Derek Bell is a Fellow of the Association for Project Management and has over 30 years of experience in delivering project and programme management, agile, people skills and project risk management related training, consultancy and coaching.

He has supported many different organisations and sectors over that time and delivered training and consultancy in over twenty five countries in that period.

Engineering customers have included JLR, Rolls Royce, Ford, Boeing, Atkins, Alstom and BAE Systems.

Energy and engineering services customers include BP, ADCO, ADMA, ADNOC, BG, ConocoPhillips, Nerefco, ExxonMobil, Shell, Schlumberger, Maersk Oil, Maersk Drilling, BNFL, & Oil Spill Response. Technology and communications clients included BT, BBC, BAA, Vodaphone, Hitachi (Europe) Ltd, HP, IBM & Qtel. Public sector clients include Companies House, the CPS, MOD, RAF and USAF, Royal Navy, AWE, Royal Ordnance, along with numerous local authorities and NHS trusts. Financial institutions include Barclays, Barcap, Lloyds, Barclaycard, Citibank, JPMorgan and LINK. Having started his career in the Automotive Industry – Principal Engineer, Computer Aided Engineering for Land Rover – he moved onto the construction industry when he joined part of the Tarmac group as Computer Services Manager, on the management team.

Having always enjoyed developing and supporting others in his roles, he became self-employed over thirty years ago and has enjoyed helping organisations and individuals to become far better at project management. He is a firm believer that training should be engaging and fun, both in the virtual and physical environment.

Qualifications / Accreditations:

  • B.Sc in Mechanical Engineering
  • Fellow of the Association of Project Management
  • Member of the Project Management Institute
  • Current accreditations include APMP, PMI-PMP, PMI-ACP, ICP-ACC, PSM I and the ISEB Certificate in Project Management
Derek Bell
Joanne T.
Attended the APM PFQ 2 day face to face course with Oxford College of Management in London in May 2026. Very positive experience from start to finish: They organised a Teams call to help me understand more about the different types of project management courses, and responded very quickly to all follow up emails. The location was very central - right next to a London Bridge underground exit. The course was great - the trainer Terry balanced explanation and discussion really well, shared examples to help information stick, and made everyone feel comfortable to ask questions and add comments. We all went away feeling confident about the exam. The online material is also excellent - written presentations, verbal recordings, podcasts and several test questions - enabling participants to deepen their understanding following the 2 day course using their preferred methods. The exam itself is conducted at home under strict exam conditions which concerned me at first, but the APM information and instructions were brilliant - if you follow them you will be fine, just read them as soon as possible and allow plenty of time to get set-up.
Maisie B.
Really enjoyable course, my tutor, David Addyman was great. He lead the course with great charisma and enthusiasm. Would do my PMQ with Oxcom :)
Bryan R.
Excellent course delivered by a tutor who really knew what he was talking about.
Hoshank M.
I studied CIPD Level 5 in People Management with the college, and it was an amazing experience. The support was excellent, professional, and always very quick to respond ❤️. The platform was well designed and easy to use. I would highly recommend it.
Catrin E.
Thank you for the excellent project management qualifications, and for the support you've provided. You have been first class. Thank you
Predrag T.
Excellent teaching and organisation for a tightly packed course. David's delivery was excellent and supportive throughout. Thank you.
Kalpana R.
I recently attended the APM Project Fundamentals Qualification (PFQ) course over three days. The course was well-structured, covering a lot of valuable content while remaining engaging throughout. Our tutor was excellent—knowledgeable, approachable, and interactive. They kept the sessions engaging by encouraging discussions, answering questions, and making sure everyone understood the key concepts. Three days felt like the right length—intensive but manageable. There was a lot to learn, but the pacing was effective. The interactive teaching approach and well-structured content made it a valuable and enjoyable learning experience! I would definitely recommend this course.
Ian D.
The course I found clear and concise with effective learning methods. The pace of the course was ideal for enabling ongoing priority work at the same time as conducting the course. David the instructor, has a wealth of knowledge and experience and adapted real life scenarios in the the course curriculum.
Monica Del N.
I had a fantastic experience with the APM (PFQ) course at Oxford College of Management. The trainer (Derek) was exceptional, blending deep expertise with an engaging and adaptable teaching style that made complex concepts easy to grasp and apply. The virtual classes were well-organized and interactive, with a seamless delivery that ensured a productive and engaging learning environment. Overall, I feel much more confident in my skills and ready to apply what I've learned in real-world scenarios. Highly recommended!
Polina
Did a face-to-face course in March of 2024 for my APM PMQ and passed first time! The course was very detailed and helped me understand areas of the APM which I had never dealt with before, and my tutor, Andy, was incredibly helpful and explained thoroughly, despite having to fit so much content into 5 days. Couldn't recommend the oxford college of management more!
Mario I.
A very well rounded course with quality content. Thank you for making the preparation for the exam as smooth as possible.
Elliot A.
Great company, the course was well organised and informative. Andy was a great teacher and helped me pass first time.
John T.
Great course with great trainer
Isaac T.
My course helped me gain confidence in my current role. The Level 6 qualification is perfect for anyone looking to develop their career in Marketing.
Yinka A.
Excellent 3-day sessions! Tutor was patient, engaging and highly knowledgeable in PM.
Ceri A.
Extremely helpful and friendly staff, well organised and provided relevant information as and when required. I completed both APM in Project Fundamentals and the AgilePM Foundations. Teaching staff were knowledgeable on the subjects and also provided advice on revision techniques and sample questions. I would consider completing courses via Oxford again.