Best Startup
At Best Startup UK we track over 130,000 UK startups and over 500,000 people who hold key positions in these companies. We use this directory of startups to highlight top employees, founders and board members we think deserve more appreciation than they are currently getting.
This list showcases the top United Kingdom based Director operating in the Innovation Management space. If you think a Director is missing from this list, feel free to contact our editor on editor@beststartup.co.uk.
The individuals on this list have been included because of exceptional performance in one of the following categories:
- Innovation – Operating as a key part in an extremely innovative business or startup.
- Growth – Operating as a key figure in the growth and upscale of a market leading business or startup.
- Management – Showing exceptional management skills.
- Societal impact – Putting their business on the map for their positive societal or environmental impact.
Our Data – We source our data from OSINT (open source intelligence) and public directories such as Companies House UK, Crunchbase, SemRush and many more. The data from these sources should be treated with a degree of caution and verified yourself.
Simon Evans
Director, Digital Engineering of SNC Lavalin
Simon Evans is the Director, Digital Engineering at SNC-Lavalin.
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About SNC Lavalin: SNC-Lavalin is an engineering and construction group.
Andrew Jude Rajanathan
Executive Director of Omd España
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About Omd España: OMD combines innovation, creativity, and empathy to help brands make better decisions, faster.
John Yeomans
Director of Wazoku
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About Beacon Capital, Sharedband Limited, Wazoku: An Enterprise Innovation Platform comprising: Idea Management, Open Innovation Marketplace, Innovation Consulting, Portfolio Management
Gary Stewart
Director of Wayra
Gary Stewart is the Director of Wayra UK and Telefónica Open Future_ (UK). He is also an associate professor and the Entrepreneur-In-Residence at IE Business School in Madrid. Gary co-founded Nuroa.es, a Barcelona start-up that raised over €4M in funding before being sold to an Australian competitor. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Gary worked as a lawyer at Sullivan & Cromwell in New York, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett in London, and Freshfields Brackhaus Deringer in Spain. Gary graduated magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa from Yale University and was the Executive Editor of The Yale Journal at Yale Law School.
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About Nuroa, Wayra: Wayra is a globally connected and technologically open innovation hub.
Alexandra Rehak
Associate Director, Technology Strategy of Cambridge Consultants
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About Cambridge Consultants: Cambridge Consultants provides product development consultancy services to well-established companies.
James Colgate
Director – Planning & Group Strategy – Williams Martini Racing of Williams Grand Prix Engineering
James Colgate is the Director of Planning and Group Strategy for Williams Martini Racing at Williams Grand Prix Engineering Limited since July 2013. James has worked at Williams for the last 3 years and is currently responsible for the development, communication and maintenance of the business strategy, in conjunction with the senior management team, across the Williams Group of companies. In addition he is responsible for the engineering programme management of specific motorsport and industrial projects conducted by the Group. In the past James has worked within Williams Advanced Engineering, the commercial diversified business arm of Williams, identifying and developing relationships with clients to deliver technical and operational consulting projects. James was also the project manager on a specialist motorsport project for an automotive OEM covering operational delivery of design and manufactured parts as well as commercial management. Previously to joining Williams James worked for a global management consultancy OC&C Strategy Consultants, providing advisory services across the technology, industrial and FMCG sectors. James has a Masters in Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering from University of Cambridge (UK) and operational improvement consulting experience in variety of engineering and technology sectors delivering commercial, operational, strategic planning and business improvement advisory services as a management consultant.
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About Williams Grand Prix Engineering: Williams Advanced Engineering is the technology and engineering services business of the Williams Group.
Warren Leow
Director: Accelerator Programs & Investor Relations of Malaysian Global Innovation and Creativity Centre – MaGIC
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About Malaysian Global Innovation and Creativity Centre – MaGIC: Malaysian Global Innovation and Creativity Centre is focused on serving the Malaysian startup community.
