Who we are

Who's Who
Cambridge Network President - Professor Alison Richard The University of Cambridge was instrumental in the formation of the Cambridge Network and its Vice- Chancellor, Professor Alison Richard is the President of the Cambridge Network.
Cambridge Network Team
Matt Schofield (CEO) Matt Schofield joined the Cambridge Network from the London Technology Network where he led a team of nine technologists matchmaking businesses across London to experts in universities and small companies across Europe. He was the first employee of this start-up, and helped raise money from the European Union and Regional Development Agencies in London, the South East and the East of England to support its growth to 20 full time employees and more than 100 part-time academics at regional universities including Cambridge. Since 2004 the network has conducted in excess of 5,000 negotiations and concluded at least 1,000 collaborative R&D projects worth more than £50M. Matt graduated from the University of Cambridge with a first in Natural Sciences in 1987 and received his PhD from Cambridge in 2001. He has worked at Accenture and McKinsey, and set up the Cambridge University Entrepreneurs society in 1999, a group which still thrives today. Read Matt's blog here. Hilary Laing (CFO) Hilary qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1995. She then went on to act as financial professional in a number of commercial companies, latterly as Finance Director for ITV Digital Interactive. Finally she ran a European Business Division at Walt Disney, before deciding to set up her own business, HAL Accounting. Hilary is responsible for Customer Management as well as all financial controls and stewardship for the Network. Chris Owens, (CIO) Chris began his career in IT, working as a software engineer, a product manager and a project manager for software and web companies in Cambridge. He has worked as a consultant in the Financial Services group of the accountancy firm RSM Robson Rhodes (now part of Grant Thornton). Before starting his own consultancy, Painted Horse, he was Finance Manager for Cambridge insurance broker La Playa, where he also had responsibility for IT infrastructure. Chris has a First Class degree in Computer Science from Cambridge University and a PhD in Computer Science from Edinburgh University. Judi Coe (Website Editor) A qualified journalist and experienced copywriter and editor, Judi has overall responsibility for the content of the Cambridge Network website as well as for the production of our weekly e-newsletter. Louise Rushworth (Events and Corporate Gateway ) Louise is responsible for organising and delivering events including the Cambridge Corporate Gateway programme. Andrea Mitchell (Membership Liaison Officer) Andrea has been responsible for membership enquiries since early 2009 and has broadened her role to encompass assistance with meetings of the Consumer Products & Supply and Financial Directors Special Interest Groups. She will also be organising the Making The Most of Membership and Cafe Networking events. Emma Southern (Membership Liaison Officer) Emma joined Cambridge Network in June 2010. She is responsible for membership enquiries and developing member relations. Emma will assist with meetings of the Cleantech, Healthcare, IT & Infrastructure and Sales & Marketing Special Interest Groups. Emma has a background in corporate communications and a PhD in Molecular Microbiology. Kelly Brazier (Accounts Manager) Kelly is responsible for all accounting processes within the Cambridge Network. She issues subscription and participation invoices and chases payment. She also strikes off members who have not paid their subscriptions. Bella Connolly (The Learning Collaboration) Bella is responsible for organising Cambridge Network's daughter organisation 'The Learning Collaboration' (or TLC) within which Member Companies share their training programmes and, as a group, buy into special opportunities (such as a preferential deal on executive training from the Judge Business School. (Operations, TLC) Emma Stewart and Ali Wilson make up The Learning Collaboration (TLC) team. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Associates (we are grateful for the help of a growing number of unpaid associates - who help us deliver Cambridge Network events and initiatives). These include: USA Associate Malcolm Burwell Malcolm Burwell leads the Cambridge Network (UK/US) group in Boston Massachusetts. Malcolm has founded two other 'Cambridge (UK)-related' technology companies in the Boston area: Absolute Sensors Ltd. (VP Commercial) and Racetrace Inc. (CEO). Since his time working for PA Consulting Group in Melbourn in the 1980s, he has also worked as a principal and VP licensing for PA Consulting in Princeton, New Jersey and The Generics Group in Waltham, Massachusetts. To complete his golden links to Cambridge, he holds an Engineering degree from Cambridge University. In short, Malcolm is a US technology ambassador for Cambridge UK... and one with a wry sense of fun, judging by the topics he imposes on the Cambridge Network (UK/US) events that he holds in Cambridge, Massachusetts (near Boston) at the British Consulate. Shanghai Associate Ying Yang Ying worked as a business consultant and business development manager for TTP Group based in the UK. TTP Group is the largest independent technology development and consultancy in Europe. She has been involved in various consultancy projects and played a leading role in introducing Group’s products and services into China. Ying now splits her time between UK and China, and heads TTP local office in Shanghai. Prior to joining TTP, Ying had worked in China for eight years, starting her career as an international business development manager for shipbuilding industry. She managed a number of transactions for shipbuilding and led an acquisition of a subsidiary company. She then turned her hand onto entrepreneurship, developing from scratch a hi-tech business into a profitable and high growth company servicing Chinese financial institutions. Ying has an MBA from Judge Institute, Cambridge University and a BS from Shanghai Tongji University. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cambridge Network Board Our board is made up of five Directors from Founder (F) Organisations (with permanent positions), four Directors from Founder Member (FM) Organisations (elected by other Founder Members) and two Directors from the ordinary (OM) membership (elected by other Ordinary Members). (Chairman) Neil Davidson (Red Gate Software) Neil Davidson is co-founder and joint CEO of Red Gate Software. Red Gate was founded in 1999 and now employs some 135 people. It was Cambridge News 'business of the year' in 2006 and for two years running has been in the Sunday Times 'top 100 companies to work for'. It was founded with no VC money and little debt. Neil is also founder of the annual 'Business of Software' conference, runs the Business of Software social network and is co-founder of the Cambridge Business Lectures. (F) David Halstead (Deloitte) (F) Hermann Hauser (Amadeus Capital Partners) (F) Ian Leslie (University of Cambridge) (F) Hugh Parnell (NW Brown) (F) Peter Taylor (TTP) (FM) Bill Parsons (ARM) (FM) Ken Wood (Microsoft Research) (FM) Alan Sibbald (Anglia Ruskin University) (OM) Paul Bailey (Bailey Fisher) (OM) Adam Twiss (Saviso) (FM) David Mardle (Taylor Wessing) Cambridge Network Members Cambridge Network members have the right to post material on this site and to participate in our events. There are two classes of Membership Individual (for those representing themselves or seeking work) Corporate (for companies entitling any member of their staff to participate) Note: University of Cambridge and Anglia Ruskin University are both Founder Members of Cambridge Network - subject to places being available, any of their students or staff can participate in Cambridge Network events / initiatives free of charge. Our membership encompasses some 1300 corporate members and many hundred individual members. Cambridge Network Limited is a company registered in England under Company No. 3400152 Registered Office: Salisbury House, Station Road, Cambridge, CB1 2LA VAT No. 876 375 84

