Dr Maryam Lotfi
PhD, MRes, MSc, BSc.

: Media commentator
: Available for postgraduate supervision

Teams and roles for Maryam Lotfi

Senior Lecturer of Sustainable Supply Chain Management
Cardiff Business School

Maryam is a Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) of Sustainable Supply Chain Management at Cardiff Business School, Cardiff University. She is the co-founder and co-director of Modern Slavery and Social Sustainability Research Group.

Maryam's academic research focuses on sustainable supply chains, with a focus on social issues including child slavery, modern slavery, workers' rights, gender-related issues, and decent work. She has published different papers in high-quality journals.

Maryam is a finalist for various awards, appraised both by the university and industry at national UK and Wales levels:

1. Individual of the Year Award of UK National Go Awards 2023/2024 for "Champion of Ethical Procurement: Recognizing Excellence in Modern Slavery Awareness and Socially Sustainable Procurement".

2. Most Outstanding Learning Experience in the Enriching Student Life Awards 2024 at Cardiff University.

3. Cardiff University Excellence Award 2024 in the category of Civic mission and public engagement.

Maryam Holds PhD in Supply chain management and MRes in Management both from Bayes (formerly Cass) Business School, City University London. She also holds MSc in Industrial engineering from Sharif University and BSc in Mechanical engineering from Iran University of Science and Technology in Tehran.

Maryam co-chaired the Anti-Slavery 2023 Conference alongside the Head of Modern Slavery and Workers’ Rights at the Welsh Government. In 2025, she co-chaired the 4th Business and Modern Slavery Conference, hosted at Cardiff Business School.

Maryam has a track record of successful fund applications. The funding came from Global Wales, ESRC and Cardiff University internal funds. She has experience working with different sectors, including the food and drink sector, the hospitality sector, and the auto industry. She is working with NGOs, governments, and unions to be able to address the social issues in the supply chain through a multi-stakeholder approach.

Maryam is Chair of the Board of Directors at Fair Trade Wales where she guide the strategic direction and governance of Fair Trade Wales. She is also a Member of the British Standards Institute's Modern Slavery Committee.

She is also collaborating on different research projects with different universities globally, including Montpellier Business School, the University of Johannesburg, the University of Queensland, the University of Strathclyde, and Bayes Business School in London, many of them have led to high-quality publications.

Maryam is associate editor of The Journal of Economic Exploitation and Inequality and serves on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Transport and Supply Chain Management (JTSCM), and the Advisory board, Continuity & Resilience Review, Emerald Publishing.

Date
Type

2021

Lotfi, M. , Walker, H. and Rendon-Sanchez, J. 2021. Supply chains’ failure in workers’ rights with regards to the SDG compass: a doughnut theory perspective. Sustainability 13 12526. (10.3390/su132212526)
Hossein Sadat Hosseini Khajouei, M. et al., 2021. Water truck routing optimization in open pit mines using the general algebraic modelling system approach. In: Molamohamadi, Z. et al., Logistics and Supply Chain Management. Vol. 1458, Communications in Computer and Information Science Springer. , pp.255-270. (10.1007/978-3-030-89743-7_14)
Bille, A. , Lotfi, M. and Wieland, A. 2021. Irresponsibility in supply chains during the COVID- 19 pandemic: a panarchical interpretation. Presented at: 28th EurOMA Conference 2021 Online 5-7 July 2021.
Flynn, A. , Lotfi, M. and Strand, V. 2021. The impact of Covid-19 on ethical employment in supply chains: opportunities & threats. Presented at: The Impact of Covid-19 on Ethical Employment in Supply Chains: Opportunities & Threats Cardiff, UK 30 September 2021.
Lotfi, M. and Chen, J. 2021. Child slavery in the supply chains: the actors of the dirty scene. Presented at: 8th Sustainable EurOMA Forum La Rochelle, France 22-23 March 2021.

