As we have seen already, AI has incredible potential to unlock new capabilities, solutions, and ways of working, like no technology before. This is no different for science and R&D, however the way forward is not clearly defined.

Unilever has been working with AI concepts for a decade now and in the last couple of years we have seen implementations accelerate at pace, with some incredible successes but also learnings.

Hear how Unilever has been able to harness this incredible change in how we innovate, and importantly what we have learnt along the way and our playbook for the future.

SPEAKER

👉 Darren Adams – Managing Director Unilever Foundry @ UNILEVER

Darren Adams, Managing Director @ Unilever Foundry, leads a global team of Innovation Scientists focused on collaborating with partners in the external innovation ecosystem to solve some of the biggest S&T challenges facing Unilever.

Over the last 25 years, prior to Unilever, Darren has held numerous leadership roles across the globe focused on Innovation, Startup Investment and Acceleration and Digital Transformation. Most recently he was with Philps where he established the Philips Ventures organization that led Investment and Collaboration with over 150 startups in Digital Health, deploying over $350M in capital.

In addition to working with large enterprise, Darren has also had success as a founder, creating multiple startups through to exit and raising over $100M in funding for startup ventures.

As an advisor and investor into multiple startups Darren is ingrained in the creation of new technology and businesses, across areas of Health, AI, Consumer Goods and Cybersecurity.

He lives in Boston with his wife and two children.

CHAIR

👉 Susan Hooper – NED @ UBER | MOONPIG | Network Chair @ INNOVATION PARTNERSHIP

Susan sits on the Boards of Uber UK and Moonpig PLC (Chair of the Remuneration Committee, ESG lead and DNED for workforce engagement). Susan is a Co-Founder and Senior Independent Director of Chapter Zero, an organisation dedicated to providing education, insight and support on climate change to Non-Executive Board Directors and Chairs. She is involved in several start-ups in carbon capture and sustainability.

Susan is also an Association Member of Bupa Global, an advisor to Active Partners PE, Chair of the Innovation Partnership, and an Ambassador for the World Travel & Tourism Council.

Susan was previously Chair of PE-owned Tangle Teezer ltd before its sale to Bic S.A. in 2024, of Carbon Gap, and of Caresourcer.com in Edinburgh. She has held several non-executive directorships including the Department for Exiting the European Union (DExEU), Wizz Air PLC, Courtaulds PLC, Royal & Sun Alliance PLC Transcom, First Choice Ltd., S.C Johnson, Whitbread PLC, Affinity Water and The Rank Group PLC. Susan was also a member of the Advisory Board of the LUISS Business School in Rome.

Prior to her plural career, Susan was Managing Director of British Gas Residential Services, a £1.8bn revenue division, leading the Service and Repair, Central Heating Installations, Electrical Services, and Dyno-Rod business units. She joined British Gas from the Acromas Group where she was Chief Executive of the Travel division, responsible for Saga Holidays, Hotels and Cruises, the AA Travel division, and Titan Travel.

Previously, she held senior roles at Royal Caribbean International, Avis Europe, PepsiCo International, McKinsey & Co, and Saatchi & Saatchi, living in seven countries worldwide.

Susan has a BA from the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD, and an MA from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (S.A.I.S.) in Washington DC. She is fluent in German and Italian.

Susan lives near London with her husband, loves being outdoors and enjoys combining sailing, hiking, travel and photography together with their dogs.

This meeting is open to Innovation Partnership members and partners. If you are a board member / C-suite / senior leader and wish to apply to join please email hello@innovationpartnership.co.uk