Senior Vice President and Head of Innovation play a crucial role in any startup. It takes an extraordinary person to fulfil the Senior Vice President and Head of Innovation role. We have selected these Senior Vice President and Head of Innovation’s for this list as they are inspiring for a variety of reasons – whether that’s pushing boundaries, creating groundbreaking products, or doing their bit to save the world.
Our analysts did their best to select be best, and most innovative Senior Vice President and Head of Innovation’s. The list is in no particular order!
Mark Adams
Senior Vice President and Head of Innovation @ Vice Media
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Read more about Vice Media on Crunchbase…
Samantha Bedford
Head of Innovation and New Ways of Working @ Virgin Money
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Sam Bedford is Head of Innovation & New Ways of Working at CYBG. Sam joined the group three years ago and has been at the forefront of CYBG’s drive to challenge the status quo and deliver things differently. She has been central to the bank’s pursuit of opportunities around open banking, FinTechs and data. Sam has over 20 years’ experience in digital businesses across start-ups including Match.com (which she launched into the UK market) and corporates such as Vodafone (where she led the programme for digital adoption). In her most recent role in RBSG, Sam played a key role in delivering their digital transformation strategy.
Learn more about Samantha Bedford on Crunchbase…Virgin Money is a independent banking group. Read more about Virgin Money on Crunchbase…
Kevin Hanley
Head of Innovation @ NatWest Group
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Kevin Hanley Director of Innovation, RBS Having joined in 2009, Kevin is now the Bank’s Director of Innovation. In this role Kevin is responsible for the Bank’s scouting and solutions delivery network around the world, including our corporate outpost in Silicon Valley and innovation hubs in Edinburgh and London. He leads the Bank’s innovation and Open Banking efforts ensuring the delivery of new services and business models that anticipate and respond to changing customer needs and regulatory demands. Prior to joining the Bank, Kevin was the Head of Services within ABN AMRO with responsibility for all Technology, Operations, Property and Procurement Services across the Group. During his time with ABN AMRO Kevin held a number of senior positions including being the Services COO and leading the Operations Strategy and Change function. Prior to his time at ABN AMRO, Kevin was a Partner in Accenture’s Global Capital Markets practice based in London. Kevin led the UK Capital Markets strategy practice during his time with Accenture and was the client partner responsible for overseeing all of their work at a number of leading institutions, including being the ABN AMRO client partner for over 5 years. He has over 25 years industry experience having worked at many different financial institutions in Europe and the United States of America. Prior to joining Accenture, Kevin obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from Cambridge University.
Learn more about Kevin Hanley on Crunchbase…NatWest Group plc, is a majority state-owned British banking and insurance holding company. Read more about NatWest Group on Crunchbase…
Ed Barker
Head of Innovation and Strategy @ GSMA
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Ed Barker is Head of Innovation & Partnerships at GSMA. In this role he brings together mobile operators, entrepreneurs and investors around new partnerships, with a focus on mutual value creation. Prior to joining GSMA, Ed was a founding member of three startups in the technology, media and telecom sectors. He is passionate about the impact of future technologies, which he covers in his weekly newsletter ‘Approaching 88’.
Learn more about Ed Barker on Crunchbase…The GSMA is a trade group that represents network operators using GSM technology for their networks. Read more about GSMA on Crunchbase…
Emily Turner
Head of Innovation and Business Development @ Citi
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Read more about Citi on Crunchbase…
Craig Ramsay
Head of Innovation, Global Liquidity and Cash Management @ HSBC
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Craig joined HSBC in 2014 and is Head of Innovation for Global Liquidity and Cash Management. In this capacity, his role is focused on identifying new opportunities for HSBC to leverage new technology from the Fintech community to deliver value to HSBC’s corporate clients. His experience of delivering innovation within Financial Services gives him a great perspective on the challenges that Fintechs face in working with international banks. Craig has over 12 years of experience of leading innovation and change within financial services. Prior to joining HSBC Craig was responsible for technology delivery at Citi. Prior to Citi, Craig was part of the Innovation team at Barclay’s where he launched the first integrated contactless credit numerous first-to-market innovations in consumer and merchant payments. Craig attended the University of Hertfordshire where he obtained a Masters Degree in Mechanical Engineering. He is a regular guest lecturer on the topic of Innovation and Change at the London Business School.