Ian Hathaway
Managing Director of Hillgate Partners
Ian Hathaway is Research Director at the Center for American Entrepreneurship, where he leads content development efforts, publishes research and commentary, and advises on policy and strategy. He is also a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, a research fellow at the Technology and Policy Research Initiative at Boston University, and an adjunct professor at New York University. Ian has published for prominent research institutions, universities, non-profits, and businesses, and is regularly cited in leading press outlets for his views and research on entrepreneurship, including in The New York Times, The Economist, The Washington Post, Financial Times, and The Wall Street Journal, among many others. He has also been an advisor to organizations in the information technology, media, life sciences, venture capital, non-profit, government, and education sectors, on a range of research, public policy, and strategy issues. Previously, Ian was an economist at the Federal Reserve, World Trade Organization, and Bloomberg, and founded Ennsyte Economics. Ian is a graduate of the University of Chicago, where he studied economics and political economy.
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About Center for American Entrepreneurship, Hillgate Partners, The Brookings Institution: Innovation, insight, and advisory services firm
Graham Skelton
Director Of Business Development of Cleaner Seas Group
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About Cleaner Seas Group, MotionLED Technology Group Ltd: Cleaner Seas Group makes tech and innovation solutions to tackle microplastic pollution.
Denise Devenny
Director of Plant Operations of Celtic Renewables
Denise Devenny serves as director of plant operations at Celtic Renewables.
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About Celtic Renewables: Celtic Renewables is a biofuel startup focused on the renewable energy and whisky sector.
Stewart McGarrity
Finance Director of Celtic Renewables
Stewart McGarrity serves as finance director at Celtic Renewables.
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About Celtic Renewables: Celtic Renewables is a biofuel startup focused on the renewable energy and whisky sector.
Vincent Efferoth
Co-Founder & Managing Director of NOVELTEA
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About NOVELTEA: NOVELTEA is a premium alcoholic tea blend inspired by globetrotting travels.
Chris Dowle
Director of the National Biologics Manufacturing Centre of Centre for Process Innovation
In April 2013, Chris was appointed in his new role as Director of CPI’s £38 million National Biologics Manufacturing Centre. The centre will help UK companies to develop new processes and products and embrace and test new and emerging technologies in the growing biopharmaceutical market. Chris has worked at CPI as a director since the day it began trading to helping companies and organisations test, develop and scale up sustainable processes, products and energy solutions. His practical and commercial approach enables customers to sustain competitiveness and enter valuable and new markets as quickly as possible. In Chris’ career he has worked internationally helping companies take from laboratory concepts to world scale plant. Following his PhD at the University of Strathclyde in 1988, Chris joined ICI as a research chemist and then developed his technical career across a range of roles from separations technology through to plant operations support and then moved into new disciplines in, engineering and biotechnology. Chris has also been involved in managing GLP laboratories, moving through into commercial business development and management.. Chris has also worked for engineering and process technology licensing companies. He has sectorial experience of pharmaceuticals, chemicals, materials, and biotechnology. Some publications and patents are held, but Chris has mainly delivered process and technology packages to clients for their interpretation. Chris has presented widely at conferences and has been called on to collaborate and work on relevant themes in and for the UK’s IB-IGT, BBSRC, EIBI, Europabio, Star-COLIBRI and the ETI.
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About Centre for Process Innovation: The CPI is a technology innovation center helps its clients develop, prove, prototype, and commercialize products and processes.
Neville Hamlin
Financial Director and Chief Operating Officer of Centre for Process Innovation
Neville holds board directorships and company secretary positions for the CPI group of companies. A professional qualified chartered accountant with an MBA, he has over 25 years experience in the semiconductor and hi-tech industry with over 20 years in senior management and board positions. Neville has established key start-up companies in the North East of England: he set up the Siemens Microelectronics facility in 1995, moving from Siemens HQ in Germany to do so, and he established Atmel’s manufacturing site in the UK in 2000; he has taken a biofuel company to AIM listing and has also been involved in several MBOs/MBIs. He established a Nanotechnology Centre of Excellence (Cenamps) in 2003 and was instrumental in obtaining the funding to establish CPI’s Printable Electronics Centre at NETPark and was responsible for the design and building programme. Neville possesses a broad knowledge of business start-up and development, financial engineering, multi-national trading structures, and public vs. private sector drivers. He joined the newly merged CPI organisation from Cenamps in April 2008 as Finance Director and Chief Operating Officer.
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About Centre for Process Innovation: The CPI is a technology innovation center helps its clients develop, prove, prototype, and commercialize products and processes.
Sophie Walton
Director Of Strategic Partnerships of Centre for Process Innovation
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About Centre for Process Innovation: The CPI is a technology innovation center helps its clients develop, prove, prototype, and commercialize products and processes.
