Board of Directors

Dr Mark Scibor-Rylski –Chairman and Non-Executive Director

Mark is a high technology venture capitalist with industrial, financial, scientific, and engineering skills, focusing on supporting new technology businesses and dodging retirement. He has worked at BAC, Xerox, the Kaye Organisation, Prutec, Charterhouse, managed Central European privatisations, and worked with the University of Exeter in Cornwall to create start-ups and build bridges to companies.

Mark has raised and managed hands-on early-stage venture funds, successfully investing in the UK, Europe and the US. He now specialises in derisking early-stage investments and developing ways of accelerating growth, partnerships and exits for innovation-led companies. He is a director of several technology companies. Mark is a graduate of Imperial College and City University, a Chartered Engineer, Chartered Physicist, a Fellow of the Institute of Physics and is on the Executive Committees of the IET’s Management of Innovation Technical Network and the IOP’s Business and Innovation Growth Group.

Dr Robin Cornelius – Executive Director

Robin is Chief Technology Officer at Hirst Magnetics Ltd, joining the business in 2001. Robin has been working magnetics and magnetic instrument design for over 20 years completing a PhD at the University of Plymouth in 2005 on Pulsed Field Magnetometry. Robin leads the company’s product development strategy and has been involved in product design of the company’s products particularly the move to digital and microprocessor control fluxmeters, Gaussmeters, PFMs and the magnetisers and de-magnetisers over the last 15 years as well as countless custom projects.

Robin has represented the company on national and international standards committees including the IEC and has presented several papers on Pulse Field Magnetometers and Magnetics. Currently Robin was recently elected as a member of the IEC TC-68 WG5 project group working on PFM standardisation. Robin is also a joint supervisor of PhD students at the University of Exeter. Robin has also served on the UK MagSoc committee for 4 years and has a deep understanding of magnetics and applications.

Dr James Mckenzie – Executive Director

James is the Chief Executive Officer at Hirst Magnetics Ltd, joining the business in April 2022. James has been involved in bringing new technology and products to market over the last 25 years. James has held senior management positions and leadership roles in deep-tech organizations from start-ups to multinationals. Most recently James co-founded Crossfield Fusion ltd in 2019 and prior to that founded and ran Photonstar LED group plc an AIM listed lighting business.

James is a Member of the Institute of Directors, Society of Light and Lighting, a Fellow of the Institute of Physics, a Chartered Engineer and Chartered Physicist. James was also elected as Vice President of Business for the Institute of Physics (IOP) and was a trustee of the IOP from 2016-2020. James is Chair of the IOP Magnetism group, being elected in 2023. Also James is a committee member of the UK MagSoc, being elected in 2023. James also writes a monthly column on physics and business in Physics World the IOP membership magazine.