Meet the 2026 Judges and Presenters
At the heart of the Innovation and Impact Awards is the transformative power of external collaboration. Each year, we honour the achievements made possible through partnerships between our researchers, students, graduates, businesses and industry leaders. We are especially proud that the Innovation and Impact Awards finalists are selected by a judging panel including independent representatives from external partners, whose insight and expertise ensure that our winners reflect excellence recognised across sectors.
Hear from the 2026 guest judges and award presenters:
The Chancellor's formal duties include chairing the University's annual general meeting and conferring degrees at graduation ceremonies.
The Chancellor shapes their role in the way they feel best supports the values and aspirations of the University.
After graduating from UEA in 1968 with a BA in English, Dame Abramsky pursued a trailblazing career in news media, with her near 40-year legacy at the BBC spanning radio, television and online platforms.
Jenny joined the BBC as a programmes operations assistant in 1969, going on to become the first female editor of the Today programme and launch Britain's first continuous news and sport radio station, Five Live, as well as the television channel BBC News 24.
Jenny also launched the BBC’s news website in 1997, before moving back into radio as the corporation’s Director of Radio in 1999, with 1Xtra, BBC 7, 6 Music, Five Live Sports Extra and the Asian Network launched during her tenure.
By the time Jenny left the BBC in 2008, she was on the corporation’s Executive Board as Director of Audio and Music, and its most senior female employee.
Since leaving the BBC she has taken on senior roles as a number of prestigious organisations, including as Chair of the Heritage Lottery Fund (now the National Lottery Heritage Fund), Deputy Chair of the Canal and River Trust, and six years as Chair of the University of London.
Jenny is a Fellow of The Radio Academy and is currently Chair of Trustees of National Life Stories and of the Royal Academy of Music.
She has also previously served as Chair of the Governors of the Royal Ballet and of Hampstead Theatre, and on the board of trustees for the UK's largest youth drama festival, the Shakespeare Schools Festival.
In 2003, Jenny was welcomed back to UEA as an Honorary Graduate, receiving an Honorary Doctorate in Letters from the University. She becomes the eighth Chancellor in UEA’s history.
The role of Chancellor is to act as a figurehead for the University, with formal duties including chairing the annual general meeting and conferring degrees at graduation ceremonies.
Head of MyAviva, Aviva’s customer portal, with over 20 years in the Insurance industry and more than a decade working in Digital Product. A passion for shaping digital services that are intuitive, secure and built around real customer needs. Led the evolution of MyAviva into a trusted platform used by millions of customers to manage their policies, claims and financial products.
Combines a strong understanding of the insurance landscape with a passion for digital innovation. Connecting the dots between business goals, technology and customer expectations ensuring digital experiences are not just functional but genuinely valuable.
Driven by a belief that digital should make things easier, faster and more human. Works closely with product, design and engineering teams to deliver continuous improvements anda long term-vision. An advocate for building collaborative teams and creating digital journeys that truly put the customer first.
Chris is returning for his second time as a judge.
What did you enjoy most about judging the Awards last year?
"Apart from meeting all the fantastic nominees on awards evening, debating the category winners with the other judges. The sheer quality of the nominations made this a difficult task but the debate and insight from the other judges made this incredibly enjoyable."
What are you looking forward to seeing from the entries to the 2026 Innovation & Impact Awards?
"I would love to see even more innovative thinking coupled with great outcomes and results that make it even more challenging for us to select a winner!"
Did anything surprise you in the entries during the judging process last year?
"The breadth and quality of the nominations, the dedication and passion of every single nominated team member to succeed in subjects they genuinely cared about was truly inspiring."
Natalie is Director of Engagement at the Norfolk Wildlife Trust (NWT). She joined NWT in 2022 after nearly twenty years working in public engagement roles across the public and private sector including 12 years at the University of East Anglia, a few years producing Norwich Science Festival and a stint working on a global conference in Sydney, Australia. She is passionate about the mutually beneficial relationship between people and the natural world and the importance of nature connection for our mental health. In her spare time she can be found pottering on her allotment, swimming in the Bure and drinking copious amounts of tea!
Natalie will be judging for a second time in 2026.
As a previous member of the UEA community, what excites you about joining the judging panel?
