Who we are
Our team all share the same passion: To help Deep Tech companies become global leaders
Each member of the team plays a vital role in supporting our members to advance industry, delivering innovative products and services to drive profitable growth.
Each member of the team plays a vital role in supporting our members to advance industry, delivering innovative products and services to drive profitable growth.
Lets meet the team
Charles Sturman
CEO, TechWorks
Charles Sturman
CEO, TechWorks
As the CEO at TechWorks, Charles drives collaboration between industry, academia and government to promote the Deep Tech sector and help to grow new high technology businesses across the UK.
Charles is also a mentor and advisor with Silicon Catalyst and Deeptech Labs. Previously, he has held various executive roles in GM, product line, go-to-market, business development, corporate strategy, and new business venturing at HiSilicon, u-blox, ARM, Acorn Computers and Motorola and has been instrumental in two successful start-ups.
With 30 years of experience in VLSI chip design, embedded systems, IoT, computing and wireless communications (2G, 3G, LTE, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth) Charles is the author of more than ten papers and books and holds a master’s degree in electronic & information engineering from Southampton University.
Jillian Hughes
Head of Semiconductors & DESN Network Director
Jillian Hughes
Head of Semiconductors & DESN Network Director
Jillian Hughes began her career with a recognised apprenticeship at National Semiconductor in Greenock, Scotland, completing her training in 1991. Over the next 15 years, she built deep technical expertise in semiconductor equipment and process engineering, working with major multinational companies including Seagate Microelectronics, Motorola, and Freescale Semiconductor.
She went on to lead operations across several specialised semiconductor businesses, focusing on the manufacture, refurbishment, sale, and service of high value capital equipment.
In April 2020, Jillian was appointed NMI Director at Techworks, the UK’s semiconductor trade association. In this role, she drew on her extensive industry knowledge to support UK semiconductor companies and worked closely with industry and academia to raise the sector’s profile within Government.
Jillian later served as Chief Operating and Financial Officer at Dalrada Technology and Deposition Technology, where she oversaw the development and manufacture of advanced capital equipment for emerging semiconductor markets. She has since returned to Techworks as Head of Semiconductors, leading the Semiconductor Systems Design Network (DESN) and bringing together the UK’s dynamic chip design community to drive collaboration, innovation, and knowledge sharing.
Jillian also serves on the Board of Directors at Wafer Fab Solutions, where she provides strategic business and financial guidance.
Gunny Dhadyalla
AESIN Network Director
Gunny Dhadyalla
AESIN Network Director
A driven Engineering Leader who’s experience in the automotive industry spans over 30 years. Gunny is currently the Director of AESIN, the Automotive Electronics Systems Innovation Network, a member-based trade association contributing to the next generation of automotive technologies.
In previous roles, he has successfully led and delivered collaborative research and development projects, creating impact to the UK automotive electronics and software systems domain. Leveraging knowledge and the resources within the network to help UK based companies to facilitate faster, more effective ways to develop, verify and validate systems from bench to vehicle to the new mobility world. Gunny aims to champion the UK’s Automotive Electronics community providing a voice for AESIN members to key decision makers and influencers in the UK.
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Joanne Thomson
Tina Wong
Events Manager
Tina Wong
Events Manager
Tina boasts over a decade of seasoned experience in events management, honed across the financial and oil and gas sectors. Her expertise spans the orchestration of international events, encompassing large-scale B2B conferences and exhibitions as well as more intimate networking gatherings. Renowned for her commitment to excellence, Tina is driven by a passion for crafting high-performing events and ensuring unparalleled delegate experiences.
Approaching each project with unwavering enthusiasm and meticulous attention to detail, Tina curates every facet of an event to surpass attendee expectations. Beyond her professional pursuits, Tina finds joy in playing the piano, exploring culinary delights in the kitchen, and indulging in spirited games of badmington.
