Committee Remit

(example) To oversee and promote the School’s research activities, ensuring they align with institutional and departmental priorities and academic standards

Meeting Organisation

Meeting Frequency:
Timing Criteria:
Duration:

Date of Next Meeting:

Meeting Documentation

Terms of Reference
Template Agenda
Last Meeting Minutes:
Meeting Minutes Archive

NB: Minutes of the meeting are added once approved at the next meeting.

Louise Hardy

Louise Hardy is an accomplished Civil Engineer who progressed to director level with roles in major infrastructure projects, such as the Jubilee line extension, London 2012 Olympic Park, and as Project Director at Bechtel. Since 2015, she has developed a diverse non-executive portfolio, currently serving on the boards of Travis Perkins, Balfour Beatty, and Crest Nicholson, among others. A fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers and the Chartered Management Institute, Louise is also a STEM ambassador, diversity champion, and recipient of several prestigious awards, including the 2021 National Businesswoman of the Year and listings in influential engineering women’s rankings.

Theo Saville

Theo Saville, a manufacturing and mechanical engineer, is the CEO and co-founder of CloudNC, a tech company revolutionizing metal component manufacturing through advanced software solutions. The idea for CloudNC emerged from Theo’s experience with the complex CNC machine process, which he sought to simplify and enhance. CloudNC has since raised over $75 million from backers like Autodesk and Lockheed Martin. Recognized in Forbes 30 under 30 (2019) and MIT 35 Under 35 (2023), Theo previously worked in consultancy engineering roles, designing commercial manufacturing technology, including a compact sound diffuser.

Karen Holland 

Karen, a physics graduate from the University of Birmingham, began her career as a Principal Development Engineer at Plessey, developing fiber optic technology for military and commercial use. After a career break, she pursued astronomy, leading to the discovery of colliding open star clusters and a published paper with the Royal Astronomical Society. She co-founded XCAM, a company specializing in digital cameras for scientific and space applications, and later became its CEO. Under her 20-year leadership, XCAM grew from a small venture to a 6000-square-foot facility with ISO 6 cleanrooms. Karen has served on various engineering and technology boards.

Andy Bullock

Andy is a chartered Electronic Engineer and board director with over 25 years of experience in delivering advanced technology solutions to the energy sector. Currently, he is the Engineering Director at GE Power, leading a 200-strong UK and APAC Systems Engineering team focused on high-value projects across Energy, Renewables, Offshore, Naval, and Industrial markets. In addition, Andy volunteers with the Shipbuilding Skills Delivery Group, where he advocates for talent development, diversity, and skills advancement to support future industry needs and the Net Zero transition.

Paula Deas MBE

Paula is a Senior Executive with 28 years of experience in fostering private-public sector partnerships focused on economic development. She played a pivotal role in establishing and now leads the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP), which has secured over £350 million in funding and became one of England’s top-performing LEPs. Paula has driven major capital projects, including Coventry Rail Station, Very Light Rail, and the University of Warwick Arts Centre, contributing to job creation, investment, and regional innovation.

Steven Denton

Steve Denton is WSP’s Executive Director and Head of Civil Engineering in the UK, overseeing over 600 staff and specializing in engineering, strategic consultancy, and complex project leadership. An internationally recognized bridge engineering expert, Steve chairs the CEN/TC 250 committee responsible for Structural Eurocodes, leading the development of their second generation of the Eurocodes. Also a fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and other institutions, Steve was elected Vice President of the Royal Academy in 2023.

Nigel Owens

Nigel Owen holds a BSc in Engineering from the University of Durham and an MBA from Cranfield University. He began his career with Deloitte, advising investors, and later became a partner at YFM Equity Partners, where he led investments, acquisitions, fundraisings, and realisations. Since joining Mercia in 2019, Nigel has served as a Portfolio Director for the Venture Capital Trust (VCT) team, supporting the growth of VCT portfolio companies and sitting on several boards. With over 18 years of venture capital experience, he has expertise in software, engineering, telecoms, support services, and technology sectors.

Jon Woodforth

Jon is a seasoned technology leader with over 20 years of experience in technology strategy, development, and delivery for complex enterprises. He is currently the Chief Technology Officer at Totalmobile, a field service management provider. Previously, Jon served as CTO at Zonal, supporting the digital transformation of over 16,000 hospitality and leisure businesses. Before these roles, he gained senior management experience working with tech startups and SMEs in Coventry and Warwickshire

Mark Warrender

Ash Ghadar

Ash is an experienced industry leader, specialising in product development, commercialisation and scale-up, with a focus on health tech, medical devices, scientific instruments, and manufacturing automation. With 25 years of experience spanning executive leadership, advisory roles, and hands-on design and development, Ash has built a diverse career across a range of businesses, including publicly listed OEMs, consultancies, and contract design and manufacturing. He has successfully led numerous companies through the entire product lifecycle, from initial concept to full-scale commercialisation

James Covington

James is a professor in Electrical Engineering and head of Industry and Impact within the School of Engineering. He has spent his academic career developing chemical and biological sensors for detecting a variety of environmental pollutants and biological agents which have been utilised in a broad range of contexts. In addition to this he has worked on developing low-cost, high-volume chemical sensors for the industrial sector resulting in producing the most cost and power-effective chemical sensors commercially available today. James has also received funding from industry such as Sony, IBM, Roche, Denso and DSM.