John Walters has been hired to lead MSU’s Office of Technology Management, bringing him in from a Washington DC-based startup called Procurated.
Mississippi State University (MSU) has appointed entrepreneur and business executive John Walters as director of the Office of Technology Management.
Walters joins from Procurated, a Washington DC-based startup that helps government procurement staff find and evaluate suppliers. Walters had been its community engagement manager since February 2022.
He previously co-founded another procurement company, Periscope Holdings, in 1999 and served as executive vice-president until 2012. He then joined Stage 3 Separation, an industrial waste filtration and separation services provider, for four years before returning to Periscope in 2016 until its acquisition by ecommerce and e-procurement platform mdf commerce.
Walters, who received both his bachelor’s degree and MBA from MSU, also maintained a professional link to his alma mater, serving as a mentor to startups through the MSU Center for Entrepreneurship and Outreach’s advisory board.
Walters says: “I am thrilled to assume the role of director for the Office of Technology Management at Mississippi State University, where I look forward to collaborating with our researchers to foster innovation and maximise the value of MSU’s intellectual property.
“Together, we will forge partnerships with companies, license MSU’s cutting-edge technologies, and drive the creation of spinoff companies, contributing to the economic development of the state of Mississippi and beyond.”
Thierry Heles
Thierry Heles is the editor of Global University Venturing, host of the Beyond the Breakthrough interview podcast and responsible for the monthly GUV Gazette (sign up here for free).
