DIGITAL DAIRY CHAIN - Key Persons
I began my career in the dairy industry working for one of the major dairy processors- operating various plant including milk processing/ packaging/ membrane plants/ spray dryers (and others). This led to me completing a foundation degree in dairy technology via the Eden program, which was collaboration between the major dairy processors to invest in dairy education in the UK.
During this time I moved from my native Yorkshire, to SW Scotland (around 11 years ago) and went to work for a major chemical supplier- delivering technical support and training to dairies, breweries and distilleries across Scotland and Northern England. A large part of this role was CIP (cleaning) and process optimisation with emphasis on energy, water and chemical savings.
Ultimately this leads to my current role where I am responsible for co-ordinating two "makerspaces" which will be small scale dairy production facilities which will offer free training, product development and access to a wider range of technical and commercial support.
Job Titles:
- STEM ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMME MANAGER
I have spent the last 14 years as a Primary Teacher, Science Lead and STEM facilitator. My new role as STEM Engagement Programme Manager within the Digital Dairy Chain allows me to bring my love of education, children and STEM together, in a new and interesting way.
I am a farm animal veterinary surgeon with commercial and technology transfer experience. I was a partner at Belle Vue Vets, a large dairy vet practice.
After Foot & Mouth I worked for Defra's Veterinary Laboratory as the Commercial Manager leading to a start-up rapid diagnostics company. After a spell in industry as Ruminant Technical Consultant for Elanco, my passion for technology transfer has led to a number of project management and consultancies for the majority world.
I founded www.livestockdevelopment.co.uk and produced a series of dairy training videos. I was working for University of Edinburgh as a Consultant Project manager prior to coming to the Digital Dairy Chain where, as Innovation Broker, I am the link between academia and industry and look for new project possibilities.
Job Titles:
- Technology Accelerator Programme Manager
I've had an interesting career journey over the last 30 years. On the science side, I graduated with a degree in microbiology, that took me initially into soil science and the study of pesticides in the environment where I obtained a PhD.
My post doc career took me into projects related to the preservation of historic building materials through to innovations for subsea oil and gas inspection. Following that I joined a team who supported academics in technology licensing and spin out company formation.
After almost a decade doing that, I began work at CENSIS who build collaborative project opportunities between industry, academia and public sector organisations. Working across sectors and with emerging technologies and domain experts we fund, advise, design, build and deploy innovative sensors and IoT systems.
My role at the Digital Dairy Chain is about supporting supports individuals and SMEs with technology ideas which could benefit the sector. I ensure, via the Milk Round Technology Accelerator competition, that those eligible receive hands-on technical, engineering and business support to get their technology to the demonstrator stage.
I look after the administration aspects of the Digital Dairy Chain. I aim to ensure things are running smoothly in the background to enable the team to get on with their jobs.
Job Titles:
- Innovation Brokerage Project Manager
Having spent the last 20 years in project management I have significant experience of research, health and manufacturing projects within the higher education sector.
Having spent the last 20 years in project and programme management I have significant experience of research, health and manufacturing projects within the higher education sector. I'm both PRINCE 2 qualified and certified in IPMA ‘Managing Projects in an Agile World'.
Bringing industry and academia together is always exciting. The Digital Dairy Chain project has lots of opportunities around research, innovation and funding that industry can tap into. My role as within the project is to manage the Innovation Fund by liaising with the Innovation Brokers to support the delivery of projects from conception through delivery to final case study.
Job Titles:
- Promotion & Communications Manager
My role as Promotion & Communications Manager for the Digital Dairy Chain is to make sure we're reaching and engaging with every individual and business the project could help…I'm leaving no stone unturned!
We have a fantastic team of very knowledgeable and skilled individuals who lead on the various programmes and funding streams operated by the project. A key part of my job is to ensure the great opportunities they're offering are visible and easily accessed by the right audiences.
I love creating effective communication strategies and witnessing how these can lead to new partnerships and ultimately business growth. Fostering new connections and collaborations is at the heart of the Digital Dairy Chain's aims and is what makes this such an interesting project for me.
I'm one of the Innovation Brokers for the Digital Dairy Chain and have come into this role with over 20 years' experience working in and alongside the food manufacturing industry.
With a degree in Business Studies and Marketing, I started a career as a professionally qualified packaging technologist, specialising in print, working on behalf of blue-chip clients in the UK and EU.
I was first introduced to Scottish agriculture when I became Managing Director of the Scottish Organic Milk Producers, and then in 2014 became the manager of the Scottish Dairy Hub, a signposting service for the dairy sector in Scotland.
Joining NFUS in 2019, I continued the work of the Hub and was Dairy Policy Manager covering several disciplines from cow to consumer. Until recently I was a member of the Scottish Dairy Growth Board and sat on the Technical Advisory Committee for Red Tractor Dairy.
Based in SRUC's Dairy Research & Innovation Centre in Dumfries and working with a wide range of project partners and stakeholders across South-West Scotland and Cumbria, the main purpose of my role as Programme Director of Digital Dairy Chain is to provide leadership and strategic vision for the Digital Dairy Value Chain project to ensure maximum value and legacy for the dairy value chain, in South and West Scotland and Cumbria, SRUC and the funder (UKRI).