Dr Richard Bruce

PhD, MBA, FRSA, FCILT, MIAgrM

Management School

Lecturer in Supply Chain Accounting and Finance

Programme Lead for International Business Management with Study Abroad

Internationalisation Lead

Student Exchange Lead

Co-Lead Resilient Net Zero Agri-Food Supply Chains Cluster

Richard Bruce wearing a checked shirt and a jacket.
Profile picture of Richard Bruce wearing a checked shirt and a jacket.
r.bruce@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 2723

Full contact details

Dr Richard Bruce
Management School
B036
Sheffield University Management School
Conduit Road
Sheffield
S10 1FL
Profile

I have been a member of the Management School academic staff since January 2012 following a career that included a spell as a fast-track Civil Servant (Department of the Environment), an academic and technology transfer specialist at Harper Adams University, and 16 years as a Global Agri-food Supply Chains consultant. 

A key publication in Nature (Plants) in 2017 ‘Environmental impact of fertiliser’ led to two major commercial research contacts for a Belgian food company.

An article in ‘The Conversation’ in April 2021 about the collapse of Greensill Capital led to being invited to give evidence the Treasury Select Committee’s initial session on that case, and subsequent research involving ICAEW and a major global bank. 

As Co-Lead of the Resilient Net Zero Agri-Food Supply Chains cluster in the Institute for Sustainable Foods, with Julie Gray in Biosciences, I work with industry, professional and academic colleagues to try to find practical solutions for this very topical subject.

Qualifications
  • PhD - University of Sheffield
  • MBA - University of Sheffield
Research interests
  • Agri-food supply chains
  • Supply Chain Finance
  • Intangible assets
  • Inter-organisational relationships
Publications

Journal articles

Research group

Centre for Research into Accounting and Finance in Context (CRAFiC)

Grants
  • 2 Commercial research grants from a Belgian food company
  • KE Award to investigate the application of accounting tools in cacao production in Vietnam
  • KE award to investigate sustainability related materiality reporting by a UK Housebuilder
Teaching interests

My PG module 'Supply Chain Accounting & Finance' includes assessed Group Presentations with leading experts joining the teaching team at a professional firm's offices to assess the presentations, which has led some students to say that this module was the most demanding and the most rewarding one they'd studied. Several students have completed projects with companies with whom I was working, which in several cases, led to employment offers. The 3-hour teaching sessions have a mix of different elements including opportunities for discussion. I also aim to have at least one key industry player as a visiting speaker.  

As the Programme Lead for the International Business Management course I also act as the Academic Tutor for all students on the programme, roles that include periodic socials and weekly meetings, really important in the first year to help students settle in and focus on the key tasks they have to complete to be able to study abroad in the 2nd year. 

Professional activities and memberships
  • Peer reviewer for the Journal of Cleaner Production
  • Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport
  • Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts
  • Member of the Institute of Agricultural Management
PhD Supervision

I am interested in supervising in the following areas:

  • Supply Chain Accounting
  • Supply Chain Finance
  • Agri-food sector
  • Open Booking Accounting
  • The application of new technology

Are you interested in applying for a PhD?

Find out how to apply 

I have previously supervised:

NameThesis titleYear of completion
Furqan Asad SuhailTranslation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Selected case studies of Pakistani companies2025