Optomel was founded by Dr Damian Gardiner who is also Director and CEO of the Business.
Damian graduated with a PhD in Engineering (2006) from the University of Cambridge and a Masters Degree (MPhys) in Physics from the University of Southampton (2001). Following post-doctoral work at the Centre of Molecular Materials for Photonics & Electronics (CMMPE), in the Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Damian received a prestigious Royal Academy of Engineering Enterprise Fellowship (2013) to commercialise his research.
Damian co-founded ilumink ltd with colleagues from the University of Cambridge which was subsequently acquired by Tracerco Ltd (part of Johnson Matthey plc) in 2015. In 2016 Damian was awarded the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Silver Medal as recognition for his work in Engineering.
Feel free to connect with Damian on LinkedIn or email info@optomel.com to find out more.
Professor Dick Whittington is a non-executive Director of Optomel.
Professor Dick Whittington FREng is an experienced entrepreneur, investor, and mentor in the software and digital marketplace sectors, with over 30 years in the industry. He co-founded a successful international software company honored with three Queen’s Awards for innovation and global trade.
Recognised as a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2012, he actively mentors tech startups through their Enterprise Hub. He’s also involved in mentoring and investing in tech accelerator programs in London and beyond, holding an Honorary Professorship in Business Innovation at the University of York.
Before his business endeavors, Dick taught computer science at the University of York, leading a research team and publishing various papers. His recent book, “Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship” (2018), caters to STEM students and aspiring entrepreneurs entering the digital business world.
