Tim Bicknell

Tim Bicknell was appointed President of Dublin Business School in April 2024, taking the helm of Ireland's largest independent higher education institution with approximately 9,000 students. The school is owned by Kaplan Inc., part of Graham Holdings Company. Bicknell noted that Kaplan had built DBS into a global institution with high academic standards and a supportive student-focused culture.

Bicknell held the position of General Manager at RaboDirect Ireland for six years, where he built the subsidiary into a significant operation with €3.6 billion in deposits from over 80,000 customers. Prior to RaboDirect, he held senior management positions within Permanent TSB as Head of Analytics, CRM and Digital Banking. More specifically, he served as Head of Personal and Digital Banking at PTSB from 2008-2009 and Head of Analytics, CRM and Digital Banking from 2009-2012.

Bicknell holds an MBA in Business from University College Dublin (2000-2001) and a degree in Economics and Politics from the University of Exeter (1990-1993). He also completed executive education at the University of Oxford in 2018. Beyond his formal roles, Bicknell has served as a mentor to high-potential startups at Enterprise Ireland since 2016, and was founder and managing director of Deep Cove (2018-2024), serving as a non-executive director at UX Design Institute. Prior to his presidency, he served as chairman of advisory boards at Dublin Business School.

Career History

• 2024-Present: President, Dublin Business School
• 2018-2024: Founder and Managing Director, Deep Cove
• 2012-2018: General Manager, RaboDirect Ireland
• 2009-2012: Head of Analytics, CRM and Digital Banking, PTSB
• 2008-2009: Head of Personal and Digital Banking, PTSB

What Tim Bicknell could bring to his role as President of Dublin Business School: Drawing on his extensive background in digital banking innovation, customer relationship management, and successful deposit-gathering at RaboDirect, Bicknell is positioned to drive DBS's digital transformation and student experience enhancements. His experience building consumer trust in financial services, combined with his startup mentorship work and deep knowledge of the Irish business landscape, could help DBS strengthen its market position as it transitions under new ownership. His proven ability to scale operations and build institutional reputation suggests he may focus on expanding DBS's international partnerships and enhancing academic quality across its 80-country student body.