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CURRICULUM VITAE
Name: Roger Steven Griffiths, MBA, MIED, FHEA
Date of Birth: 09 August 1963
Age: 52
Permanent Address: Wales, UK
Contact telephone: +44 (0)7842 694227 H: 01656 895198
Email: rogersgriffiths@gmail.com;
Driving licence: Yes
Marital status: Married to Claire with sons, Alex, 19 and Joe 18
Linkedin Profile: http://qa.linkedin.com/in/rogersgriffiths
Personality Type: Myers Briggs ENTP
Belbin (MBTRI): Plant
Core Competences
Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Business
Modelling, Business Strategy, Planning and
Implementation, Start-up Mentoring and
Coaching, Lean Start-up Methodology, Creativity
and Innovation Tools, Design Thinking Methods,
Leadership, Social Innovation, Building
Partnerships, Sustainability, Project Planning and
Management, Marketing and Communications
Plans, Intellectual Property, Recruitment
Strategy.
Thinker, Action-orientated Achiever, Disruptor,
Creator and Collaborator.
Qualifications
1985: BA (Honours) Industrial Design Engineering
1998: Diploma Chartered Institute of Marketing
2005: Masters in Business Administration (MBA, 1st Class Honours with Distinction)
2008: PRINCE2 Project Management - Practitioner Accreditation
2008: Fellow Higher Education Academy
Current: Professional Doctorate (DBA, Cardiff Metropolitan University)
Biography
A creative, practical and action-orientated entrepreneur and mentor who has moved from industry to academia
and back again and is able to adapt easily to the space between academia and the private sector to identify and
solve real world problems for the benefit of individuals, employers and communities. An experienced innovation
practitioner who is inspirational, competent, confident, persuasive and trustworthy. Roger has expertise in
startup mentoring, creativity tools, design management and entrepreneurship strategy. Intellectually curious,
well informed, highly qualified and sociable with extensive knowledge in all aspects product and service
innovation.
A pro-active team player, collaborator, facilitator and active researcher, Roger has a comprehensive
background in new product/service development and disruptive business modelling. Eternally optimistic with a
strong work ethic, defined by a clear moral compass. Roger is confident, effective and an efficient individual
(Myers Briggs ENTP) with excellent communication and organisational skills. Roger is a team player (Belbin
‘Plant’) with a clear, positive and enthusiastic approach to leadership, creativity and problem solving.
Key Skills
Networking and Collaboration - Collaboration with Maersk Oil Qatar
and an investment of QR1.6M ($450,000) to establish the Young
Entrepreneur Series graduate programme - the first national incubation
programme dedicated to graduates in Qatar, focussing on corporate
social responsibility sponsored projects including Qatar’s first National
Road Safety campaign (One Second: http://dohanews.co/moi-rolls-out-
one-second-campaign-to-tackle-road/)

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Leadership – an innate ability to identify emerging trends and opportunities, to think quickly, logically and
intuitively to steer a team towards its goal. Works collaboratively in decision-making and is decisive when
required.
Recognising the need for national support for youth entrepreneurship I reached out to local public, private and
non-profit organisations to support the development of young entrepreneurs establishing the Design
Entrepreneurship Network. Finance was provided by founding partner Qatar Development Bank, training by the
Bedaya Centre for Entrepreneurship, legal advice from Al Tammimi Lawyers, PwC accounting support and
Tatoawar providing personal skills mentoring.
Visionary - With multi-campus support across Education City, Doha, I seized an opportunity to develop a
‘Specialized Freezone’ model for students and graduates of higher education in Qatar to legitimize early stage
start up activities. With funding of $1.5M dollars, the two-year incubation programme connects entrepreneurs
with Qatar’s business incubators for scale up and further investment opportunities hosted at VCUQatar.
Team Builder and Collaborator – An adept relationship builder, I have a proven track record in building
mutually beneficial collaborative and sustainable project teams and partnerships. Grant funding of QR500,000
from Qatar Shell and Qatar Petroleum enabled a unique collaboration of partner universities and research
specialists in the fields of design, ethnography, social anthropology, journalism, business and social innovation.