Learn more about Craig Ramsay on Crunchbase…HSBC is a banking and financial services organization that offers a comprehensive range of services. Read more about HSBC on Crunchbase…
Ashley McKimm
Head of Innovation and Improvement and Director of Partnership Development @ BMJ Group
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Ashley McKimm is Head of Innovation and Improvement at the British Medical Journal. Ashley practiced as a medical doctor in the UK before being seconded as a Clinical Advisor to the National Health Service medical director, Professor Sir Bruce Keogh. He is Director of the International Forum on Quality and Safety in Healthcare and past chairman of the UK Medical Journalists’ Association.
Learn more about Ashley McKimm on Crunchbase…BMJ Group provides medical information and resources to doctors, researchers, healthcare workers, and patients worldwide. Read more about BMJ Group on Crunchbase…
Josh Thomas
Co-Founder, Head of Innovation @ Karakoram
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I’m Josh Thomas, an engineer, designer and innovation specialist with a career devoted to discovering and exploiting opportunities that arise when emerging technologies or business changes create new consumer and user needs. I build and lead cross-disciplinary teams of designers, engineers, developers, strategists, stand-up comics, and experiential artists who focus on new approaches to creating digital and physical products, platforms and organizational design.
Learn more about Josh Thomas on Crunchbase…Karakoram is an award-winning innovation consultancy that creates breakthrough solutions for the world’s toughest humanitarian challenges. Read more about Karakoram on Crunchbase…
Chris Spencer
Co-Founder and Head of Innovation @ Genomics
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Chris Spencer is Founder of Genomics PLC and serves as its Director. Chris Spencer’s collect, curate, analyse and interpret very large amounts of genetic data to help understand human diseases. His career has happily coincided with an era of collaboration it made major inroads into understanding of human genetics. He has played a lead analytical role in the International HapMap project and the Wellcome Trust Cases Controls Consortium. As a young scientist, his early work in large scale human data was awarded the Corcoran Memorial Prize from the Department of Statistics at the University of Oxford, which is awarded every two years for outstanding graduate work. His works are Cell-Mediated Immune Mechanisms, Visceral Leishmaniasis and Large Vessel Ischemic Stroke.
Learn more about Chris Spencer on Crunchbase…Genomics plc aiming to lead the genomic transformation of healthcare. Read more about Genomics on Crunchbase…
Ben Whitaker
Head of Innovation, Founder & Director @ Masabi
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Ben Whitaker Co-Founder of Masabi, Ben is the company’s product evangelist, focussing primarily on business development at the company. He is a familiar face on both the mobile and train industry circuits, regularly invited to interviews and speaking slots at major industry events worldwide. A classic visionary, Ben helped define the UK rail mobile ticketing standard and move the weight of industry opinion behind it. He is also a security expert with a strong engineering background, designing Masabi’s award-winning encryptMe product. Prior to founding Masabi, Ben worked at IBM, Xerox and Raytheon (Encrypted Radar Systems) on projects ranging from computer interface usability to military cryptography. Ben has an MEng degree in Engineering and Management (MET) from Cambridge University.
Learn more about Ben Whitaker on Crunchbase…Masabi is the global leader in transport mobile ticketing and payments. Read more about Masabi on Crunchbase…
Ildefonso Olmedo
Head of Innovation @ Santander UK
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Read more about Santander UK on Crunchbase…
Nick Searle
Head of Innovation @ LexisNexis Risk Solutions
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Nick has a diverse background of running successful businesses in the financial, technology and leisure sectors. He has designed and developed sophisticated computer solutions for waste management in steel cutting plants, digitized strategies for medical practices to go paperless, along with building and exiting a multi-million dollar financial advisory business. Nick has an Engineering Physics degree from Queen’s University.