2020

Lotfi, M. , Kumar, M. and Rodrigues, V. S. 2020. Collaboration in the small and micro enterprises: a relational view of enablers and barriers. Presented at: Academy of Management Annual Meeting 2020 Vancouver, Canada 7-11 August 2020. Vol. 2020.Vol. 1. (10.5465/AMBPP.2020.16847abstract)

2019

Naghshineh, B. and Lotfi, M. 2019. Enhancing supply chain resilience: an empirical investigation. Continuity & Resilience Review 1 (1), pp.47-62. (10.1108/CRR-09-2018-0002)
Lotfi, M. 2019. Which practices are lean, agile and resilient Literature review and practitioners' perspective. International Journal of Advanced Operations Management 11 (1/2), pp.142-170. (10.1504/IJAOM.2019.098522)
Lotfi, M. et al. 2019. Depicting collaborations in microbrewery supply chains. Presented at: POMS 2019 International Conference Brighton, UK 2 - 4 September 2019.
Lotfi, M. et al. 2019. Preconditions and motivations for collaboration in the microbrewery industry. Presented at: 26th EurOMA Conference Helsinki, Finland 15 - 19 June 2019.

2018

Lotfi, M. , Akram, Y. and Jafari, S. 2018. The effect of emerging green market on green entrepreneurship and sustainable development in knowledge-based companies. Sustainability 10 (7) 2308. (10.3390/su10072308)
Lotfi, M. and Saghiri, S. 2018. Disentangling resilience, agility and leanness: conceptual development and empirical analysis. Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management 29 (1), pp.168-197. (10.1108/JMTM-01-2017-0014)
Lotfi, M. 2018. Resilience, agility, and leanness in supply chain management; conceptual development and empirical analysis. Scholars' Press.

2017

Lotfi, M. 2017. Lean, agile and resilient (LAR) approaches, business strategy and performance outcomes. Presented at: British Academy of Management Warwick, UK 5-7 Sept 2017.

2014

Lotfi, M. and Houshmand, M. 2014. Agility index evaluation using fuzzy logic in a supply chain management company. Engineering Management Research 4 (1), pp.64-81.

2013

Lotfi, M. , C., K. and Sodhi, M. 2013. How resiliency along with leanness and agility, affects operational performance outcomes. Presented at: 20th European Operations Management Association (EurOMA) Conference Dublin, Ireland June 9-12.
Lotfi, M. , Sodhi, M. and Kocabasoglu-Hillmer, C. 2013. How efforts to achieve resiliency fit with lean and agile practices. Presented at: Proceedings of the 24th Production and Operations Management Society Denver, USA 3-6 May 2013.

2012

Lotfi, M. and Sodhi, M. 2012. Operational practices of leanness, agility and resiliency (LAR)in manufacturing. Presented at: Proceedings of the 24th Nordic Logistics Research Network Conference (NOFOMA) Turku, Finland June 6-8 2012.

Research interests:

Modern slavery, child labour and workers’ rights in the supply chain (Sc)

Human rights in the Sc

Social sustainability in the Sc

Gender-based issues in the Sc

Just transition in the Sc

Geopolitcal risks and supply chain resilience

Funded projects:

Co-applicant (2025-2028), ESRC Wales DTP, £200000

Project: Migration, Labour Abuse, and Modern Slavery in Adult Social Care Settings in Wales

Partners: Health and Care Research Wales & Welsh Government

Main applicant and main investigator, £6000, 2025

Funder:MEDR

Project title: Modern Slavery risk maangement in SMEs
Partners: Cardiff Capital Region (CCR), and Media Cymru.

Main applicant and main investigator, 2024

Funder: Digital Transformation Innovation Institute (DTII)

Project title: How does quality data play a pivotal role in enabling companies to uphold human rights standards and specifically modern slavery and mitigate the risks linked with poor practices?

Main applicant and main investigator, 2023

Funder: Seedcorn fund of Global Collaboration, Cardiff Business School

Project Title: "Modern slavery risk management in the hospitality sector: a moral legitimacy approach on hotel groups disclosure and an institutional logics approach on accepting responsibility". This project is in collaboration with University of Queensland, Australia.

Main applicant and main investigator, 2023-2024

Public Value Engagement Fellowship, Cardiff Business School Public Value Engagement Fellowship Scheme

Project title: "Netting Ethical Shrimp: How Technology Can Revolutionize Sustainable Seafood Practices", Internal, (2023-2024). This project is in collaboration with Bangladesh Agriculture university and Cardiff Metropolitan University.

