Dr Demetris Tillyris is a leadership scholar, award-winning educator, and public intellectual specialising in leadership, ethics, management and governance, strategic communication, and international affairs. He studied at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), where he completed an MSc in Management, Organisations and Governance, and earned his PhD in Politics and International Relations from the University of Leeds, where his doctoral thesis received a Research Excellence Award. He also holds a First-Class BA (Hons) in Politics and Economics from the University of Manchester, a Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice from Canterbury Christ Church University, and was elected a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) in recognition of his commitment to teaching excellence
Dr Tillyris’s research focuses on leadership, ethics, management, governance, and communication, and has been published in leading Q1 international journals, including the British Journal of Politics and International Relations, Journal of Ethics, Ethical Theory and Moral Practice, Res Publica, Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy, Theoria, Philosophia, and Contemporary Politics.
With more than 15 years of experience in higher education, Dr Tillyris has taught at the University of Manchester, the University of Leeds, and Canterbury Christ Church University, where he served as Reader (Associate Professor). During his academic career, he designed and directed numerous undergraduate and postgraduate programmes across business, leadership, politics, international relations, and sustainability. He is the recipient of multiple Awards for Teaching Excellence and Outstanding Lectures, together with repeated nominations for Outstanding Leadership Awards.
Beyond academia, Dr Tillyris is an active contributor to public debate through keynote addresses, policy commentary, and media interviews for outlets including BBC Radio Kent, KMTV, Kent Online, RTL, RFI, and Mediapart. He was also the founder and director of the Making Politics Matter public lecture series, which has brought together leading politicians, policymakers, business leaders, and internationally recognised scholars to discuss contemporary societal challenges.
At CIM, Dr Tillyris brings a distinctive combination of internationally recognised scholarship, award-winning teaching, leadership expertise, and real-world strategic experience, helping students bridge cutting-edge research with the practical challenges of contemporary business, governance, and public life.
