Dr. Dave Alton is a Lecturer in the Business School at University College Cork, within the Department of Management & Marketing. His teaching primarily focuses on Digital Marketing and Strategy, covering topics such as Search Engine Marketing, Digital Advertising, Digital Culture, Content Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Data Analytics, Business Models, Artificial Intelligence, and Branding. Within his teaching he also explores the critical dimensions of marketplace cultures, particularly the impact of big tech on society and global markets. Dave is a LEGO Serious Play Facilitator, has certificates in case writing and teaching from The Case Centre, and has undertaken courses in AI Marketing & Strategy, accredited by the Chartered Marketing Institute (CIM) and Manchester Metropolitan University. 

Within the business school he serves on multiple school and college-level committees related to Curriculum Development and Learning & Teaching. Additionally, he is Chair of the Business School's Assurance of Learning (AOL) Committee and is Postgraduate Research (PhD) Coordinator with the Department of Management & Marketing, where he also sits on the Business School's Postgraduate Research Committee. He is a former Programme Director on the MSc Management & Marketing.

His international lecturing experience includes engagements at Southbank University and the University of Greenwich, both located in central London (UK). He integrates research-led teaching with a practice-oriented approach, embedding digitization into module content, learning outcomes, and assessment strategies to equip students with the skills required to thrive in a digital economy. Since joining UCC he has developed a suite of new digital marketing modules within UCC and has taught across undergraduate, postgraduate, and MBA levels, primarily teaching into the MSc Management & Marketing, MSc Marketing, BComm, BSc International Business, and Executive MBA. His teaching excellence has been recognized through multiple nominations for the UCC President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching & Learning, winning a team award in 2023.

Dave's research spans sports marketing, consumer culture, digitization, SME management, and technology-enabled learning. He has a strong record of scholarly contributions, including peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, case studies, and conference presentations at institutions such as Regent’s University (London), Northumbria University (Newcastle), University of Salerno (Amalfi Coast), Cardiff University, University of Edinburgh, University of Birmingham, along with a number of national conference venues. On the conference circuit his work has been presented at the Academy of Marketing (UK), the STEP Global Summit for Family Business, the Academy of Marketing Science, the Institute for Small Business & Entrepreneurship, Irish Academy of Management, Macromarketing, Industrial Marketing Practice, among others.

Research Grants

Beyond academia, Dave maintains strong industry ties, serving as a consultant, advisor, and company director across the food and beverage, fashion, retail, pharmaceuticals, sports, non-profit, alcohol, and technology sectors. He has secured multiple funding awards and investment for various enterprises and works closely with startups, having mentored over a dozen companies through national accelerator programs. His insights have shaped industry best practices, leading to an invitation to join the Marketing Institute of Ireland’s National Marketing Framework Panel.

He is a member of the All-Ireland Family Business Research Network and a key contributor to a cross-border Ireland-Scotland Bilateral Network project, focusing on sustainability in the food and beverage sector. His work has been widely disseminated, reaching audiences through academic and industry conferences, media appearances, and podcasts blending academic and practitioner perspectives.

Dr. Alton also serves as an external examiner for multiple higher education institutions, contributing to the academic oversight of marketing and business programs.

Qualifications

During his time at University College Cork, Dave has undertaken the following academic roles: 

Programme Director Roles

• Programme Co-Director: MSc Management & Marketing (2021-2026)

Academic Administration (UCC)

• Co-Chair: Academy of Marketing Conference (2025)
• PhD Coordinator: Department of Management & Marketing (2026-Present)
• Committee Member: Business School Postgraduate Research Committee (2026-Present)
• Committee Chair: Business School, Assurance of Learning Committee (2024-Present)
• Interview Panel Chair: Career Services Office (2025 & 2026)
• Committee Member: MSc Marketing Programme Academic Board of Studies (2020-2026)
• Committee Member: MSc Management & Marketing Programmatic Review (2025)
• Committee Member: Business School, Assurance of Learning Committee (2019-2024)
• Committee Member: College Curriculum Committee [College of Business & Law] (2019-Present)
• Committee Member: College Teaching & Learning Committee [College of Business & Law] (2018-2024)
• Committee Member: University Procurement Selection & Evaluation Panel (2023-2024)
• Programme Approval Member: Irish Management Institute (2019, 2020, 2022)
• Review Panel Member: FDC Scholarship [MSc Management & Marketing] (2024 & 2025)
• Tutorial Director: Department of Management & Marketing (2018-2021)

External Roles

• Panel Member: Marketing Institute of Ireland National Marketing Framework (2024-Present)
• External Examiner: Technological University of the Shannon (2023-Present); South East Technological University (2023-Present); Technological University of Dublin (2024-Present)
• Guest-Editor: Journal of Marketing Management (2026-Present)
• Executive Board Member: Academy of Marketing (UK) (2024-Present)
• Affiliate Member: STEP Global Consortium for Family Business (2024-Present)
• Member: All-Ireland Family Business Research Network (2024-Present)
• Journal & Book Peer-Reviewer: Journal of Marketing Theory (2024-Present); Consumption, Markets & Culture (2025-Present); Sage (2021)
• Conference Peer-Reviewer: Academy of Marketing [UK] (2017-Present)
• PhD Symposium Invited Discussant: Irish Academy of Management (2023 & 2024) 
• PhD Proposal Reviewer: Munster Technological University [MTU] (2023-2025)
• New Programme External Reviewer: IT Carlow (2020)