Access our industry thought leaders

Dr. Matthew Tipper has been at the forefront of nonwovens innovation for over 25 years. He is a regular presenter at global leading conferences he is a thought leader in the industry. Matthew is responsible for managing the company structure and strategy and communicating with the company Board. He drives business development and the overall operational delivery of NIRI’s consultancy services.

Matthew obtained a 1st Class honours and a PhD in Textile Technology from the University of Leeds. Via a series of senior management positions, he has driven NIRI’s growth. He has industrial experience of the design, development and manufacture of both single-use and durable nonwoven materials. Matthew has a commercial background outside of NIRI in manufacturing and nonwoven product development.

Jack Eaton obtained a MSc in Advanced Textiles and Performance Clothing from the University of Leeds, and he also holds a BSc in Sports Materials Technology from the University of Leeds. During this time, he focused on nonwoven technologies, outdoor and performance clothing.

After graduating, Jack gained extensive consultancy experience at NIRI over a 7-year period in various roles, including project and technical management. He then went on to gain commercial experience in coatings, pigments and polymer processing for a diverse range of applications.

Equipped with skills in business development and new product scale-up to commercialisation, Jack has rejoined NIRI and is responsible for the commercial development of the business, combining his technical textiles knowledge and commercial experience. He oversees marketing, sales, product development and customer service activities.

Chris Fowler is the Group Managing Director of NIRI. He has held senior leadership positions in several multi-international organisations within the healthcare sector. His career has been spent achieving impressive growth through the launch of new products. He’s facilitated developments in the UK, Europe, Asia and the USA.

Chris has extensive commercial and Managing Director experience. He is responsible for leading the Company Board and overseeing the Group’s business. He also advises on strategic direction and setting high ethical, cultural and governance standards.

Professor Stephen Russell is an internationally recognised expert in the field of nonwovens science and technology. He has nearly 30 years of experience working in research and development. Steve has directed hundreds of technical projects for customers since NIRI was founded. He’s worked on projects involving the development of new fabrics, technologies and processes, across a multitude of different product applications. As Group Technical Director, Steve oversees technical advances across NIRI’s business operations. He also provides scientific and strategic advice to NIRI’s customers in industry. Steve is also responsible for managing and delivering NIRI’s in-house Innovation Leader Training Programme. His doctorate is from the University of Leeds (PhD, Textile Engineering). Steve has over 250 technical publications and patents relating to the fields of fibre science, nonwovens and textile engineering.

Dr. Clement Denis obtained a Materials Engineering degree from Université de Technologie de Troyes (France). He also has an MSc in Microsystems and Nanotechnology from Cranfield University.

Clement’s PhD is in Materials Chemistry from University College London. His PhD thesis focused on the synthesis of nanomaterials and the control of their size/morphology using continuous hydrothermal reactors. Prior to joining the NIRI team, Clement worked within industrial R&D roles, gaining experience in scale-up, process improvement and introduction of new products to manufacturing lines.

Lisa Mellon is NIRI’s financial controller. She has spent the majority of her career in various financial and management accounting roles at a leading energy company. In the few years prior to joining the NIRI team, Lisa worked with some smaller companies. She helped them to improve their financial systems, reporting and controls. Lisa is an Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) Fellow.

Manoj has a degree in Physics from Lancaster University. He and is responsible for managing the company’s extensive nonwovens pilot plant facility. He has over 25 years’ experience with textile machinery. Manoj works closely with colleagues and industrial partners on proof of concept, developmental and product prototyping projects that involve the formation, testing and evaluation of nonwoven materials and of new product ideas and processes.

Elizabeth Smith has many years experience working as an accounts assistant. Liz is currently completing her AAT qualification. She works closely with the Finance Controller to ensure the smooth running of the finance department. Liz also helps to maintain our excellent relationships with suppliers.

Dr. Harrison Cox obtained an MChem degree from Durham University. His final year project looked at the development of novel heterogeneous catalysts. He has a PhD in Surface Science, also from Durham University. Harrison’s PhD thesis focused on the synthesis and development of various functional surfaces and thin-film coatings for a variety of real-world applications. These included antibacterial, antiviral, antifouling, liquid repellence, water filtration, high refractive index, and oil-water separation. He now works as one of our brilliant innovation engineers.

Dr. Michael Phillips obtained a Chemistry Bachelors and a Polymers, Colourants and Fine Materials Masters from the University of Leeds. He obtained a PhD in Regenerative Medicine at the University of Leeds. Michael’s PhD research focused on the repair and regeneration of soft tissue, involving the implantation of structural support scaffolds composed of novel materials and textiles.

Rachel Douglas Phillips obtained a 1st class degree in Textile Science and Technology from the University of Manchester. She won the ‘School of Materials’ award for best final year dissertation. In addition to her degree, she has also gained industrial experience developing automotive textiles.

Anna Mazurek is a senior Innovation Technologist at NIRI. She obtained a Textile Engineering degree from Lodz University of Technology (Poland). She also earned an MSc in Textile Design, Technology, and Innovation from De Montfort University in Leicester. Anna’s Bachelor’s degree centred on textile chemistry and her master’s focused on sustainable textile finishing and colouration methods. Before joining the NIRI team, Anna gained industrial experience working for a knitwear manufacturer. There, she was responsible for supervising the dyeing and finishing department. 

Ataa Atlaf has a degree in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Birmingham. His final year degree project involved working with the Manufacturing Technology Centre. He studied to further understand the effects of degradation on polymer powder. Ataa’s specific focus is in the chemical and physical degradation in the selective laser sintering process. 

Dr Bryan Kaushiva obtained a BEng in Chemical Engineering from the University of Cincinnati with an emphasis on process optimisation. He also obtained a MEng and PhD in Chemical Engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University focused on the structure-property relationships of polymeric materials.

Prior to joining NIRI, Bryan has worked in technical leadership roles in different industries including paper making and coating, polyurethane foam processing, and polyamide production with an emphasis on new product development and scale-up. These projects have included commercialisation of new polymers incorporating renewable and recycled materials and utilising bio-produced intermediates.

Philip Cook obtained a BEng in Materials Engineering and an MSc with distinction in Polymer Science and Engineering from Loughborough University. His masters project focussed on polymer membranes for carbon dioxide capture using sustainable materials and environmentally friendly processes. Philip has gained experience throughout his studies in pilot-scale processing of polymers and analytical techniques.

Alistair Rogers is currently studying for a bachelors in mechanical engineering, part time. He has keen interest in nonwoven manufacturing processes, specifically those employing polymer laid technologies.

Alistair is responsible for aiding the technical team and clients in their approaches to experimental and sample prototyping work within NIRI’s laboratory facilities. He also employs additive manufacturing expertise to develop and prototype testing equipment.

Dale Worthington earned a BSc in Forensic and Analytical Science as well as an MSc in Analytical Bioscience form the University of Huddersfield. He has over 9 years’ experience working on reliability assurance and quality control. He developed these skills working for a global leader in research and development of semiconducting nanoparticles. Dale has honed skills in analytical analysis, prioritisation and delegation. He also has a keen interest in matters of workplace safety.