AUTHOR: Sarah Shaw

Sarah is an industry-embedded academic leader (pracademic), whose career spans 14 years of senior-level experience in business logistics and 12 years in academia. Her logistics industrial background directly informs a substantial portfolio of applied research and knowledge exchange (KE), focused on translating rigorous scholarship into practical solutions for industry.

She is Director of The Logistics Institute and Reader in Logistics and Supply Chain Management at the University of Hull Business School, where she drives sustainability and innovation across global supply chains. Her work centres on enabling organisations to understand, measure, and transform supply chains to deliver meaningful environmental and social impact.

In her previous role as Director of MBA Programmes, she led a full transformation of the MBA portfolio, culminating in AMBA re-accreditation in 2025 and the launch of a QS-ranked Global Online MBA. She also spearheaded the campaign to embed Carbon Literacy Training across the university, achieving Bronze Carbon Literacy Educator status. In addition, she led the development of the BSc Supply Chain Leader Degree Apprenticeship and contributed nationally to the creation of the apprenticeship occupational standard and End Point Assessment, addressing the UK logistics talent gap.

Her external engagement portfolio spans strategic partnerships with organisations including Wren Kitchens, Birds Eye, McCain Foods, The Royal Mint, Kersia Group, Humberside Fire & Rescue, and Team GB. Through collaborative projects, executive education, and Innovate UK–funded initiatives, she embeds academic expertise within organisations to deliver tangible economic, environmental, and societal benefit.

In 2025, she was selected for the prestigious Innovate UK ICURe Female Entrepreneurship Discover Programme as Entrepreneurial Lead, connecting research in sustainability and digital transformation with market application. She is a Fellow, Board Director (Non-Executive), and Trustee of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport UK (CILT), and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. She also serves on the University of Hull’s Sustainability Board and Environmental Sustainability Concordat, contributing expertise in supply chain carbon mapping, carbon blockchain, ESG reporting, and sustainable transformation.

Her mission is to empower organisations and future leaders to build supply chains that are sustainable, resilient, and equitable.