About Kate Barnard
Engineering experience. A different perspective. A practical approach.
I've spent 30 years working in engineering and innovation, from major aerospace programmes and industrial research to building businesses and helping organisations bring new technologies into use.
One thing I've learned is that the technical challenge is rarely the whole problem.
An organisation can have excellent engineers, promising technology and substantial investment, yet still struggle to make progress. Sometimes the assumptions need challenging. Sometimes the right people aren't connected. And sometimes the organisation simply hasn't developed the capability to do what it's now trying to achieve.
That's where I tend to be most useful.
Seeing the problem, joining the dots and getting things done
I've worked across engineering delivery, research, entrepreneurship and commercialisation, often where different organisations, disciplines and priorities need to come together.
That breadth matters. It means I'm not looking at a problem solely through the lens of one technology, organisation or industry.
My professional relationships across industry, academia and the innovation community also keep me close to emerging developments and opportunities. They help me recognise connections and possibilities that might not be obvious from within a single organisation.
I enjoy challenging established thinking, but I'm equally interested in what happens afterwards.
A different perspective is only valuable if it leads to better decisions and practical progress.
Why I established Black Swan Thinking
Working within a major engineering organisation taught me an enormous amount about delivering complex technology and building engineering capability.
It also showed me how easily people and ideas can become constrained by organisational structures and established ways of working.
I could often see connections between problems, technologies and opportunities that sat outside the boundaries of my own role. But recognising an opportunity and having the freedom to act on it are two different things.
I established Black Swan Thinking to work more independently, drawing on experience across industries and disciplines to challenge established thinking and help organisations approach difficult problems differently.
I particularly enjoy the point where an organisation recognises that something needs to change but doesn't yet know how to make that change happen.
That's where I can bring a different perspective, help establish a way forward and get things moving.
Professional background
I'm a Chartered Engineer and Chartered Environmentalist, and a Fellow of both the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and the Association for Project Management.
My career includes more than two decades at Rolls-Royce, followed by entrepreneurship, independent advisory work and involvement in engineering innovation, research commercialisation and industrial collaboration.
I also contribute to professional and academic organisations through advisory, assessment and governance roles.
That experience has given me an understanding of the pressures facing established engineering businesses, emerging technology companies and organisations making significant innovation investment decisions.
Working with me
I bring curiosity, independent judgement and a willingness to challenge assumptions, including my own.
I don't arrive with a predetermined solution or a standard consultancy framework to impose.
I want to understand what you're trying to achieve, what is actually getting in the way and whether I can make a useful contribution.
If I can, we'll agree what needs doing and what my involvement should be.
If the challenge needs a different kind of expertise or support, I'd rather say so than take on work that isn't right for Black Swan Thinking.
About Black Swan Thinking — what the company does and the work it takes on
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of engineering and technology challenges has Kate worked on?
My experience spans complex engineering programmes, industrial research, technology commercialisation, organisational capability and cross-sector collaboration. I've worked in both established industrial organisations and early-stage businesses, giving me experience of the different challenges involved in developing technology and bringing it into use.
Does Kate work directly with clients?
Yes. Black Swan Thinking is founder-led, and I work directly with clients. Depending on the engagement, that may involve independent review, working with leadership and technical teams, shaping a new approach or helping establish the capability needed to move forward.
Is Kate a technical specialist or a strategic adviser?
My background is in engineering, but my work often extends beyond a single technical discipline. I bring engineering judgement together with commercial, organisational and delivery experience to understand how different parts of a problem connect.
Where highly specialised technical expertise is needed, I recognise the importance of involving appropriately qualified specialists rather than claiming expertise in every field.
What professional qualifications does Kate hold?
I'm a Chartered Engineer (CEng), Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv), Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (FIMechE) and Fellow of the Association for Project Management (FAPM). I also hold a Bachelor of Engineering degree with Honours.
How does Kate decide whether to take on an engagement?
I begin by understanding what the organisation is trying to achieve, what is preventing progress and whether my experience can make a useful difference. If there is a good fit, we agree the appropriate next step, which may be a focused discovery engagement or another clearly defined piece of work.
Facing a challenge that needs a different perspective?
If you're considering an important engineering or commercial decision, trying to move an innovation towards industrial use or struggling to make progress with an existing approach, I'd welcome an initial conversation.
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