Impulsonics Introducing: Steve Kitson, Chair of the Board of Directors
Welcome to the Fifth in our Impulsonics Introducing series about the people who make our team run in their own words. Up next is our Steve Kitson, Chair to the Board of Directors.
1. What do you do at Impulsonics?
I’m the chair of the board of directors. As directors, our job is to step back and look at how the company is doing, assess what the challenges are and decide on the best strategy to deliver success for our shareholders. My task is to make sure that we have a group of directors with different experiences and backgrounds and that we work together to find the best way forwards.
2. What’s your background?
I started out as a physicist – working on optics and display technology. My career has taken me from academia to government Labs, and then to industry – I spent a large portion of my career at Hewlett Packard Labs in Bristol. In 2013 I co-founded and led a tech company which I successfully exited in 2019.
The building that Impulsonics is in (Future Space) used to be part of HP’s site when I started, and then later became part of UWE, and was where we first started our business. It’s rather cool to be back there at the beginning of a new journey!
Having been through the roller coaster ride of building a business, I’m now helping others on the same journey. I’m currently the chair of 3 businesses and an adviser to others.
3. What inspired you to join impulsonics?
I’m passionate about helping founders get their technology out of the Lab and into the world where it can make a difference. I want to be able to point at products and solutions that I’ve helped make real.
I started helping Luke a couple of years ago, as he was beginning to think about the application of the neat ultrasound technology that he’d developed. During that time, we’ve been on a journey of discovery and have found some truly important problems that Impulsonics can help solve. And on top of that, Impulsonics is a really good team of people to work with – that’s a pretty inspiring mix!
4. What part of your job excites you?
I love seeing the technology turning into something that end customers get excited by and are desperate to get hold of. And I get huge satisfaction from seeing the team grow and develop as they go on this journey.
5. What do you like to do outside of work?
We like getting outside and walking, exploring new areas. We seem to like heading North – Iceland, Norway and Orkney have been favourites over recent years. Maybe we have some Viking ancestry!
Fossil hunting is a favourite activity – wandering along a Dorset beach looking for fossils, especially if there’s a decent coffee shop at the end! We do have far too many fossils now though!
6. If Impulsonics had a coat of arms what would you put on it and why?
Well, I like penguins, so it would be tempting to include a penguin somehow! And maybe a motto…”moved by sound” ? Maybe it needs to be in Latin!
7. Can you describe your role using only emojis?
To get in touch with Steve or any of the Impulsonics team please email enquiry [@] impulsonics.com