Collaborating partners included Carnegie Mellon, Georgetown, Northwestern, Qatar University, HBKU, Hamad
Medical Corporation and VCUQatar who worked together to identify the needs of migrant workers and local
communities in order to improve the quality of life for all stakeholders.
Creativity - ENTP’s are curious, spontaneous and intuitive with a practical focus that leads to action. Working
throughout my career I am able to seek information, absorb key facts and make appropriate creative decisions
and identify new opportunities that can affect the successful outcome of a new product or service. I have 30
years’ experience of how to nurture, test and finance new ideas and maximise the impact of research and
innovation in academic and private sector situations.
Emotional Intelligence – I am an active listener, an approachable team player and proactive practitioner. I am
extremely comfortable interacting with people of diverse nationalities, capability and core competencies. This
has been especially true whilst working in the Middle East where social norms are unfamiliar, systems complex
and regulatory parameters unclear, requiring good judgement and sensitivity to socio-cultural values.
Operational Management - Founder and CEO of Secure Storage Solutions – a business solutions provider in
the home-logistics market. Negotiated contracts for product sales and installation with Royal Mail, Innovations
and DHL. Happy employing my sophisticated communication skills to operate at strategic and tactical levels.
Communication Skills – comfortable presenting to senior corporate management (pitching) or large groups
(conferences and speaker engagements), small creative teams or mentoring individuals. Natural ability has
allowed me to achieve respect and credibility in the eyes of colleagues and key audiences across a diverse
range of organisations and sectors.

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Recent Case Study Projects
Developing Graduate Startup Incubation Facilities
Solution: With support from Maersk Oil Qatar and an investment of QR1.6M ($450,000) I established the
Young Entrepreneur Series graduate program 0 the first national incubation program dedicated to students and
graduates in Qatar, recruiting high-achieving graduates to develop sponsor-led projects related to corporate
social responsibility programs in Qatar. Sponsored projects included Qatar’s first National Road Safety
campaign (One Second), Action on Diabetes and migrant worker welfare initiatives.
Impact: Through a comprehensive user-centred research, design and development, the graduate team
developed the ‘One Second’ road safety campaign for Maersk Oil Qatar. Using above and below the line media
channels the campaign has now been adopted as the National Road Safety campaign.
Building Networks for Young Entrepreneurs
Solution: Reached out to local public, private and non-profit organisations to support the development of young
entrepreneurs with legal and accounting services, access to grant based finance and mentoring.
Impact: Established the Design Entrepreneurship Network with finance partner Qatar Development Bank;
training provided by The Bedaya Centre for Entrepreneurship; legal advice from Al Tamimi Lawyers; PwC
provided accounting support; Tatoawar provides personal skills mentoring; HBKU University, ICTQatar and
QBIC provide virtual office space and mentoring.
Legitimizing Entrepreneurship in Qatar – under Qatari law any person selling any item regardless of value
must have commercial registration license (cost: $65,000).
Solution: with commitment from leading university campuses on Education City including HBKU, Carnegie
Mellon University, Texas A&M, Georgetown University and Qatar University I developed a ‘Specialized
Freezone’ model for all students and graduates of higher education in Qatar to support and legitimize the early
stage start up activities of new businesses.
Impact: As a virtual space and a funding commitment of $1.5M dollars from Qatar Development Bank and the
ability to trade through a license provided by Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP) the initiative will
enable young entrepreneurs in any sector develop to pivot business models and secure customer validation
before committing to the commercial registration process. The two-year incubation program then connects
entrepreneurs with Qatar’s business incubators (ICTQatar, The Bedaya Centre and Qatar Business Incubator
Centre (QBIC) for scale up and further investment and loan opportunities.
National Business Idea Competition
Solution: In partnership with QMedia (Qatar’s leading media and publications company) I established the
QMedia Annual Business Idea Competition - an event for students across Education City to submit ideas for
new businesses. Using the Business Model Canvas students and graduates pitched business ideas to an
invited panel of investors, mentors and business professionals.
Impact: Enabled winning participants to secure QR10,000 to invest in equipment, prototyping or professional
services to develop and scale their business model.
