Cath is currently the head of the Oxford University Incubator at OUI where she overseas a number of programmes aimed at supporting entrepreneurship. These range from exploratory sessions to validate a business proposition through to coaching teams of founders to investor readiness as well as offering ongoing support for recently formed businesses.
Following undergraduate studies in Physics, Cath pursued a role R&D in an international telecoms company, helping design & install some of the earliest commerically available Optical Fibre based systems in the UK. Having acquired a real passion for electronic design and the nascent design automation systems, Cath returned to Durham for a period of postgraduate study in Microelectronics.
Having spent over 20 years in the electronics & related software industry consulting to some of the top global technology companies around the world, Cath spent a while working as technical specialist in the M&A part of the industry. This involved becoming part of the team which helped through the period of transition to bring the newly acquired companies into the purchasing entity. There followed a complete change in direction taking a role in a very early stage tech companies followed by a period running her own business supporting early stage start ups.
Finally, Cath made the leap across to technology transfer in 2006 where she deployed the skills developed across her varied career to date to assist in the identification of ideas which had commercial potential and support academic colleagues in creating impact from research.
Cath took on the role of Head of Incubator in 2018 and was part of the team that devised and delivered StEP - the Student Entrepreneurship Programme.
Outside of work Cath is an ordained priest in the Church of England, plays in a band & holds a Private Pilot Licence so can occasionally be found in the skies above Oxford enjoying the view.
