Industry Leadership Group Members
Mark Cook, Industry Co-Chair
Mark Cook is co-Chair of the ILG and continues to support decision making for non-medicine technologies through membership of the Scottish Health Technology Group Council.
Mark has spent 25 years in roles within the health sector including biologicals/pharmaceuticals, medical technology and consultancy. His current role within Medtronic includes determining the direction in areas such as strategy, government relations policy plus working specifically on the implications of BREXIT for the UK and individually within the devolved nations, as well as issues surrounding regulation and trade.
Richard Lochhead MSP, Scottish Government co-chair
Richard is Scotland’s Minister for Business and Employment. Supporting the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic, Kate Forbes MSP, he is responsible for a number of fast growing sectors include life sciences as well as the Scottish Government’s engagement with the wider scientific community. He is also minister for Digital, Trade and Fair Work. He has previously been Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and the Environment.
A member of the Scottish Parliament since it reconvened in 1999, Richard has presented the Moray constituency since 2006 And, prior to that, was an MSP for North East Scotland.
Professor Dame Anna Dominiczak, Chief Scientist, Health
Dame Anna is Chief Scientist for Health for the Scottish Government, Regius Professor of Medicine at the University of Glasgow and a Consultant Physician and Endocrinologist in the NHS and a world-leading cardiovascular scientist whose research interests span hypertension, cardiovascular genomics, and precision medicine.
She is currently leading a multi-million pound programme to set up a network of Commercial Research Delivery Centres, and has done more than anyone to embed the principle of Triple Helix working – a partnership of the NHS with academia and industry – into Scottish life sciences.
Specialist Group Leads
John Mackenzie, The Pioneer Group
Animal Health, Agritech & Aquaculture group lead
John Mackenzie is Director (Scotland) of The Pioneer Group, leading the teams at BioCity Glasgow and Edinburgh Technopole as part of the Group’s portfolio of Life Science Parks. He is responsible for attracting and supporting life science companies, driving growth, and overseeing community engagement and leasing. Previously he was CEO of the Roslin Innovation Centre at the University of Edinburgh’s Easter Bush Campus.
An experienced technology transfer and incubator professional, he has supported numerous university spinouts and start-ups, including at Dundee University Incubator.
Jacqueline Barry, Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult
Advanced therapies group lead
Jacqueline Barry is Chief Clinical Officer at the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult where she leads a team developing regulatory and translational strategies for advanced therapy products, and ensuring that the wider ecosystem supports the development and adoption of these therapies in the UK and beyond. She leads a network of advanced therapy treatment centres in the UK that aim to accelerate patient access to these transformative therapies.
Jacqueline is a senior business leader with over 20 years of experience in biologics and advanced therapies. She is passionate about supporting the translation of advanced therapies and possesses a blend of expertise across the areas of regulation, quality, Good Manufacturing Practice, science, strategy, commercial development and management.
Professor George Crooks, Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre
Digital and Data group lead
Professor George Crooks OBE MBChB FRCP FRCGP is Chief Executive of the Digital Health and Care Innovation Centre (DHI), Scotland’s national innovation centre for digital health and care. He previously served as Medical Director for NHS 24 and the Scottish Ambulance Service and was a GP in Aberdeen for 23 years.
He has held leadership roles across Europe, including with the Global Health Connector (formerly European Connected Health Alliance) and WHO. He advises governments and global organisations on digital health. A Bevan commissioner for Wales he is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Southern Denmark. He received an OBE in 2011 for services to healthcare.
David Bunton, REPROCELL Europe Ltd & Precision Medicine Scotland Innovation Centre
Internationalisation group co-lead
David is CEO of Reprocell Europe Ltd. He was formerly CEO of Biopta Ltd, which he co-founded in 2002, and Biopta Inc., formed in 2011, which were acquired by Reprocell Inc., Japan, in 2015.
David started his career in academia as a Lecturer in Physiology at Glasgow Caledonian University, where he commenced research into the use of human tissue assays in drug discovery as a way to improve the prediction of drug safety and efficacy; a theme that led to the spin-out of Biopta. David is also a board member of Glasgow Economic Leadership, where he leads the life sciences workstream.
John McNeill, MSD
Internationalisation group co-lead
John is the Value, Access & Devolved Nations Director at MSD and is passionate about improving patient experience and outcomes through working with the NHS to deliver optimal patient care.
John joined MSD in 2002 direct from the University of Glasgow where he gained a BSc (Hons) in Virology. He has worked his way through the MSD organisation to this leadership role over the past two decades. His previous positions have covered the entire MSD portfolio and a variety of commercial roles, including acting as a Director of IOmet Pharma, following their acquisition in 2016. In addition, John is also the sponsor for the UK Women’s Network within MSD UK.
Sarah Hunt, Skills Development Scotland
Skills group secretariat
Sarah Hunt is the Key Sector Manager for Life and Chemical Sciences at Skills Development Scotland, where she informs and influences Scotland’s skills and education system to align more effectively with industry need.
With over 14 years of experience in economic development and skills planning, Sarah develops and leads strategic initiatives focused on skills and workforce development across Scotland. She collaborates with partners in industry, education, and policy to support the sectors’ economic growth objectives and formed the Life and Chemical Sciences Skills Group to provide strategic direction. Sarah is also passionate about supporting young people and volunteers as a mentor via MCR Pathways.
