Lola Dada is the Head of Department, and a Professor of Entrepreneurship, at the Department of Entrepreneurship and Strategy, Management School, Lancaster University. She has previously been the Director of the PhD Programme in the Department, an Associate Editor for the Journal of Small Business Management, and a Visiting Scholar at the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in Vienna, Austria.

Professor Dada has a BSc degree (First Class Honours) in Economics, an MSc degree (awarded with Distinction) in Corporate and International Finance, and a PhD degree (awarded with no corrections) in Management. Prior to joining Lancaster University Management School in 2009, she worked at the Durham University Business School and the University of Surrey School of Management, UK, where she also obtained her Masters and Doctorate degrees, respectively. She is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, UK.

Lola's core research areas are in entrepreneurship, innovation, franchising and strategy. Her research has been funded by various bodies, including the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the British Academy (BA)/ Leverhulme in the UK. From 2018-2022, she was a Co-Investigator on the RECIRCULATE project 'Driving eco-innovation in Africa: Capacity-building for a safe circular water economy', funded through the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) by UK Research and Innovation. RECIRCULATE was led by Lancaster University, with international partners in Ghana, Nigeria, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana and Kenya.

Professor Dada has been a recipient of various international awards and recognitions. Among others, these include: (1) six Best Paper Awards received in 2023 in the Organisational Transformation, Change and Development Track at the 37^th conference of the British Academy of Management (BAM), as well as in the Networks, Innovation and Policy Track at the 2023 Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ISBE) conference, both held in the United Kingdom; also received in 2018, 2015, 2012 and 2010 at the 32^nd, 29^th, 26^th and 24^th conferences of the International Society of Franchising (ISoF) held in Ecuador, Spain, the United States and Australia, respectively; The ISoF is the premier association for franchising scholars globally; (2) the 2016 ISoF Best Reviewer Award received at the 30^th conference of the ISoF held in the Netherlands; (3) Highly Commended Winner, the 2016 Emerald Literati Network Awards for Excellence; (4) the prize for Best Reviewer in the Distribution Track at the conference of the Australian and New Zealand Marketing Academy (ANZMAC) held in Australia in 2014; (5) the Best Paper Award in the Entrepreneurship Track at the 24^th conference of the British Academy of Management (BAM) in 2010; (6) shortlisted for two Best Paper Awards – the Best Paper in the Entrepreneurial Learning in Organisations Track, and the Best Knowledge Exchange and Transfer Paper – at the 35^th conference of the Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ISBE) held in Dublin in 2012; etc.  

Lola's research has been published in top ranked journals, including Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, Journal of Business Research, Regional Studies, European Journal of Marketing, International Journal of Management Reviews, International Small Business Journal, etc. She has been a reviewer for articles and Special Issues in various journals, including Journal of Business Venturing, Journal of Management Studies, Journal of Small Business Management, Entrepreneurship and Regional Development, International Small Business Journal, British Journal of Management, International Business Review, Management Learning, Journal of Retailing, Journal of Business Research, European Journal of Marketing, International Journal of Hospitality Management, etc. Lola has been a session chair and reviewer for international conferences in the US, UK, Netherlands as well as Spain, Iceland, Australia and Ecuador.

Professor Dada's teaching has been at postgraduate (PG) and undergraduate (UG) levels, including modules on entrepreneurship, franchising, research methods, business ethics and society, organisational behaviour and marketing. She has been invited as a Visiting Professor, a Consultant and an External Examiner for PG and UG degree programmes in Australia, France, Athens, China and the UK.

At Lancaster University, Lola has held various departmental roles, including the Director of UG Programmes (2011-2014); the Director of UG Studies Part 1, i.e. Year 1 (2009-2011); Academic Officer (2014-2016, 2018-2019); Assessment Officer (2018-2019); Equal Opportunities and Disabilities Representative (2014 Michaelmas Term); etc.