About
Fern is a Lecturer in the Strategic Operations and Analytics subject group in the School of Management. Following a degree in BSc Business Management and career as an elite GB athlete, she was awarded a PhD scholarship in Swansea to critically explore the relationship between business and society, specifically in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Whilst some would label this CSR, Fern’s research sought insight from a diverse array of related areas such as business ethics, morality and the sociology of economic behaviour.
During the final year of her PhD, Fern progressed to a project management position in Swansea University Medical School. She played a key role in supporting innovative businesses spanning across three key growth sectors of Ireland and Wales in order to promote economic prosperity. It was at this point that her research interests diversified to innovation management, innovation as a creator of strategy and sustainable competitive advantage and cross border innovation ecosystems, clusters and networks. Through this experience and now as co-director of the project, Fern has worked with businesses and academics in numerous sectors and fields. These are inclusive but not limited to sport, health and life science, renewable energy and food and drink and include collaborations with Sport Wales and the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).
Fern is currently enrolled on a Postgraduate Certificate in Developing Higher Education and is involved with modules such as Strategic Analysis and Implementation, Final Year Project (partnered with industry), Business Skills, Corporate Social Responsibility, Business Ethics, and The Global Context of Business. She is currently co-ordinating the MSc Dissertation module and has presented her research at international conferences such as the British Academy of Management, ISBE and the European Conference of Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
