Tribute to the late Peter Grinyer
The School of Management was saddened to learn that Professor Peter Grinyer, Emeritus Professor in our School, passed away last week. The School of Management owes Peter a huge deal. Peter was instrumental in not only introducing Management Studies to St Andrews, but in founding what is now the School of Management 'against the strong opposition from the conservative elements within the University' (his words).
Born in London on 3rd March 1935, Peter was educated at East Ham Grammar School before studying at Balliol College Oxford. Following his BA and subsequent MA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Oxford, Peter obtained his PhD in Applied Economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science, London University. Following lecture- and senior lecture-ships at Hendon College of Technology (now Middlesex University London), Peter moved to City University, where he became Professor of Business Strategy. A few years later, in 1979, Peter joined the University of St Andrews as Esmée Fairbairn Professor of Economics (Finance and Investment).
In St Andrews, Peter started off by holding a number of senior positions. These included being the Head of the Department of Economics (1979-85), taking on the role of Vice-Principal (1985-87), and becoming Acting Principal (1986). In 1987 he founded the Department of Management and became its first Head. Here, his vision was well ahead of current debates on impact. In his view, management departments and schools should simultaneously be places of excellent scholarships and contribute to society more broadly, an ethos that was reflected in his activities as founder of and consultant for numerous companies.
After his retirement, Peter continued to have an active interest in the School; he was always enthusiastic to hear about and discuss current management challenges. To recognise his formative influence on the School of Management and to honour and celebrate his legacy, the School instigated the Peter Grinyer Prize in 2017. This is awarded annually to the best student on the MLitt in Management.
Outside St Andrews, and over the course of his successful career, Peter served academia, policy and practice in numerous ways. The reach of this service extended from being a visiting professor at New York University Stern School of Business and Imperial College, London and an Erskine Fellow at the University of Canterbury, Christchurch New Zealand, to being a Member of the Scottish Legal Aid Board, the Appeal Tribunal of the Competition Commission and the Competition Appeals Tribunal, as well as holding various directorships in the private sector. With five books and over 60 journal articles and book chapters, Peter's influence can be felt widely.
Those of us in the School who had the opportunity to meet Peter remember 'a warm and lovely man', a 'charming old-school academic – very dapper, sharp as a tack and with a twinkly mischief'. He will be missed; his legacy will continue.