Social Design Challenge: Migrant Worker Influx in the town of Al Khor
Solution: With grant funding of QR500,000 from Qatar Shell, Exxon Mobil and Qatar Petroleum, I brought
together a unique collaboration of partner universities and research specialists in the fields of design,
ethnography, social anthropology, journalism, business and social innovation, including Carnegie Mellon,
Georgetown, Northwestern, Qatar University, HBKU, Hamad Medical Corporation and VCUQatar
Impact: Research phase commences June 2015 to determine the needs, wants and desires of the migrant
workers, employers and local communities. The aim is to develop facilities and policies to improve the quality of
life for all stakeholders.

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Employment History
2015 – July 2016: Head of Incubation, QBIC Tourism, Qatar Business Incubation Centre
QBIC Tourism provides startups with the unique opportunity to develop a strong tourism industry that can
contribute to the economy for and beyond the FIFA World Cup 2022. QBIC Tourism startups have a rare
competitive edge, being among the first to start up in a fast growing market.
Develop and execute the QBIC Tourism launch plan and incubation strategy. Planned resources, delivered
business-modeling programmes, established monitoring processes and policies. Achieved initial incubation
targets within 5 months of operations. Developed a pipeline of relevant tourism startups and built the
foundations for a startup community. Supported the development of marketing and social media campaigns
attracting a 140% increase in new candidate applications. Worked strategically with social media and PR
agencies to communicate success stories and startup milestones. Conducted networking sessions to support
incubated companies to identify potential partners, customers and investors. Manage the incubation team and
provide regular reports on performance metrics and KPI’s. Consistently encourage innovation and creativity
through our startups to make an impact on the tourism sector in Qatar.
2011 – 2015: Director, Centre for Research, Design and Entrepreneurship, Virginia Commonwealth
University in Qatar
Built and sustained external relationships to develop research and design projects with local, regional and
international companies from the public, private and non-profit sectors. Developed entrepreneurial opportunities
for students and alumni, through embedded and extra-curricula initiatives. Provided leadership and vision to
guide the multi-disciplinary studio, ensuring alignment with the VCUQatar strategic plan and Qatar’s National
Strategy 2011-2016. Secured $10,000 sponsorship for national business idea competitions and internship
opportunities from QMedia. Established Qatar’s first dedicated graduate incubation program with over $1.5m
funding from Maersk Oil and Occidental Petroleum. Sourced $200,000 for faculty-led research projects from
Qatar Petroleum to investigate social innovation opportunities with migrant workers. Delivered over thirty
graduate-led design projects with private and public sector sponsors including FIFA, Interpol and Maserati.
1998 – 2011: Assistant Professor, Director of Enterprise, Cardiff Metropolitan University
Taught a range of creativity, business modelling, marketing and project management curriculum to students,
graduates and alumni. Led consultancy projects with local SME’s as part of knowledge exchange initiatives
generating income in excess of $100,000. Appointed Director of Enterprise leading enterprise projects and
design consultancy achieving three Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP’s) and Strategic Insight Programs
(SIP), enabling graduate employment, faculty research and new revenue streams. Built a substantial portfolio of
sponsors and project partners from the private and public sector for the mutual benefit of all stakeholders. Led
annual European Erasmus student exchanges with Belgium, Estonia and Italy with sponsorship from the British
Council. Mentored UG and PG candidates with a successful track record of spotting innovative ideas, judging
commercial opportunities and evaluating business models. Track record of peer-reviewed research publications
in sustainable design and social innovation. Accepted as a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
1995 – 1998: Design Manager, Mitsubishi Corporation and Mitsubishi Plastic Industries (MPI)
Led the development and implementation of a new Consumer Products Division utilising a $40M manufacturing
expansion programme for MPI. Identified opportunities for new product development in the housewares sector.
Led market analysis and financial justification. Managed new product development budget and external
suppliers. Led qualitative research to Identify customer needs and managed product development, user testing,
tool procurement, and corporate identity implementation for the brand launch.
