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Strathclyde appoints Senior Enterprise Fellows to Inspire next generation of entrepreneurs

Businesswoman

The University of Strathclyde has appointed eight Senior Enterprise Fellows to help create a world-leading entrepreneurship ecosystem and inspire the next generation of entrepreneurially-minded graduates, researchers and academics.

Professor Mark Logan, Dr Rabinder Buttar, Dr Susan Aktemel, Gurjit Singh Lalli, Ian Ritchie, John Waddell, Professor Janice Kirkpatrick and Neil Logan will all share their experience and advice with budding entrepreneurs as part of the University’s Strathclyde Inspire programme.

Strathclyde Inspire sits at the heart of the University’s new Entrepreneurship Strategy to 2025, which was unveiled in November – the first dedicated entrepreneurship strategy at any Scottish university.  The strategy builds on Strathclyde’s strong entrepreneurial track record in company creation and entrepreneurship research.

Economic recovery

The Fellows will play a key role in delivering the strategy, the creation of a world-leading entrepreneurship ecosystem and the development of a state-of-the-art entrepreneurship hub in Glasgow City Innovation District, which will support post-pandemic economic recovery.

Professor Mark Logan and Professor Janice Kirkpatrick were among the speakers at an online launch event for Strathclyde Inspire on Thursday 14 January, which also featured the University’s Principal & Vice-Chancellor Sir Jim McDonald and investor Professor David Onions.

The event, hosted by Professor Eleanor Shaw, Associate Principal for Entrepreneurship and Education, was attended virtually by investors, entrepreneurial leaders, senior business leaders and ecosystem partners.

Professor Logan reiterated the importance of entrepreneurial ecosystems while Professor Kirkpatrick outlined what a successful ecosystem looks like and the role Strathclyde can play. Professor Onions highlighted examples of outputs of entrepreneurial ecosystems and the role investors play in helping new businesses to get off the ground.

Professor Shaw said: “Strathclyde Inspire embodies our entrepreneurial spirit and will help our students and staff realise their creativity and ambition, empowering them to make an impact on the world around them.

We are delighted to have the support of our Senior Enterprise Fellows Mark and Janice as well as David who are hugely inspirational and high-achieving individuals.

“Their contribution to our entrepreneurship strategy and the insights and advice they can provide to budding entrepreneurs is invaluable.”

Strathclyde Enterprise Fellows

  • Professor Mark Logan, investor and former Chief Operating Officer of Skyscanner who helped the Edinburgh-based start-up gain a market value of $1.5 billion during his time with the company
  • Neil Logan, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Incremental Group, board member of the Edinburgh Business School, board member of Glasgow Economic Leadership and founding Chair of The Data Lab.
  • Dr Rabinder Buttar, Founder and President of the award winning 24-years’ established Clintec International with three decades’ experience in clinical research, with roles at Pfizer (Wyeth), GSK (Wellcome) and Astellas (Fujisawa). Clintec was recently acquired by IQVIA, [formerly Quintiles and IMS Health, Inc], an American multinational company serving the combined industries of health information technology and clinical research and is a provider of biopharmaceutical development and commercial outsourcing services.
  • John Waddell, Visiting Professor at Strathclyde and member of the Enterprise & Investment Committee of the University’s Court. He is also a board member of Strathclyde spin-out companies Biogelx and MGB Biopharma Ltd.
  • Dr Susan Aktemel, Executive Director at Homes for Good Social Business Group and Visiting Professor – social business and entrepreneurship. She is the Founder of Impact Arts and has served as Chairperson of Social Enterprise Scotland and board member of Places for People Scotland.
  • Professor Janice Kirkpatrick, Founding Director of Graven; a designer, writer, broadcaster and lecturer and a Visiting Professor of The Glasgow School of Art, where she has also been a Governor and Vice Chair.
  • Gurjit Singh Lalli, Founder and Curator for TEDxGlasgow; Non-Executive Director of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Founder of Beyond Boundaries Corp, Advisor with several high growth start-ups, he was named Business Man of the Year award at the Scottish Asian Business Awards.
  • Ian Ritchie, investor and board member of the National Theatre of Scotland, the Scottish Council for Development and Industry, Shotscope Ltd, Chairman at Tern PLC, Krotos Ltd and Computer Applications Services Ltd.

Strathclyde Inspire has four key areas of activity: Developing Entrepreneurial Mindsets; Identifying and Supporting Entrepreneurial Talent; Empowering Entrepreneurs; and, Scaling Innovation-Driven Enterprises.

It will offer a diverse programme of events to provide new and existing entrepreneurs with opportunities for learning, networking and collaborating, including the launch of a new Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship module option, which will be rolled out to all undergraduates; dedicated postgraduate entrepreneurship courses; and a free online ‘MOOC’ course which will be made available for all.