Shiraaz Essop
Procurement Delivery Manager Projects and Transformation, NHS Supply Chain

Max Gould
Corporate Finance, Cenkos

Conor Feehily
SFI Experienced Post-doctoral Researcher, Teagasc

Conor is a Senior Post-doctoral Research Fellow on the Science Foundation Ireland funded research spoke Microbe Mom. This multicentre project aims to understand how microbes are transferred from mothers to baby, including the role of the diet in influencing this transfer.

His research interests lie in microbes that have both a beneficial and detrimental impact on our health, and his research specifically deals with the vaginal microbiota and its role in vaginal health and pregnancy.

After graduating with a PhD in Microbiology from NUI Galway, he joined APC Microbiome Ireland in 2014 to research and develop probiotics, before joining Teagasc in 2017 on an Irish Research Council/ Industry partner funded Post-doctoral Fellowship.

Greg Richard
Founder, 3DAnatomica

John Jeans
Non Executive Director and Chairman, Digital Health & Care Institute

John is a Non-Executive Director who chairs the Digital Health and Care Institute and serves on the Boards of EM Imaging, Renishaw plc, ProMetic Life Science Inc. and ProMetic Pharma SMT Ltd. His previous positions include Chairmanships of Imanova Ltd and the UK BioCentre as well as Directorships of Alliance Medical and Myconostica. 

He was previously the Chairman of Cardiff University and a Director of the University Employers Association. From 2009 John was Deputy Chief Executive of the Medical Research Council, a member of its Audit and Risk Committee and Chaired the Trustee Board of MRC Technology (LifeArc) until 2014.

An advisor to public and third sector organizations, he was appointed by the Prime Minister from 2014 to 2018 as the Life Science Champion for medical technology. John leads Innovate UK’s Health KTN Board, and has contributed to advisory panels for the MRC, EPSRC, NIHR, NCUB, NPL and the Wellcome Trust. He has served on several Government bodies including a Ministerial Committee on Medical Technologies, was an inaugural member of the Science Advisory Council for Wales and a founder Trustee of the Francis Crick Institute. He is Chair of the Strategic Advisory Panel for the Singapore Government’s Diagnostics Hub, a member of its Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Advisory Panel and its Health and Biomedical Sciences Advisory Council.

In an industrial career spanning 35 years he held senior international leadership positions in global companies including Smith & Nephew, Bristol Myers Squibb, Johnson & Johnson and Amersham plc. John headed the commercial function of GE’s Life Science business and was the Chairman of its UK Healthcare Company. His domain experience ranges from medical devices and therapeutic pharmaceuticals to in-vivo and in-vitro diagnostics; encompassing research, product development, manufacturing and commercialization. 

John is engaged with international, national and local charities including the Africa Research Excellence Fund and is Co-Chair of the Clare Foundation.

He was awarded the CBE for services to Life Sciences, Healthcare and Science in 2012.

Christian Kumar
Managing Director, Capital Kinetics

Simon Richards
Director, MEDDEV QA

Simon has over 15 years’ experience in the medical device industry. He is a Quality Assurance and Regulatory Affairs specialist in the Medical Device industry with a strong background in Sterilization and Microbiology.  Simon also has an excellent understanding of ISO 13485 Quality Management Systems and is a qualified FDA lead auditor with experience of leading both internal and external audits.  He’s spent over ten years working at a leading UK based notified body as a Certification Manager.

Speaker Transforming Systems
, Transforming Systems

Christie Harper
Consultant, Gatehouse ICS

After 15 years in health economic consultancy and, before that a career in cardiac nursing in the UK/USA, Christie Harper established Gatehouse ICS (Independent Commercialisation Support) in 2016. Gatehouse uses Christie’s experience and 8000 + network of pharma, medtech, NHS and academic contacts for two main services: 1) Market Insights interview research for those wishing to sell to or partner with the NHS or industry and 2) Freelance business development and lead generation for health research and related products/services. Her market insights are often used by innovators to gain an early understanding of NHS acceptability of their inventions and also to understand how it might be purchased by the NHS (process, challenges, routes and opportunities). This research is provided to three University IP departments for their associated health innovators and Christie is a member of the consultant network for the Health Tech Hub at University West England, for similar support. She is also trained by the BHBIA in ethics and legal methods surrounding this research. Alongside her health economic career Christie has taught and developed curriculum for University courses in health economics and communications and has delivered seminars such as “health economics for the non health economist” and “consultancy based selling” to a variety of audiences. Gatehouse ICS currently hires one research executive and one NVQ apprentice, with another apprentice appointment planned in 2019. Christie has also founded RAISE Community Interest Company (CIC), which aims to raise awareness, aspirations and opportunities for school leavers in the South Wales Valleys in relation to health innovation careers and study paths.