1989 – 1995: Designer Manager, Addis Housewares Ltd
Responsible for corporate design strategy, in-house design team and the management of external design
agencies. Led the development of new products for the Addis range maintaining the brand as the market leader
for over 7 years. Managed design consultancy and product development for UK brands including Boots, Tesc o,
Asda, B&Q and Maws baby products.

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1987 – 1989: Senior Designer, The Sector Group Consultancy
Team-based design consultancy for leading brands Duracell and Apricot Computers. Engaged in all aspects of
new product development, prototype building and testing through to brand development and product launch.
1985 – 1987: Industrial Designer, ITT Europe,
Pan-European design team within ITT Europe’s main industrial design and technology section providing
innovative design and branding solutions for all European units. Key product launches included new PABX
systems, modems and digital networking hardware.
Serial Networker and Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Ambassador
I continue to play a central role in local entrepreneurial ecosystems wherever I work providing leadership,
mentoring and creative support to aspiring entrepreneurs. Recent projects and activities have included:
 Coach, judge and mentor for national business idea competitions (SDC, QSTP, CMU, Bedaya, QU)
 Occidental Petroleum Qatar: Young Entrepreneur Series graduate incubator sponsorship
 Qatar Shell: Community Outreach Sponsored Research Program: (QR512,000)
 Qatar Science and Technology Park: Free Zone for graduate’s initiative
 Qatar Museums: Graduate Endowment Program (QR1M sponsorship) for VCUQatar
 Sponsored projects: (United States Embassy, Dutch Embassy, Qatar)
 Social Innovation Sponsored Project ($500,000): Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy
 Qatar Olympic Committee: World Handball Championships - Host nation branding and mascot
 QMedia: Annual Business Idea competition with QR10,000 sponsorship)
 IKEA: graduate placements and sponsorship
 Maersk Oil Qatar: Young Entrepreneur Series graduate incubator sponsorship (QR1.5m)
 Qatar Duty Free: Product design and retail opportunities for entrepreneurs
 Red Bull ‘Flugtag’: Collaborative eco-aircraft project with Texas A&M University
 Msheireb Properties: ‘Pedestrian Walkway Bollards’
 Qatar National Food Security Program: Corporate Visual Identity and National Development
Publication
 Harley Davidson: Corporate gift design and project management
 Interpol: host nation brand identity design and project management
 Maserati: ‘The Colour Red’ - brand identity design and project management
 Ministry of the Interior: ‘One Second’ road safety national social media campaign
 COP 18: brand identity design and project management
 National Human Rights Association: Print design and Human Development Report designs
 Shell Eco Car Challenge – Kuala Lumpar Finalists
 MIT Arab Business Plan Competition: Lead Project Supervisor
Recent Research Publications/Presentations
2014: ‘The Role of Education: Preparing the New Generation of Entrepreneurs’, Carnegie Mellon University
2014: ‘Sustainable Futures’: Visiting Professor: Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar.
2011: ‘Inspiring Aspirations: Raising Qatari Employability, Entrepreneurship and Representation’, Qatar
Foundation.
2010: LeNS Conference: Sustainability in Design. Bangalore, October 2010. ‘Sustainable Social Design:
Essential principles for design educators’.
2008: ‘Social Design Interventions’: Essential principles for design educators’, 10th international Engineering
and Product Design Education Conference, Barcelona, Spain
2007: ‘Shaping the Future?’: 5th Engineering & Product Design Education International Conference,
Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
2000 – 2005: Secure Storage Solutions: Managing Director and Investor. Design development and
distribution of home security solutions for the home delivery logistics market in collaboration with Royal
Mail, and DHL. Sold the business in June 2005.

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Scholarly Recognition Awards
2008: Vice Chancellor’s Award for Excellence, Cardiff Metropolitan University, UK
External Examining - Visiting Professor, NOIDA, New Delhi, India. External Examiner, Nottingham Trent
University, BA Furniture Design, and BA Product Design 2003 – 2011.
UK Professional Memberships
2010 – present: Fellow, Higher Education Academy
2007 – present: Institute of Engineering Designers
2000 – present: Cardiff University Innovation Network
1998 – present: Wales Innovators Network
References: Academic and professional references are available upon request. Please contact me directly.