Sussex Innovation is pleased to announce several role changes within our senior management team. From this month, Claire Pasquill will step into a new role as Deputy CEO and Head of Sales and Marketing, Simon Chuter returns to head up our new investment network alongside our Facilities team, and we welcome Kelvin Beckles in an interim role as Croydon Centre Manager.

Claire Pasquill has worked at Sussex Innovation since 2012, first as an Innovation Advisor and more recently as Head of Centres, Community and Outreach.

“I am delighted to announce Claire’s promotion to the new role of Deputy CEO,” said Nigel Lambe, CEO of Sussex Innovation. “Claire has been a valued member of our team for ten years and has great experience across all aspects of our services.

“In this new role, in addition to retaining her overall responsibilities as Head of Sales and Marketing, Claire will also coordinate our consultancy activities across commercial, funded and University programmes, in addition to supporting me with the overall management of the organisation.

“In order to free up some time for Claire to focus on her new role, Simon Chuter will be taking on responsibility for the day to day management of our two innovation centres.”

Simon Chuter returns to the senior management team after a year away in industry, having previously run Sussex Innovation’s student enterprise activities on behalf of the University of Sussex. As well as leading the Facilities team, Simon will head up a new angel investment network.

“I am delighted to return to Sussex Innovation with the opportunity to run University of Sussex Business Angels (USBA),” said Simon. “We intend for this to become the premier angel investment network in Sussex, servicing the needs of both investors and companies alike. I’m also passionate about our community within our two centres, and look forward to supporting you in my role as Head of Facilities.

“If you’re looking to invest in Sussex businesses, are a Sussex business looking to raise funding, or have any questions about your membership with us, please don’t hesitate to reach out and contact me.”

Kelvin Beckles takes over the role of Croydon Centre Manager on an interim basis from Daisy Wood, who is taking maternity leave. Kelvin comes from a background in financial services and is an experienced account manager.

“I’m really pleased to welcome Kelvin to Sussex Innovation Croydon and can tell already that he is going to be a fantastic addition to our team,” said Daisy.

“I enjoy talking to people and building relationships,” said Kelvin. “What I’m most looking forward to in this role is getting to know our different member businesses and helping them as much as I can.”

For more information about the University of Sussex Business Angels programme and how you can get involved, click here.

To enquire about joining the Sussex Innovation community or accessing new programmes through your membership, click here.