The Company
Meet the Exeter Science Park Board
Exeter Science Park Ltd (ESPL), the park developer, has four shareholders:
We have a strategic partnership with the Exeter and East Devon Enterprise Zone.
Eulian Roberts
Eulian is a seasoned leader in science park development, technology commercialisation, and innovation strategy, with over 30 years of international experience across the UK, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
He holds a BSc and PhD from Imperial College London and an MBA, and began his career managing a commercially funded research project in Cambridge. He later joined Scottish Enterprise, leading economic development initiatives focused on technology growth.
Eulian has held senior roles including Chief Executive of Stirling University Innovation Park, where he established Forthright Innovation to support new product development, and Managing Director of Coventry University Enterprises. At ANGLE Technology, he directed European consulting projects for governments and research institutions.
In 2004, he became the founding Managing Director of Qatar Science & Technology Park, one of the largest Science Parks in the region. He later led Dhahran Techno Valley in Saudi Arabia and, from 2014, served as Chief Executive of Imperial College ThinkSpace.
Eulian is now an experienced Non-Executive Director and Chair, providing strategic support to management teams responsible for establishing and developing technology-based businesses.
Keri Denton
Keri is the Head of Economy, Enterprise and Skills at Devon County Council, and has been in post since 2012. She has overall responsibility for implementing the Council’s strategy on economic growth, including investment in economic activity, enterprise, skills and development.
Keri has been an Exeter Science Park board member since 2012.
Dave Stacey
Dave is Chief Financial Officer and Executive Divisional Director of Finance, Infrastructure and Commercial Services at University of Exeter.
Dave joined the University in August 2023 and has spent the last decade in senior management roles in the NHS, latterly as Chief Finance Officer and Deputy Chief Executive at Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, where he was responsible for the Trust’s financial management, procurement, capital development, estate and commercial development.
Prior to relocating to Devon in 2020, David worked in London in a variety of roles, including Director of Finance and Director of Strategy, in acute and mental health Trusts. He started his career with KPMG’s public sector team, where he completed his accountancy training. Over seven years, he worked with a range of domestic and international healthcare clients providing both audit and advisory services.
In his career to date, he has overseen a successful financial turnaround, significant transformation programmes, major capital developments and a post-merger integration programme.
Dave will have a joint reporting line into the Vice-Chancellor as CFO and the Registrar and Secretary as Executive Divisional Director of Finance, Infrastructure and Commercial Services, providing strategic financial advice and guidance as well as developing and delivering the University’s capital, estates and commercial strategies.
Victoria Hatfield
Victoria has worked at Exeter City Council for 20 years, managing a range of services including destination marketing, a wide range of tourist attractions, events and festivals, economic development, inward investment and skills. Victoria led on a wide range of roles as part of Exeter hosting 3 matches as part of the 2015 Rugby World Cup. Today, Victoria is the Service Lead for Net Zero & Business, leading on delivering net zero for Exeter City Council and managing our extensive car park estate.
Victoria has been a school governor for ISCA Academy for over 4 years and was appointed to the Board of Exeter Science Park 2023 as a Non-Executive Director.
Andy Wood
Andy is the interim Director of Place at East Devon District Council. With a background in economic development and regeneration, he brings extensive experience to his role overseeing a wide range of services, from planning and economic development to countryside management and public spaces. His portfolio includes leading the implementation of the Exeter and East Devon Enterprise Zone, a major programme aimed at delivering over 2 million square feet of commercial space across four sites in close proximity to Exeter Airport including Exeter Science Park. Prior to joining the Council, Andy was Head of Infrastructure and Partnerships at the South West Regional Development Agency, working across the region to realise key economic development and regeneration objectives.
