Our People
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Dr Mark SwiftCTO, WMG centre HVM Catapult Director of SME Programmes What is your role? I lead WMG’s initiatives focused on helping SMEs grow through research-led innovation and developing new skills. How can you help manufacturing? I have experience of bringing innovative research to market, running knowledge transfer programmes and helping to grow small businesses. My background in manufacturing systems, previously working for International Paper, Hasbro and BMW UK helps me do this. How can I contact you? The best way to contact Mark is via wmgsme@warwick.ac.uk. |
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Dr Paul MilneDeputy Director of SME Programmes How can you help manufacturing? I help companies get value from science and technology to overcome the challenges of today and to enable a more productive and competitive tomorrow. I have been a director, technical leader, consultant and have years of experience delivering successful research, development and innovation projects for companies large and small. In my current role helping SMEs, I like to understand what are your challenges and remove blockers, finding practical ways to solve them. Living in a world of every increasing challenges I am motivated to help get the best from technology and innovative thinking to make a real and lasting change and build a more sustainable future. What problems do you like solving? Favourite topics are; sustainability, polymers/plastics, optics, sensors, digital technology and the environment. I like solving all problems- considering all options high and low tech, from finding quick wins and moving at pace to get success in early, to building long term strategies and plans to reach bold and ambitious objectives. - we can and do help. How can I contact you? The best way to contact Paul is via email wmgsme@warwick.ac.uk or phone - 024 76 575434 |
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Carl WalmsleyProgramme Manager What is your role? I am a Programme Manager for the SME group and ensure efficient, compliant, and precise delivery of our collaborative projects to enable all parties to have a good experience of working with us How can you help manufacturing? I have over 30 years of experience working in small engineering companies through to large multi-national organisations. Much of my experience is in automotive product development, which has enabled me to gain a broad knowledge of many new and existing manufacturing techniques What problems do you like solving? I thrive on the challenge of overcoming any issue, by building strong teams with a wide range of skills and being clear on an aligned desired outcome. Due to my experience in automotive, I have a particular interest in technologies which involve weight reduction compared to conventional methods. How can I contact you? Email: wmgsme@warwick.ac.uk |
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Dr Kylash MakenjiPrincipal Engineer What is your role? I support a great team of industry and academic experts, who work closely with Businesses, to identify their challenges and help them to address them. How can you help manufacturing? I have 20 years of direct experience with industry and 15 years indirectly through the university, we support manufacturing through academic excellence and industry relevance. What problems do you like solving? I enjoy coming up with solutions to challenges in manufacturing, such as increasing productivity or waste elimination or reuse of them. My background is in plastic materials, they have been demonised recently in the world press, my thoughts are that plastic materials are not the issue, but on how we as a species interact with these materials and that we should be using them in a much smarter way. How can I contact you? The best way to contact Kylash is by email, or phone (07545 967897) wmgsme@warwick.ac.uk |
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Onur ErenPrincipal Engineer What is your role? I am a Principal Engineer within the SME Group at WMG. How can you help manufacturing? I’m leading a team of experienced Digital Manufacturing experts to support businesses with their transformation journey and boost productivity and growth in the region. I am providing leadership and quality control to all delivery activities as well as championing the regional adoption of the Made Smarter West Midlands programme. What problems do you like solving? Digital Manufacturing, Operational Excellence, Sustainability, Productivity, Competitiveness How can I contact you? The best way to contact Onur is via email wmgsme@warwick.ac.uk, LinkedIn or Twitter. |
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Jo HughesProject Officer What is your role? I support the WMG SME Group as part of the PMO Team which includes administrative support, project governance/compliance and process improvement. How can I contact you? |
