Andrew joined Unilever as a marketing trainee in 1985 after studying Biochemistry at Cambridge University. He is a founding Director of Unilever Ventures which focuses on investments in Home and Personal Care Technology. He has been involved as a Director in the set-up and development of three other life science businesses (BAC BV, Pharmakodex Ltd, and Insense Ltd).

Andy is an established biotechnology entrepreneur and business angel with broad experience of the UK biotechnology sector in research, drug development and in building commercial relationships. He is the Chairman of Altacor Ltd, and a Non-Executive Director of Vectura plc, Aitua Ltd, Biowisdom Ltd, Babraham Bioscience Technology Ltd, Cancer Research Technology Ltd (the commercial arm of Cancer Research UK), Pharmakodex Ltd, Theradeas Ltd and Summit Corp plc. He is also a founder member of the Cambridge Angels, and a director of the BIA (BioIndustry Association). In 1992, he co-founded Chiroscience and was the Business Development Director through to its merger in 1999 with Celltech.

Alan is the Senior Vice President and the Chief Scientific Officer of Genzyme Corporation. He has overall responsibility for the company’s science. Prior to becoming an active member of Genzyme, Alan was the vice president and scientific director of Integrated Genetics, a company that was acquired by Genzyme in 1989. Presently Alan also sits on the Scientific Advisory Boards of the Massachusetts Life Science Centre, Cancer Research Institute in Cambridge UK, Cambridge Stem Cell Centre and Healthcare Ventures. Alan has published extensively on the genetic code and protein synthesis, tumour virology, cell biology and cystic fibrosis. He holds a B.A. from Christ’s College, Cambridge and a Ph.D. from the Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, England.

Angus is a co-founder and Managing Director of Solon Ventures Limited, a venture capital company which focuses on UK technology and healthcare companies. He graduated with a law degree from Cambridge University. Prior to co-founding Solon, he worked for Thompson Clive & Partners, a venture capital company, where he remains a Non-Executive Director. Angus sits on the boards of Peakdale Molecular Ltd and Prosonix Ltd in the life sciences sector, and has other board roles with technology companies.

Paul Davis was formerly a senior scientist at Unilever's research laboratory at Colworth House, Bedford. Paul has an impressive record of business-focused creativity and innovation, with over 30 granted Unilever patents to his credit. He is a leader in the field of manipulating enzymes and other proteins for therapeutic and diagnostic applications. The Davis patent portfolio includes some that underpinned the highly successful Unipath OTC diagnostics business, famous for the Clearblue OTC pregnancy test and home-use fertility testing kits. The strong resemblance between the underlying approach at Arecor, Insense and Unipath to innovation of ground-breaking, single-use medical products is no coincidence. He founded Insense Ltd in 2001 and co-founded Mologic Ltd (a diagnostics innovation company) in 2003. He is a visiting professor at the Universities of Warwick, Exeter and Kent, and Visiting Principal Staff Member in the Biochemical Engineering Group at UCL.

Tom has a background in management, strategy development, deal negotiation and fundraising for entrepreneurial biopharma companies. He was the CEO of Sirus Pharmaceuticals Limited, a company developing drugs based upon advanced delivery technologies, which he built through internal development and acquisition and then successfully sold to Arakis Limited in 2004. He was also a Chairman and founder of Lotus Healthcare Corporation, an Asian-based fully integrated pharmaceutical company producing and marketing analgesics, cardiovascular and GI products in 35 cities of China. He was also CEO of Cell Systems Limited, a company focusing on medical applications of cryo-preservation and algal biotechnology, and Executive Vice President of a multibillion dollar trade and finance company based in New York. As a ministerial appointment in the US Government, Tom was a principal trade negotiator for the United States during the Tokyo Round. Tom represents the United Kingdom as a member of the EuropaBio Board of Directors. Tom holds an MBA from Harvard University, doctoral studies in molecular biology at the Max Planck Institute for Psychiatry in Munich and a degree in molecular biology from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

John Davis, Vincent, Sykes & Higham, Thrapston, Kettering, Northants, UK