Co-founder Chris Silva will step down as chief executive and leave the board of directors at the commercialisation firm, with Jill Smith becoming interim chief executive.

 Allied Minds, the US-based, London-listed life science and technology commercialisation company, has announced that its co-founder and chief executive, Chris Silva, will step aside to be replaced by  Jill Smith (pictured). Smith previously served as a non-executive director at the company since January 2016. Silva will also step down from his position on the board of directors. Founded in 2004, Allied Minds forms, funds and manages spinouts from universities and federal research facilities, which it operates as subsidiaries. The company reviews over 2,000 new technologies each year from 160 US universities and federal labs. Since 2006, the company has launched more than 20 life sciences and technology spinouts. Last year, the company collected £64m ($81m) following an equity placing that included a £15m contribution from asset manager Woodford Investment Management. Prior to joining Allied Minds, Smith served as chairman, chief executive and president of DigitalGlobe, a provider of satellite imagery products and services to governments and companies worldwide, seeing the company through to its IPO in 2009. Peter Dolan, chairman of Allied Minds, said: “We are delighted to welcome Jill Smith as the new CEO.  With her extensive international leadership and operating experience and track record of delivering commercial success, we are confident that Jill brings the right skills to the role at an important point in Allied Minds’ development. “I would like to warmly thank Chris Silva, as co-founder, for his contribution to building Allied Minds into a key player in IP commercialisation. We wish him the very best in his future endeavours.” – Image courtesy of Allied Minds

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