The Crowdhelix Team and Advisory Board
  • AR User profile picture

    Abdul Rahim

    Chair of the Board

    Abdul is Chair of the Crowdhelix Board of Directors and one of its founders. He has extensive expertise in entrepreneurship and business planning.

  • AD User profile picture

    Alan Drumm

    Science Communications Manager

    Alan is an experienced communications professional. He helps Helix Managers, partner organisations and researchers to communicate with key audiences.

  • AL User profile picture

    Alex Lilburn

    Machine Learning Engineer

    Alex has experience in building AI solutions for large UK companies and is responsible for developing systems to facilitate user collaboration.

  • AP User profile picture

    Andreea Petrea

    Communication & Events Manager

    Andreea is looking after the company's events calendar, inluding network and project events. She is also managing 3 projects on behalf of Crowdhelix.

  • AS User profile picture

    Andrew Salomon

    Science Communications Officer

    Andrew combines his experience as an archaeologist and writer to communicate and disseminate scientific research and results to key audiences.

  • AE User profile picture

    Andy Elliot

    UX Designer

    Andrew is a multi-disciplinary UX designer with over 15 years of experience crafting user-centred, accessible, meaningful and delightful experiences.

  • AT User profile picture

    Azusa Tanaka

    Japan Ambassador

    Azusa is an international higher education specialist, engaged primarily in supporting global engagement work for UK and Japanese universities.

  • BC User profile picture

    Ben Calnan

    Head of Engineering

    Ben is an engineer with experience building products and managing teams. He oversees the engineering team at Crowdhelix and the platform development.

  • BV User profile picture

    Bianca Vasile-Pitis

    Events and Communications Officer

    Bianca is an Events Officer with a background in Events & Business Management. She supports, plans and delivers events for the Crowdhelix platform.

  • BC User profile picture

    Burcak Cullu

    Global Network Manager

    Burcak is Global Network Manager & with 19+ years of experience in EU R&I Programmes & Financing Instruments, she works for our going global strategy

  • BK User profile picture

    Burcu Kiper

    Impact Acceleration Manager

    Burcu is an impact acceleration manager working on enhancing the impact of EU projects, building stakeholder engagement, and supporting project consor

  • CC User profile picture

    Caíque de Carvalho

    Impact Acceleration Manager

    Caíque is responsible for the development of innovative strategies that foster the scientific, societal, and economic impact of Crowdhelix's network.

  • CJ User profile picture

    Cais Jurgens

    Head of Membership Development

    Cais has been a member of staff at Crowdhelix for over 7 years and is responsible for growing the academic and industrial membership base of Crowdheli

  • CL User profile picture

    Chris Long

    Project Finance Manager

    Chris is a Project Finance Manager who oversees the financial management and reporting of Crowdhelix's portfolio of Horizon projects.

  • CR User profile picture

    Connor Read

    Software Engineer

    As a member of the development team, Connor is curiously driven by a motivation to build software that can facilitate positive societal impact

  • DG User profile picture

    Daniel Gadd

    Senior Full Stack Developer

    Daniel helps build and maintain our platform, implementing best practices and fostering a culture of learning and growth within our development team.

  • DW User profile picture

    David Wakelin

    Software Engineer

    David is a software engineer and is a valuable member of our development team. His role involves adding new features and maintenance of our platform.

  • EM User profile picture

    Emer Murphy

    Science Communications Officer

    Emer is an experienced communications specialist with an interdisciplinary background in communications strategy design and execution.

  • EL User profile picture

    Dr. Estefania Ledesma

    Proposal Impact Partner

    Estefanía supports Crowdhelix´s European proposals. She supports interdisciplinary proposal development with particular focus on the projects impact.

  • EK User profile picture

    Evangelos Koulis

    Impact Acceleration Manager

    Evangelos Koulis is an EU Project Manager focusing on exploitation and impact activities in R&I projects related to Sustainable technologies.

  • FW User profile picture

    Fiona Wilks

    Finance Manager

    Fiona is our Finance Manager, looking after the day to day financials for UK and Ireland. She works closely with our CFO and Finance Project Manager

  • GJ User profile picture

    George Jeffery

    Product Manager

    George is an experienced Product Manager working in every aspect of software development from product inception all the way through to delivery.

  • IL User profile picture

    Iria Loucaidou

    Impact Acceleration Manager

    Iria has over 18 years of experience in R&I, with specialisation in digitalisation. She drives EU project impact and stakeholder engagement.