Tom Taylor
Director, Future Business of Centre for Process Innovation
Tom is a Senior Industrial Innovation Manager with 20 years experience of high technology product and business development. He has a materials technology background and his focus has been on integrating novel materials into industrial scale processes. He specialises in enabling clients to bring products to market quickly and cost effectively whilst managing risk through a thorough understanding of the specific needs of industry. Tom has collaborated intensively with the plastic electronics community, having been on the board of the Organic Electronics Association, the Printed Electronics Leadership Group and the Cambridge University IKC Industry Board. Tom works closely with government organisations such as BIS, TSB and ESP KTN in defining strategy for the commercialisation of innovation in printable electronics in the UK. In addition, he also helps clients to win venture capital funds, as well as funding for collaborative projects. He is always looking to bring new entrants into the printable electronics field. Previously Tom was Head of the chemicals business at Frost & Sullivan and held senior market and operational rolls at ICI, where he was responsible for businesses in the UK, France and Thailand. He has a Chemistry DPhil from Oxford University.
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About Centre for Process Innovation: The CPI is a technology innovation center helps its clients develop, prove, prototype, and commercialize products and processes.
Jon Helliwell
Operations Support Director of Centre for Process Innovation
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About Centre for Process Innovation: The CPI is a technology innovation center helps its clients develop, prove, prototype, and commercialize products and processes.
Chris Gibson
Executive Director of FIRST
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About FIRST: FIRST aims to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders.
Kevin Pavia
Director of Finance of Powerlase Photonics
• Experienced Group Finance Director, used to working closely with progressive Managing Directors • Wide range of management and reporting expertise • Extensive acquisition and integration experience • Service industry and manufacturing backgrounds • Strong commercial attributes, strategic planning and business transitioning • Comprehensive accounting and statutory experience
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About Powerlase Photonics: Powerlase Photonics Ltd is an innovative, independent, high power laser company.
Simon West
Director of Production of Powerlase Photonics
Versatile and results-driven Senior Optics Engineer/Programme Manager with a background in electrical/electronic engineering and over 16 years’ experience developing, supporting and managing complex fibre-optic manufacturing processes, products and equipment for a variety of prestigious technology companies. Commercially astute change agent with an impressive record of motivating, developing and leading large technical teams and utilising lean methodologies in the design of efficient manufacturing practices. Well-honed communication, influencing and technical skills allied with ability to maintain strong communications across all levels of a company. Expertise in optical fault finding, opto-electronic principles/manufacturing techniques, process control methods, new product introduction, and business process streamlining. Recognised ability to maintain/exceed highest industry standards and drive increased productivity, client satisfaction and cost reductions.
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About Powerlase Photonics: Powerlase Photonics Ltd is an innovative, independent, high power laser company.
Pawel Niewczas
R&D Director of Synaptec
Pawel is a co-founder of Synaptec. He leads the Advanced Sensors Team at the University of Strathclyde, focussing on the advancement of optical sensing methods and systems integration in applications that lie predominantly in power and energy sectors. He has carried out a unique portfolio of research programmes, generally focusing on fibre based spectrally encoded sensors, and addressing such issues as sensor design, fabrication, packaging, deployment, and interrogation in challenging environments. He has over 20 years’ experience in delivering and managing industrially-focussed R&D projects in this area, including those that resulted in the sensing techniques that form Synaptec’s core IP.
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About Synaptec, University of Strathclyde: Synaptec develops and deploys photonic sensing systems.
Campbell Booth
Applications Director of Synaptec
Campbell is a co-founder of Synaptec and a Reader at the University of Strathclyde. He has built a portfolio of research in the areas of power system protection, control and monitoring, working with government and industrial funding partners, and leads the technical team of the Power Network Demonstration Centre in Scotland. He is on the organising committees of the IET DPSP and PACWorld conferences, participates in various CIGRE working groups, and has published over 150 articles, engineering recommendations, white papers and several book chapters. He possesses an excellent understanding of the industry’s challenges which enables him to identify the key problems for which Synaptec’s technology is uniquely placed to offer a solution.
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About Synaptec, University of Strathclyde: Synaptec develops and deploys photonic sensing systems.
