Programme Speakers
Martin Sandford
Martin Sandford originally trained as a Civil Engineer but, after seven years in the profession, took two years out to pursue an MBA at London Business School. After business school he worked in financial planning and venture capital before joining BTG in 1984 to manage BTG's science-based investment portfolio. He was appointed Director of BTG's Science Division in 1986, responsible for BTG's licensing and investment activities in crop protection, plant biotechnology, human healthcare diagnostic reagents and new materials. He was appointed Director of BTG's Medical & Physical Sciences Division in 1995 responsible for BTG's activities in MRI, medical prosthetics, medical disposables, materials, agricultural and environmental technologies. He was appointed Director of Operations of Health Medical & BioTechnologies in December 1999 and Director of Operations for the whole of BTG in 2002. Over the 20 years that he has been at BTG, he has been responsible for the licensing campaigns of many of its major technologies. He has been a member of the Council of the Licensing Executives Society, Britain & Ireland since 1999 and is presently its Vice President, responsible for its meetings programme. Martin's leisure pursuits include competition aerobatics at which he represented Great Britain at Advanced level in 2000 in Germany and 2001 in Hungary. He is married with two young children.
