Alan joined the team in  November 2014 as Systems and Finance Manager having worked in the charity sector for nearly 20 years.

An Engineering with Management graduate from Napier University Alan has a wealth of experience in  developing and supporting IT infrastructure as well as providing bespoke management reporting systems, primarily for finance and HR.

He has an established background in software development with .Net (C#) and Java, building web based software as well as Android application development.

He is keen to promote autism awareness whenever he can and in his spare time he likes photography (landscapes and wildlife mainly), walking and watching football.

Meet Amelia Whitelaw, Interface’s Director. She joins the team with a wealth of experience, previously working as the Executive Director of the Wheeler Institute for Business and Development at London Business School (LBS).  The Wheeler Institute seeks to apply business expertise and research to social and economic challenges in developing countries.  Amelia brings to her leadership position success with leading academic institutions in developing, promoting and implementing multi-organisational and international collaborative programmes.

Amelia, in her roles at LBS, as the former Executive Director of Global Outreach and Director Global Experiences, leveraged the School’s work and networks to increase the profile of the School, to generate interest in degree programmes, and to create unique learning experiences.  In collaboration with faculty, senior alumni and business leaders, Amelia established the experiential learning programme that allowed students practical application in live settings, the contextualisation of business knowledge and experience, and increased exposure to developing countries and micro trends. Prior to joining LBS, she provided the vice chancellor and other senior executives of The Australian National University (ANU) with strategic, operational and policy support in developing its international programme.  Amelia was also representing the ANU on the east coast of the US and developed the management framework for the secretariat of the International Alliance of Research Universities.  This alliance has been highly productive in developing a portfolio of global summer programmes for students, strong research programmes and improving benchmarking across institutions.

Amelia graduated from The University of Edinburgh Business School with a MBA with distinction, and holds a Bachelor of Arts.

Elaine has joined the Interface Marketing Team as Marketing Executive with responsibility for promoting the work that Interface do via the website and social media, developing case studies, managing events and reinforcing the Interface brand.

Elaine comes to Interface with 25+ years (ahem started very young) experience gained in various marketing and communications roles across the private, public and third sectors including Phillips BCS, Scottish Enterprise, Quality Scotland and Beatson Cancer Charity.

Outside of work Elaine likes to spend time with friends and family, cooking and eating out, and doing yoga.  She also works on a part-time basis and volunteers, when possible, for the Beatson Cancer Charity.  It’s her way of giving back and helping others following her own cancer journey in 2018

Glen joined the Interface team as a Marketing Executive in August 2021. He brought with him an enthusiasm for digital marketing, an appetite for creative copy, and a desire to maximise Interface’s online potential.

In 2015 Glen graduated from the University of Leeds with a BA in Cinema and Photography. Since then he has worked with several companies to raise brand awareness and generate leads. Over this time, he has created social media strategies, developed and optimised websites, produced visual media and written content, as well as managed live events and webinars.

Glen enjoys baking and is a big fan of all things sweet; you can often find him in the kitchen trying out a new recipe. To balance this out, he’s also an avid cyclist and likes riding his bike up into the Pentlands.

Howell heads up the Sector Engagement team which supports innovation in the Food and Drink, Tourism and Creative Industries to develop opportunities for groups to work with academic expertise across Scotland. Working with a range of sector bodies, we have run a number of successful projects looking at innovative ways to address key industry challenges.

Prior to joining Interface, Howell graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Business Management with Food Marketing from Wye College, University of London and has spent most of his career working for Scottish food and drink companies as well as Highlands & Islands Enterprise.

Outside of work, he loves spending time with the family, attempting to keep a golf ball on the fairway and reminiscing about Welsh rugby

Heather joined Interface in 2014 as Marketing Executive University Assets which focused on the promotion of University Technology and Specialist Facilities. Having built up two years of expertise in supporting academic and business partnerships Heather was promoted to Marketing Manager in May 2016. After graduating from the University of Stirling in 2007 with a BA Honours degree in Marketing Heather held a global marketing position with IndigoVision, an Edinburgh established manufacturer of IP Video Security Solutions. Heather has a wealth of experience across the marketing mix including: product marketing, event management, brand management, PR and advertising, communications, social media and lead generation. Outside of work Heather enjoys running, socialising and visiting new places – especially those with warmer climates!

Laura joins the team as our new Business Engagement Officer. Prior to joining Interface Laura worked as a customer service manager in the finance and retail sectors. With over 15 years experience as a manager she is great at establishing good strong working relationships with stakeholders and her customers. Outside of work Laura enjoys spending her time walking the countryside with her dog Charlie and spending times with her two young nieces.

Laura is Associate Director Business Engagement and Systems at Interface. She has been with Interface since 2014 as Head of Business Engagement and held the position of Interim Director in 2022.

With over 20 years’ experience in knowledge exchange and business development Laura is passionate about knowledge exchange and inclusivity. She brings a wealth of experience in developing and implementing strategies to engage with businesses and organisations across Scotland, the UK and Internationally.

Interface plays a unique role bringing businesses and Scotland’s world class academic community together. These partnerships stimulate innovation and drive economic, social and environmental activity and Laura has been a driving force of this activity.

Prior to joining Interface Laura worked at Edinburgh Innovations Ltd (formally Edinburgh Research and Innovation) and before that held positions in oil and gas and financial services.

Laura is a graduate of Edinburgh Napier University with a BA in Business Information Management.

Louise has over 20 years business development experience in creating sales and marketing strategies to generate leads, in both business to business and academic to business environments.  She has been with Interface for over 15 years, providing a free and impartial matchmaking service, connecting businesses across all sectors quickly and easily, to the world class knowledge and expertise within Scotland’s universities and research institutes. There is a vast diversity of expertise within academia, from students to researchers to specialist facilities, all of which both small and large companies can benefit.  Working closely with her client companies, she helps them define their technical problems or requirements, and connects them to the appropriate academic partners ensuring the best possible solution for the business.  Her knowledge of funding and network of support organisations ensures she provides a holistic service to client companies to drive innovation and the delivery of new products, processes and services.  Prior to working at Interface, her career includes experience in the technology and aerospace sectors working for organisations such as NCR and Raytheon Systems. Out of work Louise enjoys yoga, walking her dog and socialising.