Learn more about Nick Searle on Crunchbase… Read more about LexisNexis Risk Solutions on Crunchbase…
Saam Zonoozi
Head Of Innovation @ YMU Group
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YMU Group is a talent management company for elite clients in sport, music, drama, comedy & entertainment industries. Read more about YMU Group on Crunchbase…
Yinka Makinde
Head of Innovation @ NHSX
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NHSX – the future of technology within the Health and Social Care space. Read more about NHSX on Crunchbase…
Zoë Regent
Head of Innovation Coaching @ &us
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&us is a community of problem solver individuals including strategists, designers, and coaches that help to create products and services. Read more about &us on Crunchbase…
Paul Smith
Head of Innovation @ LMAX Group
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LMAX Group: Delivering a transparent, neutral, global marketplace for all participants Read more about LMAX Group on Crunchbase…
Alban Remy
Head of Innovation and Life Sciences @ London and Partners
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Based in London since 2011, Alban has been working on International Business Development with SMEs from different sectors, from Fashion Retail to Digital Health, from working with the England Rugby Team to helping early stage innovators expand oversea. During the summer 2016, Alban joined London & Partners, the international promotional agency for the Mayor of London to support existing Tech businesses in London and attract international organisations to invest in the city. Alban is now Head of Innovation and Life Sciences for London & Partners as well as a mentor and Non-Executive entrepreneur within scaling businesses based in Europe.
Learn more about Alban Remy on Crunchbase…London & Partners is the promotional company for London, United Kingdom. Read more about London and Partners on Crunchbase…
Ryan M Jones
Head of Innovation @ BMS Group
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BMS Group is an independent, employee-owned specialist broker & a leading global provider of risk management services. Read more about BMS Group on Crunchbase…
Elizabeth O’Driscoll
Head Of Innovation @ Civica
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Civica is a market-leading specialist in digital solutions, critical software applications and outsourcing services. Read more about Civica on Crunchbase…
Mark Apter
Head of Innovation @ L’Oreal
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Read more about L’Oreal on Crunchbase…
Miranda Drummond
Head of Innovation Culture @ Lloyds Banking Group
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Lloyds Banking Group is a major British financial institution formed through the acquisition of HBOS by Lloyds TSB in 2009. Read more about Lloyds Banking Group on Crunchbase…
Alex Hamilton
Head of Innovation @ Isobar
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Isobar is a global, full-service, digital marketing agency with innovation at its heart. Read more about Isobar on Crunchbase…
Jim Cridlin
Global Head of Innovation and Partnership @ MindShare
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Mindshare is a global media agency network and the home of adaptive marketing. Read more about MindShare on Crunchbase…
Robert Sadler
Head of Innovation & Partnerships @ Open Banking Working Group – SE Asia
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Read more about Open Banking Working Group – SE Asia on Crunchbase…
Russell Trow
Head of Innovation @ Container Solutions
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Read more about Container Solutions on Crunchbase…
Michael Anyfantakis
Head Of Innovation Design @ Lloyds Banking Group
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Michael Anyfantakis is Head of Innovation Design at LBG, having previously led Customer Journey Design for Commercial Banking. Prior to his roles at LBG, Michael setup EY’s Digital Banking Transformation practice for IT Advisory and advised large financial institutions in developing innovative digital propositions and services, shaping their strategic roadmaps and delivering their digital and agile transformation visions.
Learn more about Michael Anyfantakis on Crunchbase…Lloyds Banking Group is a major British financial institution formed through the acquisition of HBOS by Lloyds TSB in 2009. Read more about Lloyds Banking Group on Crunchbase…
Simon Navin
Head of Innovation Programmes @ Ordnance Survey
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Simon Navin is the Head of Innovation Programmes at Ordnance Survey, Britain’s National Geospatial Advisor. He leads a team who are discovering and developing the geospatial requirements of the future for Intelligent Mobility, Advanced Connectivity and Adaptive Infrastructure, focusing on emerging markets such as Self-driving Vehicles, 5G, Smart Cities, the Internet of Things and Digital Twin. Simon is a chartered Surveyor through RICS and CICES and represents OS on a number of built environment, intelligent mobility and geospatial committees and initiatives.
Learn more about Simon Navin on Crunchbase…Ordnance Survey is the national mapping agency for Great Britain providing the definitive spatial database. Read more about Ordnance Survey on Crunchbase…
Matt Drinkwater
Head of Innovation @ London College of Fashion
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Matthew works at London College of Fashion,heading up the Fashion Innovation Agency,he was named in the 100 most influential in the world of Wearable Tech, amongst the ‘Top 15 people in UK tech’ by BBC3 and as a ‘fashion-tech trailblazer’ by Drapers.
Learn more about Matt Drinkwater on Crunchbase… Read more about London College of Fashion on Crunchbase…
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