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Philip Churchman

Philip Churchman

  • Position: Research Assistant
  • Areas of expertise: Supply chain; logistics; transport; sustainability transitions; business strategy; information systems; environment
  • Email: P.D.Churchman@leeds.ac.uk

Profile

BA Engineering, Economics and Management – University of Oxford (2-1)

MSc Environmental Sciences – University of East Anglia (Distinction)

PhD Transport Studies – University of Leeds (in progress)

Following a 29 year career as a senior manager and management consultant, in 2019/20 I completed an MSc in Environmental Sciences at the University of East Anglia, winning prizes for the best dissertation on climate change and the highest overall mark.  Building on my dissertation on road freight decarbonisation, I proposed a PhD project to investigate political, socio-technical and organisational aspects of this transition.  I was offered a place and scholarship to do this project at the institute for Transport Studies at the University of Leeds.  I conducted the PhD from 2021 to 2025, and in 2023 I won the University Transport Studies Group Smeed Prize for the best presentation and paper by a PhD student.  

Between 2005 and 2023, apart from the above academic activity, I worked in the insurance, banking and healthcare sectors:

  • Director with Marsh Consulting Services, specialising in physical climate risk for banks
  • Chief Information Officer for Crawford & Company, a global provider of claims management services, responsible for IT strategy, development and operations for the world outside of the USA
  • Director of Strategy and Planning for Aviva General Insurance
  • Independent consultant to insurance service companies, a leading global insurance broker and the NHS

From 1993 to 2005, I was a consultant with Bain, Accenture and Coopers & Lybrand.  I led projects in sectors including chemicals, consumer goods, retail, industrial products, telecoms, high-tech and logistics.  Prior to 1993 I was an engineer and technical sales manager; and qualified as a chartered mechanical engineer.

Between 2010 and 2015, I was an associate tutor and convenor for business strategy and information systems modules for part and full time MBA students at the University of East Anglia. 

Research interests

sustainable mobility; road freight decarbonisation; transport transitions; purposive transition codesign; transition governance; decision pathways; decision making under deep uncertainty; critical realist research

Professional memberships

  • Member of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport