OREANDA-NEWS. The Virtual Technology Cluster Group, an organisation enabling multi-national companies to attract entrepreneurial IT companies into their supply chains, is pleased to announce the appointment of Janice Munday CBE as Non-Executive Director and Brad Pietras as Director of Technology, to the Board with immediate effect.  These appointments further bolster the VTC Group's Board as it continues to make significant traction, post its launch in March 2016, connecting universities, entrepreneurs, start-ups, policymakers, investors, buyers with large corporates in order to grow and scale up.

Janice has many years of experience working with UK businesses driving innovation and growth.  Prior to joining the VTC Group she was Director of Advanced Manufacturing and Services for the UK Department of Business Innovation and Skills where she was responsible for working with a wide range of companies across multiple sectors to encourage growth and productivity as part of the UK's Industrial Strategy.  Working in partnership with business Janice saw the creation and implementation of approximately 20 sector strategies.  She also foresaw the need for large and small businesses to work closer together to achieve excellence when she developed and delivered the innovative Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative (AMSCI - 2012-2015).  Janice also worked with key localities in all parts of the UK to help leaders to understand the barriers to growth in their areas as part of the Local Growth initiative.  Additional highlights from her previous roles as a civil servant, include bringing in the right to request flexible working in 2002 and championing for more female executives in senior positions in UK business.  Janice is delighted to bring this and policy experience to the VTC group. 

Brad has over twenty-years of experience in advanced programmes for Lockheed Martin starting as a lead engineer for the Landsat imaging satellite programme to his most recent position as the Corporate Vice President of Technology in the US and Corporate Vice President of Engineering and Technology in the UK.  During his tenure at Lockheed Martin, Brad has led research and development initiatives around the world and with UK universities and industry.  He is also presently a Ph.D. candidate in Neuroscience at the University of Maryland's School of Medicine in Baltimore and his research, in collaboration with the Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit at University College London, pertains to the mathematical and neural foundations of decision-making and reinforcement learning.  At the VTC Group, Brad will focus on creating new start-up companies, advising the VTC portfolio members, and shaping new Virtual Technology Clusters.

Auriol Stevens, CEO, the VTC Group, commented:

"We are delighted to welcome both Janice and Brad who are great additions to our Board. With Janice's wealth of business experience across the public and private sectors and Brad's considerable technology expertise, they will provide invaluable support as we continue to create new virtual technology clusters across a number of different sectors.  Our mission is to help UK start ups unlock growth, boost innovation, find revenue opportunities and ultimately scale up through access to multi-national corporations' supply chains."

The VTC Group

Established by leading industry experts and investors, The Virtual Technology Cluster Group's ("The VTC Group") model enables major multi-national companies to attract emerging and disruptive technology innovators ("VTC Members") into their supply chain. VTC Members are offered revenue opportunities by the Sponsors, access to advisers providing expert scale-up services and networking opportunities, and support from the Academic and Investment communities.