Professor Dafforn is Professor of Biotechnology at the University. He is also a serial entrepreneur founding businesses in clinical diagnostics and instrument development. In 2018 he was made Chief Entrepreneurial Advisor in the Department of Business Energy and Industrial Strategy where advised on student entrepreneurship and technology transfer. He is also a member of the ministerially led Synthetic Biology Leadership Council and the Defence Science Expert Committee at the MoD

Dr Christos Dimas is a lawyer and a Member of the Hellenic Parliament. He obtained his LLB degrees from the Law School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and from Queen Mary University of London. He completed his Master’s degree in Comparative Politics at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). At the LSE, he finished his PhD in European Political Economy. During his studies, he worked as the London correspondent of Apogevmatini newspaper and practiced journalism at the BBC. He was also taught at LSE, ICON College and University of Leicester, while before entering politics worked as a business consultant for the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). He is the Deputy Minister for Research and Technology in Greece since July 2019.

Aged 24, Elspeth started her first technology business Intelligent Space Partnership, which she sold to Atkins in 2007. She is active in shaping the government’s engineering policy with a focus on innovation and diversity through her work at the Royal Academy of Engineering, where she chairs the Innovators’ Network. She is a judge on the Launchpad competition for early-stage entrepreneurs and sits on its Diversity and Inclusion Committee. Previous awards include an MBE for her services to Engineering and Enterprise (2017); Silver Medal from the Royal Academy of Engineering (2013); and World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders (2010).

Chrissy’s 20-year career focuses on challenging what’s next. Under Chrissy’s leadership, the Growth, Strategy & Solutions (GSS) team strategically positions Jacobs for growth and innovation, unlocking true global intelligence to benefit customers.  Her technical background is Ecology, where systems-thinking and integrated analysis are foundational to her approaches. She is known as a driven, authentic leader with demonstrated strength in global and cultural inclusion and connectivity. She brings experience grounded in all facets of Jacobs’ business – Operations, Sales, Project Delivery and Solutions & Technology. As a mentor and role model for many, Chrissy leads Jacobs’ global team of world-class experts across the buildings and infrastructure portfolios.