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the team
Ulsys have a team of professionals experienced in developing and bringing new ideas and products to the market; have worked together before and have specific expertise in the medical device field.
Mick Karol, Managing Director
The inventor, Mick Karol, is a chartered product designer and drives the design and technical developments and QC/regulatory issues. A serial entrepreneur, with a talent for spotting solutions to real issues, Mick has been responsible for the design, manufacture and commercialisation of a range of products in the healthcare sector.
In recent years the strategy of the core business (Blueprint) has changed from a purely consultancy-based company to one that also develops its own technology/products and subsequently sells Intellectual Property. He has been successful in gaining substantial grant funding in the form of Local, National and European support. To date grant funding has exceeded £1,000,000 and two technology sales arising from Blueprint have resulted in a further £500,000 worth of income.
Mick’s role in Ulsys will be to provide general management and support of the design and manufacturing work.
Dr Bob Grantham, Sales and Marketing
Dr Bob Grantham has over 20 years experience in the medical device sector, having previously acted as MD for Smith and Nephew. He has extensive contacts in the wound healing sector and will perform the business development role and be responsible for achieving first sales.
Bob is a PhD Chemist with extensive management experience in medical devices, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, foods and engineering. Over a period of eight years with Smith and Nephew Medical, he held positions of Technical Director, Production and Technical Director and latterly Managing Director, with a turnover of £100M/a in wound dressings, bandages, limb casts and pressure reducing products.
In addition to the normal management roles, he was responsible for the development of business strategies for new products and markets as well as the identification and implementation of acquisitions. He was responsible for the identification and acquisition of Scherisorb from Schering Plough for 5 times sales value (i.e. £1M). He was also involved in the acquisition of Richards Medical (USA), now Smith and Nephew Orthopaedic, which contributes significantly to the group’s sales and profit.
His strengths are in new product development, strategic planning, sales and marketing and organizational development. On leaving Smith and Nephew, Bob started his own medical device consultancy business, Grantham Davis Associates. The consultancy specialises in the marketing and development of medical devices.
Malcolm Barraclough, Founder, Finance Director
Following a degree in Physiology at Sheffield University, Malcolm decided to pursue a career as a chartered accountant.
He entered mainstream public practice before joining Yorkshire Enterprises in 1996 as an investment executive, gaining valuable experience in a smaller scale venture capital environment. In 1998 he established his own chartered accountancy practice that was sold in 2006.
Malcolm has worked as accountant and financial advisor to Blueprint for ten years, helping the company gain the £250k maximum allowable SFLGS, Venture Capital Funding and other grants.
Dr Paul Walke, Technical Advisor
Following a first class honours in physics and mathematics and a Ph.D in applied physics, Paul followed a career as a senior research fellow in the Materials Research Institute at Sheffield Hallam University.
He set his own business up in 1999 since when he has worked closely with Mick Karol and Blueprint. Paul has been successful in raising over five million pounds in grant funding for SMEs to assist them in the research and development of innovative new products and processes.
He has also managed a large range of technical and educational projects including several multi-million Euro R&D projects and the BAE SYSTEMS , ‘Engineering Our Future’. At £3m, this was the largest privately funded educational project undertaken in the UK.
Paul has worked as a technical advisor to Blueprint and has helped the company in the development and management of several R&D projects.
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