Grant Rollo
Head of Digital
Grant Rollo
Head of Digital
Grant has been with TechWorks since 2009, when it was called NMI. Before that he has worked in facilities management, 15 years with the NHS, the government electricity shares sell-off, the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages and Management Training.
His role in Techworks covers all aspects of digital work – building and maintaining websites, IT infrastructure, most of the design/artwork you see. and has also been known to make the coffee occasionally.
Outside of work, he likes to keep (reasonably) fit and has a keen interest in music and films
Lauren Thomson
Head of Membership
Lauren Thomson
Head of Membership
Lauren has been at TechWorks since 2023 working as the finance and office administrator whilst taking on additional ad-hoc roles within the company.
Outside of work Lauren spends time playing football and hot wheels with her two young boys.
When she does get the time to relax you will find her watching TikToks and listens to country music.
Christopher Bennison
IoTSF Operations Manager
Christopher Bennison
IoTSF Member Engagement Manager
Chris joined TechWorks in September of 2022. An 8-year tenure with BT gave Chris a good technical grounding.
He also brings key experience in marketing and engagement from roles with the ScotRail communications team, a delivery app, a restaurant chain and a bicycle retailer.
IoTSF Chapters are a major part of his remit as the IoTSF looks to further its global presence, increase member numbers and attract even more thought leadership and progressive ideas. He’s also heavily involved with the IoTSF’s working groups, engagement with NMI and AESIN members as well as presenting webinars for the TechWorks communities.
Away from work, Chris is a keen runner, music lover, cinemagoer, foodie and Dundee United fan.
Board of Directors
Our board includes a range of accomplished executives from across the deep tech industry
Luke Ibbetson
Chairman
Luke Ibbetson
Chairman / Head of Strategy & R&D @ Vodaphone Group
Luke Ibbetson has been with Vodafone since 1996 and currently heads the Vodafone Group Strategy and R&D organisation, responsible for all aspects of network research and strategy including Vodafone’s participation in international standards & industry alliances, definition of the architectural blueprint for future networks, trials of emerging / disruptive technologies and concepts and long-term spectrum planning. Luke is leading Vodafone’s 5G programme, Chairs the NGMN (Next Generation Mobile Networks alliance) 5G Requirements and Architecture work, and is Vice Chair of the NGMN 5G “Board Committee” charged with overseeing the entire 5G programme. Luke is also a proud pioneer of Narrow Band IoT technology for Low Power Wide Area networks, and is Chairman of the GSMA’s NB-IoT Forum.s to ensure the overall success of Techworks.
Hermann Hauser
Amadeus Capital
Hermann Hauser
Amadeus Capital
In 2015 Hermann was awarded a KBE for services to Engineering and Industry. Serial Entrepreneur and Co-founder of Amadeus Capital Partners, Dr Hermann Hauser KBE has wide experience in developing and financing companies in the information technology sector. He co-founded a number of high-tech companies including Acorn Computers which spun out ARM, E-trade UK, Virata and Cambridge Network. Subsequently Hermann became Vice President of research at Olivetti. During his tenure at Olivetti, he established a global network of research laboratories. Since leaving Olivetti, Hermann has founded over 20 technology companies. In 1997, he co-founded Amadeus Capital Partners. At Amadeus he invested in CSR, Solexa, Icera, Xmos and Cambridge Broadband. Hermann is a Fellow of the Royal Society, the Institute of Physics, the Royal Society of Chemistry and of the Royal Academy of Engineering, as well as an Honorary Fellow of King’s College, Cambridge. In 2001 he was awarded an Honorary CBE for ‘innovative service to the UK enterprise sector’. In 2004 he was made a member of the Government’s Council for Science and Technology and in 2013 he was made a Distinguished Fellow of BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT. Hermann has honorary doctorates from the Universities of Loughborough, Bath, Anglia Ruskin, Strathclyde, Glasgow and York.
