Meet The Business Team

Helen Miller

Helen leads the strategic and operational aspects of the Knowledge Exchange and Enterprise sector at the University of Northampton. Her role is instrumental in advancing our ambitions in knowledge exchange, enterprise, and commercialisation. By fostering regional, national, and international collaborations, she supports our efforts to enhance our activities, generate additional income, and increase our impact.

Sophie Richardson

Sophie plays a key role in offering her support and assistance to the Head of Knowledge Exchange and Enterprise and the broader team, ensuring the smooth operation of the University’s knowledge exchange and enterprise projects on a day-to-day basis. Her responsibilities include helping with record-keeping, project management, data collection, and reporting. Additionally, Sophie contributes to the success of events and activities organised by the team, providing essential support to further our collective goals.

Matthew Hicks

Matt is at the forefront of advancing the University’s Intellectual Property (IP) and Commercialisation efforts. He is dedicated to supporting, training, and offering expert advice to academic and professional service staff. He aims to cultivate an expanding portfolio of IP-based commercialisation initiatives, drawing from the rich research and enterprise activities across the University. Furthermore, Matt’s contributions are instrumental in enhancing the University of Northampton’s (UON) submissions for future Research Excellence Framework (REF) and Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF) evaluations, playing a crucial role in our continued success and growth in these areas.

Adam Lawton

Adam collaborates with academic and professional service colleagues to foster and coordinate partnerships with essential stakeholders throughout Northamptonshire and the East Midlands region. He aims to enhance capacity and connectivity, achieve positive economic, social, and cultural impacts, and assemble consortia to shape regional policy and economic growth. This effort entails close cooperation with local authorities, governing bodies, regional partnerships, and commercial allies.

Furthermore, Adam is dedicated to identifying, securing, and augmenting regional funding opportunities that align with the University’s and the region’s strategic priorities, including Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs). His work is pivotal in ensuring that these efforts translate into lasting, sustainable benefits for the local community.

Sam McKay

Sam collaborates closely with both academic staff and professional service teams to nurture and manage partnerships with key stakeholders in Northamptonshire and the surrounding East Midlands area. She focuses on strengthening relationships and networks to drive meaningful economic, social, and cultural advancements. Sam also plays a crucial role in convening consortia aimed at influencing regional policy and fostering economic development, working in tandem with local authorities, governing bodies, regional collaborations, and business partners.

In addition to these responsibilities, Sam actively identifies, secures, and boosts regional funding opportunities to support the University’s and region’s strategic objectives, including projects like Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs). Sam works alongside Adam in making sure these initiatives have a lasting and sustainable impact on the local area. Sam also takes special care in overseeing forums, ensuring they serve as effective platforms for dialogue, collaboration, and innovation among stakeholders.

Pauline Bain

Pauline plays a pivotal role in nurturing public and community engagement by empowering and inspiring our staff, fostering the development of new initiatives, and forging meaningful partnerships. She is tasked with orchestrating a suite of engagement activities designed to highlight the research and enterprise efforts of the University of Northampton.

Working collaboratively with public and community groups, Pauline is dedicated to creating opportunities for partnership with the University, and promoting and enhancing knowledge exchange activities. She supports academic and professional staff, ensuring engagement is seamlessly woven into research, education, training, and knowledge exchange endeavours.

Martin Steers

Martin, as the Station Manager, is entrusted with the comprehensive oversight of the daily operations of our community radio station. His role is pivotal in guiding the station towards a path of profitability, all while staying true to our social enterprise’s vision, mission, and long-term objectives.

Moreover, Martin is responsible for maintaining compliance with the OFCOM license agreement, ensuring the station’s activities align with and enhance the student experience, contributing to curriculum development, and supporting the broader strategic goals of the University.

Simon Longhurst

Simon leads the apprenticeships service, offering guidance and management while supporting a diverse team of Faculty members. His role is crucial in developing and implementing top-tier apprenticeship programmes that align with specific employer demands and comply with the standards of the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA).

Additionally, Simon plays a key role in achieving the institution’s objectives concerning the quantity of apprenticeship programmes and the revenue they generate, ensuring their successful delivery.

Suzanne Oliver

Suzanne leverages her extensive background in Arts and Cultural Education to plan, deliver, and assess a diverse range of projects. Renowned for her role as a Creative Director, she has built lasting partnerships and contributed significantly to strategic arts and cultural collaborations within the county. Suzanne’s work spans leading educational initiatives, developing cultural strategies for schools, shaping curriculum design, and mentoring emerging talents, showcasing her broad impact across community organizations and the education sector over two decades.

Amy Harvison

Amy is at the helm of the Multiply project, an initiative under the UK Shared Prosperity Fund program from the Department for Education. This innovative project seeks to boost families’ numeracy confidence by integrating sports, games, and art with engaging numerical activities.

Running until March 2025, Multiply is dedicated to assisting parents who wish to bolster their numeracy skills, whether to support their children’s learning or enhance their ability to handle daily numerical tasks, including personal finance management.