
Our Team
Meet the members of the SABMA team.
Meet the team
Leadership

Director of SABMA
Professor Yu Xiong
Associate Vice-President (External Engagement); Chair Professor of Business Analytics; Director, Surrey Academy for Blockchain and Metaverse Applications
Biography
Prof. Yu Xiong is the Associate Vice-President for External Engagement at the University of Surrey. Previously, he served as the Associate Dean International from 2020 to 2022. Professor Xiong is the founding director of the Surrey Centre for Innovation and Commercialization, where he has secured approximately £2 million to support various activities within the university ecosystem. He is also the founding director of the Surrey Academy for Blockchain and Metaverse Applications, where he has obtained an additional £2 million in funding to support the university's education, training, and research in blockchain business applications. Professor Yu Xiong holds the Chair of Business Analytics at the Surrey Business School and is an academic member of the Department of Business Transformation.
Before joining Surrey, he held positions at the University of York as an EPSRC Research Fellow, Queen's University Belfast as a Lecturer and Director of the China Management Research Institute, the University of East Anglia as an Associate Professor and Associate Director of External Engagement for Norwich Business School, and at Northumbria University as a Professor and Director of Enterprise Engagement, Faculty Lead for Knowledge Exchange, and Head of the Supply Chain Management Group. He is the Chair of the Advisory Board of the UK's All-Party Parliamentary Group on Metaverse and Web 3.0, and a Board member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Blockchain.
Professor Xiong's research focuses on sustainable and technological issues within global supply chains, and he has published in leading international journals such as the European Journal of Operational Research, Nature Communications, International Journal of Production Research, Journal of Business Research, International Journal of Production Economics, and the Journal of the Operational Research Society, among others. He has served as a guest editor for the International Journal of Operations and Production Management, Technovation, and the International Journal of Technology Management. According to Elsevier, from 2014-2020, he ranks third in the UK for his research outputs in Closed-Loop Supply Chain and Remanufacturing, and he is the top-cited researcher in the UK in this category. One of his publications in Nature Communications has achieved an Altmetrics score of almost 2000, placing it among the most significant scientific achievements in 2021 and including it in the Timeline of Computing for that year.
Professor Xiong's research has received funding from prominent organizations, including the EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council), Research England, the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy, the British Academy, the British Council, the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult, the Satellite Applications Catapult, and many more private companies. He was a Fellow of the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership(2016-2023) and a Visiting Professor in Computer Science at the University of York, as well as a visiting professor at Durham University Business School.
In terms of innovation commercialization, Professor Xiong has extensive experience working as a director and chair of companies. While in Newcastle, he facilitated an £8 million investment to establish TusPark Newcastle, which has created a significant impact on ecosystem innovation in the North of England. He is a Strategic Advisor to the Satellite Application Catapult, appointed by the CEO, and recently became the managing director of OxValue.ai, a joint venture with the University of Oxford, focusing on early-stage technology valuation. Professor Xiong has contributed to the growth of more than 40 companies in the UK, he is also the core team member of Fotor, one of the leading Generative AI platforms in the world, that has 650 million users.
In the sustainability domain, Professor Xiong has dedicated much of his time to developing real-world projects. He was a company director for the ADAPT Group, running a £50 million Low Carbon Innovation Fund. He has also worked on various projects with UNESCO related to the Sustainable Development Goals, was a board director of 99P Recycling Limited, and served as a trustee for the charity Magna Carta World Peace and Sustainability Foundation. In 2018, he was appointed as Director and Chair of the London Fashion Fund, which is fully funded by the Mayor's Office of London to support sustainable fashion startups. His research was highlighted by the BBC as one of the 26 UK projects celebrating COP26 in 2021.
In the blockchain sphere, Professor Xiong is the Chair of the advisory board of the UK's All-Party Parliamentary Group on Metaverse and Web 3.0, and scientific advisor to PIXIE, a pioneering blockchain-enabled photo/video sharing social media platform. He is also a lead member of the Maxity project, supporting charity fundraising through NFTs. According to Altmetrics, his research about blockchain, which was published in National Communication , is currently ranked as the world's number one for impact among academic publications featuring the keyword "blockchain." He is now Principal Investigator to the influential research about tourism tokenomic model, funded by the largest tourism resort company in the world, Therme Group.
Prof. Xiong's accomplishments extend beyond his professional achievements; in 2012, he was honored to be a London Olympic Torchbearer. In 2015, he received the distinguished May 4th Medal, also also received the 2021 Global Ghandi Award in House of Lords of the UK Parliament.