Liz Hayward
HR Manager, Creo Medical

Dr Dean Burnett
Neuroscientist, Comedian and Guardian science blogger,

Dean Burnett is a doctor of neuroscience, international bestselling, in-demand speaker and science communicator and sometimes comedian. He is currently travelling the UK telling people all about the intricate properties of our brains that determine what makes us happy and why, as covered in his latest book ‘The Happy Brain’. He is based in Cardiff and is an honorary research associate for the psychology school at the university.

David Sheppard
Deputy Head, Life Sciences, Department for International Trade

David Sheppard joined the DIT Life Sciences Organisation in June 2015 and is responsible for leading a team of civil servants and sector specialists to help UK companies to export life sciences products and services and attract Foreign Direct Investment.

After graduating from Swansea University in History and working for the Gwent-Glamorgan Archaeological Trust, David joined the Ministry of Defence in 1989. Whilst in Defence he worked in equipment procurement, international defence co-operation, the 2001 Armed Forces Parliamentary Act and Human Resources.

Outside the Ministry of Defence, David has held the posts of Assistant Director for Africa and the Middle East in the UKTI Defence and Security Organisation and Head of Trade and Investment in the British Embassy in Muscat, Oman, where his tour culminated with the signature of a contract worth £2.5 billion to supply 12 Typhoon aircraft to the Royal Air Force of Oman witnessed by the Prime Minister.

Peter Finegold
Head of Education, Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE)

Peter joined the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in 2013 as Head of Education, since when he has led a programme of research to influence policy and practice linked to engineering skills. He started out his career as a biology, science and psychology teacher working in comprehensive schools in East Sussex and inner London for ten years, before joining the Wellcome Trust, where he oversaw the charity’s schools work, developed its education policy activity and conceived and led the 5-year development of the Science Learning Centres initiative (now STEM Learning) with Government. He worked extensively on modernising genetics education and STEM education policy, including co-authorship with Sir John Holman of the STEM Careers Review for the Gatsby Charitable Foundation.

Gwyn Tudor
CEO, MediWales

As CEO of Mediwales for nearly 16 years, Gwyn has overseen a transformation of the forum to its current size, influence and corporate structure. Gwyn works with the directors and members of MediWales to develop the forum’s future strategic direction. His in-depth knowledge of the life science sector allows him to represent MediWales’ members’ interests on a number of Welsh and UK government panels and boards.

Gwyn’s career has developed over twenty years from being a front line product designer working in a number of sectors, including the development of medical devices, to his current managerial role.

Professor Keith Harding
Medical Director, Welsh Wound Innovation Centre

Keith has had a longstanding interest in wound healing.  He has undergone training in both general surgery and general practice.  He was appointed as the first Director of the Wound Healing Research Unit in 1991.  From 2011 – 2013 he was Director of TIME Institute (Translation, Innovation, Methodology and Engagement) and Head of Wound Healing Research Unit, School of Medicine, Cardiff University and Clinical Lead for Wound Healing in the Cardiff & Vale NHS Trust.  In September 2013 he was appointed as Dean of Clinical Innovation at Cardiff University and in 2014 was appointed as Medical Director of the Welsh Wound Innovation Centre.  He is the Editor-in-Chief of the International Wound Journal published by Wiley.  He was the First President of the European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel, First Recorder of the European Wound Management Association and is a Past President of the European Tissue Repair Society.  He was Chair of the International Working Group on Wound Healing in Diabetic Foot Disease, Chair of the Expert Working Group that produced a range of International Consensus Documents from 2004 – 2011.  He was awarded the CBE in the New Year Honours list in January 2013 for Services to Medicine and Health Care.  In 2013 he was awarded £4.2 million to set up the Welsh Wound Innovation Initiative part of which has enabled the setting up of the first Wound Healing Centre in the World.  In 2014 he was awarded the The Learned Society of Wales Fellowship.

