Claire Hookham

Qualifications

• PhD Management Studies, University of Liverpool
• MBA (Human Resource Management), University of Liverpool
• BA (Hons) English Literature and Theatre Studies, University of Liverpool

Memberships

• Senior Fellow Higher Education Academy, Advance HE
• Chartered Management and Business Educator, Chartered Association of Business Schools
• Member and elected Council Member, British Academy of Management

Claire has over 20 years’ experience in teaching and academic leadership, delivering education across Foundation, Undergraduate, Postgraduate, apprenticeship and Executive Education levels. She has designed, led and taught a wide range of business-related modules and programmes, including management, marketing, strategic management, entrepreneurship education, innovation, human resource management, employee relations, knowledge management, organisational values, project management, leadership, sustainability and supply chain management. Her teaching career is strongly international, with experience in Finland, India, China, Hong Kong, Romania, the USA, Bahrain, Dubai and the UK, bringing a rich global perspective to her practice.

Claire’s research interests focus on the practical application of management theory to real organisational challenges. Her work spans organisational behaviour, strategic management, equality, diversity and inclusion, emotional labour, customer service excellence, and corporate culture. A defining feature of her research is its strong applied orientation, bridging academic insight with managerial practice. She has a particular interest in the enhancement of pedagogies for teaching management and business, especially the use of playful methodologies and real-world, authentic teaching and assessment approaches. This pedagogical focus reflects her commitment to innovative, impactful management education.

Claire brings extensive industry experience to her role as the MBA Programme lead. Her background spans retail and hospitality, including formative work at Walt Disney World, which later underpinned her PhD fieldwork on emotional labour and managerial control methods. Alongside this, she has led and advised on management, strategy and equality, diversity and inclusion initiatives. Her consultancy experience cuts across sectors such as higher education, retail, hospitality and construction, giving her a nuanced understanding of organisational contexts. This breadth enables Claire to connect theory with practice, enrich curriculum design, and support MBA students in developing grounded leadership capabilities globally.