Philip Orr
Managing Director of Synaptec
Philip Orr is the Managing Director at Synaptec
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About Synaptec: Synaptec develops and deploys photonic sensing systems.
Ranzie Anthony
Partner – Executive Creative Director of Athlon
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About Athlon: Athlon helps global brands create products and services that build meaningful human connections and drive business success.
Patrick Watkinson
Director of Quickheart
Patrick’s forte is content management and he’s very experienced in balancing the need for the right amount of information, sufficient to be clear and complete, with the imperative to keep it brief online. He has enjoyed a diverse and interesting career, including being a certified Nuclear Radiation Inspector, Mergers & Acquisition Executive and International Sales Manager for a bank vault supplier.
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About Quickheart: Quickheart, an innovative technology company that specialises in digitally enabled social care solutions.
Kate Lowe
Director of Quickheart
Kate’s a natural when it comes to taking concepts and stylizing them to unify the vision. As a hands-on working mum with more years design experience than she cares to admit to, Kate brings a special brand of creative magic (plus a D&AD design award) to the Quickheart fold.
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About Quickheart: Quickheart, an innovative technology company that specialises in digitally enabled social care solutions.
Carolyn Sinclair
Director of Quickheart
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About Quickheart: Quickheart, an innovative technology company that specialises in digitally enabled social care solutions.
Thomas Hamilton
Commercial Director of Weedingtech
Thomas Hamilton joined Weedingtech as Chief Commercial Officer in 2021.
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About Weedingtech, Weedingtech: Weedingtech is a British company that designs and manufactures innovative weed control technologies for the amenity and utility markets.
Matthew McStravick
Creative Director of Deepr
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About Deepr: Deepr is a research lab that tackling culture, service design, and training problems.
Tony Fish
Founder/Managing Director of AMF Ventures
I focus on how the future of corporate governance, decision making and judgement will be affected by complex data at the board. My focus leads me to imagine a board meeting in 2025, and the implications and unintended consequences. Tony thrives in complex, ground-breaking & uncertain environments; bringing proven judgement and decision-making skills with cross-sectorial experience. He has a track record of sense-making and foresight; his enthusiasm and drive are contagious & inspiring – definitely a maverick and unintentional rule breaker. He has founded, co-founded, sold and listed many businesses but remains passionate about new ways of creating value which has the capability of scaling fast, are at an early stage and creates value for many people.
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About AMF Ventures, Mashup Event: AMF Ventures was founded in 2002 by Tony Fish. AMF Ventures work on a variety of intellectually challenging assignments conducted in a
Hugh-Peter Kelly
Director Technology and Innovation of GreenSpur Wind
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About GreenSpur Wind: GreenSpur develops a new rare earth-free generator for the global offshore wind market.
Paul Gill
Founder & Director of Orsto
Paul Gill is Founder & Director at Orsto.
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About Orsto: ORSTO Ltd is a British Private Ltd company backed by 84 International Investors.
Dave Ward
Founder & Creative Director of CreateFuture
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About CreateFuture: CreateFuture is a design and innovation firm that puts creativity to good use.
Richard Godfrey
Managing Director of Syncity
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About Syncity: Syncity provides consultation services and solutions to improve digital transformation in businesses.
Franco Gonzalez
Managing Director of Franaldo
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About Franaldo: Franaldo is a new type of consultancy firm whose objective is the acceleration of transformations to sustainability.
Richard Terblanche
Executive Director EMEA of Fishtank Solutions
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About Fishtank Solutions: Fishtank provides worldwide investment management firms with cloud-based Customer Analytics and Sales Intelligence tools.
Andrew Monk
Founder and Director of ioLight
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About ioLight: ioLight is a technology company that manufactures mobile microscopes that are easy to use and fit in jacket pockets and desk craws.
Richard Williams
Founder and Director of ioLight
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About ioLight: ioLight is a technology company that manufactures mobile microscopes that are easy to use and fit in jacket pockets and desk craws.
Belinda Clarke
Director of Agri-Tech East
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About Agri-Tech East: Agri-Tech East engages in the development of business-led agri-tech cluster that will create opportunities for profitable agri-industry.
Loren Barton
Founder, Managing Director of Kaleidoscope Group Ltd
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About Kaleidoscope Group Ltd: Consultancy and advisory firm focused on bridging the gap between innovation and performance in the market
