A variety of companies at home and abroad have benefited from the expertise of change management specialist Angela Clarke.

Angela is now Managing Director of Burman Associates, a Stratford-Upon-Avon based consultancy focusing on supply chain management. The client base includes companies from the aerospace, automotive, retail, food and drink, and construction sectors.

Angela joined the ENGD programme in 1994, building on a history of excellent links with Warwick, which she cultivates to this day.

While holding a senior position at HDA Forgings, she had already completed a part-time Master's at WMG and was a teaching associate. However, when she heard about the EngD she says: "I decided to go back to University. I was 34 when I started and became known as the EngD Mum".

Her project, 'Improving the Change Management Process', was university-based and sponsored by Lucas Aerospace and EPSRC. Angela's time was split almost equally between WMG and Lucas and right from day one she was involved in company projects, acting as an internal consultant providing change management suport. This included three trips to California to help Lucas and a US partner to develop an integration project. Later she undertook a tour of eastern Australia, lecturing companies on change management.

Angela says: "I always wanted to do a higher degree but I didn't fancy focusing on a theoretical subject. The attraction of the EngD is that it focuses on the application of knowledge in companies. It gives you an opportunity to put into practice what you have developed in theory".

After completing her EngD, Angela moved to the automotive side of Lucas, which was later taken over by TRW. She became Change Manager of TRW's consultancy group, TRW Conekt. "Within TRW my role was to change an organisation which was research based into a commercialy-driven organisation and win business from outside. What I acheived was a by-product of what I had done in the past four years and the compnay is now doing very well".

Since joining Burman Associates, Angela continues to work with WMG on related projects. "What I have learned can be transferred across different industries, I would recommend the EngD to someone who is looking to develop their capabilities in order to make a difference to their company. It helped me gain confidence and an insight into the way different people operate".