Chris Marshall
, Cardiff University – Wales Research and Diagnostic Positron Emission Tomography Imaging Centre (PETIC)

David Thompson
Managing Director and Principal Consultant, Clarity Compliance Solutions

David Thompson, Managing Director & Principal Consultant of Clarity Compliance Solutions is a Data Integrity, Computer Systems Validation and Compliance expert.

He has worked in the IT/Computer Systems arena for almost 30 years, the last 18 years he has provided Strategic Governance and Consultancy, Auditing and Training services to the pharmaceutical, biotech, R&D, medical devices, bloods and healthcare industry and to their suppliers of equipment and computerised systems, across the UK, Europe, Far East, Asia and the U.S.A.

Working across a wide variety and scale of organisations (top 5, mid-sized, generics, medical devices, CMO’s, CRO’s), David has an established pedigree of bringing his experience in technical, procedural methodologies and project implementations to site, country and global projects and programs for the benefit of his clients.

Recent activities include Global Head of Quality for GxP SaaS global program and also delivering Data Integrity expertise, Auditing, Consulting, Training and Program Implementations where by Data Integrity is woven in to the organisational fabric of clients.

David is a Chartered Engineer with both the MIET and the MInstMC and a member of the GAMP MES SIG and GAMP DI SIG.

Mark Birse
Group Manager Medical Device Safety and Surveillance & Software and Apps, Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)

Mark is the Group Manager of MHRA Devices Safety and Surveillance Group & Devices Software and Apps Group. He joined the MHRA in 2002 as a GMP Inspector having previously worked in the pharmaceutical industry for over 10 years and eligible to be a Qualified Person.Formerly Mark was the Deputy Director of the Inspection, Enforcement and Standards Division and Head of the MHRA Inspectorate & Process Licencing (covering GCP, GDP, GLP, GMP & GPvP)

Ifan Evans
Director Technology & Transformation, Health & Social Services Group, Welsh Government

Ifan is the Welsh Government lead for technology and innovation in health and care, working closely with NHS Wales, universities and businesses to support open innovation partnerships, and the use of new and emerging technologies.  He also leads the delivery of A Healthier Wales, the new national plan for health and social care in Wales.  Ifan has degrees from Oxford, Cardiff and Aberystwyth Universities. He has a private sector background with experience in property, retail, leisure, and tourism, and has also served on the boards of a number of social enterprises.

Lars Sundstrom
Innovation and Growth Director, West of England Academic Health Science Network

Lars Sundstrom is Director of Innovation and Growth at the West of England Academic Health Science Network and is responsible for developing new partnerships between companies and healthcare providers. Lars has over 30 years experience working between industry, academia and healthcare organisations and has held several executive and board level positions in companies and local health sector groups. He has also been an adviser to several UK and Local Government task forces as well as an adviser to the European Commission. 

Dr Richard Thompson
Technology Venture Senior Investment Executive, Development Bank of Wales

Cynthia Bullock
Senior Innovation Lead for Enabling Programmes, Innovate UK

Cynthia leads on the Biomedical Catalyst, SBRI and Investor Relations programmes within the Ageing Society Health and Nutrition sector at Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency which is part of UKRI.  These programme together represent over £400m of investment.  Cynthia works with the Department of Health and Social Care, its agencies (such as the NHS) and other relevant public bodies to support the development and procurement of R&D solutions which address defined needs.

Cynthia has over 15 year’s background in healthcare initially as a post-doctoral scientist in biochemistry and molecular biology then moving on to lead and project manage translational research across several clinical departments at Guys and St Thomas’ and Oxford University Hospitals.  In her most recent role Cynthia established a new team at an acute NHS Trust to oversee research and innovation support functions and developed the first Innovation Challenge Fund to specifically support NHS staff with bright ideas.  She has extensive experience of intellectual property management, contract negotiation, grant management and business development.  Cynthia has an executive MBA from Imperial College London.

