Experience

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  University of Liverpool | Business Gateway

  • Liverpool, United Kingdom

  • Head of Business Gateway

    • Sep 2015 - Mar 2018
    • Liverpool, United Kingdom

    Directing and leading a team of 20 to foster collaborative partnerships with businesses and organisations to drive innovation and maximise the societal and economic impact of the University’s research teaching and facilities. With specialist skills in Consultancy, Intellectual Property Commercialisation, Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, Collaboration, External Engagement, and Funding, provide commercial support and advice for academic staff, students and external partners to deliver the optimum solution for their needs. Link academic expertise and outstanding facilities with Industry partners to help transform the next generation of ideas into creative solutions, new technologies, strategies, products or skills. Build beneficial relationships and networks. Key achievements include: Co-authored updated IP Policy to engender Entrepreneurship among academics in order to deliver against ambitious licensing income targets Designed and implemented a partnership framework strategy to deliver transformational links between the University and others, c.f. the Materials Innovation Factory and Unilever/HEFCE. Team won a national award in June 2016 for its partnership with Tate. Led a £5m project to build a digital innovation centre and co-lead on the Materials Chemistry theme of the Governments Science and Innovation Audit as part of their Industrial Strategy Lead author on five year HEIF (Higher Education Innovation Funding) strategy

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  Become UnLimited

  • Owner and Director

    • Jul 2013 - Sep 2015

    Self-employed consultancy provided services in the areas of regulatory affairs, open innovation skills and training, and business case development to a variety of clients including SME, large corporate and academic institutions.

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  Unilever

  • Port Sunlight, UK

  • Open Innovation Operations and Communications Director

    • Sep 2008 - Jun 2013
    • Port Sunlight, UK

    Reporting to the VP Open Innovation (OI) in a newly created Open Innovation team, directed building the capability as a way of driving business growth through partnership. -Led a change management programme which successfully resulted in embedding OI practices, culture and mind-set into the wider organisation. Provided thought leadership to drive the implementation of a portfolio management system to measure the impact of Open Innovation. Enabled strategic decision-making on where to open innovate which was not previously possible.  Led a cross-functional team to design and implement a user-centric system and simplified processes to request, generate and track IP related contacts between Unilever global R&D and third parties. Resulted in improvements in time to contract, reduction in resource (manpower) requirements to generate contracts, and cost savings through ability to negotiate better prices across multiple contracts.  Devised and implemented a training strategy aimed at building open innovation skills at scale across R&D.

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  Unilever

  • Port Sunlight, UK

  • Global Regulatory Affairs Director

    • 1998 - 2008
    • Port Sunlight, UK

    Reporting to the VP R&D and VP Public Affairs, was responsible for the regulatory affairs of Unilever Home and Personal Care brands on a global basis, with two main areas of focus, namely legal compliance and lobbying/ strategic influencing. Providing the through leadership for a team of 10, this was achieved through:Maintaining a sound knowledge of all regulation present and future, at a local regional and global level.Developing strong and lasting networks amongst key stakeholders. Developing and deploying lobbying strategies to maintain freedom to operate.Advising on potential areas for self-regulation.Developing communication materials for senior business leaders.Leading regulatory activities on key legislation, such as PRODUCE a strategic partnership with the European Commission and Member States on the workability of REACH (chemicals regulation).Leading or chairing relevent Trade Association (UK and European) groups.Representing Unilever and Industry on relevent European Commission working groups such as Biocidal Products and GHS.Advising R&D personnel of any formulation/ label changes that were required so that they could be achieved with minimum cost and maximum efficiency.Implementing and updating robust yet simple management tools to provide the necessary proof of compliance.

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  SC Johnson Wax

  • Egham, Surrey, UK

  • European Product Safety and Regulatory Affairs Manager

    • 1989 - 1998
    • Egham, Surrey, UK

    Reporting to the VP of R&D, was responsible for the product and environmental safety of the European product portfolio, as well as regulatory compliance. Defined and implemented simple processes and tools/systems to ensure robustness of all compliance matters. Led the European activities on regulatory changes affecting the business within local, regional trade associations and with government departments.

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  Fraunhofer IIS

  • Wurzburg, Germany

  • Researcher

    • Mar 1989 - Sep 1989
    • Wurzburg, Germany

    Research into the preservation and restoration of mediaeval stained glass windows.