  • JS User profile picture

    Joana Soares

    Impact Acceleration Manager

    Joana is an experienced Project Manager with a keen interest in networking, identification of collaborative opportunities and organisation of events.

  • KG User profile picture

    Dr. Karen Galvin

    Head of Network Engagement

    Drives EU project impact through our Helix impact model. Supports proposal development for EU funding with particular focus on the projects impact.

  • KM User profile picture

    Katie Moffat

    Senior Graphic Designer

    Katie is our Senior Graphic Designer with 8 years of experience. Her background specialises in marketing & branding design, in both digital and print.

  • KD User profile picture

    Prof. Kurt Deketelaere

    Widening Excellence Ambassador

    Kurt is Secretary General for the League of European Research Universities & Widening Excellence Ambassador at Crowdhelix.

  • LP User profile picture

    Lara Plaxton

    Head of People

    Lara heads up our People strategy and operations to ensure our employees feel engaged, motivated and empowered to support our innovation networks.

  • LA User profile picture

    Laura Arnold

    Marketing Manager

    Laura is a media professional with 15 years' experience in broadcast, digital and news media. She manages Crowdhelix Marketing & Communications.

  • MT User profile picture

    Dr. Magdalena Tyndyk

    Managing Director (Ireland)

    Magdalena manages Crowdhelix Ireland and focuses on delivering impact across the European Research Area.

  • ML User profile picture

    Marco Lopes

    Impact Acceleration Manager

    Marco is an EU Project Manager in charge of delivering dissemination, exploitation and impact activities for R&I projects.

  • MS User profile picture

    Martin Scott

    Innovation Adviser

    Martin has been supporting international R&D for over 13 years, and provides the development team with specialist advice on the product roadmap.

  • MB User profile picture

    Michael Browne

    Chief Executive Officer

    Michael is responsible for managing the operations of Crowdhelix as well as setting and implementing the network and platform's strategic vision.

  • MM User profile picture

    Michelle McGinty

    Software Engineer

    Michelle is a software developer currently focusing on the backend area of Crowdhelix, involving developing new features and maintaining the platform.

  • NK User profile picture

    Nedyalko Krastev

    Junior Software Engineer

    A highly motivated computer science graduate whose journey has been fuelled by a passion for creating elegant and impactful software solutions.

  • OH User profile picture

    Oliver Hall

    Global Commercial Development

    Oliver leads the Crowdhelix Global Commercial Strategy, roadmap and implementation of CHX commercial operations for growth and best practice

  • OO User profile picture

    Oreolorun Olu-Ipinlaye

    Machine Learning Engineer

    Oreolorun is a machine learning engineer with expertise in vector search. He is responsible for building and maintaining machine learning systems.

  • OK User profile picture

    Ozan Korkut

    Design Lead

    Taking ownership of the platform's interface design and user experience by supporting the development team and the business with creative solutions.

  • PM User profile picture

    Paul McKenna

    Head of Membership Operations

    Paul is the Head of Membership Operations, supporting Crowdhelix members to maximise the benefits of using the platform for their organisations.

  • RM User profile picture

    Rebecca Manville

    Chief Marketing Officer

    Rebecca leads Crowdhelix's overall marketing strategy and vision and oversees the implementation of its marketing operations.

  • RW User profile picture

    Roxy Walsh

    Software Engineer

    Roxy is a full-stack developer who enjoys creating intuitive, friction-free user experiences on the web that help people to do their best work.

  • RN User profile picture

    Rusty Nash

    Chief Technology Officer

    Rusty is a technologist with experience in building digital products. He oversees the development and strategic roadmap for the Crowdhelix platform.

  • RB User profile picture

    Ryan Bustard

    Digital Marketing Analyst

    Ryan is a Digital Marketing Analyst and supports both the internal company marketing of Crowdhelix as well as the marketing objectives of EU projects.

  • RH User profile picture

    Ryan Holder

    Software Engineer

    Championing Full-stack development and maintenance at Crowdhelix for the past 6 years, Ryan works closely with our engineers to deliver new features.

  • SP User profile picture

    Dr. Styliani Petroudi

    Impact Acceleration Manager

    Styliani has experience in R&D, delivering dissemination, exploitation and impact activities, and is keen to support knowledge exchange and impact.

  • SR User profile picture

    Susan Robson

    Chief Financial Officer

    Susan is Chief Financial Officer and is responsible for strategic financial planning and growth.