Nick Buckland OBE
Nick Buckland has a portfolio career. He chairs and is a board member of a number of organisations locally, regionally and nationally, in the private, public and voluntary sectors. Having previously spent over 20 years in the IT industry, Nick is an acknowledged expert in strategic planning, audit, governance, review processes, quality, technology and innovation. He was Deputy Chair of the South West Regional Development Agency and a founding member of the governing board of the Technology Strategy Board – now InnovateUK – the government’s innovation agency. He was Pro Chancellor and former chair of Governors of the University of Plymouth, and chaired Plymouth Science Park.
He holds a BSc in Mathematics from the University of Bath, is a Fellow of the British Computer Society, the Institute of Maths and it’s Applications, the Royal Society of Arts, the Institute of Engineering and Technology and the Chartered Management Institute. He is a member of the Institute of Directors and the Royal Institution. He holds a Dip RSA, is a Chartered Engineer, Chartered Information Systems Practitioner, Chartered Manager and a European Engineer. He was appointed OBE in the 2009 New Year Honours List for services to Innovation & Technology and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Technology by the University of Plymouth in 2013.
David Ferguson
David is Head of Net Zero Innovation at EDF UK. His mission is to lead innovations that accelerate the world’s journey towards net zero. His career has covered sustainability strategy, digital R&D and innovation in the UK, France and China. He is also co-founder of a climate tech startup.
David is a member of the Tech Southwest Tech Advisory Board and the University of Exeter’s Digital Advisory Network and is a fellow of the RSA. Formerly, he was on the advisory board of the UK Government’s All Party Parliamentary Group on Artificial Intelligence.
Prof. Kirstine Dale
Professor Kirstine Dale is the Met Office’s Chief AI Officer (CAIO) and Principal Fellow for Data Science. As CAIO she is charged with embedding AI in the Office’s core business: initially focusing on the use of AI in weather forecasting through leadership of the ‘AI for numerical weather prediction’ (AI4NWP) programme. As Principal Fellow, Kirstine plays a leading role in shaping the future of Data Science (including Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning) in the Met Office.
Kirstine has an extensive multidisciplinary background across natural and social sciences and business management, with over 20 years’ experience in the oversight of high-value, innovative research partnership programmes and new business strategies spanning a broad range of disciplines.
She is an Honorary Professor at the University of Exeter and Fellow at The Alan Turing Institute, where she is also a Co-Director of the Natural Environment Theme of the Turing Research and Innovation Cluster on Digital Twins (TRIC-DT).
Robert McIlwraith
Robert is an experienced CEO, Chair, Non-Executive Director and Trustee. With over 30 years in the aerospace and defence industry, Robert was CEO of AmSafe Bridport and MBM Technology and General Manager of Align Aerospace in Paris as well as Executive Vice President of AmSafe Inc., based in Phoenix AZ.
Robert was also Non-Executive Director of NYSE listed Ardmore Shipping Corporation where he served on the Audit Committee. For over 20 years he was also Chair of the AmSafe Bridport Pension Scheme
In more recent years Robert has lectured in a range of business finance and management related subjects, at INTO University of Exeter, having developed and led a number of modules. He is also a former member of the Exeter Science Park Board (2014-2018) and a founder member and Chair of the Exeter Initiative for Science and Technology
Robert holds an honours degree in Mechanical Engineering and is a Chartered Engineer and a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.
Richard Hadden
Richard Hadden has spent the last twenty five years as an entrepreneur and venture capital investor. He is a senior advisor to Reply SpA, where he was previously managing partner of their pan-European early-stage deeptech fund, Breed Reply Limited, and he serves on the investment committees of FSE Group, including their new South West Investment Fund based in Exeter, and on the boards of several European growth companies.
In addition to earlier roles at the Welsh Development Bank and NESTA, he spent five years as the founder CEO of an Alzheimer’s disease biomarker company. He holds degrees in Natural Sciences and Computer Science from Queens’ College, Cambridge and Law from City University and he is a non-practising barrister, with a strong interest in intellectual property.
He was born and raised in Exeter and recently returned to Devon to run the family livestock farm.