Enterprise Board
The purpose of the Enterprise Board is to stimulate an enterprise culture across the University, maintaining connections with all University initiated enterprise activities and stakeholders.
The Enterprise Board (“the Board”) will:
1. Oversee and govern the delivery of the University’s Intellectual Property (IP) exploitation activities, and review delivery against aims and best practice.
2. Review the performance of all licensing activity by receiving regular reports from the Enterprise Team.
3. Approve the creation of, and monitor all IP related University spin-out companies, and undertake an annual impairment review to assess the carrying value of spin out investments, including any University debt.
4. Approve all changes to the University’s equity interests in spin-out companies.
5. Approve all investments (grants and loans) greater than £50k from the University’s Enterprise Investment Fund (EIF), enabling the University to support high risk commercial propositions within a balanced portfolio of investments.
6. Receive an Annual Report reviewing the performance, work and activities of the Board.
7. Receive triannual reports from the Enterprise Investment Group.
8. Report annually to the Finance and Resources Committee (financial/enterprise performance), and periodically to the Research Impact Committee (alignment with research priorities).
Meeting Arrangements:
9. The Board will typically meet three times during the academic year. Meetings may be cancelled if there are no items to be discussed.
10. Additional meetings may be held at the request of the Chair to meet business requirements.
11. The quorum for meetings shall be one third of the membership, to include one lay member.
12. Only Members of the Board can vote. In the event of a split decision, the Chair shall have a casting vote.
Board Membership:
13. The Chair of the Board is an ex-officio position for the Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research and Impact.
14. A Deputy Chair who will be a lay member will be appointed to support the Chair.
15. The membership of the Board will comprise University staff, including representatives from each Faculty who are closely associated with research and innovation, one (1) Council Member, and three (3) lay members who will have financial and investment management expertise and experience.
16. All appointments to the Board will be for one term (ie three years). On an exceptional basis, an appointment may be renewed for a further term (ie six years in total), however this would require a clear rationale.
17. All lay member appointments (including re-appointments), must be approved by the University’s Nominations Committee, and Council.
Members or key people
| Title | Name | Term |
| Chair | Professor Anthony Hollander | Ex-Officio Position |
| Deputy Chair | Norman Molyneux | 31 July 2027 |
| Council Member | Dr Alison Campbell OBE | 31 July 2026 |
| External Lay Member | Dr Paul Ewing | 31 July 2025 |
| External Lay Member | Dr Mark Wyatt | 31 July 2027 |
| External Lay Member | position vacant | |
| Director of Sir Peter Rigby Centre | position vacant | |
| Nominee of the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences | Dr Annemarie Naylor MBE | |
| Nominee of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences | Dr Mathew Flynn | |
| Nominee of the Faculty of Science and Engineering | Professor Andy Levers OBE | |
| Commercial Accountant / Finance Representative | Roger Bickerstaff | Ex-Officio Position with succession planning |
People in attendance (but not members of the Board):
| Head of the Enterprise Team | Emma Nolan |
| Enterprise Team Representative | Dr Carolyn Horrocks |
| Secretary of the Committee | Katie Blundell |
18. The Chair invites attendees and specialist advisors when they have expertise in matters to be discussed.
19. Other members may be co-opted or invited to attend for specific meetings at the discretion of the Chair.
20. Report authors will be invited to attend the relevant section of the meeting to present their reports.
Management of Conflicts of Interest
21. It is the responsibility of each individual to recognise situations in which they have a conflict of interest, or might reasonably be seen by others to have a conflict, and to disclose that conflict to the Chair.
22. In line with the University’s Policy on Disclosure of Interest, all Board Members will also be requested to complete an annual declaration of their external interests.
Decisions outside of meetings:
23. If a decision is required to be taken outside of meetings (due to time sensitivity), this will be circulated electronically and will require a simple majority vote, which must include at least one lay member. A summary of these decisions should be reported to the next ordinary meeting.
Delegated Authority:
24. The Board has delegated decision making authority up to a value of £300k from the Finance and Resources Committee for any commercial transactions relating to spin-outs, investment funds and the sale of IP.
25. The Board delegates to the Head of the Enterprise Team decision making authority for investments up to a total value of £50k per case.
26. The Chair of the Board has delegated authority to make decisions relating to investments up to a total of £100k per case.
27. The Board delegates to the Chair of the Board decision making authority around the creation of University spin-out companies.
28. Any decision taken under delegated authority will be reported at the next ordinary meeting.
29. The Board will delegate its investment making powers greater than £50k (up to £300k) to a management group of the Board (“Enterprise Investment Group”). If an investment of greater than £300k is recommended by the Enterprise Investment Group, then approval should be sought from the Chief Financial Officer and the Vice Chancellor.
Enterprise Investment Group
30. The Enterprise Investment Group (“the Group”) will meet monthly. Meetings can be cancelled if there are no items to be discussed.
31. Members of the Group will be members of the Board, as follows:
-
- The Chair of the Board will chair the Group.
- The Deputy Chair of the Board will act as Deputy Chair for the Group.
- Finance Representative.
- Three (3) Lay Members.
- The Council Member.
32. The quorum for meetings shall be four members, to include one lay member.
33. The Head of the Enterprise Team, or their nominee will attend the meetings of the Group.
Meeting dates
- 8 October 2025, 10.00am
- 4 March 2026, 10.00am
- 13 May 2026, 10.00am