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Laura DowneyInnovation Manager, (Sustainable Manufacturing) What is your role? I am a Sustainable Manufacturing Innovation Manager, currently leading the Net Zero Innovation Network (NZIN) that supports UK manufacturing SMEs in kickstarting their Net Zero journey. How can you help manufacturing? My team are a group of experts dedicated to making Net Zero simple, accessible and profitable by working with businesses to identify economic and environmentally sustainable manufacturing solutions that work. Project examples include: Waste mapping and reduction, alternative product end of life, increasing recycled content of materials, energy consumption reduction opportunities within manufacturing. What problems do you like solving? I enjoy investigating manufacturing and performance failures and finding solutions to eliminate or reduce the risk of a future failure. I also enjoy taking the current product and working with manufacturers to actively look for improvements that make the product and its manufacturing process, more robust, increase its field life-time and its environmental sustainability. How can I contact you? Via email laura.n.e.downey@warwick.ac.uk |
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Mita PanchalProject Manager What is your role? I have over 16 years' experience of delivering business support to SMEs through Government and European Union-funded projects. Previously providing support through various ERDF projects and at WMG the Product Innovation Accelerator and the Digital Innovation for Manufacturing projects. How can I contact you? The best way to contact Mita is via email wmgsme@warwick.ac.uk or phone - 024 7657 4299. |
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Katy WilsonProject Officer / Internship Programme Manager What is your role? My role is to manage the SME Group Internship Programme and delivery of the Knowledge Transfer Partnerships within the team. How can you help manufacturing? I support programmes that enable young people to enhance their skills and contribute to the manufacturing industry. Through our programmes, we support companies to solve their business challenges with expert supervision from our team. What problems do you like solving? I like to make people’s lives easier. By supporting clients, I help reduce the burden of planning and organising giving them more time to do what they do best. How can I contact you? Email - wmgsme@warwick.ac.uk, LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/katy-wilson-9974521b8/ |
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Zoe MobberleyMarketing Officer What is your role? I am the main point of contact for marketing, social media, and events for the SME Team. How can you help manufacturing? The team here have a huge amount of expertise and I want manufacturing SMEs to know what support we can offer them. It's great working with a diverse department that is helping local companies overcome challenges. What problems do you like solving? I like introducing people to each other. When I hear someone has an issue or a challenge - there is always some I know who could help! How can I contact you? The best way to contact Zoe is by email – wmgsme@warwick.ac.uk |
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Russ NobleBusiness Development Manager What is your role? I am a Business Development Manager in the SME team at WMG. My role is to identify, engage and support UK manufacturing businesses (SMEs) with a range of business and technical offerings from the WMG group. These offerings from WMG can cover Materials & Manufacturing, Digitally Enhanced Manufacturing, Intelligent Vehicles and Transport Electrification. How can you help manufacturing? My role is to engage with manufacturing businesses to understand their specific challenges and these may include solving existing manufacturing issues, enhancing productivity, developing new products, processes, customers and markets. Against these specific manufacturing challenges, I work with wider WMG experts to derive a solution or ‘project’ together with the appropriate delivery mechanism and work jointly with the business to solve the challenge. What problems do you like solving? I want to work with manufacturing businesses on their industry-led and business validated challenges. I want to solve challenges which can be implemented within the business and ultimately deliver tangible benefits to the business. How can I contact you? The best way to contact Russ is via email wmgsme@warwick.ac.uk or phone - 07791 463026 |
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Scott CrowtherInnovation Manager What is your role? I assist SMEs to apply for the government's Knowledge Transfer Partnerships scheme. How can you help manufacturing? By helping them benefit from the expertise and equipment within the University. What problems do you like solving? I like looking at the big picture; so solving problems with strategic thinking and long-term planning. How can I contact you? The best way to contact Scott is via email wmgsme@warwick.ac.uk |
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Simon BroomeInnovation Manager / Business Development / Knowledge Transfer Partnerships What is your role? I facilitate the delivery of the KTP programme. How can I contact you? The best way to contact Simon is by phone 024 76 50036 or email wmgsme@warwick.ac.uk |
