Our leadership team

CEO

Following a PhD in genetics at the University of Edinburgh and several post-doc roles in cancer research, Andrea worked in drug discovery within the pharmaceuticals sector (Smith Kline Beecham now GSK) and biotech (Oxford Glycosciences, latterly UCB).

Andrea then took on senior consultancy positions with companies in Oxford and Cambridge (Pharma Ventures and Cambridge Consultants) conducting valuations and providing deal-making advice, market forecasting and due diligence to a wide range of biotechs, global industry players and venture capital investors.

She then spent six years with Scottish Enterprise and Scottish Development International working to support the growth of companies in the Scottish healthcare sector and attracting life science companies to locate in Scotland.

As Head of Inward Investment at Edinburgh BioQuarter, Andrea was involved in securing several inward investors including GSK to locate at the site. Andrea joined Edinburgh Innovations in 2017.

Head of Enterprise

Head of Enterprise Services, leads a number of key functions at Edinburgh Innovations, including intellectual property management and commercialisation, staff startups and spinouts, student enterprise and the investment team. John is also Chair of Old College Capital GP and a Director of Edinburgh Technology Fund.

John has a degree in Engineering and Industrial Management, an MBA and Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA). John’s doctoral research was on academic entrepreneurship and how universities can create ecosystems that encourage research translation and impact, bringing benefits for academics, students, universities and wider communities.

John’s career began in sales, marketing and commercial management in the energy sector (Rolls-Royce and National Nuclear Lab) before moving to the Higher Education sector in 2007, where he was Director of Innovation and Enterprise at UCLan, before joining Edinburgh Innovations in 2018.

“EI fulfils a key role in getting research innovations from the lab to end-use. We help researchers to find the funding, market experience and business the support they need, supporting at every stage as their innovation negotiates both technical and commercial challenges.

"At times we act as advisor, coach and mentor to our staff and student clients, translating the needs of industry sectors and investors and helping build technologies, teams and businesses.

"We facilitate the connection of the exceptional knowledge and talent of the University of Edinburgh staff and students to partners worldwide.”

Head of Investment at Old College Capital (OCC)

Andrea is part of the founding OCC team and has 35+ years of investment and venture capital experience. Andrea is FCA qualified and prior to joining OCC held director positions at Deutsche Bank, Royal Bank Of Scotland and Scottish Enterprise. Andrea provides additional strategic insight as an EI Board Director and member of the University’s OCC General Governance Committee. Andrea holds a BSc in pure and Applied Maths from the University of Strathclyde.

“Innovation involves fostering a culture of creativity, research and entrepreneurship among students, staff and partners. At Old College Capital we work with exciting spinouts and startups that are generating novel ideas, products or services with the potential to transform industries. These young companies are developing new technologies that will provide impactful solutions to real world problems and deliver a significant return on investment.”

Head of College of Arts, Humanities and Social Science Account Team

After completing an MA at the University of Glasgow, Aileen Appleyard spent the first 10 years of her career focused on policy and economic development.

During this time she completed an MBA at the University of Strathclyde. This was followed by a period in financial services and management consultancy. As a Consultant and Change Programme Manager Aileen was successful in shaping and implementing business growth plans in professional services, financial services and education sectors.

Aileen has successfully directed and delivered strategic change initiatives cross-divisionally and across multiple regions.

Aileen joined Edinburgh Innovations in 2015 to lead the transformation of the Consultancy operation. In July 2020, Aileen took on the role of Head of College of Arts, Humanities and Social Science Account Team.

“Innovation is about what happens when people get together to discuss ideas and share opinions. It is about thinking differently about how we do things, looking for new approaches and breaking new ground. It is about applying academic knowledge to solve business problems and to support product, process and policy development for university and societal benefit.“

Head of Business Development for College of Science and Engineering

Ian has over 15 years’ experience in developing corporate partnerships and revenue generation, having spent the last 10 years in the Higher Education sector across roles in Australia at the University of New South Wales and the UK with the University of Edinburgh. He holds an Honours degree in Business and Information Technology from TU Dublin and a postgraduate qualification in Law from the Australian National University.