  • TS User profile picture

    Thaís Soares

    Impact Acceleration Manager

    Thaís is an EU Project Officer experienced in Innovation & Gender European projects, identifying new collaborations and enhancing Crowdhelix impact.

  • TR User profile picture

    Thomas Ryan

    Video & Content Creator

    Thomas is an acclaimed videographer/ editor with a proven track record. He specialises in delivering high-quality video content for his clients.

  • VP User profile picture

    Dr. Valeria Pulieri

    Impact Acceleration Manager

    Valeria is an EU project manager with a focus on project impact enhancement through technology transfer and open innovation processes

  • Interested in joining the team?

    Check to see if we have any open positions


Advisory Board

Crowdhelix’s Advisory Board provides expert advice to the team on strategic issues relating to the development of the Crowdhelix Network, the development roadmap for the platform, and how we can best serve our community of members.

  • Stefania Grotti

    Head of Research Office
    Polytechnic University of Milan, Italy

    Passionate and energetic professional involved in the field of academic research with strong competences in the creation of Strategic Path and Management for hiring processes in the Research Office.

    More than 18 years of experience as a Research Manager at Politecnico di Milano, most of it as a Manager and Coordinator, with strong leadership and negotiation skills.

    Great knowledge of funding and financial management with remarkable experience and ability to negotiate and mediate at any level and stage since 1995. Thanks to a national and international experience on complex projects, she has developed an extensive knowledge in the Organisational HR Field suitable for transnational and diverse Research Contexts (academic and industry).

    Proven success in working in Strategic Coordination of Human Resources and funding opportunities (European Programmes), in private, public and academic sectors.

  • Dr Axel Steuwer

    Director
    EISCAT Scientific Association

    After graduating with a PhD in Materials Science from the University of Cambridge, he has been working in the centre of the quadruple helix bridging science, large scale research infrastructure, public authorities & industrial R&D for the last two decades. An expert in undertaking science at neutron and synchrotron X-ray sources, he helped establish Sweden as the host of the European Spallation Source ERIC.

  • Darko Ferčej

    Director of E-Institute / E-Zavod
    Institute for Comprehensive Development Solutions, Slovenia

    Darko Ferčej finished a degree in Policy Analysis and a Masters in Environmental Sciences and is currently employed as director at the E-Institute in Slovenia. He has 14 years of experiences in international project management and 10 years as executive director of E-Institute team.

    He is a skilled international project manager, open innovation expert, and is working on multidisciplinary sustainable development issues. He has been coordinator of 5 EU-funded international projects and has participated as partner in more than 30 EU and internationally funded projects, financed from 10 different programmes including Horizon Europe and FP7.

  • Einat Ron

    LEAR and Head of the EU Liaison Office
    Tel Aviv University, Israel

    Einat Ron has an MSc in Life Science from Tel Aviv University and an MBA from the very prestigious program "The Kellogg Recanati International Executive MBA" given by both Northwestern University as well as Tel Aviv University. She also has a diploma in Patent writing.

    Einat has been working at Tel Aviv University since 2008. Since then Tel Aviv University has increased substantially its participation in the various pillars of the framework program and under Horizon 2020, Tel Aviv University had the most ERC Starting Grants than any other university in the world. Getting there took a lot of strategic thinking, good marketing and excellent experienced staff.

    Before Einat Ron has joined Tel Aviv University, she has worked for 5 years at the Israeli Innovation Authority (under the directorate to the framework program) as a delegate and NCP to the Marie Curie program as well as to Citizen and Governance, Science and Society, Health and NEST.

  • Olívia Rocha

    R&D and Innovation European Funding Specialist
    KPMG, Portugal

    Olívia Rocha has an MSc in Chemical Engineering from University of Porto - Faculty of Engineering (FEUP). Her specialization field is Process and Product and her expertise field is nanotechnology, nanomaterials, and environment. Over the years, she has increased her knowledge in International R&I Funding through multiple Erasmus+ experiences (UCL – University College of London, Aarhus University, HVL – Western Norway University of Applied Sciences). After more than a decade of experience, she has grown a true passion about Innovation projects and has been working very close to Portuguese industry to make a difference in their capacity in raising funds for R&I investments, in a medium and long term.

    Olívia has been working at KPMG since 2019 as R&D and Innovation European Funding Specialist. Since then, she has helped the Company to grow its commitment with Open Innovation Networks and helped Companies of all sizes to outreach their R&I results by promoting collaborative projects and helping the establishment of partnerships across full value chains, acting in all Industry sectors.

