Interface, the business-academic innovation support organisation, has welcomed two new members to its strategic board.
John Whaling, lead officer for innovation and commercialisation at Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, and Sam Myers, head of investment strategy at UK Research and Innovation bring extensive expertise in driving regional growth, economic development, and innovation strategy.
Professor Wayne Powell, principal and chief executive of Scotland’s Rural College and Chair of Interface Strategic Board, said: “We are delighted to welcome John and Sam to the Strategic Board, where their knowledge and new perspectives will be an excellent asset.
"This is an exciting time for the Board to build on Interface’s strong foundations and support its ambition to drive inclusive innovation to enhance Scotland’s competitiveness by fostering strong, collaborative partnerships between academia and industry.”
Amelia Whitelaw, director of Interface, said: “I am pleased to strengthen our board with these appointments. Sam brings a national and international lens through his work at UKRI and across government, combining investment strategy, policy insight, and global experience.
"John’s leadership in shaping one of the UK’s most ambitious place-based innovation ecosystems, and his strength in forging impactful public-private-academic partnerships, will be invaluable as we navigate complex innovation landscapes and scale Interface’s impact across Scotland.”
Full details of the Interface strategic board can be found here: Our Board | Interface Online
John Whaling
John Whaling, lead officer for innovation and commercialisation, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
John Whaling is a collaborative place leader with over 25 years’ experience of pioneering economic development and “making things happen” at the interface between public, private, and higher education sectors.
For the last 10 years, John has been convening and championing all aspects of the Liverpool City Region Liverpool City Region Combined Authority’s (LCR) innovation agenda and ecosystem, latterly as the Combined Authority’s lead officer for innovation and commercialisation. His primary role is to catalyse partnerships, policies, and programmes that maximise the LCR’s distinctive, world-leading assets and capabilities, in order to drive transformational regional/national economic growth and solve intractable local challenges. The LCR is now at the forefront of UK place-based innovation, with innovation a primary Mayoral priority.
He previously worked at the LCR Local Enterprise Partnership, Liverpool Vision, and St. Helens Council, where he led a series of successful programmes that included a national City Growth Strategy pilot, plus delivery of the landmark, multi-award-winning 20m Dream sculpture by Jaume Plensa overlooking the M62, commissioned by ex-miners as part of Channel 4’s “Big Art Project”.
Prior to local government, John spent 2 years working for the European Commission in Brussels, has also lived/worked in Germany, the USA, and Canada, grew up in Edinburgh, and speaks German and French.
In a voluntary capacity he is Chair of Future Yard CIC, whose mission is to positively transform both Birkenhead and the nature of what a UK grassroots music venue does, based on the founding principle that music can change the world.
Sam Myers
Sam Myers, head of investment strategy, UK Research and Innovation
Sam works for UK Research & Innovation (UKRI), the UK’s largest public research and innovation agency, leading on investment strategy. UKRI invests nearly £9billion per year in a diverse portfolio of people and careers, places and infrastructure, ideas and innovation; Sam’s team works to maximise the value of these investments.
Previously Sam worked at the UK’s Department for Business and Trade (DBT) in Singapore, where he was responsible for the trade and investment relationship between ASEAN and the UK. Before joining DBT, Sam worked for the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, where he established the UK Science Policy and Relations function.
Sam’s Civil Service career began in 2001 as a graduate FastStreamer in the Department for Trade and Industry, where he ran a Minister’s Private Office before becoming the Head of External Relations for the Department. He spent 6 years in Asia with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, boosting science and technology partnerships with Southeast Asia and China.
Sam’s structural biology research at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, was published in the journal Science and he has a Masters in Biochemistry from the University of Bath.