Salman Yousaf

About Me:

Salman is a PhD Candidate in Marketing at UC Business School. His research is at the cross-section of Transformative Service Research and Circular Food Economy to explore how (re)designing food ecosystems can reduce surplus food and enhance overall wellbeing outcomes.

Salman’s doctoral work develops a Regenerative Food-Service Ecosystem framework that offers practitioners and policymakers a pathway to establish Transformative Food-Service Initiatives that engage all stakeholders across system levels to enact and sustain co-creative and circular food practices. As an empirical component of his doctoral study, Salman is working towards co-designing an intervention with Generation Z to tackle household food waste. His research advances the objectives of the circular food economy and Transformative Service Research by closing the loop on surplus food flows while enhancing the wellbeing of people and the planet. His research directly contributes to Sustainable Development Goal 12 – Responsible consumption and production.

Alongside his doctoral program, Salman takes on multiple academic roles at UC Business School, including research and teaching assistant, academic tutor, and workshop facilitator for various courses. 

Research Interests:

Salman’s research interests include Transformative Service Research, service ecosystems, service design, Circular Food Economy, surplus food redistribution initiatives and sustainable consumption. He is also interested in Practice Theory and Activity Theory as lenses for understanding systemic change.

Education:

PhD in Marketing, University of Canterbury, New Zealand.

Master of Science in Business and Economics (Advanced Service Management), Karlstad University, Sweden.

Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting), University of Ballarat, Australia.

Supervisors:

Senior supervisor: Joerg Finsterwalder

Co-supervisors: Lucie Ozanne and Denise Conroy

Publications:

• Yousaf, S., Finsterwalder, J., Ozanne, L.K., & Conroy, D.M. (2026). A systematic literature review of Indigenous food sharing practices to inform the design of transformative foodservice initiatives and experiences. International Journal of Quality and Service Sciences, 18(2), 281-322. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJQSS-09-2025-0239
• Yousaf, S., Finsterwalder, J., Ozanne, L.K., & Conroy, D.M. (2026). Tackling surplus household food: AI’s role in food management and redistribution apps. In Ladhari, R. (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Artificial Intelligence in Marketing. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-75316-9_97-

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=fhGFcD8AAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Salman-Yousaf-11?ev=hdr_xprf

Conference Presentations:

• Yousaf, S., Finsterwalder, J., Ozanne, L., & Denise, C. (2023, December 7). Co-creating sustainability and wellbeing in the circular food economy: A transformative and culturally integrative study of Generation Z’s food consumption practices in Aotearoa, New Zealand [Conference presentation]. New Zealand South Asia Centre annual symposium on marginalities. University of Canterbury, Christchurch, Aotearoa New Zealand.
• Yousaf, S., Finsterwalder, J., Ozanne, L., & Denise, C. (2024, April 10 – 12). The circular food economy and Gen Z: A study of food consumption and redistribution practices in Aotearoa New Zealand [Conference Presentation]. UCBS Ecosystems Symposium, Christchurch, Aotearoa New Zealand.
• Yousaf, S., Finsterwalder, J., Ozanne, L., & Denise, C. (2024, July 9). Co-created wellbeing in Regenerative Food-Service Ecosystems: A Transformative Service Initiative to shape Generation Z’s circular food practices in Aotearoa New Zealand [Poster presentation]. University of Canterbury Business School Post-Graduate Students One-Day Conference: Think Global, Act Local, Christchurch, Aotearoa New Zealand.
• Yousaf, S., Finsterwalder, J., Ozanne, L., & Denise, C. (2025, June 3). Embedding Indigenous food sharing practices into the Transformative Service Initiative to address food insecurity and waste in Aotearoa New Zealand [Conference presentation]. VIII International Scientific Conference on Economic Sciences for Agribusiness and Rural Economy: Food systems’ security and resilience, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Poland.
• Yousaf, S., Finsterwalder, J., Ozanne, L., & Denise, C. (2025, October 13 – 16). Shaping Generation Z’s wasteful food consumption practices by instigating a Transformative Service Initiative [Conference presentation]. 8th International Adaptation Futures Conference (AF2025): Accelerating climate adaptation in an uncertain world, Christchurch, Aotearoa New Zealand.
• Yousaf, S., Finsterwalder, J., Ozanne, L., & Denise, C. (2025, November 7). A review of Indigenous food sharing practices to inform the design of a transformative service initiative to redistribute surplus food [Conference presentation and Poster presentation]. 2025 UC Business School Graduate Research Collective Conference: Shaping the future of business, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, Aotearoa New Zealand.
• Yousaf, S., Finsterwalder, J., Ozanne, L., & Denise, C. (2025, November 25). Indigenous food sharing practices to inform the design and experiences of contemporary Transformative Service Initiatives [Conference presentation]. 2025 eGrad School Global Conference – Indigenous knowledge in global research: Celebrating and amplifying voices, Queensland University of Technology, Australia.
• Yousaf, S., Finsterwalder, J., Ozanne, L., & Denise, C. (2025, November 26 – 28). A co-designed Transformative Service Initiative to shape Generation Z’s food consumption practices [Conference presentation]. Australasian Business Ethics Network Conference (ABEN), Charles Sturt University, Bathurst, Australia.
• Yousaf, S., Finsterwalder, J., Ozanne, L., & Denise, C. (2026, July 29 – 31). Transformative Service Initiatives for Circular Food Practices: A Conceptual Framework [Conference presentation]. The 39^th global research conference on marketing and entrepreneurship, American Marketing Association – Entrepreneurial Marketing SIG Doctoral Consortium 2026, Christchurch, Aotearoa New Zealand.

Awards and Honours: 

• UC Sustainable Development Goals PhD scholarship recipient.
• Twice a winner of the Best Poster Award at the UCBS Graduate Research Collective Conference 2024 and 2025.
• 3^rd Place, UC Business School three-minute thesis (3MT) heat 2025.
• Finalist, Exhibit Your Thesis competition, UC Central Library 2025.

Other

• PhD students representative and a member of UC Business School Graduate Research Collective, Feb 24 – to date. 
• UC Global Leaders Programme, Apr 2024 – Oct 2024.
• UC Business School CQ Certificate 2024.

Why did you choose UC?

I chose UC for its unmatched facilities, strong research impact, 5-star QS ranking, and commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. There is no doubt that the university is equipped with exceptional resources that support academic excellence and create opportunities to collaborate with like-minded researchers and individuals. Furthermore, my supervisors at UC are leading thought leaders in their fields, with outstanding publication records that align with my research interests. 

Best things about study at UC?

UC feels like a second home to me, where students are supported both intellectually and personally. In addition to developing academic skills, the university provides a well-rounded environment and facilities that enable students to flourish and succeed.