Senior Lecturer in blockchain business models, SABMA
Dr Senmao Xia
Programme Director for Blockchain and Metaverse Business Model
Biography
Senmao serves as the Vice President for Chinese Economic Association (Europe/UK) and acts as the editorial leadership for a few international leading journals. For instance, he is the managing editor for the Journal of Chinese Economic and Business Association (ABS 1), the associate editor for the EuroMed Journal of Business (ABS 1) & Frontiers in Psychology (SSCI), as well as the editorial board member of the International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior and Research (ABS 3, SSCI) & the Journal of Innovation and Knowledge (JCR Q1, IF 11, SSCI). He served as the guest editor for Technovation (Abs 3, SSCI) & the International Journal of Technology Management (ABS 2, SSCI). Senmao is the Senior Fellow of Higher Education Academy, UK. He acts as an advisor for a few firms in London.

Frankie Lai
Operations Manager, SABMA
Biography
Frankie Lai was Full Stack Developer of Maxity.io Project, Back End Developer of Fintech company SpinnerTech, IT Manager at The University of Hong Kong, Member of Hyperledger Community, Senior Technical Consultant for hedge fund analytics application in Linedata Services(HK) Limited.
He’s expertise for Web3/DApp/NFT architect using Ethereum and Polygon smart contracts. Frankie was the representative in Joint Universities Computer Centre for blockchain student portfolio project in Hong Kong.
SABMA Advisory Board

Patrick Degg
Vice-President, Global
Biography
Mr Degg joined the University of Surrey in 2017, where now, as Vice-President (External Engagement), and a member of the University’s Executive Board, Patrick’s portfolio brings together all of the University’s external engagement activities globally, including advancement (leading teams responsible for managing the University’s relations - both philanthropic and otherwise - with its alumni and supporters), events, trans-national education, academic partnerships, student/staff mobility, communications and public relations, and international student recruitment strategy.

