Market Inspired Innovation

Steve Barber is Chief Executive Officer of Xyratex, a leading global provider of enterprise-class data storage subsystems and storage process technology.  He has held this position since February 2003, having previously served in a number of executive management roles in the company as well as being a founding director of Xyratex, following a Management Buy Out from IBM in December 1994.

Mr. Barber serves on the board of Solent Innovation & Growth Network (SIGN) aimed at supporting technology based business growth in the region, and chairs the Industry Advisory Board of the University of Southampton aimed at strengthening collaboration between the university and industry.

Mr Barber holds a Bachelor of Science degree in electronic engineering from the University of Natal, Durban, South Africa.

Bill is responsible for the European and African operations of the Chemicals Materials and Food Ingredients business.

Bill is a graduate Chemical Engineer with over 15 years of consulting experience in industrial and environmental fields. Bill has a led a number of key projects for major corporations and government departments.  Projects include product launch processes, M&A due diligence, market expansion and horizon scanning & market transformation.

Liz joined the University of Huddersfield as Director of Research & Enterprise in 2009.  She leads the central support for all aspects of research, enterprise and business growth within the institution and is currently developing proposals to establish an enterprise and innovation centre at Huddersfield.  The centre will demonstrate new mechanisms for university-business engagement and foster open innovation processes.

Liz is a graduate from Sheffield University with a PhD specialising in X-ray crystallography. For over 20 years, she worked at the UK’s national Daresbury Laboratory and within the Research Council system as a research scientist.  She has played a key role in developing state-of-the art instrumentation for international and national researchers conducting materials science research.  Her experience of analytical techniques is wide ranging from infra-red and UV techniques through to traditional X-ray analysis.  Liz has established and managed analytical services for industry and project teams to deliver analytical services from large research facilities.  She has acted as an advisor to other overseas facilities wishing to promote interaction with industry.

More recently, Liz was the Director of Knowledge Exchange in the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) developing economic impact strategy and leading knowledge transfer activity across the wide portfolio of STFC activity.  She has interacted closely with other Research Councils, the Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills, Regional Development Agencies and other key stakeholders.  Liz has played a leading role in the development of the two national mixed economy science and innovation campuses around the STFC’s two major sites at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire and the Daresbury Laboratory in Cheshire and in this role worked closely with strategic partners and external advisors to establish Joint Venture initiatives.

Mike is an organic chemist by training (BSc, University of Loughborough and PhD, University of Exeter with Chris Moody). He worked as a postdoctoral associate at the University of Vienna on anti-tumour compounds as part of a collaborative European project before spending five years working in the chemical industry.

Mike worked for catalyst technology SMEs StylaCats and Reaxa developing platforms in microwave technology, flow chemistry, homogeneous catalysis and process development. He joined Chemistry Innovation in 2007 as Sustainable Technologies Theme Manager and is now also responsible for the programs in bio based products and sustainability-led innovation. Mike led the development of Chemistry Innovation’s Sustainable Design Guide and has used it to assist companies in developing more sustainable products. He is currently managing projects on lifecycle analysis, renewable chemicals, industrial biotechnology and resource efficiency across the chemistry-using industries.

He is heavily involved in both the Royal Society of Chemistry and the Society of Chemical Industry and is a trustee at Catalyst Science Discovery Centre.

Stephen Todd – Director, Operations Management Research Limited, Associate Fellow, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford

Stephen has over 25 years experience working with technology-based businesses, ranging from start-ups to global companies. He is Director of Operations Management Research (OMR), a specialist consulting firm that helps companies create value by developing new strategies and implementing operations management best practices. OMR also helps Regional Development Agencies design and implement new business support services that can have a measurable impact on companies in their regions. Prior to founding OMR, Stephen worked for seven years with management consultants PRTM and ten years with Hewlett-Packard.
Stephen has been working with the Saïd Business School since 2003 as an Associate Fellow and Sector Consultant. He mentors students and alumni who want to start new businesses and has taught on the MBA Operations Management and Entrepreneurship Project core courses. He is a member of the Oxford Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (OxCEI) and the School’s Operations Management Academic Area.

Stephen is a Senior Visiting Researcher at the Global Entrepreneurship Research Centre at Zhejiang University and has been a guest lecturer at the London Business School, Warwick Business School and Warwick University’s Engineering Management Centre.

Stephen has an MA in Mathematics from Cambridge University and an MBA from the London Business School.

Raglan Tribe – Managing Director , Mindsheet Ltd

Prior to the formation of Mindsheet, Raglan was the Group Research and Development Director of De La Rue plc. At De La Rue he was responsible for the delivery of their new product programme for supporting the introduction of the Euro currency. Developments included the Euro programme, new ATMs, cash handling equipment and the implementation of a number of Government Identity contracts.

Previously, Raglan had 12 years of automotive experience as the Chassis Systems Director of TRW Automotive, the R&D Director for Lucas Varity Automotive and Head of Advanced Product Development for Lucas Industries. In these roles he was responsible for the creation of the Chassis Systems Strategy, a technology consulting business as well as the delivery of many innovations in the field of steering, braking, collision avoidance and adaptive cruise control.

He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Systems and upon graduation he gained 5 years Systems Engineering experience at British Aerospace.

Christopher Chadwick, Managing Director Innovationlaunch Ltd

Chris co-founded Innovationlaunch Ltd along with Raglan Tribe in 2005.   The company provides innovation development and evaluation services as well as providing online business tools for corporations, SME’s and government.

In early 2000, Chris set up a new technology division for De la Rue plc, the currency and transaction business.  As managing director Global Services, he extended De la Rue’s core competence in anti-counterfeit technologies into digital security (encryption services) and brand protection through both acquisition and organic development.  Global Services was also a leading player in worldwide government ID systems.

Chris has operated at Board level in the telecommunications, financial services and retail industries.  He was Chairman of dental healthcare company Denplan, Managing Director RAC Insurance and executive director at Leeds Permanent Building Society.   He was 6 years at American Express and joined Cadbury-Schweppes as a graduate trainee where he spent 5 years in product management and new product development.

Over the last 20 years, he has lectured at a number of venues including the Management Centre Europe; been a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a member of the Marketing Society.

Andrew Ives – Ives Associates

Andrew is an Independent consultant in technology and the auto industry.  He held the position of  President of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, 2005 -2006 and was formerly Director & General Manager, Lucas Automotive Sensors.  Before taking up this position Andrew held the roles of General Manager, Electronic Controls, Lucas Diesel Systems and Head of Electrical & Electronic Engineering, Lucas Group Research Centre

Formerly educated at Southend Technical College, Brunel University, London and INSEAD Business School, France