Dick Elsy
Chief Executive, High Value Manufacturing Catapult
Dick Elsy is the Chief Executive of the UK’s High Value Manufacturing Catapult. The role brings together 7 world class centres of industrial innovation in the UK which help accelerate new concepts to commercial reality and thereby create a sustainable high value manufacturing future for this country. The Catapult has capability and manufacturing facilities which span basic raw materials through to high integrity product assembly processes.
He joined the Catapult from Torotrak plc, the global innovator in gearless traction drive technology which reduces CO2 emissions in vehicles. As Chief Executive, he led this technology and licensing business which is one of the few UK listed companies involved in innovative automotive engineering and one of the very few engineering companies in the UK making a success of the licensing business model.
Prior to this Dick was Product Development Director at Jaguar Cars Limited where he led the introduction of several new car programmes. Dick’s earlier roles were also in the automotive industry with a period of time spent with BMW in Munich leading a major car programme and a long career with Land Rover, where, as a member of the executive board, he devised, and went on to implement, the Land Rover Freelander.
Through his career, Dick has gained extensive experience in the process of innovation management and of the introduction of new technologies to market.
He has led both small scale and large scale organizations and is a passionate believer in value creation through technology.