Ian joined Edinburgh Innovations in 2017 as the Consultancy Manager for the College of Science & Engineering. In 2019 he transitioned into the role of Business Development Manager for the Schools of Engineering and Physics & Astronomy. 2022 saw Ian take over the role as Head of Business Development for the College of Science & Engineering.

"The University of Edinburgh is a historic and internationally renowned generator of innovation for societal and industrial change benefit.

"At Edinburgh Innovations, we seek to provide the University’s students and researchers with the environment, support and pathways to maximise the potential of their world-leading research. We strive to develop lasting partnerships with industry, public sector and academia in order to answer the major global challenges of today and tomorrow.

"Being part of Edinburgh Innovations gives access to an incredible picture of what our world could look like in the future and an appreciation of the University’s ability to make new ideas a reality."

Head of Business Development for College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine

Susan joined the University as a Business Development Executive in 2013, supporting the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine. She moved to Edinburgh Innovations in 2019 and became Business Development Manager before being appointed as Head of Business Development for CMVM in summer 2021.

With an honours degree in Pharmacology and PhD in physiology and cell signalling, Susan’s background is in drug development. As a new graduate, Susan started her career as Study Director at Charles River Laboratories (then Inveresk) where she worked with all major pharma, biotech and chemical companies to support drug development, specifically the studies required to prove the safety of new chemical entities in both preclinical and clinical studies.

"The potential of patient and societal benefit through transformative research at the University is a huge motivator in this role. The opportunities for translation and industrial interest at the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine and the impact this can have is significant. We are seeing rapid change in our lives with Covid, together with the possibility of digital innovation makes this a very exciting time to be involved in the translation of research."

Interim Director of Strategic Partnerships

Caroline joined Edinburgh Innovations in 2017. She brings over 20 years of experience and a successful track record of accelerating the translation, exploitation, and commercialisation of academic research in the fields of biomedicine and life sciences.

A founding member of the Strategic Partnerships Team, formed in January 2022, Caroline was most recently Director of Strategic Partnerships for Asia & Global before taking up her new position in April 2024 as Interim Director, heading up the Strategic Partnerships Team.

Practised in the development and negotiation of strategic collaborations and partnerships with industry, Caroline also has specialist expertise in strategic grant drafting and development.

She has served as a member on several funding committees and was formerly a member and then Deputy Chair of BBSRC’s Follow-on Fund Committee until 2021.

"I have the privilege of experiencing innovation in real time, by helping researchers to translate and exploit their research. My ambitions and goals to help realise the power of research and accelerate its application for the benefit of society are unwavering"

Head of Finance and Operations

Kenneth is a Chartered Certified Accountant with over twenty years of finance and accounting experience. Kenneth has a multi-faceted finance career with key leadership roles within the National Health Service, pharmaceutical sector, financial services and engineering/manufacturing sector.

In addition to more standard finance and accounting, Kenneth has a wide range of commercial finance and business partnering experience including financial strategy, business planning, data analytics, business intelligence, business transformation, business opportunities, investment appraisal and value proposition.

Head of Communications and Marketing

Amy Rafferty has over twenty years of experience in communications and marketing. Amy has been Head of Communications and Marketing at EI since October 2020 where she thrives on collaborative and dynamic energy.

Amy started her career as Head of Research for the Scottish Conservatives, going on to be Director of Politics and Media at the Scottish Countryside Alliance. Amy moved to Weber Shandwick Scotland in 2004 where, as an Associate Director, she specialised in public affairs. In 2010 Amy honed her digital marketing skills as Head of Communications for the satirical website the Daily Mash. Amy rejoined Ruth Davidson’s Scottish Conservatives in 2017, becoming Head of PR.

“To me, innovation means limitless possibility. As a society, we are facing some big challenges, but being surrounded by the most intelligent people on the planet gives me confidence. We have an opportunity to be part of the solution and we’re taking it. Solving problems, improving lives; innovation is how we affect positive change.”