Claire joined the university in February 2005 following the successful completion of her MSc in Sport Management, during which she undertook a thesis titled "Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme: Managing Business Performance." This early academic work demonstrated her strong interest in the intersection of sport performance and organisational effectiveness. Building on this foundation, Claire went on to complete her PhD in 2022 with a focus on sport psychology. Her doctoral research, titled "Existing, Experienced and Informed Realities of Sport Coaching through Transformational Leadership," explored the lived experiences and leadership approaches of sport coaches, providing valuable insights into the psychological and social dimensions of coaching practice.
Alongside her academic achievements, Claire holds a Level 3 qualification in athletics coaching and has extensive hands-on experience working with athletes across a broad spectrum of ability, ranging from beginners to high-performing middle- and long-distance runners. Her coaching philosophy emphasises holistic athlete development, and she plays an integral role in designing and delivering relevant performance-focused training programmes. Complementing her athletics expertise, Claire is also a qualified Strength and Conditioning Coach. She applies evidence-based training methodologies to support the physical preparation and long-term development of athletes, embedding strength and conditioning principles into broader training strategies.
Claire also brings a wealth of professional industry experience to her academic career, having spent ten years in senior leadership positions within the commercial business sector. Her career has encompassed commercial and operational management at both regional and national levels, including leading on business development, strategic planning, financial control, and human resource management. This experience has significantly informed her contributions at Northumbria University, where she continues to focus on enhancing the commercial viability and academic excellence of the sport programmes.
Her role at the university has seen her lead on the development and delivery of strategic partnerships with international and national governing bodies of sport. Claire has overseen the academic design and implementation of a range of accredited undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, as well as bespoke continuing professional development (CPD) courses tailored to meet the specific needs of the sport industry. Her collaborative projects have included work with prominent organisations such as British Tennis, the British Equestrian Federation, British Rowing, Cricket Australia, and Football League Education. These partnerships have not only expanded the university’s external engagement but also ensured that its academic offerings remain impactful through their alignment with the diverse and evolving needs of the sport sector.
Claire’s research is grounded in a robust foundation of management and leadership theory, which she applies to the diverse and often complex applied settings within the world of sport. Her academic work is characterised by its real-world relevance and interdisciplinary scope. Since 2014, Claire has concentrated her research on transformational leadership, with a particular focus on its application across the full tennis coaching spectrum—from grassroots participation to elite performance contexts. This work has provided valuable insights into how leadership styles impact athlete development, coach effectiveness, and organisational culture within sport.
Claire’s expertise in mixed methods research design and implementation has also played a pivotal role in a wide range of collaborative projects that extend well beyond her primary focus in sport coaching. She continues to support the development of interdisciplinary research initiatives exploring diverse topics such as blood flow restriction training, the physiological and psychological demands of aerospace medicine and rehabilitation, and the design of rehabilitation exercise programmes for marginalised or underserved populations. Her collaborative efforts also include studies in paediatric nutrition, hydration, and cognitive performance within educational settings, as well as projects in strength and conditioning science. More recently, Claire has also turned her attention to pedagogical innovation within higher education, working on the development of evidence-informed teaching and learning strategies aimed at enhancing the academic and professional development of sport and exercise science students. Her work continues to bridge theory and practice, supporting both academic knowledge advancement and impactful change in applied settings.
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