Getting to know... Robyn Liddle

In the latest instalment of Bdaily’s Getting to know... feature, which looks at the person behind the business profile, Robyn Liddle, business development manager at Northumbria University, talks about growing up in a pub, her journey into higher education, championing collaboration across the North East and her passion for food, creativity and the North East…

We know you as Arrow business development manager at Northumbria University, but who is the person behind the title? Tell us a little about what makes you tick…

I think my friends and family would describe me as always up for a laugh, very sociable, and friendly.

I grew up in a pub, and I think always treating others with kindness, respect, and a good level of customer service has spilled over to my work and personal life.

I’m a big foodie. I really love trying new restaurants, buying new cookbooks, and seeing what ‘big cook’ I can try over the weekend.

I’m pretty down to earth, and what makes me tick really is working with others and contributing towards a shared purpose or goal.

A great example of that is the Arrow programme, where I get to work across four North East universities to connect local businesses with support they didn’t even know was out there.

Did you always want to work in the higher education sector?

I’ve always gone with the flow a bit as opportunities have arisen.

I’d heard higher education was a good sector to work in, but more than anything I wanted to find somewhere that would support my personal development and give me diverse challenges.

I had no real idea of the breadth of work done by universities until I started here.

I started my career as an apprentice at Boots UK. They used to have a Future Leaders programme where you’d try one-year rotations in different roles, and that really opened my eyes that there are so many roles, even within a single business, that you don’t fully understand until you get stuck in.

Northumbria University has been a great employer to work for.

They’ve really supported my apprenticeship journey, and I completed a Degree Apprenticeship in late 2023.

What’s the best bit about your job? And the worst?

The thing I most enjoy about my role is building connections between business and the university.

Like my experience of entering the sector, most businesses aren’t aware of the breadth of support and opportunity that comes with university collaborations and partnerships.

I currently support a programme called Arrow, where Northumbria, Newcastle, Sunderland and Durham universities collaborate to provide funded support to local businesses.

It’s a brilliant way for businesses to get a first taste of working with a university, and I love that all four institutions work together in a non-competitive way to make sure a business gets the support they need.

The worst bit is probably when a partnership or opportunity doesn’t come together.

You can put a lot of time and energy into building a relationship, and sometimes the timing or fit just isn’t right.

But that’s the nature of it, and the ones that do work out more than make up for it.

What do you consider to be your greatest achievement?

My greatest achievement was finishing my Degree Apprenticeship.

Despite working in HE now, I had an early experience of university when I was 19 where I dropped out of a degree programme.

It had really knocked my confidence and had me doubt I could ever complete a university course.

My younger self would be quite surprised by how it all worked out.

How do you relax outside of work?

I really enjoy running.

To start with it isn’t exactly the most relaxing pastime, but getting outside (especially if Newcastle finally has some sun) really does help clear my head and get those endorphins flowing.

My runs often end with a nice coffee and something from a bakery, because you can’t run past a good bakery.

What makes the North East such a great place to live and work?

The North East is full of friendly, warm, and creative people!

We have everything: the countryside, coastline and cities.

I’m originally from Nottingham, so I’m very much a proud adopted Geordie.

Tell us something about you we didn’t know…

I’m a creative myself.

I really enjoy illustration and printmaking, mostly screen and digital prints of local pubs and landmarks.

You can find my work under @robynprints on Etsy.

I’d like to do more of that, but life’s always a bit of a balancing act, eh?

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