at Deakin Business School and contributes to the Centre’s Leadership theme. Her research focuses on frontline service leadership, employee resilience, psychological climates, technostress, and human-AI interaction – providing rich insights into how leadership behaviours shape employee performance, wellbeing, and service quality.
Dr Kerui Zhai is a lecturer in the Accounting discipline group at Deakin Business School. His research spans corporate reporting, corporate governance, supply chain finance, financial analysts, taxation, and M&A, with a particular focus on emerging issues in sustainability reporting. Kerui contributes to the Deakin Small-to-Medium Enterprise Research Centre across the Sustainability and Leadership themes, drawing on his expertise in sustainability disclosure, governance dynamics, and SME productivity.
Dr Paulina Fishman is a Lecturer in Corporate Law at Deakin University whose research spans corporate insolvency, restructuring, and the regulatory environments that shape organisational practices. As a contributor to the Deakin Small-to-Medium Enterprise Research Centre’s Wellbeing theme, Paulina brings a distinctive legal lens to issues affecting the health and sustainability of small and medium-sized enterprises—particularly around financial distress, governance, and the human impacts of insolvency processes.
Dr Chamari Pushpamali is a research fellow at the Deakin Small-to-Medium Enterprise Research Centre specialising in circular economy, supply chain management and sustainability.
Dr Yang Shi is a Lecturer in the Finance discipline group (Property and Real Estate) at Deakin Business School. Her primary research interests lie in real estate finance and behavioral economics in housing markets. She is also interested in online economics and platforms such as PropTech and FinTech.
Dr Claudio Bozzi is a Lecturer at Deakin Law School and is a recognised authority on civil procedure in Victoria. He has published articles and reviews in leading journals on comparative law, equity, international relations and environmental law and has been editor of two peer-reviewed journals. Claudio’s research interest is in maritime law and shipping law and he actively engages with the wider community and the media on a range of current issues.
Dr Ruwan Nagahawatta is a Teaching Fellow in the Information Systems and Business Analytics discipline group at Deakin Business School and a researcher within the Digital Transformation theme at the Deakin Small-to-Medium Enterprise Research Centre. His research focuses on cloud security and privacy in SMEs, human-centric security, IT governance, and AI security. Ruwan also actively contributes to the information systems and cybersecurity research community.
Yashfeen Qasim is a graduate researcher at Deakin Business School and a PhD candidate in Management with a strong interest in entrepreneurship. Her research examines how gender dynamics shape entrepreneurial ventures, leadership styles, and business development. With a background in HR and operational management, she brings a keen awareness of challenges related to performance, training and development, and organisational growth.
Nils Bayer is a graduate researcher and tutor at Deakin Business School with work experience globally across Japan, Germany, China in the fields of marketing, PR and communications. His research focuses on workplace mental health and entrepreneurship, and he was a finalist at the 2024 Three-Minute Thesis competition. He supports the Centre in our activities relating to SME wellbeing.
Bhim Neopanay is a graduate researcher at Deakin Business School, focusing on organisational wellbeing, with a particular interest in the concept of organisational happiness. He brings over 18 years of experience in Bhutan's public finance sector, having held senior roles such as Deputy Chief Program Officer at the Department of Macro-Fiscal & Development Finance and Director at the National CSI Development Bank Ltd. His expertise encompasses investment analysis, corporate governance, and financial management, providing him with a deep understanding of the financial landscape and strategic initiatives aimed at fostering financial inclusion.
Advisory board
Our Centre is governed by a board of industry experts chosen for their experience and significant contributions to the SME community and to Australian business generally.
Contact us
Send an enquiry to the Deakin Small-to-Medium Enterprise Research Centre
