Tributes paid to Prof Stephen Wearne

Tributes have been paid to Professor Stephen Wearne, a highly influential figure in the project profession and Honorary Fellow of Association for Project Management, who has passed away.

Professor Wearne had an illustrious career which began as a factory apprentice and sandwich course student (a course con
sisting of periods of study with periods of work in business or industry). He became a leading academic in engineering management. His early professional experience included work on international water-power projects, followed by roles in the contract and project management of nuclear power plants in the UK and Japan.

An influential project leader and academic, he became an Emeritus Professor of Technological Management at the University of Bradford and was the Founding Chairman of the UK Engineering Project Management Forum. Recognised for his contribution to the project field, among his many honours, he was awarded the Garth Watson Medal awarded by the Institute of Civil Engineers in 1998 the Brennan Medal by the Institute of Chemical Engineers in 1999 and the Sir Monty Finniston Award by APM in 2005. In memory of Prof Stephen Wearne, colleagues from across the profession contributed their words.

Former APM Chair and Vice President, Dr Miles Shepherd, shared his memories of Professor Wearne, commenting: “Stephen was particularly well-known in nuclear circles from his work on water-power project design and construction. This was documented in a BBC Radio 4 series on the origins of the British nuclear industry. He had a distinguished academic career which took him from an engineering apprenticeship to professorial roles at the University of Manchester and University of Bradford (UMIST) and he also was one of the founders of research and teaching in project and contract management.

“Stephen was a man of foresight and was well prepared for most eventualities and a man of culture, with wide-ranging interests and great kindness.”

In 2022, Prof Wearne joined Prof Graham Winch, for a podcast: A Life in Projects, reflecting on learning and leadership in major projects. To this day, this discussion still offers an invaluable, thoughtful and engaging insight into major projects. Prof Winch, said:

“Professor Stephen Wearne was a leading light of the Manchester School of project management which played such an important role in the early years of the APM (in both acronyms!). Stephen's article in the New Scientist in 1966 on project management as a science was an important founding statement of the research challenges ahead. When I arrived at UMIST in 2001, Stephen acted very much as a self-appointed informal mentor to me in my first Chair for which I will be eternally grateful. His continued to make significant contributions to our work at University of Manchester with his contributions to our Managing Projects programme for BP from 2007 on. He will be sorely missed.”

APM volunteer, Philip Isgar, said: “I met Stephen through APM and the Major Projects Association, where I encouraged him to speak at events. He always came across well. He was a lovely man and well respected.”