Dr Claire Brewis joined the Centre for Business in Society as a Postgraduate Research Fellow in 2019, having completed her PhD in the use of big data in strategic marketing at Coventry University. Prior to her PhD Claire completed a Masters degree in Research with the Open University, and a Masters degree in Business Administration at Bradford University.

Claire has more than twenty years’ experience in project management working with public and private sector companies. She has managed strategically-significant projects for organisations such as the BBC and the Open University. She has led complex, international, collaborative projects such as the development of the Aerospace and Defence Academy, and the establishment of overseas offices in South Africa and the Middle East and North Africa for the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply. Her background informs her interest in industry-relevant research.

Claire is a member of the UKRI Early Career Researcher (ECR) Forum and is involved in ECR development at national, local and research centre levels. She contributes to postgraduate researcher (PGR) development for PhDs and DBAs through chairing the renowned PGR seminar series, producing resources such as the Postgraduate Researcher Support Map, and teaching on the DBA programme.

Claire is a qualitative researcher with specialisms in elite interviewing and focus groups. Her research interests are:

• Digital transformation of established firms
• Application of digital technologies and data in business and marketing strategies
• Circular economy business models and business ecosystems
• Research using innovative qualitative methodologies
• Urban / rural digital divide

Currently, Claire is managing a UK Manufacturing Symbiosis Network+ funded project on ‘Restorative Business Models for the Automotive sector and beyond’ (see Projects). The research is investigating potential second lives for degraded hydrogen fuels cells, using circular economy business models. With the current interest in clean energy and circular economy business models, Claire sees this area as having huge potential for postgraduate and industry-directed research.