Management team

Graca Carvalho – CDI Executive Director, UCL 

Graca Carvalho serves as the Strategic Alliances Director of UCL Computer Science Department, now seconded as the Director of the UCL Centre for Digital Innovation (UCL CDI) powered by AWS. In this dual role, she has played a pivotal role in securing a strategic partnership with AWS and has been instrumental in building the centre from the ground up in collaboration with AWS. Graca's visionary leadership and expertise have been central to establishing UCL CDI as a hub for digital transformation and innovation. She leads the strategy and oversight of the delivery of all centre programmes and activities with a focus on increasing impact, driving responsible digital innovation and cultivating dynamic engagement strategies. 

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Beyond her role at UCL CDI, Graca Carvalho is a seasoned Senior Consulting Engineer with a vast background in IT and Communications technology innovation. Her career has spanned the Public and Private sectors, where she led large-scale multinational projects, primarily focusing on Communications Service Providers and Research and Education vertical markets. Graca is a recognized thought leader and public speaker, known for her innovative thinking and entrepreneurship. Her expertise in areas such as Internet-of-Things (IoT) Architectures, Cloud Computing, and Research Management underscores her commitment to pushing the boundaries of technology and driving impactful change in the digital landscape. 

Professor James Hetherington – CDI Director of Technology, UCL

Professor James Hetherington, as Head of Technology at UCL CDI, plays a vital role on the management team and chairs the Experts Committee. In this capacity, he leads the integration of professional expertise from UCL's engineering and scientific communities, comprising research software engineers, data scientists, data stewards, and research infrastructure engineers, into the Impact Accelerator projects. He is also responsible for project selection in Phase 1 of UCL CDI's impact accelerator.  

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Since 2021, Professor Hetherington is the Director of the Advanced Research Computing Centre at University College London (UCL ARC). His leadership at UCL ARC is dedicated to advancing computational science, digital scholarship, and research in digital infrastructures across the university and its collaborations.

Prior to this role, he held significant positions in the public sector, including Director of Research Engineering at the Alan Turing Institute, where he led teams of research software engineers and data scientists specializing in tools and models for complex research, particularly in artificial intelligence. During the critical phase of the pandemic, he served as the Chief Data Science Advisor to the Joint Biosecurity Centre and later assumed the role of Director of Digital Research Infrastructure at UK Research and Innovation, the UK's national research and innovation agency.

Andrew Proctor - CDI Director of Digital Innovation, AWS

Professor Andrew Proctor holds a multifaceted role within UCL CDI as a decision-maker on the management committee. He acts as the primary liaison between AWS and UCL CDI, shaping strategic direction and initiatives. Furthermore, he leads innovation methodology workshops of the Impact Accelerator, enhancing UCL CDI's mission. With 15 years of digital leadership experience in the UK public sector, Professor Proctor is the Executive Lead for UK Education at Amazon Web Services since January 2022. His focus is on guiding education leaders in achieving strategic objectives through digital technology, innovation, and cultural transformation. Previously, Andrew held the position of Pro Vice-Chancellor (Digital) at Staffordshire University, where he propelled the institution to become a leading digital university. Notable accomplishments during his tenure included pioneering the first full cloud migration in Europe and introducing an AI-driven student support assistant.

Dr Bruno Silva – CDI Field Chief Technology Officer, AWS

Dr Bruno Silva serves as the Field Chief Technical Officer at UCL CDI, where his role spans leadership within the management team, technical oversight of the Impact Accelerator, AWS Scholarships technical support management, and seamless integration of the AWS senior solutions architects' team. Bruno's expertise includes strategic project consultation, fostering technical innovation within the Impact Accelerator, and active involvement in the Experts Committee. His unwavering commitment extends to supporting UCL PhD Students who receive AWS Scholarships in Digital Innovation. Notably, he holds an Honorary Associate Professorship at UCL Advanced Research Computing, underlining his dedication to academic excellence and research advancement. 

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With over a decade of international experience in High-Performance Computing, Bruno, a Computational Physicist and Research Technologist, brings a wealth of expertise in Healthcare, Research, and Technical Computing. During his three-year tenure at AWS, he has focused on cultivating a sustainable software ecosystem to advance research computing in the cloud. Bruno is a strong advocate for transparency and reproducibility in computational research and excels in Mathematical and Computational Sciences, Systems Engineering, and Teaching/Training capacities.  

Nathan Deane - Enterprise Account Manager, AWS

Nathan Deane is an instrumental figure within UCL CDI, holding the role of AWS Enterprise Account Manager for UCL. As a key member of the management team, Nathan contributes significantly to shaping operational strategies for UCL CDI. Leveraging his extensive background as an IT Professional with a strong foundation in VMware and Infrastructure, he is deeply committed to accelerating customers' business outcomes by championing the adoption of state-of-the-art cloud technologies.

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Nathan's pivotal role as the primary liaison with AWS emphasizes his dedication to facilitating the digital transformation of UCL. 

Prior to joining AWS in 2022, Nathan held notable positions, starting as a Senior Solutions Architect and progressing to an Advisory Solutions Architect at Dell Technologies. In these capacities, he honed his expertise in IT solutions, earning a reputation as a trusted advisor in the technology sector.

