P. R. Whitfield
1973 Bio Note [1]
P. R. Whitfield, BSc (Eng), Member, was born in Liverpool in 1921. Although graduating from London University as an electrical engineer and being trained and employed as such for eight years by CEGB, he spent the next 12 years in the chemical industry mainly on mechanical assignments, first with the Associated Octel Co Ltd and then the Mond Division of ICI. An interest in human behaviour, particularly in an industrial setting, led him to study psychology in his spare time at Liverpool University, and he was awarded an external honours degree in Psychology by London University in 1965.
Since 1968 he has been occupied full time on organisation development within ICI. He is a member of the CEI Working Party on engineering creativity. In 1970 he was awarded a CEI Senior Visiting Fellowship at Liverpool University and has been associated there with a programme of research into engineering creativity in industry. He has just completed a book on innovation which is due for publication in 1974.