Innovia Technology’s mission is to help our clients outperform their competition and change the world for good through breakthrough innovation. Change often plays a big role in that, so you’d be forgiven for thinking that Innovia itself is a place that’s constantly changing. The reality is that we’re actually a place of many constants.

For 25 years, Dr Geraint Davies has been one of those constants.

G, as he prefers to be known, completed his Undergraduate Degree at the University of Oxford and holds a PhD in Physics from the University of Cambridge. As a Co-Founder and, until 2021, Board member at Innovia Technology, G has worked on everything from currency to healthcare and food to digital manufacturing. As he comes to retirement, it feels like an appropriate moment to reflect on all he has brought to our business, our clients, and our team.

One of G’s earliest contributions was to provide an office space. Innovia Technology’s first office was in a spare bedroom at G’s family home. A shelf in the family fridge was commandeered for lunchtime provisions and computer cables trailed around the house.

When G thinks back to Innovia Technology’s earliest days, he remembers it as a time of great excitement. In addition to the exciting projects for clients, G (and his colleagues) have clear memories of the time that G caused a police incident when he decided to drill holes in a nearby wall to install a bicycle anchor post: he hadn’t realised it was the wall of a bank vault!

Stories like these were shared at a recent company meeting, to mark his retirement. Our CEO and Chairman, Dr Alastair MacGregor, also shared how, from the first time they met, he found G to be someone who thinks both quickly and differently. This helps him make unusual connections easily, so G was an obvious person to work with when setting up a business with holistic innovation at its heart. Alastair reflected on how G has cared for people during difficult times and has brought an infectious enthusiasm to all he does. The same care and enthusiasm has been applied to scores of client assignments over the years.

Alastair added that G’s ability to think about the long-term has been particularly appreciated. From Innovia’s inception we harnessed G’s talent for recruitment and recognising who could be a good long-term addition to the business. When asked what he’s most proud of at Innovia, G told us that, alongside the client value Innovia has created, it’s the people he’s helped recruit: which is most of us at Innovia! His philosophy has always been to insist that Innovia only recruit someone when they are absolutely the best, brightest, and most creative: magic clearly happens when these types of people are put in a room together.

Most recently his long-term thinking has been evident in his approach to retirement – he’s coached the next generation of leaders, and as he stepped down from the Innovia Board, has shown us all how we can plan to retire well.

When asked as to what G would like us all to know of him and his time at Innovia, he said he wanted our clients and team alike to know just how much fun he’s had doing innovation and making breakthroughs. Whilst there have of course been stressful times in the last 25 years, the vast majority of his time at Innovia has been fun and he’d do it all over again.

We’re going to miss G – his wit, infectious laugh, comedy t-shirts and action-orientated approach has been formative in shaping Innovia to become Innovia what it is today. But we’re also excited for him about the future – as we’d guess he’s only changing course, not slowing down, and he’s got a long to-do list to start working through!

Thank you for helping us to make the magic happen G.
We look forward to welcoming you for lunch soon.