Simon Segar
Former ARM
Simon Segars
Former ARM
Since joining Arm as one of its first employees, Simon has driven technical and business innovations to help transform the company into the leading architect of the most pervasive compute technology the world has ever seen.
Simon led the development of early ground-breaking Arm processors – the Arm7 and Arm9 – powering the world’s first digital mobile phones. He played a key role in developing industry standards, and his engineering work led to him being granted several embedded-systems patents. He became Vice President of Engineering in 2001, and before being named as Arm CEO in July 2013, he held several other strategy positions including global head of sales. He was personally responsible for expanding the company’s U.S. business and strengthening its leadership and relationships in California’s Silicon Valley, where he still lives with his family.
Simon helped steer the company through the 2016 acquisition by SoftBank, and, in June 2017, was elected to serve on the SoftBank board. He also sits on the boards of the Global Semiconductor Alliance (GSA), the Electronic Design Automation Consortium (EDAC), Techworks and is a non-executive director at Dolby Laboratories, Inc.
Simon earned his BEng in electronic engineering from the University of Sussex and an MSc in computer science from the University of Manchester.
Mike Risman
Vitruvian Partners
Mike Risman
Vitruvian Partners
Mike is a founder of Vitruvian Partners. As a Managing Partner, he is responsible for managing the firm with particular focus on the Investment Team and Investor Relations. He is co-Chair of the Investment Committee. His 20 year track record includes numerous successful leveraged buyout and growth capital transactions covering all aspects of Technology and Technology-influenced industries in Europe and the US. His focus includes internet-related investments, application software, systems and underlying component technologies. Mike has sat on more than 20 Boards including a number of listed businesses.
He currently represents Vitruvian on the boards of Verastar, Flexpay, Just Eat, Snow Software, Farfetch, JacTravel, CRF Health and Accountor. Previously, he did so on the board of Inenco. His track record at Vitruvian also includes the investments in Skyscanner and Unifaun.
Prior to Vitruvian, Mike spent 10 years at Apax Partners where he was a Global Equity Partner and head of Apax’s Information Technology Investment Team in Europe. Previously, he worked for Cap Gemini as a strategy consultant and Jaguar Cars as an engineer. He has an MA in Engineering (Electrical) from Cambridge University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Tim Luke
Barclays Capital
Tim Luke
Barclays Capital
Tim is Vice Chairman for Barclays Capital’s Global Tech, Media and Telecom practice based in New York covering the US and Europe. He rejoined Barclays having spent 3 years from May 2011 to July 2014 working as a Senior Adviser on Business, Trade and Innovation to the UK Prime Minister David Cameron at Downing Street. At Downing Street he focused on developing policies aimed at accelerating the growth of sectors such as technology, telecom and financial services. Prior to Number 10, Tim worked for 18 years at Lehman Brothers/Barclays in New York and was Global Head Technology Equity Research and Number 1 ranked as an equity research analyst in communications equipment (data networking and wireless equipment) and semiconductors.
Stan Boland
Technology entrepreneur and investor
Stan Boland
Technology entrepreneur and investor
Stan was a co-founder and CEO of Five, a UK start-up bought by Bosch that built a prototype self-driving car and sophisticated simulation technology for safe self-driving development and testing. Before Five, he co-founded and led two of the UK’s most successful venture-backed communications silicon and software companies, Element 14 Inc. and Icera Inc., bought by Broadcom and NVIDIA respectively. Since 1999, he’s raised a total of $330M in equity venture capital and sold the resulting companies for about $1.3B. He’s now an active angel investor.
John Docherty
Industry Expert
John Docherty
Industry Expert
John Docherty brings a wealth of leadership, business and industry experience having spent over 35 years in Semiconductor Manufacturing. He is former Senior Vice President of GLOBALFOUNDRIES, Inc. and former Senior Vice President of Manufacturing Operations at Advanced Micro Device. John has also held senior positions at Agere Systems, Chartered Semiconductor and Motorola Semiconductor.
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