Oxford’s Leah Thompson joins Queen Mary as our first Associate Director of Entrepreneurship.

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As the head of EnSpire Oxford, Leah Thompson leads a broad range of institutional entrepreneurship activities, including efforts to increase diversity in entrepreneurship. EnSpire connects key entrepreneurial initiatives and resources in one place, thereby enabling staff, students, alumni, and the local community to navigate Oxford's entrepreneurial ecosystem with ease.

Leah's role at Queen Mary will be to bring together our growing entrepreneurial initiatives as part of a single innovation strategy.

Commenting on her appointment, Leah said:

"I am thrilled to join Queen Mary University of London to build on and strengthen entrepreneurship. Queen Mary's focus on inclusivity, sustainability, and community is really inspiring, and provides a clear opportunity for entrepreneurial students and staff. I am looking forward to contributing to an ambitious vision and expanding this exciting area for the university."

Entrepreneurship is an increasingly important area for Queen Mary, as we seek to maximise the impact of our research.

Colin Bailey, President and Principal, comments:

"We're delighted to welcome Leah Thompson to this new role. Queen Mary University's research excellence is globally recognised and is currently ranked 14^th in the world. But what matters most is for this research to make a tangible impact - and that's where entrepreneurship comes in.

By supporting our researchers across the University to start spinouts, we take our discoveries from the lab to the market. Likewise, by supporting our students to create startups, we turn the knowledge they've gained into economic and social impact - as well as creating a rewarding career opportunity for them.

Whether you're a new student or a lifelong researcher, we want everyone to be thinking about entrepreneurship, and to know that the University is here to support you in doing so."