Scientist Sir Keith O’Nions has been appointed as the new board chairman of Cambridge Enterprise, the technology transfer organisation of Cambridge University. He replaces Edward Benthall, a venture capitalist.
Sir Keith is currently president and acting rector of Imperial College London, a position he took over in January 2010 and is set to leave in September 2014. He has been one of the UK’s 10 highest paid university bosses in his current position.
He brings considerable gravitas to his new position. He previously served as director general for science and innovation at the UK Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills. He was also chief scientific advisor at the UK Ministry of Defense. He held a Royal Society research chair at Cambridge. As director general of the UK’s seven Research Councils, he created the UK’s science and innovation policy, managing an annual budget of £4bn ($6.7bn).
His fellowships span several continents. He is a fellow of the American Geophysical Union, the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, the Royal Society, Indian National Science Academy as well as an honorary fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences and the Royal Academy of Engineering. On top of earning his PhD in Earth Sciences from Alberta University, he has also been given several PhDs honoris causa.
Benthall is leaving Cambridge Enterprise in good shape. During his four years as chair, the organisation has seen its greatest return on investment to date. He has established a successful evergreen fund and taken the organisation to participate in Cambridge Innovation Capital – a £50m ($83.9m) fund established in 2013 investing in early-stage companies in the city of Cambridge – of which he will remain as chair.
Sir Keith said: “I am delighted to be joining Cambridge Enterprise as its chair. This area of activity is one of increasing importance to universities and one where Cambridge has been so prominent and successful.”
