He has also worked in leadership roles at the University of Bristol, Royal Holloway, University of London, and at Birmingham where he was Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research and Knowledge Transfer) and then Provost. Adam trained as an economic geographer at the University of Manchester, where his research explored the political economy and regulation of finance, English regionalism, and the economic ‘common sense’.
In 2021, he led a review on behalf of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, that sought to reduce research bureaucracy in government and the wider sector. In November 2024, Adam was appointed as a non-executive director at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. He is on the board of Universities UK and the Universities Superannuation Scheme Limited and has served on a wide range of public bodies and charity boards.