Katie Murray, AstraZeneca
Sustainable Production group lead
Katie is a chemical engineer with over 25 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical industry. She started in process development and scale-up roles with both Merck and Co. (USA) and AstraZeneca (UK), before moving to technical leadership and strategy roles in the deployment of manufacturing technology into AstraZeneca, where she helps drive adoption of more efficient, cost-effective and environmentally friendly technologies to increase patient access to medicines and reduce the manufacturing carbon footprint.
Katie currently leads the ILG -LS Sustainable Production Group, which plays a central role in advising on government policy and guiding companies through the transition to net zero carbon.
Members
Joe Edwards, ABPI
Joe has spent five years at ABPI, specialising in policies covering the full value chain of pharmaceutical industry operations, from early research through to access and adoption. His current role as Director of UK Competitiveness and Devolved Nations is focussed on improving the environment for inward investment across the UK, and overseeing the ABPI’s operations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Prior to the ABPI Joe worked in advocacy roles at the Royal Society (the UK’s national academy for science), as well as the UK parliament.
Elaine Jamieson, Highlands and Islands Enterprise
Elaine Jamieson is Head of Life Sciences and Blue Economy at Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), the economic and community development agency for the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. HIE recognises life sciences as a transformational opportunity. Elaine leads on the development of major strategic and transformational business prospects across human, animal and plant health, and supports HIE’s broader work with enterprises, communities, stakeholders and partners to unlock the region and Scotland’s potential for innovation and scaling growth and societal progress, while driving fair work and net zero practices.
Elaine is a non-executive director of the Economic Development Association Scotland, a graduate from Robert Gordon University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Colin MacKay, Symbiosis Pharmaceutical Services
As Founder and CEO of Symbiosis, Colin is responsible for driving the company’s performance, creating maximum value for its shareholders, and actively promoting the successful development of long-term client relationships. He is responsible for business strategy development and all aspects of the company’s day-to-day operations.
With 25 years of experience in the life science industry, from applied research to working for small and large organisations on an international basis, Colin has spent most of his career helping clients to successfully overcome their drug development challenges, mostly in the field of sterile contract pharmaceutical manufacturing.
Jane Martin, Scottish Enterprise
Jane is Managing Director of Innovation and Investment, leading Scottish Enterprise’s work to capitalise on Scotland’s innovative strengths supporting entrepreneurs and industry across Scotland to innovate and grow. She does this through collaboration with partners to build the infrastructure, to develop supportive ecosystems, and by leveraging investment to help businesses innovate and scale in fast growing, international markets.
As Executive Leadership Team sponsor for the Scaling Innovation mission, Jane is responsible for Scottish Enterprise’s ambition to double the number of scale-up businesses in Scotland over the next 10 years by focusing on key future industries and clusters in life sciences, industrial biotechnology, space, fintech and quantum, photonics and semi-conductors.
Jane is responsible for Scottish Enterprise’s entrepreneurship and investment operations, property and business infrastructure portfolio and regional innovation work with Innovate UK and local partners.
Professor Peter Mathieson, University of Edinburgh
Professor Peter Mathieson MBBS(Hons) (London), PhD (Cambridge), FRCP (London), FMedSci assumed the office of Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh in February 2018. He was formerly the 15th President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hong Kong.
Previous posts include: foundation Professor of Renal Medicine at the University of Bristol, Honorary Consultant Nephrologist, North Bristol NHS Trust, Head of the University Department of Clinical Science at North Bristol, Director of Research & Development for the North Bristol NHS Trust, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Bristol.
Dr Deborah A. O’Neil, Opportunity North East (ONE) Life Science
Deborah is founder and Chief Executive Officer of Aberdeen-based NovaBiotics, a multi-award-winning biotechnology business with a portfolio of first-in-class solutions for unmet health and personal care needs.
Deborah chairs the boards of Opportunity North East (ONE) Life Science and BioAberdeen Ltd, supporting life science sector growth across the North East of Scotland, with a focus on the commercialisation of bioscience innovation and delivery of the iconic £40 m BioHub facility. She chairs the UK’s Cystic Fibrosis AMR Syndicate steering group and sits on scientific advisory boards supporting LifeArc, the Medicine’s Discovery Catapult and Innovate UK on funding initiatives for drug discovery and development in infection, antimicrobial resistance and chronic respiratory disease. Deborah recently joined the Board of Trustees of CLAN (Cancer North East Networks), was previously a board member of the BIA and one of the founding directors of the BEAM Alliance.
Tom Steele, Scottish Ambulance Service and NHS Scotland Innovation Design Authority
Tom Steele is Chair of the Scottish Ambulance Service Board. Additionally, over the last few years, Tom has had a pivotal role in establishing the NHS Scotland Innovation Design Authority (IDA) and the associated Accelerated National Innovation Adoption (ANIA) process. With the Chief Scientist (Health), he is co-chair of the IDA. Previously he was Audit and Risk chair on the NHS Lanarkshire board.
Tom’s executive career was in the private sector IT industry. He has wide leadership and corporate governance experience in large and complex organisations.
Jacqui Young, Roche Diagnostics
Jacqui is Senior Public Affairs Manager at Roche Diagnostics and Chair of ABHI Scotland working group.
She has held various roles over the past 30 years in the Diagnostics industry. She is passionate about the value and role that diagnostics and medtech can play in facilitating early and accurate diagnoses leading to better treatment and management of conditions, improving patient outcomes.