Engineering giant Renishaw has announced the appointment of a non-executive director.
Professor Karen Holford, will join the board of the FTSE 250 firm, which is based at Wotton-under-Edge in Gloucestershire, from September 1.
Ms Holford, who is chief executive and vice-chancellor at Cranfield University, will also join Renishaw's audit, nomination and remuneration committees.
Bosses at the London-listed company said that in an engineering career spanning both industry and academic, Ms Holford has previously held engineering roles with Rolls-Royce and AB Electronic Products, which culminated in a senior engineering management position leading a large mechanical design team.
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Moving into academia, and concentrating on research and development, Ms Holford more recently held leadership positions with Cardiff University before taking up her current positions at Cranfield University.
Commenting on the appointment, Sir David McMurtry, executive chairman said: "We are delighted to welcome Karen to the Board. She has a wealth of engineering and research and development experience bringing vital skills to the business."
As a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, Ms Holford received a CBE for services to engineering and the advancement of women in engineering in 2017.
Renishaw on International Women in Engineering Day, June 23 2023, opened its new science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) outreach facility at its headquarters site.
The new facility, bosses hope, will strengthen the company's existing education outreach efforts, by providing a dedicated space for local schoolchildren to visit to learn more about STEM subjects and associated careers. The facility was opened by professional downhill mountain bike racer, Rachel Atherton.
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