Meet the Partnerships and Business Engagement team

Head of Business Engagement

Adele Roberts-Hunt

Adele leads the Business Engagement Team, working with business, government, charities and community groups to grow innovation and knowledge exchange with Kingston University. With over 25 years' experience in higher education, Adele specialises in economic development and regeneration with a particular focus on social innovation and inclusive growth.

Business Development Manager

Faculty of Health, Science, Social Care and Education

Neeta Barot

Neeta works with the Faculty of Health, Science, Social Care and Education on business engagement activities with a range of business, public and third sector clients. This includes contract research, consultancy, commercial CPD, summer schools, Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, growth in intellectual property income and other business engagement activities. Neeta is also responsible for business development for degree apprenticeships for the University as a whole.

Business Development Manager

Faculty of Business and Social Sciences

Sahar Mansoori Zangir

Sahar focuses on the development of strategic partnerships between external organisations and academics with research and enterprise interests from the Faculty of Business and Social Sciences. She supports businesses looking for bespoke training provisions, project evaluations, development of creative solutions, collaborative funding opportunities and much more. Sahar has experience of working in both private and higher education sectors. With qualifications in science, business and training and a personal interest in the arts, she has helped create collaborations, education programmes and applied R&D projects in multiple sectors.

Business Development Manager

Faculty of Engineering, Computing and the Environment

Lesley Stigling

As Business Development Manager, Lesley's role involves: management consultancy, commercialising and licensing Kingston University's IP, funding and investment assessments, contract management, academic spin-outs and strategic partnership engagement strategies; defining and managing a range of strategy related complex projects primarily in the fields of science, technology, construction and engineering; and optimising and implementing forward-thinking, data-informed knowledge transfer partnerships and consultancy projects. All of which aims to place the University as a partner of choice for businesses looking to gain a competitive edge through the latest research and innovation. By influencing cross-functional internal partners to create and execute effective research, analysis and strategy, whilst effectively managing project workloads and balancing resources with workload requirements. Additionally, Lesley is responsible for delivering seed investment for academic spin-outs with a hands-on approach to developing early-stage technologies into investable businesses.

Business Development Manager

Kingston School of Art

Bernett Thornes

Bernett focuses on business development of strategic partnerships between external organisations and academics with research and enterprise interests at the Kingston School of Art. She supports opportunities for knowledge share partnerships, businesses looking for innovation through consultation, targeted training provisions, project evaluations, collaborative funding opportunities and much more. With an MSc in Occupational Psychology and 17 years' experience in higher education, Bernett has significant knowledge in matching student talent with the anticipated growth and objectives of organisations.

Business Project Manager

Cassie Talfourd-Rich

Working closely with the Business Development Managers across all faculties, Cassie manages the development, planning, operation and evaluation of a portfolio of business projects, specialising in Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs). She is responsible for monitoring and ensuring all aspects of project delivery and is the central point of contact for staff, external stakeholders and clients in terms of business development and KTPs. Cassie also works to promote Knowledge Transfer Partnerships through internal and external events. Cassie has experience of working in both the private and higher education sectors.

Contracts Manager

Steph Adam

Steph manages the contracts process for the large and diverse range of Knowledge Exchange, commercial and collaborative activities across the University to ensure that activities are properly contracted for, maximising opportunities and reducing risk. She works closely with the Business Development Managers, the University's legal team, and internal and external clients offering professional yet pragmatic advice on a wide range of agreements.

Senior Business Engagement Coordinator

Rebecca Hill

Rebecca acts as coordinator for a range of strategic business engagement projects and activities designed to encourage collaboration between higher education and business and industry. Rebecca also plays a key role in the marketing and communication of the team's services and successes, and has been instrumental in the development of the Kingston Innovation Network, launched in 2020. Rebecca has worked in higher education for over 15 years and has a background in project management, marketing and events.