Principal Lecturer in Operations, Enterprise and Supply Chain Management, Leeds Beckett University

Dr Ollie Jones graduated in Manufacturing and Business from Cambridge University before working in a large multinational across sectors, progressing from graduate to senior management roles. Since joining Leeds Business School in 2004, he has led teaching in operations management, productivity and process improvement. He has published extensively in these areas, particularly in SMEs and specialises in Action and Intervention Research. He is research lead for the Business Strategy, Operations and Enterprise group, leads the School’s impact programme for REF 2029, works with senior colleagues on research and enterprise and has secured multiple bids to deliver productivity programmes to regional SMEs.

Chief Operating Officer at Exemplas

Martin Coats' expertise lies in developing strong partnerships with funders to design, set up and run successful business support contracts. Working closely with our partners, he creates powerful propositions, builds high-performing delivery teams, oversees client acquisition, drives continuous improvement and ensures measurable success for funders and SMEs. A former SME owner himself, Martin moved into business support in 2005, working across an array of funding mechanisms and delivering start-up and university-linked innovation programmes.