Mr Nick Worthington
Senior Lecturer
Operations and Analytics
About me:
MSc FCMI FHEA FAPM CMgr C.WEM MCIWEM MICE
Nick joined the University of Exeter in 2024 as a Senior Lecturer, bringing extensive leadership and management experience from across the private, public and charitable sectors, including at senior leadership level. His practitioner background encompasses project and programme management, organisational transformation, infrastructure, business improvement and strategic leadership, alongside experience of international business and innovation and working in cross-cultural teams on European infrastructure programmes.
At Exeter, Nick teaches across project management, strategy, leadership, stakeholder engagement and responsible business. He is a Module Lead within the Project Management Degree Apprenticeship and previously served as Programme Director for the Level 7 Senior Leader Apprenticeship (MSc Strategic Leadership and Management). His wider teaching experience spans Levels 3–7 across a range of UK universities.
Nick's teaching philosophy is strongly informed by his professional experience and a commitment to connecting academic theory with contemporary management practice. Sustainability, responsible leadership and systems thinking are recurring themes within his teaching, with particular emphasis on integrating environmental and social considerations into project and strategic management education rather than treating sustainability as a standalone topic. He has also supervised projects within the UN Sustainable Development Goal-aligned Future17 programme and delivered systems leadership coaching for the global engineering consultancy Arup.
Research Interests
Nick's research interests centre on leadership, stewardship, organisational ambidexterity and strategic transition, particularly within organisations operating across public, private and third-sector boundaries. His wider interests include responsible leadership, sustainability, systems thinking, organisational change, governance, and project and programme leadership.
He is currently undertaking a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) at the University of Chester. His doctoral research examines how senior leaders within major UK charitable organisations navigate stewardship and organisational ambidexterity during strategic transition.
His earlier published work examined strategic decision-making and organisational core competencies within the public sector, reflecting a longstanding interest in how organisations develop and sustain the capabilities required to operate effectively within complex and changing environments.
Professional Qualifications and Recognition
Fellow of the Association for Project Management (FAPM)
Chartered Manager and Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute (CMgr FCMI)
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
Chartered Water and Environmental Manager (C.WEM)
Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers (MICE)
European Business Excellence Assessor (EFQM)
These professional credentials reflect a career spanning project and programme management, organisational leadership, infrastructure, sustainability, business improvement and higher education, and support Nick's commitment to bringing together academic scholarship and professional practice.
Selected Publications
Core Competencies in the Public Sector: A Strategic Decision-Making Tool for Outsourcing (Institution of Civil Engineers, 2009). Subsequently cited in Edgar and Lockwood's Corporate Core Competencies (SAGE).