The Steering Board

The role of our Steering Board is to advise Ministers, through our Director General, Prof. Adrian Smith, on our strategies and performance (including targets) as set out in our Corporate Plan. It also provides guidance from a commercial standpoint on our operation and development across a range of issues.

During the last 12 months, the Steering Board has provided advice and guidance on a wide range of topics, such as our Corporate Plan, Agency Targets, Intellectual Property Policy, Accounts and Risk Management.

The Steering Board meets four times a year. Its current membership consists of:

  • David Richards, Chair
    Independent board member
    Principal Finance Officer at the National Assembly for Wales
  • Geoffrey Drage
    Independent board member
    Director of GKD Europe Ltd, Q Futures Ltd and Omega (After Alpha) Ltd.,
    Mentor for (i) the SEEDA Enterprise Hub Network and (ii) Life-IC, the Sheffield based low carbon company incubator
    Member of the audit committees of WIPO and DIUS
  • David Roberts
    Independent board member
    Ex-Senior Vice President of IP at Glaxo SmithKline
    Chairman, Stratagem IPM Ltd
  • Kathryn Bishop
    Independent board member
    Director of Naughton Consulting Ltd
  • Mary Champion
    Independent board member
    Freelance IT Management Consultant (previously Vice President at Capgemini)
  • Prof. Adrian Smith
    Director General, Office of Science and Research
  • Zina Etheridge
    Strategy & Communications Director, DIUS
  • Ian Fletcher
    Comptroller-General and Chief Executive, Intellectual Property Office

Additionally members of our Executive Board attend meetings, though they are not formally members of the Steering Board.

Minutes of previous meetings