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Investing in Innovation in the UK
Investing in Innovation in the UK
A Free Online Webinar Series for
U.S. Venture Investors Investing Abroad,
Corporate Technology Scouts, University Officials,
Government Officials, Entrepreneurs
and other Innovation Professionals
Tuesday, March 17, 2009, 1:00-2:30pm ET (10:00-11:30am PT)
Fergus Harradence
(Deputy Director, UK Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills)
Susan Searle
(Chief Executive Officer, Imperial Innovations Group plc)
Moderated by Randy Mitchell
(International Trade Strategist for Venture Capital, Senior Adviser for Entrepreneurship, U.S. Department of Commerce)
____________________________________
Sponsored by the National Venture Capital Association
____________________________________
____________________________________
For Slides and Video:
Click Here
____________________________________
A Free Online Webinar Series for
U.S. Venture Investors Investing Abroad,
Corporate Technology Scouts, University Officials,
Government Officials, Entrepreneurs
and other Innovation Professionals
Tuesday, March 17, 2009, 1:00-2:30pm ET (10:00-11:30am PT)
Fergus Harradence
(Deputy Director, UK Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills)
Susan Searle
(Chief Executive Officer, Imperial Innovations Group plc)
Moderated by Randy Mitchell
(International Trade Strategist for Venture Capital, Senior Adviser for Entrepreneurship, U.S. Department of Commerce)
____________________________________
Sponsored by the National Venture Capital Association
____________________________________
____________________________________
For Slides and Video:
Click Here
____________________________________
This series on Investing in International Innovation will be moderated by Randy Mitchell, International Trade Strategist for Private Equity at the U.S. Department of Commerce. Each month we will look at a different market of interest to U.S. investors and innovation professionals.
This month, experts will address the trends in the UK innovation economy.
Among the topics to be covered:
_______________________
Fergus Harradence
(Deputy Director, Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills)
Bio
Fergus Harradence went to school in Sheffield, then attended Cambridge University, where he read history. He worked as a political researcher for the BBC and as a parliamentary lobbyist before joining the Confederation of British Industry as a Senior Policy Advisor on Land Use Planning.
He joined the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in January 2000, working on skills development and labour market analysis. He then became Private Secretary to the Permanent Secretary for 18 months, before undertaking a 9 month secondment to the private sector with Ericsson, where he worked on corporate planning.
In 2003 he joined UK Trade & Investment as Head of the Gulf Unit, where he was responsible for helping British firms trade and invest in the countries of the Arabian Peninsula, Iran and Iraq. Subsequent postings in UKTI included International Trade Director for London and as Head of the Asia Task Force Secretariat, where he had responsibility for developing UKTI’s response to globalisation and the growth of India and China.
In May 2006 he returned to DTI as Head of the Multilateral Trade Negotiations Unit, where he had responsibility for co-ordinating UK Government policy on the Doha Round of Trade negotiations, and was the policy lead within the Department on the agriculture and environment dossiers.
In December 2007 he transferred to the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills to become Deputy Director for Innovation Policy, covering all aspects of domestic innovation policy in the UK, including strategy and communications, sponsorship of the Technology Strategy Board, working with the Regional Development Agencies on innovation at regional level, and fiscal and investment policies that impact on investment in innovation.
_______________________
Susan Searle
(Chief Executive Officer of Imperial Innovations Group plc)
Bio
Susan Searle is Chief Executive Officer of Imperial Innovations Group plc, an AIM listed company founded by Imperial College. Imperial Innovations is an integrated business combining the activities of technology transfer, incubation and investment across healthcare, engineering, environment and IT sectors. Susan has been instrumental in growing the business since joining the Ltd company in 1994. Previously she worked at Montech (Australia), Signet Group plc, Bank of Nova Scotia and Shell Chemicals Limited in the UK and internationally in a variety of business development and commercial roles. She has served on the boards of 16 spin-out companies including TurboGenset Inc. and sits on the boards of EVO Electric Limited and i2india Holdings Limited.
_______________________
Randy Mitchell
(International Trade Strategist for Venture Capital, Senior Adviser for Entrepreneurship, U.S. Department of Commerce)
Bio
Randy Mitchell joined the International Trade Administration in June 2001, from the private sector where he had a history of entrepreneurial development in Russia, Japan, and the United States. From 1997-2001 he was founder of a start-up e-commerce company exporting U.S. consumer goods to the Japanese. In that position he built a management team that included former Fortune 500 executives including the former Chairman, CEO and President of Avon Japan. Along with his team he raised $3.5 million in venture capital financing and built strategic partnerships with some of the largest companies in Japan and the United States.
Mr. Mitchell resided in Russia from 1992 through 1996, where he built distribution networks in Moscow and St. Petersburg for U.S. and Scandinavian food and beverage brands such as Nestle (Findus), Sara Lee, Anheuser-Busch, Tyson, Subway, Campbell Soup, and others. This included working with Russian entrepreneurs in distribution, retail, and food service.