Professor Magda Hercheui – Senior Business Advisor, UCL

Professor Magda Hercheui brings a wealth of expertise in business value creation. Her role at the CDI encompasses providing bespoke business consultancy to members of the Impact Accelerator Cohort, delivering essential business workshops open to all cohort members. These workshops cover a spectrum of crucial topics, including Markets & Customers, Value Proposition, Business Model Innovation, Risk Management, and Stakeholder Management. Additionally, Magda imparts her knowledge in Presentation Pitch and various other management subjects, tailored to meet each organization's specific business needs. 

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As a Professor in Management Education at UCL School of Management, Dr Magda Hercheui is a distinguished expert in the realms of digital businesses, innovation, and project management. She has served as an advisor on business plans and innovation for over two decades. Before embarking on her academic career, Magda played a vital role in software, database, and service development within financial markets. Her educational and professional background spans journalism, economics, finance, information systems, and project management.  

Ben Smith – Senior Programme Delivery Manager, UCL

Ben Smith is a member of UCL CDI's management team, holding the position of Senior Programme Delivery Manager. In this crucial role, he brings a wealth of expertise in agile project management and delivery. Ben's strategic approach and commitment to efficiency and innovation have been instrumental in driving the successful execution of projects within UCL
 CDI. His role ensures that the centre's initiatives are delivered efficiently, meeting the needs of stakeholders and contributing to the overall success of UCL CDI's mission. 

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In addition to his role at UCL CDI, Ben is a seasoned professional in agile project management, boasting a track record of successful project deliveries in both the public sector at UCL ARC and ISD, as well as the private sector. These experiences underscore his ability to navigate complex challenges and make him a trusted figure in the agile community. With
 a focus on streamlining processes and fostering collaboration, Ben is a valuable asset to UCL CDI and its efforts to drive digital innovation and transformation. 

Naz Tuzunalper – Director of Engagement, UCL

Naz serves as Engagement Director, specializing in dynamic engagement strategies and overseeing marketing and communications efforts. Her deep commitment to fostering responsible digital innovation and strategic partnerships has been instrumental in the centre's development since its inception. As an active member of the management team, her versatile role spans marketing, communications, community building and collaboration with external and internal stakeholders.  

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Beyond her UCL CDI contributions, Naz is emerging as a prominent figure in innovation and strategic leadership. Drawing from her entrepreneurial journey and leveraging her background in consultancy, cybersecurity, and payment technologies, she is passionate about creating robust go-to-market strategies and trust-based partnerships. Her commitment extends to advisory board positions, where she interacts with start-ups and enterprises on customer-centric, value-driven innovation strategies. 

Steering Committee

The Steering Committee governs UCL CDI, along with the Experts Committee. They work with the CDI Management Team to ensure delivery of the aims and objectives of the UCL Centre for Digital Innovation. This includes identifying and approving the priorities of the centre, selecting successful project proposals, tracking progress and impact and ensuring the delivery of all centre activities and events.   

Steering Committee Members 

• Nigel Titchener-Hooker (Chair) - Dean Faculty of Engineering Sciences, UCL 
• Andy Smith (Co-chair) - Chief Information Officer, Director of IT Services, UCL 
• Leanne Hurrell – Head of UK Regional Public Sector, AWS 
• Stephen Cone - Chief Medical Information Officer, UCLH 
• Allison Littlejohn – Director of IoE Knowledge Lab, UCL 
• Kathryn Walsh - Executive Director of Innovation and Enterprise, UCL 
• Marianna Obrist - Deputy Director (Digital) of Institute of Healthcare Engineering, UCL 
• Rob Thompson – Vice Dean of Enterprise Faculty of Engineering Sciences, UCL 
• Holly Ellis – Director of Solution Architecture EMEA - Public Sector, AWS 
• Ken Harley – UK & Ireland Education Sales Director, AWS 
• Kira Levy – Head of Healthcare UK, AWS 

Experts Committee 

Made up of leading academics and domain experts from UCL and AWS, this committee provides substantial experience and understanding of the research and technology areas of all initiatives supported by the Centre. The role of the Experts Committee is to advise the Steering Committee and the Management Team on the activities of the CDI, and in particular, to recommend projects to be taken forward for impact acceleration.   

Experts Committee Members 

• James Hetherington (Chair) - Director of ARC, UCL 
• Magda Hercheui - Senior Business Advisor, UCL 
• Amanda Kiely – Head of Higher Education UK, AWS 
• Alison Clark-Wilson – Professor of Education IOE, UCL 
• Fiona Strawbridge – Director of Digital Education ISD, UCL 
• Kaska Porayska-Pomsta - Professor of Artificial Intelligence in Education, UCL 
• Manolis Mavrikis - Professor of Artificial Intelligence and Analytics in Education, UCL 
• Delmiro Fernandez-Reyes - Professor of Biomedical Engineering, UCL 
• Geoff Parker - Professor of Healthcare Engineering, Imaging and Enterprise, UCL  
• Steve Harris – Consultant in Critical Care & Anaesthesia, UCLH & Principal Research Fellow in Translational Data Science Institute of Health Informatics, UCL 
• Andrew Jones – Head of Clinical Innovation EMEA - Public Sector, AWS 
• Andrew Proctor – CDI Director of Digital Innovation, AWS 
• Bruno Silva - CDI Chief Technology Officer, AWS 
• Hak Salih - Public Sector Healthcare VC & Startups Lead, AWS 
• Matthew Howard – International Head of Healthcare Data Science, AWS 
• Wendy Parks - UK & Ireland Head of HeathTech – Public Sector, AWS