Treve Willis is the IAS Project Director, as well as a Director of Oxford Innovation and a key part of the management team that has grown the company over the last seven years, moving into the 2003 Sunday Times Virgin Atlantic Fast Track 100 list. Treve has considerable experience in the technology sector, having worked mostly in materials science, engineering and knowledge based companies. This includes technical development of ideas, Production Management, including Kaizen, both within a large corporation and in a spin-out, Technical Marketing and IPR assessment both within companies and as a consultant. This work has included working with many universities and research organisations in the UK and around the world, and several Faraday Partnerships.

Treve has extensive experience in working with early stage technology companies and technology clusters. The experience is from many angles, including that of a hands-on manager in a corporate spin-out, through to working as a management consultant, and with growing Oxford Innovation itself. While working for Alcan Treve worked on R&D into advanced aluminium alloys for powder metallurgy; then became an essential part of the management team to commercialise the technology, along the way becoming an expert on powder explosion prevention, culminating in being the Plant Manager for the start up company. This role expanded to include Technical Marketing.

Treve has worked with several technology clusters including the establishment of the Oxfordshire Motor Sport Industry Forum in 1996 which he developed into a national forum for the motorsport industry. As a result, Treve has a thorough understanding of technology commercialisation issues from both within and from outside both large and small organisations, as well as the dynamics of university and corporate research.