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Dr Paul LansdellInnovation Manager What is your role? I am the metallurgist in the metals and materials team, with over 40 years of industrial experience in a wide range of manufacturing activities. How can you help manufacturing? By advising on materials to be used for particular applications and structuring manufacturing routes or processes to achieve the final required product. In addition to this, troubleshooting, when products are not fit for purpose or processes and are not providing the expected properties in the final product. What problems do you like solving? I like investigating field failures to understand why a product or component has failed in service. How can I contact you? The best way to contact Paul is by email wmgsme@warwick.ac.uk |
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Dr Liz McArdleInnovation Manager What is your role? I am an Innovation Manager working with companies to improve their innovation capability. Innovation can be new to the company or absolute. How can you help manufacturing? I primarily work with manufacturers to help them understand how they deliver products to their customer and how they could use technology and know-how to improve this delivery in terms of time, cost, and performance. What problems do you like solving? I like ones that prevent a company from reaching its potential through a lack of sustainable systems - it's rewarding to solve. How can I contact you? The best way to contact Liz is via email wmgsme@warwick.ac.uk |
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Dr David NormanTechnology Transfer Engineer What is your role? I am an Electronic Systems Engineer with over 20 years' experience working in both industry and academia. I have worked in Germany on the latest in-home entertainment systems and sensor electronics and in the UK on robotics, actuation controllers, LED lighting, EMC compliance and CE marking. How can you help manufacturing? I can help with electronic design and manufacture. From the concept idea through to cash converted I use digital manufacturing as well as established techniques to provide solutions and solve issues. What problems do you like solving? Anything electronic – concept design, PCB layout, EMC compliance, CE marking, manufacturing and production line support problems. How can I contact you? The best way to contact Dave is via email wmgsme@warwick.ac.uk |
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Neil JeffreeInnovation Manager What is your role? I am an experienced Product Designer with an MA Design degree from Staffordshire University. I have designed numerous homeware products, including merchandise for the Jamie Oliver brand. How can you help manufacturing? I am experienced in a variety of CAD software systems and the utilisation of numerous rapid prototyping facilities. Having had my own Product Design and Development consultancy, working for globally recognised brands - Lakeland Ltd, Wedgewood, Maxwell & Williams, I can advise on manufacturing processes and materials, and assist with the development of a technically challenging product. What problems do you like solving? Since I joined WMG in 2019, I've enjoyed gained further experience solving problems with different CAD and ALM technologies, as well as creating and delivering a practical workshop to industry. How can I contact you? The best way to contact Neil is via email wmgsme@warwick.ac.uk |
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Steve NorgroveInnovation Manager wmgsme@warwick.ac.uk |
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Julian SwiestowskiTechnology Transfer Engineer What is your role? I am a Technology Transfer Engineer within the WMG SME Team. I specialise in electronics and embedded firmware, with over 30 years of experience designing and applying my expertise in the industry. Some examples of sectors I have worked in include industrial controls, factory automation, industrial and scientific lasers, automotive (including truck and boat) security. My speciality disciplines include analogue, digital, RF, power, battery technologies, solid-state lasers, embedded control, sensors, interfacing, simulation, PCB design and layout, and EMC and type approvals. How can you help manufacturing? I am keen to support the local industry and keep resources, capability, and talent within the UK. I want to use my knowledge of electronics and sensors, and be able to complement existing production facilities and extract process data for evaluation and performance tuning. What problems do you like solving? I enjoy applying electronics and firmware solutions to traditional and new processes, to produce a real impact on productivity, profitability, and innovation in manufacturing. How can I contact you? The best way to contact Julian is via email wmgsme@warwick.ac.uk , phone (02476 151084 or 07821 850881) or via LinkedIn. |
