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My doctorate explores how leaders actually get complex projects delivered under pressure. Drawing on two in-depth case studies, the research introduces the SALT (Success, Adaptive Leadership and Trust) model, showing how different types of trust are required to navigate technical, process and stakeholder complexity, and how these shape perceptions of success.

The work reframes project success to include contentedness alongside time, cost and quality, offering a practical, human-centred lens for modern project leadership. SALT is already being applied in large, high-stakes technology and public sector programmes to promote more sustainable delivery.

Dr Joseph Watton is nominated for APM Project Management Doctorate of the Year 2026 for his thesis, “Cost reduction and benchmarking practice in complex infrastructure decommissioning projects”. His thesis reveals the everyday practices that are fundamental in achieving cost reduction and conducting benchmarking.

To reduce cost, practitioners must foster cultures of collaboration and opportunity management, prioritising reduction of complexity and time. To improve benchmarking, practitioners should develop in-house expertise and/or outsource, facilitate working groups, and increase flexibility in what can be benchmarked. On top of dissemination in industry events and online presentations, findings are being actively applied in projects.

Carolina Zani completed her PhD in 2025 at The Bartlett (number one globally for Architecture and Built Environment) at University College London (top ten university worldwide). Her doctoral thesis is titled “The dynamics of organisation design in megaprojects: A multi-dimensional capability approach”.

The thesis addresses a central question in project management: how to design megaproject organisations. Contributions are organised into themes supported by different theoretical lenses: (1) organisational capabilities (building blocks for organisational design), (2) integration of structure and coordination, (3) organisational design efficiency (cost perspective), (4) political and institutional context and influence in megaproject organisations.

Congratulations and good luck to all our finalists...

James demonstrated consistent academic excellence throughout his degree, achieving over 70% in all modules and marks as high as 93%, culminating in a First-Class Honours degree and a Certificate of Excellence from the University of South Wales.

Drawing on his background as an electrician, project manager, and APM member, James selected an original and professionally relevant dissertation examining the shortage of skilled electrical labour and its impact on construction projects. His research explored the relationship between skills shortages and project performance, informed by qualitative interviews with colleges, employers, and project professionals, ensuring strong academic rigour and real-world relevance.

Caitlin Quinn is a Project Manager at Balfour Beatty and a graduate of Business Management and Finance, achieving First Class Honours with a strong focus on project management. Through academic excellence, a full industrial placement year, and rapid progression within Balfour Beatty’s Graduate Scheme, Caitlin has developed a people-centred approach to project delivery.

She is passionate about communication, stakeholder engagement, and creating opportunities for others through knowledge-sharing initiatives and leadership involvement. Caitlin is currently supporting major infrastructure programmes, delivering projects that create lasting value for communities and the wider economy.

Matthew has achieved exceptional academic and professional success, graduating with a BSc Honours Degree and completing a Level 6 Project Management Degree Apprenticeship. Earning a Distinction in his Work-Based Project, leading the Paint Spray Room Improvements Project and helping to deliver cost avoidance through innovative problem-solving. Matthew has undertaken placements across various project disciplines, gaining broad experience and excelling in various nuclear projects.

A passionate STEM Ambassador, promoting project management at schools, leading outreach programmes, and supporting apprentices and graduates through mentoring and induction workshops. His achievements reflect strong leadership, resilience, and commitment to the project profession.

Congratulations and good luck to all our finalists...

This dissertation explores the impact of leadership styles on value creation within an innovation and project management context. Using interviews and a case study it proposes a systemic hypothesis connecting leadership styles with value creation and innovation categories. It positions leadership as central to value-driven project innovations and develops a model to enhance project leadership and value creation competencies, providing actionable insights for project professionals to design innovation processes from the bottom-up. It illustrates how project leaders can enhance societal impacts at the individual level of customers and employees, and the wider context of the environment, community and innovation system.

This dissertation addresses a significant research gap in project management related to The Gambia. It highlights the influence of mid-level project management maturity on performance in an aid-dependent public sector. It adapts and tests a maturity framework specific to this context, suggesting that global project management models can be effectively tailored for Least Developed Countries.

The study critiques the superficial adoption of project management practices, advocating for genuine internalisation and strengthened capacity. It introduces a seven-dimension diagnostic framework and actionable recommendations to enhance development project delivery and improve public services outcomes for citizens.

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This paper makes a significant contribution to project management by advancing the theoretical and practical understanding of strategic relationship management in inter-organisational projects.

Using four major UK infrastructure cases, it operationalises and extends a seven-dimensional framework grounded in Relational Exchange Theory, demonstrating that relational behaviours, rather than transactional mechanisms, drive effective partnering, and by extension lead to project success.

This is the first study to move beyond the traditional focus on trust and contracts, introducing a new dimension of knowledge that provides project professionals with comprehensive, practical guidance to develop, establish, and measure strategic relationships in complex project environments.

This paper tackles a critical paradox in modern project management: does normalising project failure actually drive product innovation? Using a rigorous three-wave and multi-source data from 181 new product development projects, we demonstrate that failure normalisation alone does not improve product innovativeness. Instead, innovation gains arise only when project leaders actively learn from project failure – the process we find is not automatic but contingent on their passion for inventing.