Member Feedback

Cambridge Network receives regular feedback on the things members like - and don't - about our service. Read some of our members' recent comments below.

Corporate Gateway

Earlier this year you passed our contact details to CVB of P. Research Labs. I am pleased to say we have now been awarded an initial 10-day market research and regulatory strategy pilot study contract. JP 18/04/08

Thank you so much for Monday nights event it was truly stimulating and really served to engage our cultural offer within the wider business and inventing community – I was raving about the flexible screen that will have media content downloaded onto it from anywhere in the world – the news on the go and beyond. HR 24/04/08

Many thanks for the generous invitation to the Cambridge Gateway Gala dinner on Tuesday evening. The food, wine and service were excellent as was the company. It was thoroughly enjoyable and productive. I enjoyed meeting the other technology experts from a wide variety of backgrounds and I hope to further the contacts established. IS 25/04/08

Thank you very much for the excellently organised event and the good time I had in Cambridge. I am very impressed about the entrepreneurial spirit of the people I met in Cambridge. JP 29/04/08

Thanks for organising a very interesting presentation. It was of great value and really got us thinking afterwards. CV 17/03/08

We get invited to many such events, but given our tight technical focus, most events do not bring serious opportunities to our attention. However, Cambridge has an exceptional reputation RM 03/09/08

Cleantech Special Interest Group

Many thanks for the breakfast – it was really interesting. As my first event, I enjoyed it and can see the real value in the Cambridge Network. SS 20/06/08

Many thanks for organising an excellent evening for the clean tech interest group last week. EG 23/11/08

India Open Meeting

Thanks. It was a great, high energy event. Very useful for me. Thanks for all your efforts, BH 30/6/08

I very much enjoyed the India session and thought your panel were excellent. PW 30/6/08

Cafe Networking

Thank you very much for your hospitality last night: it was obviously a very successful event and even in the short time I was there I had the opportunity of meeting some very interesting people. DB 16/12/08

Many thanks for your email, and for your warm welcome yesterday evening. It was a hugely successful event in all sorts of ways, and we are very grateful to have had the opportunity to address such a great number of people. Needless to say, we shall be pleased to arrange representation of TOU in the East of England at the next event planned for 24 February! We look forward to receiving further details nearer to the date. MK 17/12/08

Thanks you so much for the opportunity to speak. I agree that its a great venue for a productive informal gathering. RT 17/12/08

Website

Pay invoice on-line worked fine for me. No problem at all - quick, easy and just the way I'd hope. DB 11/07/08

I very much like the added information I am now seeing in the Newsletter, when I rest over an active link. As you promised, it makes clear whether the link is worth clicking on or not. Thank you! LvS 13/11/08

I have decided not to renew my membership of the Cambridge Network.Primarily, this decision was made because I don't think the website has really done anything to improve the functionality or services available to members since its launch. In an age of news story ranking like Digg embedded audio/video and the various other web 2.0 services dedicated to news, I think it's extremely disappointing that a site such as Cambnet, representing a high-tech area such as Cambridge has been so slow to adopt the internet. Even the RSS feeds don't work properly. There are several features which if you implemented, would vastly improve the overall experience of Cambnet and ultimately make more people use it more often.Please take this as positive feedback.NM 01/04/08

Congratulations - One of the easiest websites - but what else should I expect from Cambridge! WC 1/12/08

I posted 3 jobs on the website, our first experience with the network, and frankly it surpassed all our expectations. All three jobs have now been filled with excellent people, all of whom applied through the network. Apologies for any confusion caused and once again thank you on behalf of myself and colleagues for a sterling and indispensable service. HB 10/12/08

Miscellaneous

Keep up the good work, Cambridge Network is a very important marketing tool for us RS 01/03/08

Peter, had a stunning response from just those few contacts. Most appreciated. PK 12/03/08

Sincere thanks for your out of hours help and support. IB 26/03/08

Not sure how much feedback you get but thought I would offer some. 2 people responded to our CN news article and both are now volunteering with us. It works! JD 23/04/08

I would recommend the Cambridge Network to any organization looking for high levels of positive Media exposure! MS 26/06/08

Thank you for an enjoyable and productive evening. We gained a useful introduction from the session. DH 30/07/08

Almost 12 months ago I contacted you to assist me with loading my CV onto the Cambridge Network. Cambridge Network was a great success as T contacted me where I am now working as Sales Director. RL 9/09/08

Thank you so much for your introduction to IB. I do not know what will happen between the two of us in the future as we have known each other for too short an amount of time. But we had a very productive meeting today, he is interested by the company's future prospects and is kindly helping me draft the business plan. MO 12/09/08

Yesterday I sat next to DC, exactly what I had wanted to do, and he listened intently about my start-up. He invited me to present to the Cambridge Angel's informal session. And then of course you introduced me - personally! - to all the folks at N, and I enjoyed meeting everyone else as well. It was such a pleasant evening and so tremendously useful. MO 7/10/08

I did not have the chance to thank you on the day itself for your efforts in making our opening day a success, thus I would like to do this via this mail. I was very glad to have you as our opening speaker, and your choice of presentation focus to welcome us back to Cambridge with reference to the history has worked extremely well. BT 10/11/08

Who we are

(OM) Adam Twiss (Saviso)