Research and Enterprise Committee

Attila Emecz

Chair of the Research Committee and Independent member of the Board of Governors

Attila (Atti) is Senior Director, Custom Solutions at Elsevier where he works particularly, although not exclusively, with governments and research funders in developing analytical solutions to help in research strategy, research delivery and national assessments.

Prior to joining Elsevier, Atti worked at the University of Surrey from 2014 to 2019 in various roles including as Vice-Provost, Research and Innovation and as Director of Research Strategy. He introduced the first formal Research and Impact Strategy at the University.

Atti remains a visiting professor at the University. During his time at Surrey, Atti was also Executive Secretary for the ERA Foundation whose objectives included encouraging young people into engineering careers and on promoting the contribution that engineering and manufacturing make to society.

Between 1990 and 2014, Atti worked for the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council the largest funder of UK university research. He was an Executive Director from 2003. On behalf of all UK Research Councils, Atti led the work on improving the efficiency of peer review and on encouraging impact to be delivered from the research and training the Council's support. He was responsible for developing three Corporate Strategies, for the introduction of a number of schemes for accelerating impact and for leading the evaluation team responsible for assessing the effectiveness of EPSRC policies, including for impact.

Attila is also a member of the Board of Governors.

Dr David Secher

Independent Governor

David Secher is an independent consultant in the areas of research commercialisation, intellectual property and technology transfer, in the UK and internationally. Assignments include work in Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Japan, South America, Africa, and Europe. He is based in Cambridge University, where he is a Life Fellow of Gonville & Caius College.

In 2002, together with Lita Nelsen of MIT, he founded Praxis (now PraxisAuril), the leading UK knowledge exchange organisation. He served as chairman or as a director until 2014 and is now Patron. For his contributions to “creating environments that favour enterprise, specialising in the practical aspects of commercialising the results of academic research”, he was awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise Promotion in 2007.

Previous roles include Senior Bursar, Gonville & Caius College; CEO of the N8 Research Partnership; Director of Research Services, Cambridge University; Director of Drug Development, Cancer Research Campaign; Director of Monoclonal Therapeutics, Celltech Ltd.; and Tenured Group Leader, Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology. As a consultant, he has advised universities, governments and individuals on commercialisation of intellectual property, as well as acting as a non-executive director of technology and investment companies.

David graduated from the Cambridge University (Churchill College) with first class honours in biochemistry. His PhD work at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology was with César Milstein (Nobel Prize-­winner for discovery of monoclonal antibodies). Together with Derek Burke, Secher made and patented the first monoclonal antibody to human interferon.

David is also Chair of the Enterprise and Innovation Committee and a member of the Board of Governors and Strategy, Finance and Resources Committee.

Dr Jay Keyse

Independent Governor

Jay Keyse is an experienced enterprise strategist and IT services portfolio executive who has held leadership positions at EDS, HP, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, DXC Technology and ConvergeOne, and currently works for Gartner UK Ltd. as an Executive Partner. During her career, Jay has led global systems integrator strategy and IT portfolio management functions, including being responsible for portfolio and product strategy, strategic partnerships, IT Advisory, M&A strategy, divisional Product Marketing, Learning and Development, Analyst Relations, and International partnerships.

Jay holds an MBA (Technology Management) from the Open University, an MSc. in Business and Management Research from Henley Business School, University of Reading, and is currently finalising a ‘strategy as practice’-focused Doctorate of Business Administration at Henley Business School.

Jay lives on the picturesque North Wales coast.

Sam Cannicott

Independent governor

Sam is an experienced senior civil servant, adept at leading complex infrastructure and policy programmes, focused on the implications of rapid technological advancement. With a deep understanding of the UK’s higher education system, having worked within it, advising vice chancellors, and working with institutions to develop their strategies.

Sam is currently a Director, Artificial Intelligence, at the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology, leading delivery of the Prime Minister’s AI Opportunities Action Plan, with a focus on building-out the country’s AI infrastructure, supporting AI for Science, and improving the wider investment environment.

He has previously worked for the New Zealand Government, where he worked on data policy, advising ministers on how to use sensitive data ethically and safely.

Ian Huke

Independent Governor

Ian qualified and practised as a solicitor before moving into information technology. He has since worked on systems development, organisational change and governance for both small software houses and large blue-chip companies.

His activity is now focused on building digital skills and enabling innovation as an independent consultant. He is a published author and currently co-writing a book on data science. As a Trustee of Myton Hospice, he is supporting the development of their digital strategy.

Sally Hannah

Independent Governor

Appointed as an Independent Governor in September 2020, Sally has over 30 years’ experience in the private sector, primarily within the West Midlands and Oxfordshire region. This included a 16 year career at the CBI, the UK business lobbying group, representing the interests of businesses of all sizes and sectors, including HE and FE, building senior networks, directing strategic membership portfolios, leading successful commercial growth strategies and passionately championing business as a force for good with external stakeholders. Advisory Group roles included the Oxfordshire LEP Business Support Group.

Sally initiated and led the CBI Business in the Classroom initiative from 2008, which aimed to inspire young people into business and enhance their employability skills, achieving sponsorship from Advantage West Midlands and facilitating over 50 business/school partnerships. They also have experience in the aerospace and automotive industries, after having studied modern languages for business at Birmingham City University.

Sally is a Non-Executive Director/Board Trustee of the National Association of Able Children in Education (NACE), which works with schools and education leaders to improve provision for more able learners, driving whole-school improvement and increasing challenge for all students. She is an Independent Member of the Education Advisory Committee of the Jon Egging Trust, which works with the RAF and aviation industries to support disadvantaged young people overcome adversity and achieve their full potential and is also a member of the Charities Committee.

Scott Coles

Independent Governor

Scott spent the first 20 years of his career in marketing and sales roles in consumer goods. He then led the retail channel for O2 as cellular services were deregulated, opening up many new channels.

He then moved into consultancy helping companies commercialise their products and services. At this time, he spent 3 years supporting a social enterprise focused on Fair Trade drinks. The business was started to reward producers at above commodity prices and then reinvest profits in schemes to support their communities. For the last 14 years he has worked in the global pharmaceutical industry, initially in commercial operations prior to moving into large scale program management. He has worked across the largest country markets and delivered global solutions which could be executed locally. Most recently Scott has started as a Board Advisor to an AI insights business based in the US.

Scott is also a Non-Executive Director of CU Social Enterprise CIC.