By clarifying why failure-tolerant cultures sometimes succeed and sometimes backfire, this research resolves long-standing inconsistencies in literature and provides evidence-based guidance for organisations seeking to convert project setbacks into product innovations.

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Network Rail’s Project Management Graduate Scheme accelerates future project leaders through a two-year, industry-leading development programme. Partnering with Parallel Project Training, a pioneering 15-week Project Management Development Programme is embedded within the Scheme, integrating competency-based learning, the APM Project Management Qualification, and real-world rail scenarios, to increase project management capability development.

Graduates gain practical experience through placements, industry-specific application modules, senior leader engagement, and skills and industry awareness. Inclusive recruitment delivers exceptional diversity outcomes, while evaluation shows high satisfaction, strong pass rates, confident skills application, and rapid progression into leadership roles, leading to strengthened capability across the rail industry.

An undergraduate Project Management Degree Apprenticeship (PMDA) is an exciting work‑based development journey that allows learners to gain high‑level knowledge while building real experience in one of the most complex and exciting engineering environments in the UK. Learning is contextualised within the workplace and can be applied immediately; accelerating growth and strengthening the professional behaviours expected of project managers.

Babcock International and the University of Plymouth blend academic study with hands‑on application, creating a powerful developmental or entry pathway. This boosts confidence, deepens expertise and enables individuals to make a meaningful impact in their roles from day one.

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During my apprenticeship, I built a strong foundation in project management through structured learning, practical application, and reflective development across diverse projects.

Despite having a more theoretical background, the apprenticeship enabled me to translate theory into practice, applying recognised techniques across programmes spanning airspace modernisation, technological transformation and the sustainment of critical national infrastructure.

Through four rotations, I gained experience of varied methodologies, lifecycle phases, and stakeholder groups, seeking feedback to drive growth.

Demonstrating adaptability and resilience, I successfully led workstreams, managed suppliers, and supported agile initiatives. I engaged with the APM community, strengthening professional networks and wider sector knowledge.

I joined NATS in 2023 on the Project Management Graduate Scheme. NATS is the UK's leading air traffic control provider, ensuring safe and efficient airspace management for millions of passengers worldwide.

Completing the APM Project Management Qualification strengthen my technical expertise while providing valuable on the job experience through four diverse rotations, each offering unique insights into best practice from Senior Project Managers.

Having completed both my apprenticeship and graduate scheme, I have progressed into my current role as Associate Project Manager.  I remain committed to professional development and advancing within the project management profession. 

Gemma has consistently embodied the values of care, courage, pride, and curiosity through her role within the Nectar project. She has become a trusted and dependable leader, and a role model for apprentices across the organisation.

Her journey is a testament to what apprentices can achieve when given the opportunity – and she is truly deserving of the title Project Management Apprentice of the Year.

2025 has been a standout year in terms of delivering not only in my placement work on a massive transfer of technology project with a European defence partner, with significant strategic value, however also in terms of broadening my depth and breadth of academic knowledge.

I have delivered projects above the standard requirements in terms of competing in the APM PM Challenge, delivering tangible social benefits through the power of projects. Finally, my personal behavioural development, critical to success, has been homed in on and pushed on an exponential path.

Congratulations and good luck to all our finalists...

Caitlin Quinn is a Project Manager at Balfour Beatty and a graduate of Business Management and Finance, achieving First Class Honours with a strong focus on project management. Through academic excellence, a full industrial placement year, and rapid progression within Balfour Beatty’s Graduate Scheme, Caitlin has developed a people-centred approach to project delivery.

She is passionate about communication, stakeholder engagement, and creating opportunities for others through knowledge-sharing initiatives and leadership involvement. Caitlin is currently supporting major infrastructure programmes, delivering projects that create lasting value for communities and the wider economy.

My dissertation was about autism, employment in projects and leadership. And within that, I created a tool called the SHELL Analysis Matrix, which can be used for many things, from personal development plans, where you can prioritise the weaker skill or lack of strengthener skill, where the frequency of use is higher than it should be. Also identifying and helping to tailor make job adverts, vacancies, where you can say what is essential to your specific team rather than the generic that we currently have.

There's many other sources we can identify for an early warning system on this of regressive skills which we want to prevent, thus creating more efficient teams where task management can be applied to this perfect or most reasonable person for that task. There are many aspects to this from data analysis to more, but it should help the neurodiverse members to look at the job adverts and apply for them because currently they are very very off-putting. 

Carolina Zani completed her PhD in 2025 at The Bartlett (number one globally for Architecture and Built Environment) at University College London (top ten university worldwide). Her doctoral thesis is titled “The dynamics of organisation design in megaprojects: A multi-dimensional capability approach”.

The thesis addresses a central question in project management: how to design megaproject organisations. Contributions are organised into themes supported by different theoretical lenses: (1) organisational capabilities (building blocks for organisational design), (2) integration of structure and coordination, (3) organisational design efficiency (cost perspective), (4) political and institutional context and influence in megaproject organisations.