29 June 2010

Joanne Lyall has been appointed as the new executive director at the SCI. Ms Lyall served as Executive Director from June 2010 - November 2013.

Dr Jack Melling, Chairman of SCI's Board of Trustees, commented 'Joanne Lyall's career has spanned over 20 years in senior management and business development roles in public, private and not-for-profit organisations in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. Joanne joins us at an exciting time, as SCI's Board of Trustees review the organisation's strategic direction.'

Ms Lyall's experience covers a range of sectors, including inward investment, regeneration, economic and international trade development, membership organisations, and private sector manufacturing. The key skills she brings to SCI are business development, marketing and partnership working together with broader strategic and general management expertise.

As well as running her own consultancy business, which provided project management, marketing and business development services to public sector and not-for-profit clients, her previous experience includes three years as Director of Business Growth for the regeneration and inward investment agency, Park Royal Partnership, which was also a business membership organisation. At PRP she integrated business operations, developed partnerships with public and private sector organisations to increase leverage and funding and dramatically increasing membership numbers. The role also involved leading the establishment of a Food Innovation Centre to encourage knowledge transfer between experts, such as universities and research associations, and SME food and drink producers.

Joanne Lyall represented New Zealand as a diplomat, holding the role of Trade Commissioner to the UK and Ireland, having previously held a similar role in Australia. As Trade Commissioner, she developed sector marketing strategies and worked with a wide cross-section of companies across a variety of sectors.

Ms Lyall commented, 'In previous roles, I have worked closely with universities, research bodies and companies in chemistry-related industries such as cosmeceuticals and nutraceuticals, food and drink, horticulture, agriculture and environmental technology, encouraging knowledge transfer to maximise the international trade benefits of advances in applied chemistry. I am looking forward to working with SCI's diverse membership to further the Society's charitable objectives.'

For more information please contact the Communications Team via T: +44 (0)207 598 1579 or E: communications@soci.org

Notes for Editors
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SCI is a unique international forum where science meets business on independent, impartial ground. Anyone can join where they can share and exchange information, ideas, new innovations and research and access SCI’s growing database of member specialists between sectors as diverse as food and agriculture, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, environmental science and safety. Originally established in 1881, SCI is a registered charity with members in over 70 countries. For more information on SCI activities and publications, publications, click here.