"Having worked at UEA for a number of years before my current role, I’m delighted to return as part of the judging panel for the Innovation and Impact Awards. UEA’s creativity, collaborative approach and ambition make it really special and it’s inspiring to see how ideas developed here impact research and make a positive societal difference."
What are you looking forward to seeing from the entries to the 2026 Innovation & Impact Awards?
"I’m particularly looking forward to seeing innovative projects that demonstrate real-world impact and collaboration across disciplines at UEA. With our new research partnership between Norfolk Wildlife Trust and UEA, I’m especially interested by applications that support a sustainable future for people and planet."
Eliot Lyne is Chief Executive Officer and joined Norfolk Wildlife Trust in 2021. Before this, he pursued a 15-year career in senior finance and operations roles in many well-known UK Charities such as Scope, Amnesty International UK, Greenpeace UK, Livability and National Children’s Bureau. This culminated in a turnaround role as interim Finance Director and then interim CEO at RNIB.
Eliot is a qualified Chartered Accountant and started his career at Deloitte and Touche, followed by a few years in the commercial sector. Much of Eliot’s work has been improving the financial and strategic sustainability of organisations, both from the perspective of the resources that they have but also how they choose to use them to further their charitable impact. He is passionate about the power of integrity in leadership to make change happen. Eliot is Treasurer and Trustee of Become, the charity for children in care and young care leavers, and in the past has served as a Trustee of Peace Direct and as an independent member of the finance committee at St Helena’s Hospice in Colchester, Essex.
Eliot holds a BA in Geography and an MSc in Environmental and Energy Studies. He is married with one daughter. He runs, cycles, gardens, and enjoys music in his spare time.
Paul Cracknell is Executive Director of Strategy and Transformation at Norfolk County Council (NCC), which he joined in the Spring of 2021. Prior to NCC, Paul was Deputy Chief Executive at Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust, the first Community Trust to be rated ‘Outstanding’ by the CQC. He held a portfolio that included Operational Director for a range of clinical services as well as corporate functions like those he currently holds such as HR, Communications, Intelligence and Analytics, Transformation and Strategy and Planning. Paul is the lead officer for the County Deal process for NCC.
Paul is joining the judging panel for the first time in 2026.
What qualities will make an entry for the 2026 Innovation & Impact Awards really stand out for you?
"Innovation obviously isn’t just about novelty; it’s about an ability to unlock a problem that’s been previously stuck and a solution that can be scaled and spread. So I’m looking for creativity, a proposal with potential and that’s practical!"
Roberta leads the Economic Development team at Norfolk County Council, with key areas of delivery including economic strategy – developing the Norfolk Local Growth Plan, business support programmes, Norfolk Growth Hub service, sector development and innovation, and site development – including the £25m Great Yarmouth Operations and Maintenance Campus at Great Yarmouth Port.
Roberta has worked in economic development for over 17 years, in various roles, including business support, grant funding, regeneration, inward investment and international trade programmes.
Her Economic Development team also deliver digital support for SMEs to adopt new digital technologies; including the Go Digital programme and the East of England Made Smarter Programme, providing digital roadmaps and grants to manufacturing and engineering businesses.
Roberta is also a member of the Norwich Financial Industries Group Board, Tech East Board, EofE Made Smarter Board, Space East Board, Eastwind and she is lead officer for the Norfolk Business Board.
Professor Lesley Dwyer is an experienced health leader with an exceptional record in the NHS and Australian healthcare system.
Having begun her career as a nurse, Lesley has worked in a number of leadership roles at times of significant health reform. She has experience and knowledge gained within primary, community and tertiary health settings – she has led complex, multifaceted change and improvement programs aimed at raising organisational performance and integrating service delivery across healthcare systems to improve the health of the community.
Lesley returned to the NHS in late February as the Chief Executive of the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Prior to this, she led the largest tertiary health network in South Australia thought significant reform and set about on one of the largest cultural changes and the establishment of one of the largest academic health science precincts nationally. She previously was in the NHS as the Chief executive of Medway NHS Foundation Trust during a period which saw the Trust lifted from Quality Special Measures.
