Helen Walker

Helen Walker is a Professor of Operations and Supply Management and Director of Postgraduate Research Studies at Cardiff Business School, Cardiff University. She leads the Logistics and Operations Management section's research strategy, PhD programme, Awayday programme, seminar series, and journal club. Previously, she served as Deputy Head of Section at both CRiSPS, University of Bath School of Management and the OM Group, Warwick Business School.

Professor Walker's research primarily focuses on sustainable procurement, sustainable supply chain management, ethical issues in purchasing and supply, collaborative procurement, and supply strategy. Her work examines how organizations can integrate sustainability considerations into their procurement and supply chain practices across both public and private sectors. She has made significant contributions to understanding modern slavery risks in supply chains, sustainable public procurement, and the theoretical foundations of sustainable supply chain management. Her research often employs mixed methods approaches including case studies, interviews, and surveys to investigate complex sustainability challenges in supply chains.

Analysis of Professor Walker's recent publications reveals a strong trend toward examining ethical and sustainability challenges in supply chains, particularly focusing on modern slavery, deforestation, and workers' rights. Her work increasingly integrates theoretical frameworks like institutional theory and doughnut economics to address complex sustainability problems. She has been systematically building knowledge in sustainable procurement across different contexts including public sector, private sector, and global supply chains. Her research demonstrates a progression from foundational work on sustainable procurement concepts to more nuanced examinations of specific sustainability challenges and their interconnections with broader societal issues.

• Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management Best Paper Award (2015)
• International Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics Management Highly Commended Literati Award (2015)
• Public Administration Review Louis Brownlow Award (2014)
• IPSERA Conference Nantes IFPSM Best Paper Relevant to Practice Award (2013)
• Public Administration Review Louis Brownlow Award (2012)
• IPSERA Conference Wiesbaden Best Paper Award (2009)
• Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management Best Paper Award (2008)
• International Public Procurement Conference Fort Lauderdale Best Manuscript Award (2004)

Professor Walker has successfully raised over £1 million in research funding and has advised numerous public sector bodies including the United Nations, NHS, DEFRA, and local government on sustainable procurement issues. She has also conducted research with private firms such as PepsiCo and Boots. Her work bridges academic research and practical implementation, making significant contributions to both theoretical development and practical application in sustainable supply chain management.

As a Research Affiliate of the Sustainable Places Research Institute at Cardiff University, Professor Walker contributes to interdisciplinary research on sustainable supply chain management. She has served as President of the International Purchasing and Supply Education and Research Association (2014-17) and has been a member of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply Sustainable/Responsible Procurement Group and the cross-government Sustainable Procurement Task Force.