Meet the team
The group of experts who represent our SME and innovation members
Tim Bradshaw, head of enterprise and innovation
Tim is the CBI's policy lead on enterprise and innovation, an area with a particular focus on the micro-economic aspects of growth. Tim's remit includes small businesses ('enterprise'), manufacturing, research, innovation and business-university collaboration. Tim is coordinating work on how to bring all of these elements together with sector-specific insights to create a broad industrial strategy for the UK. Previously, Tim has been responsible for major CBI projects and lobbying campaigns on innovation, business investment (Making the UK the best place to invest), the R&D tax credit (extending the credit to companies of all sizes) and thought leadership on the future shape of business.
David Cairncross, senior policy adviser
David leads the CBI's policy and lobbying activity on small and medium-sized enterprises, entrepreneurship policy, and business support. His remit includes responsibility for ensuring that SME members of the CBI are involved across whole range of policy development - including employment and environmental regulation, access to finance, innovation policy, international trade, skills and workforce training, and public procurement. David previously had responsibility for CBI policy on innovation, science and technology and business-university relations. Working with members of the Inter-Company Academic Relations Group he produced the CBI Guide to business-university collaboration.
Chris Cassley, policy adviser
Chris is responsible for the CBI's work on manufacturing, research and innovation policy development and is a member of the team developing work on industrial policy. A member of the BIS sponsored Manufacturing Analytical Group, Chris previously worked in the CBI's e-Business Group.
Mark Dittmer-Odell, senior policy adviser
Mark's principal area of work at the CBI is focused on the formulation of UK industrial policy and on the development of the long-term, consistent and cross-government industrial strategy required for implementation. Since joining in 2010, Mark has worked on the CBI's report on exports 'Winning Overseas', as well as on innovation policy, including expanding the R&D tax credits scheme and improving EU research and innovation funding in the lead up to Horizon 2020. Before joining the CBI Mark worked as a political consultant for government clients in London and Brussels and lectured in politics at Birkbeck, University of London. He holds a PhD in EU public policy.
Martha Spearpoint, administrator (technical support)
Martha Spearpoint services the Economic Affairs Committee, SME Council and the Inter-Company Academic Relations Group. Martha occasionally assists Tim Bradshaw and Richard Woolhouse with diary requests and can field requests across the team. Over her career at the CBI, Martha helped colleagues with organisation and production of the Shape of Business, the next ten years; Making the UK the best place to invest and A vision for rebalancing the economy reports. Behind the scenes Martha helps coordinate some of our website content. Reach Martha on 020 7395 8115.
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