Our People

Iain Simpson has over 30 years of experience in technology and product development, focusing on medical devices and bioinstrumentation. He works at Phillips Medisize, and has held roles at THORN EMI and leading Cambridge technology consultancies. He lectures at Cambridge University and regularly writes for Therapeutic Delivery.

Dr. Uday Phadke is a leading figure in science, technology, and innovation. As co-founder and CEO of Triple Chasm, he focuses on translating science and tech-driven innovation into commercial success. For over three decades, Dr. Phadke has been crucial in bridging the gap between research and commercial application.

Tony Hart, an Oxford graduate with an MBA, held roles in ICT firms like Digital Equipment and Cisco, focusing on business development. Since 2005, he has consulted for tech firms in diverse sectors, led UK India business collaborations, launched Holley Technology’s UK subsidiary, and headed Smart Oxford. He now mentors early-stage tech companies.

David, a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, advises on innovation strategy and holds an MSc and Honorary Doctorate from Loughborough. He chaired advisory boards at City and Nottingham Universities and led the creation of Innovate UK. Previously, he held executive roles at Ford, Lucas, GEC-Marconi, and BAE Systems.

Sir Richard Sykes is a distinguished British entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience in biotechnology and pharmaceuticals. He served as CEO and Chairman of GlaxoWellcome and GlaxoSmithKline, was Chairman of NHS London, and Rector of Imperial College London.

Jamie Urquhart, co-founder of Arm Holdings plc, began as an electronic engineer and became Sales Manager at Arm's inception. He advanced to Sales Director/VP Sales, COO, and Chief Strategy Officer before retiring in 2002. After Arm's IPO in 1985 (NASDAQ and LSE), he pursued angel investing and became a Venture Partner at Pond Venture Partners. Today, he supports startups and startup programs.

Pierre, a Partner at Amadeus since 2012, focuses on Health and Bio sectors. He leads investments in companies like ConstructiveBio, OriBiotech, and PhoreMost. Previously, Pierre was an analyst at Natexis, then CEO and CSO at Avesthagen in India. He holds a MSc from Aix-Marseille University and executive degrees from Stanford, MIT, and Harvard.

Ric Parker, former Rolls-Royce Director of Research & Technology, is now a Special Advisor in technology strategy and transfer. He advises A*STAR, Boom Supersonic, and chairs multiple Singapore research programs. A CBE recipient, he holds numerous fellowships, honorary doctorates, and professorships in engineering and physics.

Claire Ruskin, Director at Cambridge Network Ltd, brings a wealth of expertise from her background in complex design and technology leadership at Cambridge Consultants and PA Technology and her roles in assisting start-ups become scale-ups and multi-nationals. She has been a leading figure in the Cambridge Ecosystem, assisting collaboration between government, academia and industry within the region especially through her role on the Greater Cambridge Partnership board.

In the coming year, The Research & Development Society will be on the look out for new talent to join our team.  

Jamie leads the RDS deployment team. With a Masters in Engineering Science from the University of Oxford, he has collaborated with the European Space Agency on automated image analysis and worked on the latest sporting technology at Hawk-Eye Innovations.

In the coming year, The Research & Development Society will be on the look out for new talent to join our team.