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 editor-at-large of Global University Venturing and Global Corporate Venturing, and host of the Beyond the Breakthrough podcast.
