Sarah Haywood joined Advanced Oxford as Managing Director in July 2019. Previously she was CEO, then a NED, of MedCity, the life sciences cluster organisation for London and the southeast of England. She started her career in management within the NHS, has worked in the pharma industry, and worked as a senior civil servant in a number of policy teams within the Department for Business where she was responsible for the legislation that led to the shared parental leave system and the right to flexible working for all. She was recognised as one of the Timewise Power 50 Award winners in 2017.  Sarah is a Charted Follow of the Chartered Management Institute and is a visiting fellow at University of Oxford’s newest college, Reuben College.

Until recently, Dr. Gillian Burgess was Site Head and Head of Research at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, where she was responsible for discovering new medicines. Prior to her appointment at Vertex, she worked in a variety of roles at UCB-Celltech, Pfizer and Novartis, helping to bring several compounds to clinical development and to market. Gillian is a member of the MRC DPFS Translational Panel, the MRC Translational Oversight Group and the Wellcome Trust Grant Interview Panel.

Jens Tholstrup

 Jens is Managing Director of Oxford Investment Opportunity Network (OION), Development Director SQW Group and Senior Advisor, Oxford Economics.

Previously, Jens was Managing Director UK, Oxford Economics, Executive Director, Oxford Analytica and Executive Director UBS.

Jens holds a MA in PPE and an MSc in Economic History, both from the University of Oxford. Jens is a trustee of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), a Director of Venturefest Oxford, Visiting Business Fellow at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment at Oxford University, a governor of St Clare’s, Oxford and a Trustee of Charity Mentors Oxfordshire. He is a member of the Society of Business Economists (SBE).