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Ioan LutasInnovation Manager What is your role? I like to think of myself as bringing a new perspective into automation, combining experience with the right amount of creativity. I enjoy working part of teams where ideas emerge and result in something unimaginable to the individual, an outcome from which small and medium enterprises are benefiting the most. How can you help manufacturing? The way Manufacturing evolved in the last century, it would probably require a new name like Autofacturing. I strongly believe as the next step of Industrial Revolution is the increased robot-human interaction, while the safety standards reach higher level of general trust, a journey which I have happily signed up for. What problems do you like solving? I am stubborn in identifying waste and reuse in any form or shape, finding the obvious improvement, so often overseen but critical for the long-term productivity and welfare. How can I contact you? Supposing we don't find you first, this is my email: wmgsme@warwick.ac.uk |
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James BlackInnovation Manager (Supply Chains) What is your role? I am an Innovation Manager within the SME Group at WMG and focus on business transformation and supply chains. How can you help manufacturing? My academic background includes postgraduate qualifications in Supply-Chain Fundamentals and Supply-Chain Design from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and I am in the process of completing my MBA at Warwick Business School. I am also highly experienced in assisting businesses to develop and implement their end-to-end supply-chain change programmes and am able to draw on over a decade of experience working with high-growth SMEs and start-ups in a variety of leadership positions. What problems do you like solving? Strategy problems. How can I contact you? |
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Nicola KirkleyInnovation Manager |
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Jack DavisTechnology Transfer Engineer What is your role? I am a Technology Transfer Engineer working in the Materials and Manufacture delivery team. I assist my team and SMEs with CAD, simulation and engineering design. How can you help manufacturing? I can help with mechanical, thermal and fluid flow problems in design and manufacture. I can use simulation tools to give manufacturers insights into their designs. What problems do you like solving? I enjoy using simulation tools such as CFD and FEA to improve the design process as well as designing for sustainable use. I am also interested in helping SMEs apply new technologies or improve old ones! How can I contact you? By email wmgsme@warwick.ac.uk |
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Archit TamboliTechnology Transfer Engineer What is your role? I am Technology Transfer Engineer in Sustainable Manufacturing. I deliver sustainability innovation projects that help companies to reduce waste, become more resource efficient, reduce their impact on the environment and make financial savings. How can you help manufacturing? I have over 5 years of experience in the manufacturing and sustainability industries. In my current role, I have been using my skills and experience to overcome and solve sustainability challenges that manufacturing SMEs face. What problems do you like solving? I like investigating how a company can improve their sustainability performance and assist them in reaching there. How can I contact you? WMGSME@warwick.ac.uk or https://www.linkedin.com/in/archit-tamboli/ |
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Dr Chapa BandaraTechnology Transfer Engineer What is your role? I am a Technology Transfer Engineer within the Materials and Manufacturing Team. My speciality is Chemistry and Materials Science. How can you help manufacturing? I support manufacturing SMEs with their materials related problems, be it polymers, ceramics, wet chemicals or other materials, transferring the wide knowledge available in academia, to industry. By understanding the behaviour of their raw materials as well as processed materials (either successful or failed products), the businesses can better tackle their manufacturing challenges. What problems do you like solving? I enjoy supporting clients get to the bottom of their materials-related challenges by employing a wide variety of specialised characterisation techniques available in WMG, as well as working with subject specialists in the University of Warwick. I help SMEs understand their materials including their microstructure, chemical structure, mechanical properties and optimum processing conditions to improve current products or to explore new technologies. Additionally I am involved in thermoplastic moulding activities such as injection moulding and extrusion. How can I contact you? WMGSME@warwick.ac.uk or Chapa Bandara, Ph.D. - Technology Transfer Engineer - WMG, University of Warwick | LinkedIn |
Bethany HaynesEngineering Technician What is your role? I am an Engineering Technician. How can you help manufacturing? I can help Manufacturing by solving problems and aiding product design by advising on and assisting with additive layer technologies. What problems do you like solving? I like solving design problems with ALM Technologies in order for the client to gain the best product for market. How can I contact you? The best way to contact Bethis via email wmgsme@warwick.ac.uk or phone 07375 300923. |
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Renee CrouchReceptionist wmgsme@warwick.ac.uk |
