New faces grace Innovation Centre
Dr Jason Cleaversmith (pictured) is to take on the role of Director of Business Development, tasked with building strategic partnerships and relationships in the global aquaculture sector, and execute SAIC’s long-term plan for growing the revenues and reputation of the aquaculture industry in Scotland.
Dr James Deverill has been appointed as Director of Research and Innovation, and will steer the delivery of innovative research, including the two major cleaner fish projects announced in late March. Working with him will be Dr Corinne Critchlow-Watton, SAIC’s Research and Knowledge Exchange Manager.
Between them, Jason, James and Corinne will support the SAIC mission of driving industry success through research partnerships. They will also help Scottish research bodies and companies to access UK and EU grant funding programmes.
Both men have extensive experience of working in innovation and entrepreneurship, and operating at the industry-research interface. This experience will support SAIC’s role of developing closer connections between industry and academia, and supporting industry-relevant collaboration.
Jason Cleaversmith was most recently Head of Aqua Health PEI at Novartis Animal Health in Canada. He has a PhD in marine geochemistry from the University of Edinburgh and an MBA from the University of Glasgow.
James Deverill worked in the Scottish aquaculture industry before leading and growing an award-winning technical SME. He is a Fellow of the Society of Biology, and holds a PhD in aquaculture from the University of Stirling.
Heather Jones, Chief Executive of SAIC, stated: “We are delighted to welcome Jason Cleaversmith and James Deverill to SAIC. With their strong commercial and academic backgrounds, they will enrich SAIC’s work to accelerate the growth of a more sustainable and profitable aquaculture sector in Scotland.”
