Alan joined the team in November 2014 as Systems and Finance Manager having worked in the charity sector for nearly 20 years.
An Engineering with Management graduate from Napier University Alan has a wealth of experience in developing and supporting IT infrastructure as well as providing bespoke management reporting systems, primarily for finance and HR.
He has an established background in software development with .Net (C#) and Java, building web based software as well as Android application development.
He is keen to promote autism awareness whenever he can and in his spare time he likes photography (landscapes and wildlife mainly), walking and watching football.
Elaine is part of the Interface Marketing Team, with a responsibility for promoting the work that Interface do via the website and social media, developing case studies, managing events and reinforcing the Interface brand.
Elaine comes to Interface with 25+ years (ahem started very young) experience gained in various marketing and communications roles across the private, public and third sectors including Phillips BCS, Scottish Enterprise, Quality Scotland and Beatson Cancer Charity.
Outside of work Elaine likes to spend time with friends and family, cooking and eating out, and doing yoga. She also works on a part-time basis and volunteers, when possible, for the Beatson Cancer Charity. It’s her way of giving back and helping others following her own cancer journey in 2018
Howell is part of the Interface Leadership Team heading up Strategic Programmes to develop collaborative models and scalable programmes that embed academic expertise into Scotland’s priority sectors, regional economies, and system-wide initiatives. Overseeing programmes that bring business and academia together across Creative Industries, Food & Drink, Immersive Technology and Tourism, Howell has delivered funding programmes on Net Zero, Healthier Product Innovation and Inward Investment. Outside of Interface, Howell sits on the Board of Directors for Newbattle Abbey College and the Management Board for CoSTAR Realtime Lab.
Howell initially joined Interface in 2012 to bring in his expertise in Food & Drink to support sector led activities. Prior to joining Interface, Howell graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Business Management with Food Marketing from Wye College, University of London and has spent most of his career working for Scottish food and drink companies and Economic Development Agencies.
Outside of work, he loves spending time with the family, attempting to keep a golf ball on the fairway and reminiscing about the good old days of Welsh rugby.
Heather is Head of Marketing & Operations and has been with Interface since 2014.
Heather champions Scottish innovation and the benefits that business academic partnerships can bring. She leads a multidisciplinary team across marketing, communications, programme support, administration, and delivery coordination.
A passionate and experienced senior marketing and communications professional Heather has over 18 years experience delivering integrated and multi-channel campaigns. Prior to joining Interface Heather held positions with a Scottish tech company and holds a BA (HONS) in Marketing from the University of Stirling.
Laura is an Innovation Engagement Lead at Interface, where she connects businesses with Scotland’s academic expertise to drive innovation, productivity and inclusive economic growth. With a strong focus on student placements and academic engagement, she supports organisations across all sectors in accessing the knowledge, research capabilities, and specialist facilities within universities and research institutes.
Building on her previous experience as a Business Engagement Officer, and with over 15 years in customer service management in the finance and retail sectors, Laura brings a people-first approach to relationship building. She works closely with businesses to understand their challenges, helps shape project ideas, and facilitates connections to the most relevant academic partners. Her role also includes supporting clients in navigating funding opportunities and working with partner organisations to ensure a joined-up, effective service.
Outside of work, Laura enjoys exploring the countryside with her husband Ryan and dog Charlie, getting creative with crafting and the occasional day at the races.
Laura is Director of Interface and has held senior roles since joining in 2014, including Interim Director, Associate Director, Head of Innovation Engagement and Head of Business Engagement.
With over 20 years’ experience in knowledge exchange and business development Laura is passionate about knowledge exchange and inclusivity. She brings a wealth of experience in developing and implementing strategies to engage with businesses and organisations across Scotland, the UK and Internationally.
Interface plays a unique role bringing businesses and Scotland’s world class academic community together. These partnerships stimulate innovation and drive economic, social and environmental activity and Laura has been a driving force of this activity.
Prior to joining Interface Laura worked at Edinburgh Innovations Ltd (formally Edinburgh Research and Innovation) and before that held positions in oil and gas and financial services.
Laura is a graduate of Edinburgh Napier University with a BA in Business Information Management.
Louise Arnold is a Senior Innovation Engagement Lead at Interface where she plays a central role in connecting businesses with Scotland’s universities, colleges, and research institutes to foster impactful collaborations. With over 20 years’ experience building strategic partnerships across Scotland’s innovation ecosystem, she is recognised as a trusted advisor within the KE&I community, helping organisations navigate innovation pathways, unlock academic expertise, and engage with funding mechanisms to develop partnerships that deliver real world impact. Her work spans early stage innovation support, multi stakeholder engagement, and strengthening university industry relationships across a diverse range of sectors.
With a background in market analysis, research strategy, and stakeholder engagement across industry and academia, Louise brings deep insight into how to translate complex research into meaningful economic and societal outcomes. She also contributes to Scotland’s wider innovation landscape as an assessor on funding panels and a collaborator on academic engagement initiatives.
Out of work Louise enjoys walking her dog, DIY and catching up with friends.
As Innovation Project Officer, Nicola works across the teams to deliver Interface’s mission which is to connect businesses and academics. Her role involves HR, Office Management, Funding delivery, as well as providing support for the marketing, and systems and finance teams. Having grown up in Kenya she graduated with a degree in Media, Society and Culture from Northumbria University. Since then, Nicola has gained international experience in a variety of roles from events management, retail and administration. Nicola is one of Interface’s qualified Mental Health First Aiders, is a University of Edinburgh Sustainability Champion and is part of the Responsible Business group. In her free time Nicola enjoys travel, reading, and exploring the Edinburgh food scene.
Suzy has been with Interface since 2015 as PR and Communications Executive, following 17 years working in public relations both in-house and agency.
Prior to that she was a journalist with a variety of daily and weekly newspapers.
Suzy’s main role at Interface is the creation and implementation of the PR and Communications strategy, letting the world know of the amazing work that Interface does, the impacts that this has on Scotland’s economy and society and supporting small businesses by spreading their success stories.
In 2023, Suzy became accredited by the Carbon Literacy Project.