Richard
Garforth

Richard is the founder of Human Element Maritime and is completing his Executive PhD at Nottingham Business School.

What motivated you to pursue a PhD and why did you choose Nottingham Business School (NBS)?

I was encouraged to consider Nottingham Trent University by an alumnus who spoke positively about the Professional PhD programme and the support available. At the time, I was looking for a doctoral route that would allow me to remain in full-time employment while undertaking rigorous research with practical application. Having spent more than 30 years in the maritime industry, both at sea and ashore, I had become increasingly concerned about the challenges affecting seafarer wellbeing and the tensions that existed between different stakeholder groups. The Professional PhD at NTU offered the opportunity to investigate these issues in a live organisational environment, contribute to academic knowledge, and produce findings capable of influencing industry practice. The COVID-19 pandemic further reinforced the importance of wellbeing and strengthened my desire to undertake research that could make a meaningful difference.

How has the PhD programme at NBS impacted your career progression and personal growth?

The Professional PhD at Nottingham Business School has had a profound impact on both my career and personal development. It strengthened my ability to think critically, challenge assumptions through evidence, and influence organisational decision-making through research rather than opinion. My work on seafarer wellbeing enabled me to make an original contribution to maritime knowledge while remaining embedded in industry practice.Professionally, the doctorate enhanced my credibility as an executive HR leader and provided the foundation for establishing Human Element Maritime™, where I now translate research into practical solutions that improve workforce resilience, leadership effectiveness and organisational performance across the maritime sector. The programme demonstrated how academic rigour can create meaningful business and societal impact.Personally, the five-year journey developed resilience, confidence and self-awareness. Balancing doctoral study alongside a demanding leadership career was challenging, but it proved to be one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. It changed not only how I work, but how I view leadership, wellbeing and the human element of organisational success.

What is your current job title and responsibilities?

I currently serve as Head of HR at Bibby Marine Ltd, where I lead the people agenda across the organisation, with responsibility for workforce strategy, organisational development, leadership capability, employee relations, talent management, wellbeing, and HR governance. My role involves partnering with senior leaders to ensure the organisation has the capability, culture and resilience required to achieve its strategic objectives. This includes supporting both shore-based and offshore employees within a complex maritime operating environment.Alongside my corporate role, I am the Founder of Human Element Maritime™, a consultancy dedicated to improving workforce resilience, leadership effectiveness, wellbeing and organisational performance across the maritime sector. Human Element Maritime™ was established as a direct extension of my doctoral research, enabling me to translate academic insights into practical solutions for organisations seeking to strengthen the human element of business performance.Balancing these two roles allows me to combine executive leadership with independent research and consultancy. The experience gained at Bibby Marine provides valuable operational insight, while Human Element Maritime™ creates opportunities to apply evidence-based approaches across the wider maritime industry. Together, they reflect my commitment to bridging the gap between academic research and real-world practice, ensuring that people-centred leadership contributes to both organisational success and workforce wellbeing.

What aspects of the PhD programme did you find most valuable?

One of the most valuable aspects of the PhD programme was the combination of structured research training and practical academic experience. The training provided a strong foundation for understanding research methodologies, critically evaluating academic literature and designing rigorous empirical research.

I also greatly valued the support and guidance from my supervisors, who encouraged me to develop my own research interests while providing constructive feedback throughout the PhD journey. Having a supportive supervisory relationship was particularly important during the more challenging stages of doctoral research.

The opportunity to teach during my doctoral studies was another particularly valuable aspect of the programme. It allowed me to develop my teaching and communication skills alongside my research and gave me valuable experience of working with students.

I also greatly appreciated the opportunities to participate in academic conferences and international research events. Presenting my work to different academic audiences allowed me to receive valuable feedback, improve my research and gain confidence as a researcher. These events also provided opportunities to build relationships with researchers from different institutions and countries.

Overall, the combination of research training, teaching experience, academic conferences, international exposure and networking gave me a much broader understanding of what an academic career involves and prepared me well for my transition into a faculty position.

Were there any specific skills or knowledge areas from your PhD that have been particularly useful in your career?

My PhD was particularly valuable in developing my quantitative research and digital skills. My research involved extensive empirical analysis, which gave me substantial experience with statistical and econometric techniques and research software such as Stata, EViews and Python.

Beyond technical skills, the PhD strengthened my ability to formulate research questions, critically evaluate evidence, manage and analyse large datasets, interpret empirical findings and communicate complex ideas clearly.

My teaching experience during the programme was also particularly useful in developing my ability to explain quantitative concepts to students with different levels of prior knowledge. This helped me become more confident in translating complex academic concepts into accessible and engaging teaching.

These skills are highly transferable to my academic career, particularly in corporate finance and sustainable finance, where rigorous empirical analysis, digital research skills and the ability to work with complex corporate and financial data are increasingly important.

Did you participate in any extracurricular activities or leadership opportunities during your PhD? If so, how did they contribute to your experience?

Yes. Alongside my doctoral research and teaching, I actively participated in a range of academic activities and professional service.

I presented my research at academic conferences and international research events, which helped me develop my academic communication and presentation skills and learn how to engage with researchers from different backgrounds.

I also contributed to the organisation of academic symposia and conferences and served as a conference chair at a British Academy of Management (BAM) conference session. These experiences gave me valuable exposure to the organisation and management of academic events, as well as opportunities to engage with researchers beyond my own institution.

In addition, I have undertaken peer-review activities for academic journals. Reviewing research by other scholars helped me develop a more critical perspective on research design, methodology and academic writing, while also giving me a better understanding of the peer-review and publication process.

Together, these experiences helped me develop not only as a researcher, but also as an active member of the wider academic community. They strengthened my confidence, leadership, communication and professional skills and prepared me for the responsibilities of an academic career.

How has the network you built at NBS influenced your career or professional opportunities?

The academic network I developed during my PhD has had a meaningful influence on my career development and professional opportunities.

During my time at NBS, I had several opportunities to collaborate academically with KEDGE Business School. These included multiple exchanges and collaborative activities between Nottingham Business School and KEDGE, as well as participation in an academic conference on Corporate Responsibility organised in collaboration with KEDGE and other institutions in Cambridge.

These experiences allowed me to meet academics from different institutions, understand different academic environments and develop professional relationships beyond my own university. They also gave me greater exposure to international academic communities and helped me develop a broader professional network.

This network became particularly valuable when I was considering my next academic career step. Through these collaborations, I had already become familiar with KEDGE's academic environment, international outlook and research culture. These experiences contributed to my decision to apply for an academic position there and helped me understand how my research and teaching interests could fit within the institution.

More broadly, the network I developed at NBS gave me the confidence, relationships and professional exposure to pursue opportunities within the international academic community.

What advice would you give to a prospective student considering a PhD programme?

My advice would be to make sure that you are genuinely motivated to undertake a PhD before starting the journey. A PhD is very different from a taught degree: it requires a high degree of independence, resilience, patience and self-motivation. There will inevitably be periods when progress feels slow or when the research does not develop exactly as planned.

For that reason, I believe you need both the courage to start and the determination to continue. A PhD is not simply about completing a thesis; it is about developing the ability to think independently, deal with uncertainty and contribute something original to your field.

I would also encourage prospective students to make full use of the opportunities available during the programme. Attend conferences, present your research, engage with other researchers, build your academic network and seek feedback. My own experience of teaching, presenting at conferences, participating in academic events and undertaking peer review showed me that the doctoral experience can extend far beyond the thesis itself.

Above all, choose a research topic that you genuinely care about and be prepared to persevere. A PhD requires commitment and resilience, but it can also be one of the most rewarding experiences of your academic and professional life.