Dr Kate Davis

Background

I am Head of Client Solutions and Proposition Design at Cranfield University, where I lead the development of integrated, multidisciplinary solutions for organisations facing complex strategic and operational challenges.

My role brings together expertise from across the University, including research, consultancy, education, executive development, intellectual property, specialist facilities and external partnerships. I work with senior clients and Cranfield colleagues to understand organisational needs, develop evidence-based propositions and create solutions that deliver meaningful and sustainable outcomes.

I have more than 20 years' experience across higher education, project management, executive education, academic leadership, research, consultancy, curriculum development and industry engagement. Before moving into my current role, I was an Associate Professor and Academic Director at Cranfield School of Management.

My academic expertise centres on projects, stakeholders, governance, complexity, organisational learning and leadership. I am particularly interested in translating rigorous academic research into practical approaches that help organisations and leaders make better decisions in complex environments.

Research opportunities

My research focuses on the behavioural, organisational and governance dimensions of projects and complex organisational environments.

Key areas of interest include project success and failure; stakeholder management and stakeholder behaviour; project governance; project manager replacement; leadership and decision-making in complex projects; organisational learning; complexity and antifragility; and stakeholder engagement in major infrastructure and sustainability transitions.

I am particularly interested in why projects do not always behave as formal governance systems predict, including the effects of stakeholder perceptions, normalisation of deviance, unexpected disruption, leadership transitions and organisational responses to uncertainty.

A further strand of my work explores experiential and simulation-based management education and how simulations can support leadership development, decision-making and learning from complex or high-risk situations.

My recent research also addresses sustainability and net-zero projects, humanitarian projects, interorganisational stakeholder engagement and the changing nature of project leadership.

Current activities

I currently lead Cranfield University's Client Solutions and Proposition Design function.

My work includes establishing the operating model for this pan-university capability; leading client discovery and co-design; developing integrated commercial propositions; mobilising major bids; and bringing together academic, research, innovation, commercial, finance, legal, marketing and senior leadership colleagues around major client opportunities.

A central part of my role is identifying where Cranfield's existing capabilities can be combined or packaged in new ways to address priority client and sector challenges.

Alongside this work, I remain research active in project management, stakeholder behaviour, governance, complexity and leadership. I continue to publish, collaborate internationally, contribute to doctoral supervision and examination, and maintain strong links between academic research, executive education and organisational practice.

My current research and publication activity includes project leadership, project governance, stakeholder engagement, reference class forecasting, project manager replacement, organisational responses to disruption, sustainability and experiential leadership development.

Clients

I work with organisations across government, defence, infrastructure, advanced engineering, technology, energy and other complex organisational environments.

My experience includes the design and leadership of executive and organisational development programmes for major organisations, as well as engagement with public-sector, international and professional organisations.

In my current role, I work with senior clients to identify strategic needs and develop multidisciplinary Cranfield propositions that can combine research, consultancy, education, executive development, intellectual property, specialist facilities, testing and external partnerships.

My focus is on developing long-term strategic relationships rather than standalone interventions, ensuring that Cranfield's capabilities are configured around the outcomes clients are seeking to achieve.

Publications

• Articles in journals
• Conference papers
• Books