Mairi Gibbs, currently chief operating officer at the University of Oxford’s tech transfer office Oxford University Innovation (OUI), has been appointed interim chief executive effective from April 8.
She will succeed Matt Perkins, who is due to leave on April 5 after seven years leading the office. Perkins announced his departure in August 2023 to focus on charity work and non-executive director roles.
Gibbs has been at the University of Oxford since 2002, having joined as a project manager when the tech transfer office was still known as Isis Innovation. She steadily climbed the ladder, first with a promotion to project team manager in 2008, then operations manager in 2010, before becoming head of operations in 2021 and chief operating officer in 2021.
Baroness Nicola Blackwood, executive chairwoman of OUI, thanked Perkins for his leadership and added: “Mairi is well placed to take up the position of interim CEO, bringing great experience and passion for the organisation and I look forward to working alongside her over the coming weeks and months.”
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).