Heather is General Manager of the National Trust’s Blickling Estate, a historic Norfolk estate which is home to highly significant buildings, collections, nature, and landscapes. In this role, she oversees the operational management of the visitor business and leads for conservation excellence and strategic planning. Prior to the Trust, Heather spent 20 years learning about, loving, and looking after the historic built environment. With a background in Architecture, Archaeology, and Universal Design, Heather joined conservation practice Purcell and founded a Heritage Consultancy team at the forefront of developing conservation management planning. Heather champions understanding the significance of places to enable climate adaptation and accessibility, thrives on collaboration, and believes in the power of place to connect people to heritage and each other.
Heather has judged the Awards for the past two years, and we are delighted to see her return for a third year.
What have you most enjoyed about judging the Innovation and Impact Awards for the last couple of years?
"Judging the Innovation and Impact Awards has been a powerful reminder of the world-class research and ingenuity thriving right here in Norfolk. The calibre of work—often with global reach and local relevance—fills me with pride for the county I call home.
"Academic work often remains within its own sphere, yet its impact deserves wider recognition. These awards offer a moment to pause, reflect, and celebrate achievement: within the university as well as beyond it. It’s a chance to share powerful stories of innovation and inspire others."
What are you most looking forward to seeing in the entries for the 2026 Awards?
"I’m excited to see bold ideas that challenge convention and push boundaries—projects that not only demonstrate innovation but also deliver meaningful impact for communities here in Norfolk and beyond. The 2026 entries will no doubt reflect the creativity, resilience, and ambition that define the work of the University."
From your experience, what makes an entry really stand out? What are you looking for as a judge?
"The entries that truly stand out are those that combine originality with clear, measurable impact. I look for bold thinking, collaborative working and broad impact — something that not only advances knowledge but also makes a tangible difference to people’s lives. It’s that spark of innovation paired with real-world relevance that captures my attention."
Chris Sargisson, Chief Executive Officer at Hethel Innovation, is joining the judging panel for the first time in 2026.
What qualities will make an entry for the 2026 Innovation & Impact Awards really stand out for you?
"I get a real buzz in my entrepreneurial bones when I see and hear innovation that clearly demonstrates a genuinely novel approach to tackling a significant challenge but in a distinctive and highly effective way. Throw in some credible evidence for potential, scalability, and lasting impact alongside a good old ‘dollop’ of collaboration, partnership, reach and commercial viability and we have a winner."
“Receiving the 'Award for Student or Graduate Innovation or Enterprise' at the 2025 Innovation and Impact Awards was a genuine privilege and a proud moment in my career, particularly as recognition of the founder mindset, creativity, and determination that drive meaningful change. To now be invited back to present the award to its next recipient is especially meaningful, and a real honour to celebrate others who are turning ideas into impact through innovation and ambition. It is not an easy journey, particularly as an under-represented demographic, so delighted to pass the torch.”
The judging panel also consists of senior UEA Research and Innovation colleagues:
Prof Julian Blow, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research & Innovation (Chair)
Stephen Chapman, Director of Research & Innovation Division
Prof Kenny Coventry, Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research
Dr Joita Dey, Associate Director of Intellectual Property & Investment Management
Dr Nick Grant, Associate Dean for Innovation, Faculty of Arts & Humanities
Dr Nicola Hancock, Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Innovation
Dr Gary Rowley, Associate Dean for Employabiility, Faculty of Science
Julie Schofield, Associate Director of Business Partnerships
Julia Sheldrake, Associate Director of Research
Melanie Craig, NHS Norfolk and Waveney Clinical Commissioning Group
Stephen Crocker, Norwich Theatre
John Gordon-Saker, Norwich Film Festival and History of Advertising Trust
Dr Victor Inyang, East Anglian Air Ambulance
Heather Jermy, National Trust Blickling Estate
Prof Gary Kass
Fiona McDiarmid, Norse Group
Steve Miller, Norfolk Museums Service
Minnie Moll, Design Council
Andrew Orchard, Archant
Dr Melanie Pascale, Big C
Karen Paterson, Aviva
Chris Starkie, Norfolk County Council
Tim Robinson, Tech East
Glen Webster
Dr Thuria Wenbar, Evaro
Lorna Willis, Archant
Matt Windle, Lotus
Patrick Wood, Airbus