Professor Yu Xiong
Associate Vice-President (External Engagement); Chair Professor of Business Analytics; Director, Surrey Academy for Blockchain and Metaverse Applications
Biography
Prof. Yu Xiong is the Associate Vice-President for External Engagement at the University of Surrey. Previously, he served as the Associate Dean International from 2020 to 2022. Professor Xiong is the founding director of the Surrey Centre for Innovation and Commercialization, where he has secured approximately £2 million to support various activities within the university ecosystem. He is also the founding director of the Surrey Academy for Blockchain and Metaverse Applications, where he has obtained an additional £2 million in funding to support the university's education, training, and research in blockchain business applications. Professor Yu Xiong holds the Chair of Business Analytics at the Surrey Business School and is an academic member of the Department of Business Transformation.
Before joining Surrey, he held positions at the University of York as an EPSRC Research Fellow, Queen's University Belfast as a Lecturer and Director of the China Management Research Institute, the University of East Anglia as an Associate Professor and Associate Director of External Engagement for Norwich Business School, and at Northumbria University as a Professor and Director of Enterprise Engagement, Faculty Lead for Knowledge Exchange, and Head of the Supply Chain Management Group. He is the Chair of the Advisory Board of the UK's All-Party Parliamentary Group on Metaverse and Web 3.0, and a Board member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Blockchain.
Professor Xiong's research focuses on sustainable and technological issues within global supply chains, and he has published in leading international journals such as the European Journal of Operational Research, Nature Communications, International Journal of Production Research, Journal of Business Research, International Journal of Production Economics, and the Journal of the Operational Research Society, among others. He has served as a guest editor for the International Journal of Operations and Production Management, Technovation, and the International Journal of Technology Management. According to Elsevier, from 2014-2020, he ranks third in the UK for his research outputs in Closed-Loop Supply Chain and Remanufacturing, and he is the top-cited researcher in the UK in this category. One of his publications in Nature Communications has achieved an Altmetrics score of almost 2000, placing it among the most significant scientific achievements in 2021 and including it in the Timeline of Computing for that year.
Professor Xiong's research has received funding from prominent organizations, including the EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council), Research England, the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy, the British Academy, the British Council, the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult, the Satellite Applications Catapult, and many more private companies. He was a Fellow of the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership(2016-2023) and a Visiting Professor in Computer Science at the University of York, as well as a visiting professor at Durham University Business School.
In terms of innovation commercialization, Professor Xiong has extensive experience working as a director and chair of companies. While in Newcastle, he facilitated an £8 million investment to establish TusPark Newcastle, which has created a significant impact on ecosystem innovation in the North of England. He is a Strategic Advisor to the Satellite Application Catapult, appointed by the CEO, and recently became the managing director of OxValue.ai, a joint venture with the University of Oxford, focusing on early-stage technology valuation. Professor Xiong has contributed to the growth of more than 40 companies in the UK, he is also the core team member of Fotor, one of the leading Generative AI platforms in the world, that has 650 million users.
In the sustainability domain, Professor Xiong has dedicated much of his time to developing real-world projects. He was a company director for the ADAPT Group, running a £50 million Low Carbon Innovation Fund. He has also worked on various projects with UNESCO related to the Sustainable Development Goals, was a board director of 99P Recycling Limited, and served as a trustee for the charity Magna Carta World Peace and Sustainability Foundation. In 2018, he was appointed as Director and Chair of the London Fashion Fund, which is fully funded by the Mayor's Office of London to support sustainable fashion startups. His research was highlighted by the BBC as one of the 26 UK projects celebrating COP26 in 2021.
In the blockchain sphere, Professor Xiong is the Chair of the advisory board of the UK's All-Party Parliamentary Group on Metaverse and Web 3.0, and scientific advisor to PIXIE, a pioneering blockchain-enabled photo/video sharing social media platform. He is also a lead member of the Maxity project, supporting charity fundraising through NFTs. According to Altmetrics, his research about blockchain, which was published in National Communication , is currently ranked as the world's number one for impact among academic publications featuring the keyword "blockchain." He is now Principal Investigator to the influential research about tourism tokenomic model, funded by the largest tourism resort company in the world, Therme Group.
Prof. Xiong's accomplishments extend beyond his professional achievements; in 2012, he was honored to be a London Olympic Torchbearer. In 2015, he received the distinguished May 4th Medal, also also received the 2021 Global Ghandi Award in House of Lords of the UK Parliament.

Professor Josef Kittler
Distinguished Professor
Biography
I have been a Research Assistant in the Engineering Department of Cambridge University (1973--75), SERC Research Fellow at the University of Southampton (1975-77), Royal Society European Research Fellow, Ecole Nationale Superieure des Telecommuninations, Paris (1977--78), IBM Research Fellow, Balliol College, Oxford (1978--80), Principal Research Associate, SERC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (1980--84) and Principal Scientific Officer, SERC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (1985).
I also worked as the SERC Coordinator for Pattern Analysis (1982), and was Rutherford Research Fellow in Oxford University, Dept. Engineering Science (1985).
I joined the Department of Electrical Engineering of Surrey University in 1986 as a Reader in Information Technology, and became Professor of Machine Intelligence in 1991 and gained the title Distinguished Professor in 2004.

