Kate Lawlor departs Bruntwood SciTech to ‘take on a new challenge’
Kate Lawlor has left her role as chief executive and chief financial officer of Bruntwood SciTech.
Her role as CEO will be taken on by current executive chair, Chris Oglesby, while Kevin Crotty will take on the role of CFO.
Manchester-based Bruntwood SciTech announced the changes this morning (December 15), saying Ms Lawlor has decided that she would like to take on a new challenge, having taken Bruntwood SciTech to its present size and success, and playing an instrumental role in securing the latest round of investment for the business.
It said Mr Oglesby is keen to deliver on its ambitious growth strategy following the recent announcement of an additional £500m of investment into the business.
Bruntwood SciTech is now the largest dedicated property platform serving the UK’s innovation economy. It will provide regional cities with the much needed infrastructure capacity to support future growth, and further develop innovation ecosystems.
Chris Oglesby said: “As we enter into the next phase of Bruntwood SciTech’s growth we continue to set ourselves ambitious targets. By 2032, we plan to create a £5bn UK-wide portfolio that can support 2,600 high-growth companies spanning life sciences, technology, and broader innovation, and I am confident that the strength of the people we have within the business will get us there.”
He added: “I want to take this opportunity to thank Kate for all she’s done for the business.
“I am particularly grateful to Kate for her instrumental role in leading Bruntwood SciTech over the past five years, as CFO initially and then joint CEO and CFO, and culminating in her outstanding contribution to bring a third investor and new partner into the company.
“Her passion, perseverance and dedication to succeed over the past 12 years, since she initially joined as Head of Taxation and Treasury for Bruntwood, have allowed both Bruntwood and Bruntwood SciTech to become the successful businesses that they are.
“She leaves with our gratitude and the very best wishes from me, the business, and her colleagues.”