Hamish Laing
Professor of Enhanced Innovation, Engagement and Outcomes, Swansea University School of Management

After a career as a reconstructive plastic surgeon and sarcoma specialist, spanning England and Wales, and holding many NHS leadership positions, Hamish was Executive Medical Director and Chief Information Officer at ABM University Health Board (ABMU) from 2014-8. He led a cross-sectoral review of clinical and digital strategies, co-authored its quality strategy, and secured substantial investment for digital transformation.  He established a Value-Based Healthcare programme and was instrumental in ARCH and the Swansea Bay City Region Deal.

In his new role in Swansea University, Hamish will promote the understanding and application of Value-Based Healthcare, develop and test models of outcomes-based pricing for medicines and evaluate technologies that support medicines adherence; working closely with Pfizer Inc., NHS Wales and other partners. Hamish is passionate about digital inclusion for patients and staff in the NHS and remains SRO for the national migration of NHS Wales Websites to an improved design and content management system and also the project to deploy and evaluate a patient controlled health record, Patients Know Best™ in ABMU.

Dr Peter Groves
Chair, Medical Technologies Advisory Committee NICE & Chair, Devices Expert Advisory Committee MHRA, NICE

Dr Groves is a Consultant Interventional Cardiologist at the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff and leads the structural heart disease interventional programme in south-east Wales. In addition to his clinical and academic involvement in the use of medical devices, Dr Groves has an interest in the regulation, health technology assessment and implementation of innovative technologies into clinical practice. Dr Groves holds national leadership positions in three government sponsored organizations in the UK. Dr Groves is Chair of the NICE Medical Technologies Advisory Committee which promotes the adoption of novel and innovative medical device technologies in the NHS. Dr Groves is Chair of the Devices Expert Advisory Committee that provides clinical, academic and operational advice to the MHRA in the regulation of medical devices in the setting of the UK healthcare system. Dr Groves is Chair of Health Technology Wales, an organization that is sponsored by Welsh Government to identify, appraise and promote the adoption of medical devices in NHS Wales. Dr Groves was previously Director of Cardiothoracic Services at the University Hospital of Wales, President of the Welsh Cardiovascular Society and Council member of the British Cardiovascular Society. Dr Groves has a continued interest in teaching and research and holds the position of Lecturer at Cardiff University.

Mark Steedman
Research Manager, Deloitte Centre for Health Solutions

Mark is the Research Manager for the Deloitte UK Centre for Health Solutions, which seeks to be a trusted source of relevant, timely and reliable insights that encourage collaboration across the health value chain. The Centre’s goal is to identify emerging trends, challenges, opportunities and examples of good practice, based on primary and secondary research and rigorous analysis. Until November 2016, Mark was the Institute Manager and a Policy Fellow at the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College London, where he supported research on palliative and end-of-life care, maternal and child health, design, philanthropy and electronic health records. Mark has a PhD from the UC Berkeley – UCSF Graduate Programme in Bioengineering, where he worked with Professor Tejal Desai on retinal tissue engineering and drug delivery. He also completed a Whitaker International Postdoctoral Fellowship with Professor Molly Stevens in the Departments of Materials and Bioengineering at Imperial College London.

Sheryl Warttig
Senior Technical Adviser, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence

Sheryl Warttig is a senior technical adviser in NICE’s Centre for Health Technology Evaluation. Sheryl is leading the delivery of HealthTech Connect- a national, systematic approach for identifying and supporting health technologies including devices, diagnostics, apps, and wearables. HealthTech Connect will be used by NICE, NHS England, and other UK healthcare decision makers as a fundamental component of topic selection processes.

Sheryl is also responsible for company engagement in the NICE Medical Technologies Evaluation Programme (MTEP). MTEP considers innovative medical technologies for the development of NICE guidance, and Medtech Innovation Briefings (NICE advice). At October 2018, the outputs include over 68 pieces of NICE guidance and over 156 pieces of NICE advice.

Sheryl joined NICE in 2011 after having previously worked in the NHS.  Sheryl has also worked in the NICE Clinical Guidelines Programme and the NICE Safe Staffing Programme.