Professor Steve Wood
Dean of Surrey Business School and Professor of Retail Marketing and Management
Biography
Professor Steve Wood has been Dean of Surrey Business School since 2019. Currently responsible for 120 academic staff and 2,500 students, Steve has wide-ranging experience of academic leadership, including accreditation, the Research Excellence Framework (REF) submission and forming business school strategy. He was previously Director of Research, School REF lead, as well as Head of the Department of Marketing. Earlier in his academic career, Steve was Reader in Strategy, University of Southampton (2011-2012), and Lecturer/Senior Lecturer at University of Surrey (2005-2011). Prior to 2005, Steve spent three years at Tesco plc in its marketing and property departments advising on store development strategy both domestically and abroad and has experience as a Retail Analyst for Verdict Research, a London-based retail consultancy.
Steve's research particularly focuses on retailing, including internationalization, online retailing (and product returns), store location planning, competition policy, supply networks and pricing. He is European and Africa Regional Editor for the International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, a member of the editorial board of Journal of Business Research and has been cited by the press in publications such as The Economist, China Daily and Retail Week. He has been a member of the Economic and Social Research Council’s (ESRC) Peer Review College since 2015. In 2019 he was Visiting Professor at Global Production Networks Centre at the National University of Singapore. Steve has received research funding from the John Lewis Partnership, SONY, Advanced Institute of Management (AIM), British Academy of Management (BAM), NEMODE/EPSRC and the Nuffield Foundation. An experienced examiner, he was most recently external examiner for undergraduate management programmes at University of Bristol (2017-2022), having fulfilled the same role at the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford (2011-2014) amongst others.
Since 2018, Steve has been a Trustee of Bohunt Education Trust, a Multi Academy Trust comprising eight secondary schools and over 11,000 students, where he Chairs the Trust’s Education Committee. Earlier, between 2012-15, he sat on the governing body of Ash Manor School where he was Chair of its Curriculum Committee. He is also a leader at his local village Cub Scout pack in Hampshire and Assistant Manager of the mighty Under 14s Liphook Pumas football team. Steve is a season ticket holder at Portsmouth FC and still regularly attends matches at his first love, Chelsea FC. He is often to be found kayaking in rivers and the sea or out running.

Ruth Gill
Director of Faculty Operations at the University of Surrey
Biography
Ruth has experience of the University’s Faculty of Social Sciences and the integration of complex projects and priorities.

Pam Jestico
Lay Council Member at the University of Surrey and Advisory Board Member in the Surrey Business School
Biography
Pam is an international banker with over 30 years experience, predominantly within the financial restructuring sector. During her career with HSBC where she was a Managing Director of the global restructuring team, Pam worked with a wide range of companies from small agricultural businesses to global multinational groups in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America, and the US.

Professor John Collomosse
Professor of Computer Vision. Director DECaDE: EPSRC Centre for the Decentralised Digital Economy
Biography
John Collomosse is a Professor of Computer Vision at the Centre for Vision Speech and Signal Processing (CVSSP), one the UK’s largest academic research groups for Artificial Intelligence with over 150 researchers John is a Visiting Professor at Adobe Research, Creative Intelligence Lab (San Jose, CA). John joined CVSSP in 2009. Previously he was an Assistant Professor at the Department of Computer Science, University of Bath where he completed his PhD in 2004 on the topic of AI for Image Stylization. John has also spent periods of time in commercial R&D, working for IBM UK Labs (Hursley), Vodafone R&D (Munich), Hewlett Packard Labs (Bristol); the latter under a Royal Academy of Engineering fellowship. John is a Chartered Engineer (C.Eng, 2013) and since 2018 a member of the EPSRC ICT Strategic Advisory Team (SAT) and UKRI Digital Economy Programme Advisory Board (PAB).
John leads the digital creativity lab at CVSSP focusing on the interaction of Computer Vision, Graphics and AI for the creative industries, specifically for human performance capture, video post-production and vfx, and intuitive visual search (particularly sketch search). He also heads up the Surrey Blockchain activity exploring the fusion of AI and Distributed Ledger Technologies.
John is the Course Director for MSc in Computer Vision, Robotics and Machine Learning and the Deputy Director of Teaching for undergraduate programmes with the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. John teaches the Image Processing and Deep Learning (EEEM063), and Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (EEE3032) modules.
Full details of John's publications including PDFs are on his personal website - the publications tab on this page is automatically generated and may not be complete or accurate.

Jianjun (Jordan) Shi
Head of investment and managing partner of JKL capital
Biography
Jianjun (Jordan) Shi is Head of investment and managing partner of JKL capital. For 25 years he has been working in management career spanning various industries across Europe and Asia, with roles in recent decade as Director for Amazon UK then overall leader for Alibaba international consumer business. He was trained as an Engineer in Chemistry and Computer Science and holds an EMBA degree from London Business School.