ESRC Wales DTP Collaborative studentship, 2023- 2027 £155000

Project title: “Understanding and modelling the impact of consumer purchasing behaviour on the global supply chains' decisions in adapting anti-slavery practices”. This is a collaboration with UNSEEN, a UK based anti-slavery charity (2023-2027)

Main applicant and main investigator, 2022

Funder: Global Wales

Project title: “Modern slavery in the global supply chains” through collaboration with Jindal Global University, India.

Main applicant and main investigator, 2022

Funder: Cardiff Business School,

Title: “Modern Slavery risk management in the long and complex supply chains: Case study of the Tourism Sector, in collaboration with a global hotel brand.

Co-applicant and Co-investigator, 2021

Funder: ESRC IAA/NPIF ABC

Title: “How can ethical consultancies help firms maintain employment standards across their operations and supply chains in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic?”

Examples of defined Live projects with industrial partners for MSC dissertations:

1. Challenges and solutions in meeting a Just Transition, in relation to transparency and human rights in supply chains

2. How modern slavery risk is managed in the banking sector, with a specific focus on the role of investors

3. Critical analysis of banks net zero disclosures and operational resilience against transition risk

4. Green-washing risk and operational resilience in the banking sector

Maryam is passionate about teaching, She is also a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA). She designed a new module of "Supply Chain Social Sustainability" for Cardiff Business School, MSC Sustainability Program, and for it, she serves as module leader from Jan. 2021. She is also part of the executive teaching team in "Help to Grow: Management" available to micro- and SMEs.

Maryam Teaches:

1- Supply Chain Social Sustainability for the MSc students:

https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/business-school/about-us/public-value/public-value-teaching/supply-chain-social-sustainability-case-study

2- Sustainability for Business for the MSc students

3- Emplyee Engagmeent and Leading Change, "Help to Grow: Management" Prgram available to micro and SMEs.

Educational Background:

- PhD in Management (Operations and supply Chain Management), Cass Buisness School, City University London (2011-2015)

- MRes in Management, Cass Buisness School, City University London (2010-2011)

- MSc. in Industiral engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Iran (2007-2009)

-BSc in Mechinacal engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology (1999-2003)

Honours and awards

1- Finalist for the Individual of the Year Award of UK National Go Awards 2023/2024 for "Champion of Ethical Procurement: Recognizing Excellence in Modern Slavery Awareness and Socially Sustainable Procurement".

2- Finalist for the Unseen modern slavery Individual Impact Award 2023. The four individuals shortlisted for this award were from Scape, Nestle UK, Sodexo and Cardiff University.The awards seek to recognise those who have taken the lead to combat worker exploitation.

3- Finalist for the Most Outstanding Learning Experience in the Enriching Student Life Awards 2024 at Cardiff University.

4- Finalist for the Cardiff University Excellence Award 2024 in the category of Civic mission and public engagement.

4- Public Value engagement fellow, Cardiff Business School, 2023-2024

5- Welsh Crucible 2024 Fellow, which is the esteemed, award-winning program designed to foster personal, professional, and leadership development for the future research leaders of Wales.

Academic positions

1- Senior lecturer of sustainable supply chain management, Cardiff Business School, since Aug. 2023.

2- Visiting Associate Professor at the Department of Transport & Supply Chain Management, and the University of Johannesburg, South Africa, since September 2022.

3- Lecturer of sustainable supply chain management, Cardiff Business School, since Jan. 2020.

Speaking engagements

1- Speaker at Anti-Slavery 2023 Conference,a conference held by Cardiff Business School in partnership with the Welsh Government, the police, and third sector organisations, October 2023, Cardiff, UK

Committees and reviewing

Member of the British Standards Institute's Modern Slavery Committee since Feb 2025

Member of Slavery and Trafficking Risk Template (STRT) Development Committee, with the The Social Responsibility Alliance (SRA) since 2024

Associate Editor, The Journal of Economic Exploitation and Inequality ·

Editorial Board Member, of Transport and Supply Chain Management (JTSCM)

Advisory Board, Continuity & Resilience Review·

Editorial Review Board, Business Ethics, the Environment & Responsibility

interested to supervise students in the areas of:

Social sustainability in supply chains including Human rights, child slavery, modern slavery and gender related issues
Modern slavery and climate change
The role of technology and innovation (eg. AI, blockchain) in modern slavery risk management
DEI in the supply chains
Modelling modern slavery in the global SC
Supply chain resilience and geopolitical risks
just transition in Scs