Mr. Mitchell is currently the U.S. government official responsible for private equity / venture capital and is the United States Representative to the OECD for Entrepreneurship where he actively works to export entrepreneurship. He is an alumnus of the 2005 Venture Capital Institute and currently represents the International Trade Administration on the Board of Advisors to the Latin American Venture Capital Association (LAVCA). Mr. Mitchell has also served as U.S. Secretary on bilateral venture capital working groups with the governments of Australia and the European Union. Mr. Mitchell, a speaker of Russian, has traveled to 36 countries.
At the International Trade Administration, Mr. Mitchell is responsible for:
This month, experts will address the trends in the UK innovation economy.
Among the topics to be covered:
- what is the UK innovation strategy as it relates to R&D labs at the federal and university level?
- how can US venture investors invest in the UK?
- what is the state of deal-flow?
- are entrepreneurs emerging with viable business models based on university research?
- what are the opportunities for early stage venture funding?
- what role do universities play in commercialization of R&D?
- and is there an equivalent of Bayh-Dole for the UK?
_______________________
Fergus Harradence
(Deputy Director, Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills)
Bio
Fergus Harradence went to school in Sheffield, then attended Cambridge University, where he read history. He worked as a political researcher for the BBC and as a parliamentary lobbyist before joining the Confederation of British Industry as a Senior Policy Advisor on Land Use Planning.
He joined the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in January 2000, working on skills development and labour market analysis. He then became Private Secretary to the Permanent Secretary for 18 months, before undertaking a 9 month secondment to the private sector with Ericsson, where he worked on corporate planning.
In 2003 he joined UK Trade & Investment as Head of the Gulf Unit, where he was responsible for helping British firms trade and invest in the countries of the Arabian Peninsula, Iran and Iraq. Subsequent postings in UKTI included International Trade Director for London and as Head of the Asia Task Force Secretariat, where he had responsibility for developing UKTI’s response to globalisation and the growth of India and China.
In May 2006 he returned to DTI as Head of the Multilateral Trade Negotiations Unit, where he had responsibility for co-ordinating UK Government policy on the Doha Round of Trade negotiations, and was the policy lead within the Department on the agriculture and environment dossiers.
In December 2007 he transferred to the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills to become Deputy Director for Innovation Policy, covering all aspects of domestic innovation policy in the UK, including strategy and communications, sponsorship of the Technology Strategy Board, working with the Regional Development Agencies on innovation at regional level, and fiscal and investment policies that impact on investment in innovation.
_______________________
Susan Searle
(Chief Executive Officer of Imperial Innovations Group plc)
Bio
Susan Searle is Chief Executive Officer of Imperial Innovations Group plc, an AIM listed company founded by Imperial College. Imperial Innovations is an integrated business combining the activities of technology transfer, incubation and investment across healthcare, engineering, environment and IT sectors. Susan has been instrumental in growing the business since joining the Ltd company in 1994. Previously she worked at Montech (Australia), Signet Group plc, Bank of Nova Scotia and Shell Chemicals Limited in the UK and internationally in a variety of business development and commercial roles. She has served on the boards of 16 spin-out companies including TurboGenset Inc. and sits on the boards of EVO Electric Limited and i2india Holdings Limited.
_______________________
Randy Mitchell
(International Trade Strategist for Venture Capital, Senior Adviser for Entrepreneurship, U.S. Department of Commerce)
Bio
Randy Mitchell joined the International Trade Administration in June 2001, from the private sector where he had a history of entrepreneurial development in Russia, Japan, and the United States. From 1997-2001 he was founder of a start-up e-commerce company exporting U.S. consumer goods to the Japanese. In that position he built a management team that included former Fortune 500 executives including the former Chairman, CEO and President of Avon Japan. Along with his team he raised $3.5 million in venture capital financing and built strategic partnerships with some of the largest companies in Japan and the United States.
Mr. Mitchell resided in Russia from 1992 through 1996, where he built distribution networks in Moscow and St. Petersburg for U.S. and Scandinavian food and beverage brands such as Nestle (Findus), Sara Lee, Anheuser-Busch, Tyson, Subway, Campbell Soup, and others. This included working with Russian entrepreneurs in distribution, retail, and food service.
Mr. Mitchell is currently the U.S. government official responsible for private equity / venture capital and is the United States Representative to the OECD for Entrepreneurship where he actively works to export entrepreneurship. He is an alumnus of the 2005 Venture Capital Institute and currently represents the International Trade Administration on the Board of Advisors to the Latin American Venture Capital Association (LAVCA). Mr. Mitchell has also served as U.S. Secretary on bilateral venture capital working groups with the governments of Australia and the European Union. Mr. Mitchell, a speaker of Russian, has traveled to 36 countries.
At the International Trade Administration, Mr. Mitchell is responsible for:
- Supporting foreign investments of U.S. venture capital firms
- Increasing the exports of U.S. venture capital
- Enhancing the competitiveness of the U.S. venture capital sector
- Enhancing the profile and importance of venture capital issues within the Department of Commerce and The White House