Ms Nataliya Kocheva

Undergraduate modules

• BB5109 Contemporary Project Management (Module Leader)
• BH5006 People and Project
• BB5813 Project Management and Sustainable Decision Making (Module Leader)
• BB6309 Digital Innovation and Transformation (Module Leader)

Postgraduate modules

• BG7002 Agile Project Management 
• BG7000 Practical Project

Achievement: Academic Impact Awards 2024-Nominated for The Most Innovative Teacher Award 

Course director

• Project Management MSc

Courses taught

• Business Management BSc (Hons)
• Business Management and Accounting BSc (Hons)
• Project Management MSc

My research interests span two primary domains: elite football and the application of emerging technologies in business decision-making.

In the context of football, I focus on the business and organisational aspects of professional clubs, particularly the relationship between elite teams and their academies, as well as how strategic and operational decisions influence performance and development.

Separately, I am also exploring the use of causal AI and strategic foresight as tools for improving decision-making in complex business environments. This line of inquiry aims to understand how organisations can use data-driven causal reasoning and long-term scenario planning to anticipate change, evaluate the impact of strategic choices, and enhance overall performance and resilience.

Research topic

Investigating the connection between the elite football club and their academy.

Supervisors

• Professor. Alex Hill
• Dr Ki-Soon Hwang

Research funds

• Kocheva, N and Fitkov-Nories, E. (2024) KU Research Grant Application Pump-priming awarded. Empowering the Future with Causal AI: The way forward transforming energy consumption and cost for local council.

Qualifications

• MRes Business and Management
• (In progress) PhD Investigating the connection between the elite football club and their academy.

I have extensive experience as a professional athlete, coach, and market researcher, having worked in both Bulgaria and the UK with a wide range of organisations including sports associations, elite sports clubs, schools, and businesses.

Over the past 20 years, I have consulted for a variety of for-profit organisations – ranging from SMEs to companies in sectors such as agriculture, logistics, and HVAC – as well as non-profit and professional sports entities, including national sports bodies, schools, London boroughs, and elite clubs in both countries. In these roles, I have worked closely with diverse stakeholders, focusing on strategic development and enhancing operational performance across different organisational contexts.

Qualifications and expertise

• Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy
• Causal DAG Diagrams HarvardX
• The Elements of AI UoH

Course Director: MSc Project Management