Scott James O'Brien

Commander
DISC Type : D

Advisory Board Member, Enterprising Women at Murray Edwards College, Cambridge

Lewes, England, United Kingdom

Overview

Scott is the Chief Investment Officer at Innovate UK, where he manages a £450m+ portfolio blending public and private capital to finance high-growth SMEs. His expertise lies at the intersection of policy, capital markets, and R&D funding, with a focus on supporting founders in frontier technology.

Outside of his primary role, Scott serves as a Governor and Audit Chair for Plumpton College, reflecting an interest in developing skills for green technologies and rural industries. He is also passionate about supporting women-led investment teams, serving on several advisory boards to back their initiatives.

He directs loan and grant programs that have successfully leveraged over £1. 5 billion in private capital for innovative UK businesses.

Personality Overview

Very Quick

Candid & Clear

Decisive

They are not always relationship oriented.  They respond better to strong and respectful interactions. They like to move fast and expect the same from others.

Topics They Care About

Financing Innovation
Leads Innovate UK's strategy for its £450m+ portfolio, designing investment models that blend public and private capital to support high-risk, high-growth SMEs.
SME Growth
Focuses on unlocking finance for R&D-intensive SMEs, helping them navigate critical growth stages from later-stage R&D through to commercialisation.
Impact Investing
Aims to design investment models that drive systemic change and create economic and societal impact, not just incremental financial returns.

Media Appearances

Scott has no verified media appearances

Work History

4-2025
Advisory Board Member, Enterprising Women at Murray Edwards College, Cambridge
11-2022
Governor & Audit Chair at Plumpton College
3-2022
Chief Investment Officer at Innovate UK
7-2021 - 6-2025
Non-Executive Director at Buyerdock
5-2020 - 3-2022
Deputy Director (Credit) at Innovate UK

Education

Education details unavailable from Emanuel School
Education details unavailable from St Mary’s University, Twickenham

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 26 Location : Lewes, England, United Kingdom Job Level : Leadership Designation : Advisory Board Member, Enterprising Women at Murray Edwards College, Cambridge
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Insights For Selling To Scott James

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Help them weigh the risks by sharing objective proof points without becoming too analytical
  • Use phrases like ‘it’s your decision’, ‘strategic impact’ etc.
  • Make sure that you circle back fast on any action items, it wins their trust

DONT's

  • Don’t be in a rush to invite them for a social meet and greet
  • Do not hesitate from asking counter questions, just avoid challenging their authority
  • Do not back off when challenged, respond with a confident, objective answer instead

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Scott James is

  • Conviction around the impact matters the most to them, followed by a sense of achievement and ROI.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Scott James

  • If they are not convinced, they will say no without any hesitation.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Scott James move?

  • They can reach decisions fairly quickly if they are convinced.
  • Can Scott James take some risk or not?

  • They don’t mind risks but can be quite binary about them.

You And Scott James

Personality Compatibility


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