Promoting our staff

We recognise the skills and capabilities of our team and aim to nurture their development. We reward effort and commitment, and over the course of 2021, a number of our staff have been promoted.

From Intern to Analyst

Jack Clemens joined Wellington UniVentures in April 2021 on our six-month internship programme. Working closely with the analyst team, Jack learned how to assess the commercial potential of discoveries or ideas from researchers at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington. Jack helped the team on several disclosures and supported throughout the market validation process. Showing potential and helping to drive our projects forward, Jack was promoted to a full-time position as an Analyst in August.

From Analysts to Commercialisation Managers

Sam Wojcik and Mick Riley started their time at Wellington UniVentures as Analysts, uncovering market opportunities for our researcher’s ideas. Having been part of the organisation for almost two years, both were promoted to Commercialisation Managers in July 2021.

Over the last two years, Sam has really developed his relationships with researchers across Te Herenga Waka. In his analyst role, Sam supported researchers in the first step of the commercialisation process, and in his new role as Commercialisation Manager, he will be able to connect researchers with industry networks, to develop their work.  

Mick has supported researchers predominantly in the Biotech space, and has developed his knowledge around interpreting data to add value to the work of our researchers. As Commercialisation Manager, Mick will be more closely involved in taking an initial idea and helping to shape it to address societal issues.

From Commercialisation Manager to Senior Commercialisation Manager

Over the past year, Paul Geraghty has done a fantastic job of engaging with our active investors, growing relationships, and leading his researchers to success. As Paul has grown in his role, his efforts have been acknowledged widely both internally and externally. Taking the next step in his career at Wellington UniVentures, Paul is now one of our Senior Commercialisation Managers.

From Marketing & Communications Manager to General Manager Marketing and Engagement

Taking on a core role within the Wellington UniVentures executive leadership team, Beckie Duffy was promoted to General Manager in January 2021. As Wellington UniVentures continues to grow, so does our strategy around how we engage with our stakeholders and researchers. Now managing a marketing and engagement team of two, Beckie is responsible for leading on all marketing and engagement activity.

CEO Anne Barnett says: “We’re very lucky to have such an ambitious team and we’re always excited to help them take that next step. As we grow, we look at our team’s skillset to see where they can support the business, and we’re pleased that we have been able to promote internally for a number of roles.”