    Before Olívia Rocha has joined KPMG, she has worked for 1 year at Efacec Power Solutions Group (as an Incentives Specialist), for 4 years in FEUP - Horizon 2020 Office as European R&I Incentives Advisor, and for 4 years in a Portuguese SME called Nanolayer Coating Technologies, as Business development manager and R&I Incentives advisor.

  • Juan Enriquez

    Chief Executive Officer
    ANALISIS-DSC, Spain

    Juan Enriquez, manager of ANALISIS-DSC, leads a highly specialised SME engineering company in the areas of both process and mechanical engineering from Madrid, Spain. He founded the company in 2002 after finishing an MBA at the Instituto de Empresa in Madrid, Spain. Juan also spent a number of years working at VTT Finland, in addition to six years studying in the United States.

    Currently, ANALISIS-DSC is involved in a Horizon Europe project with IRIS. Additionally, ANALISIS-DSC is always in search of additional R&D projects where their expertise and know-how can be valued in consortia in their areas of interest.

  • Roberto Martínez

    Head of the European Research Funding Office
    Polytechnic University of Madrid, Spain

    Roberto Martínez is the Head of the European Research Funding Office at the Technical University of Madrid (UPM), he also coordinates the participation of UPM in Horizon Europe and other International Programmes. He is evaluator and reviewer for the R&I Programmes of the European Commission and was the NCP for Horizon Europe from 2014-2016.

    He graduated as a Telecommunications Engineer from the School of Telecommunications at UPM, and he has a Masters Degree in Economy and Innovation management and Technology Policy. From the beginning of his professional career, he has been involved in several initiatives related to the cooperation between Europe and Latin America in the Information and Communication Technologies field. His research interests are linked to innovation ecosystems driven by universities, acting as focus for value co-creation and acceleration and commercialisation of technologies.

  • Sandra Lacey

    Research Officer
    T.E Laboratories Ltd, Ireland

    Sandra Lacey studied Medicine in the National University of Ireland, Galway for 5 years. She has a number of years of experience, working in the areas of Quality Assurance, Regulatory Affairs and Purchasing, as well as working for the government as a Parliamentary Assistant, where she was involved in research activities, as part of her role in developing public policy. Her current role in TE Laboratories Ltd includes submission of R&D proposals, collaboration with industrial partners and RTDs, new product development and project administration.

  • Servaas Duterloo

    Head of Unit Research Funding EU and International Programmes
    Delft University of Technology, Netherlands

    Servaas Duterloo is the Head of the EU Research Funding & International Programmes Unit of the Directorate of Strategic Development at TU Delft, since 2012. Next to his job he is also the Secretary / Board Member Robo Valley Foundation, the Chief Financial Officer / Board Member Energy Endeavour Foundation. Servaas has studied as a Fulbright Undergraduate Scholar at Allegheny College, PA, (USA) 1983-1984, completed a Master Degree EU Law & International Relations, University of Groningen 1984-1990.

    He did a traineeship at the European Commission Task Force PHARE, 1990, and obtained a Master Degree Adv. European Studies, College of Europe Bruges/Natolin 1992-1993. His previous work experience includes Manager of the Netherlands Network of Innovation (Science & Technology) Attaches of the Netherlands Ministry of Economic Affairs, 2004-2012, National Contact Point for EU’s FP6 RTD programme 2001-2004, Consultant with KPMG Consulting 1994-2001 and National Service as an Officer with the Royal Netherlands Navy (Admiralty’s Office) 1991-1992

  • Tjaša Nabergoj

    Head of Researcher Support Unit
    University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Tjaša Nabergoj is currently coordinating and managing a six million pilot E+ European University project within the Research and Development Center of University of Ljubljana. She works with the Vice-president team in strategically important projects and leads a team of five people. Before she was Head of Researcher Support Unit of the Research Office, where she was specialised in ERC and curriculum development support. Working with top scientists from idea to grant was always her passion, so she developed a professional in-house ERC support scheme where she still acts as adviser, trainer and reviewer.

    She cofounded and manages the institutional Research Development Fund and the CELSA Research Fund together with the strategic partner KU Leuven. She is active member and institutional representative in several international alliances and networks, in particular in RSO working groups in COST BESTPRAC, the GUILD, LERU CE7 and CELSA Alliance. Her last ambition is to develop an science communication strategy to promote research results among multiple audiences including policy, public and media.