CIEL | Team
Meet the team that can support you and the development of your livestock business and products.
Meet the people working at CIEL and how their experience and expertise can support your ambition and ideas.
Within the Centre for Innovation Excellence in Livestock, our team is made up of people with expertise from across farming and food production.
Each bring know-how and enthusiasm to support our Members and address today’s grand challenges of livestock farming, including the overall improvement and sustainability of the food production supply chain.
- Building networks and identifying opportunities
- Supporting industry and scientific collaboration
- Funding assets, research and development
- Brokering partnerships
- Guidance and advice
- Reporting and resources
Lyndsay Chapman
Lyndsay has led CIEL since September 2017, steering its strategic development to ensure we successfully deliver on our vision to be the front door to research and innovation for the livestock sector. In addition to leading the team and operations at CIEL, Lyndsay works closely alongside colleagues across the family of UK Agri-Tech Centres – who are collectively helping to improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of the agrifood industry. Lyndsay is an enthusiast and champion for the promotion of British food, farming and the wider environment. The wealth of experience Lyndsay brings to her role stems from a 25 year career within the UK dairy sector.
Dr Mark Young, Head of Innovation
Mark is CIEL’s Head of Innovation and the interface with CIEL’s research base. He facilitates use of CIEL-supported research capability and leads on developing and delivering CIEL’s research programme. Mark designs Member R&D events to facilitate knowledge exchange, stimulate debate and identify opportunities for innovation. Mark is a former senior geneticist at Beef & Lamb NZ and has wide-ranging knowledge and experience of the ruminant sector.
Dr Fiona Short, Innovation Manager – Nutrition
Working within the innovation team, Fiona provides scientific insight and translation of technical research to support industry members and help ensure its impact is realised across the supply chain. Fiona has spent the majority of her career working in the animal health and nutrition industry, specialising in monogastrics, with over 17 years in research and a further six in industry.
Dr Harry Kamilaris, Innovation Manager – Sustainability
Dr Harry Kamilaris is the driving force behind CIEL’s sustainability agenda for the livestock sector, supporting efforts relating to sustainability and Net Zero Carbon goals. Harry’s specialist knowledge and experience includes modelling beef production systems and also carbon accounting, the latter informed by his former role with SAC Consulting as Product Development Manager for Agrecalc, an agricultural carbon accounting platform that measures environmental impact and offers mitigation solutions.
Phil Bicknell, Head of Business Development
Phil is responsible primarily for CIEL’s Industry Members. Together with his business team, Phil focuses on supporting Members to network and collaborate on industrial research along with identifying funding opportunities to support new innovations. The team also manages several projects across the agri-tech sector. Phil additionally oversees the marketing and communications function and supports CIEL’s knowledge exchange activities to drive engagement in research. Growing up on the family livestock farm, Phil is an agricultural economics graduate from the University of Reading and has worked in a variety agrifood roles. Phil joins CIEL from AHDB, where he led the delivery of pricing data, market analysis and business insight.
Dr Annie Williams, Business Development Manager
Annie is the first-point of contact for existing CIEL Members and for bringing new Members on board who are focussed on collaborative research. She’s on hand to help Members identify new funding opportunities, build partnerships around those opportunities, and transform ideas into active projects. Annie’s valuable combination of commercial and research experience is matched by her enthusiasm for driving the livestock industry forward.
Helen Brookes, Business Development Manager
Helen works alongside Annie, supporting current Members and bringing new Members into the CIEL network. Helen has more than a decade’s experience working across both Research & Development and Knowledge Exchange teams, complemented by experience in the commercial and research sectors of the agricultural industry. She is passionate about how the challenges faced and changes required within the livestock industry can be understood and responded to by research and development. Work in this area has included breeding and genetics, lameness and a growing carbon focus.
Martin Sutcliffe, Aquaculture Specialist
Martin is responsible for leading CIEL’s strategic and practical engagement with the aquaculture sector across the UK. He joins CIEL from the Dorset Coast Forum, having held a number of roles within the independent strategic coastal partnership for several years. He has a passion for the ocean and a deep understanding of how organisms interact with their environments, both in captivity and the wild. His commercial aquaculture experience includes working on Life Support System (LSS) design and hatchery development for Lumpfish.
Nikki Dalby, Business Research and Delivery Manager
Nikki is responsible for identifying and managing research projects. Prior to CIEL, Nikki worked at Fera Science Ltd and has 25 years technical and management experience working in food and chemistry-related sectors.
Emma Lumley, Project Support Officer
Emma helps to ensure project momentum is maintained, getting involved with planning, monitoring and implementation. Emma’s work at CIEL is supported by an Animal Science degree from the University of Nottingham.
Imogen Taylor, Marketing and Communications Manager
Imogen leads on communications for the team and brings more than a decade of marketing experience within the agrifood environment and conservation.
Natasha Andrews, Digital Marketing Officer
Natasha is responsible for coordinating and steering CIEL’s digital marketing function across its social media platforms website and e-communications.
Lyndsey Kendall, Head of Finance and Business Services
Lyndsey is our key point of contact for all finance and reporting matters. In addition to managing the relationship with Innovate UK, she is responsible for coordinating our joint investments in research capability, leading CIEL’s audit and risk activity and overseeing IT and administrative functions. Lyndsey brings considerable financial experience to the team, having worked as a Financial Controller within the UK energy sector.
Simon Cooper, Assistant Financial Accountant
Simon is responsible for all the financial processing in CIEL. He is the first point of contact for all supplier and customer finance queries. Prior to CIEL Simon worked in a similar role for a nationwide fleet maintenance company and international lawn and garden care manufacturer.
Simon Brown, Reporting and Compliance Officer
Simon’s focus is on the reporting of research projects and driving the quality of exploitation reporting with our research partners. His career background is within healthcare and education to include performance, analysis, governance, safety and contract compliance.
Tatjana Shelar, Purchase Ledger Clerk
Tatjana oversees the purchase and sales ledger for CIEL. She is the main contact for all supplier and customer finance queries. Prior to CIEL Tatjana worked for many years in a similar role in the hospitality industry.
Kate Evans, Office Manager
Kate delivers administrative services for CIEL and has a broad range of administrative skills. Kate previously worked for many years in Human Resources, mainly in the Oil and Gas Industry, Manufacturing and the NHS.
CIEL Board
CIEL is overseen by an independent, non-executive Board, which provides strong corporate governance and business support.
The team of Board Members encompasses all key areas of expertise and networks across the livestock supply chain. Each Board Member is a respected industry figure with relevant and complementary business skills and experience.
