Professor David Denyer

Areas of expertise

• Safety, Resilience, Risk & Reliability

Background

I am a business school professor who works at the interface between world-class research, academic leadership, and real-world practice. My research and executive education focus on how leaders navigate complex challenges, develop organisational resilience capabilities, and drive transformational change.

Research opportunities

My work is interdisciplinary, allowing me to attract support for large-scale research from diverse funders, including a prestigious ESRC/AIM Fellowship, EPSRC, DEFRA, NERC, Royal Academy of Engineering, Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and the NHS National Institute for Health Research. I publish in leading business and management journals, such as Organization Studies, Academy of Management Annals, Academy of Management Discoveries, Academy of Management Perspectives, Public Administration Review, Organisation Research Methods, International Journal of Management Reviews, British Journal of Management, and in other disciplines such as Safety Science. These papers have attracted more than 30,000 citations (Google Scholar). I have successfully attracted and supported postgraduate students, with a track record of supervising twelve doctoral completions. Policy and practice impact is a top priority, and I served as the primary author of a 4-star rated Impact Case Study for REF 2021. I have been honoured with Fellowships from prestigious institutions, including the Academy of Social Sciences, the British Academy of Management, the Advanced Institute of Management, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, the Higher Education Academy, and the Centre for Evidence-based Management.

Current activities

Working at the forefront of higher education for over two decades, I have held significant senior roles and gained a profound understanding and extensive experience in business schools' landscape, strategy, operations, and culture. As Strategic Business Director within the School of Management, I am instrumental in identifying and securing transformative initiatives that elevate our reputation, drive revenue growth, and amplify our societal impact. As Head of the Leadership and Change Group, I provide strategic guidance to research centres, oversee financial matters, and manage staff. Moreover, as founder and Co-Chair of the Cranfield Resilience and Security Institute, I lead an interdisciplinary initiative engaging academics from all Cranfield schools. Our mission is to bolster the University's global standing as a leader in resilience and security matters through innovative research, engaging with policymakers and leaders at a senior level, and building strategic partnerships.

Clients

Executive development clients:

Neath and Port Talbot Council, EDF, Shell, Sellafield, Air Asia, Centrica, Siemens, Luton and Bedfordshire Combined Fire Service, RedR, Place Group, Lloydmasters, Police Service Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland Prisons Service, Sport England, GKN, HSBC, Virgin Mobile, UNICEF, RedR, National School for Government, Torfaen Local Safeguarding Children Board, Travis Perkins, Aneurin Bevan Health Board, Bourton Group, Welsh Assembly, Office for National Statistics, Virgin Money, NHS South West, Academi Wales, Loreal, HPMA Wales, Nationwide, BG Group, Cabinet Office, Home Office, European Commission, Royal Sun Alliance, Highways England, Kier.

Consultancy and advisory roles with senior executive leadership teams and boards:

Mobilize Financial Services, Civil Aviation Authority, British Standards Institution, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Broadmoor Hospital, Personal Group, European Central Bank, ITV, TJX, QCQ, Network Rail.

Publications

• Articles in journals
• Conference papers
• Books