Dr Poonam Malik
Dr. Poonam Malik is a distinguished entrepreneurial business strategist, Life Sciences leader, and an investor in innovation- with extensive DeepTech expertise, working with MedTech, biotech, health, and digital transformation businesses. She is Executive Chairperson of the Board and Co-Founder of Microplate Dx Ltd, a multi-award winning, disruptive MedTech Diagnostic company tackling the global challenge of Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR). Dr. Malik is Vice President, Business (Economy and Enterprise), for the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE), and Chairs the Economy & Enterprise Committee for the RSE, Scotland’s National Academy for Sciences. Poonam is an elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) and the Royal Society of Biology (FRSB).
A GlobalScot, with over 30 years of experience, Dr. Malik holds impactful roles on many National Boards including- Scottish Enterprise (SE) Board with Scottish Development International (SDI)’s international remit, Chair of the SE Board Remuneration Committee and Climate Board Champion; and Non-Executive Director at Skills Development Scotland (SDS) Board, Scotland's National Skills Agency and Member of SDS Board’s Audit and Risk Committee - advising on economic growth, investment, entrepreneurship, innovation, sustainability, skills, talent and policy development.
Dr Malik was invited to join ‘The Connecting Capability Fund- Research England Development (CCF-RED), £60 Million Fund’ as a Panel Member (2023-25). One of 3 International Experts invited outside the English Ecosystem, alongside Stanford and Leuven Universities Commercialisation leaders- to shape CCF-RED Fund Strategy and allocation implementation for building Entrepreneurial and Commercialisation Ecosystem for English Higher Education Providers/Universities with private commercial partners- for £30-60million towards projects between £3- £5/10 million over three/five years.
Dr. Malik was appointed Co-Chair of ‘New Deal for Business Group (NDBG)’ in 2023 by Scotland’s First Minister- Co-sharing the role with Deputy First Minister & Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Ms Kate Forbes, MSP, working with business leaders and organisations to deepen collaboration between the private sector, businesses and the government (till June 2025).
Formerly, Head of Investments at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow (till June 2024), Dr. Malik led Venture investments into Spinouts, Spinins & Startup companies from Two Funds, returning multi-million Pounds profits via a number of significant exits and management responsibility for a portfolio of >35 innovative investee companies. Working with General Partners, she led organisational participation in the £85million Institutional Venture Fund. In the past 15 years she has completed >55 deal transactions as a Founder/Chair, Institutional Investor and Angel Investor, including risk capital investments (VC, Angel, Family Offices/PE), in the UK, Europe, North America and Asia.
Dr Malik is a former Governor/ Non-Executive Director, and Chair of the Remuneration Committee of the Court at the University of Highlands and Islands (from 2017-2024). She is a Former Non-Executive Director and Trustee at the Firstport (from 2017-2024), a charity and B-Corp social enterprise development national agency, and Director at FirstImpact Business Ltd (2019- 2025) helping Scotland’s social entrepreneurs. She has held leadership roles across private, public and social enterprise/charity sectors, working internationally in Asia, India and the UK and Academic positions at the Universities of Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Cumbria/ Lancaster.
Dr Malik Champions investment in UnderRepresented and Diverse Women founders and supports business leaders as Advisor, with Mentorship and Coaching. She has received several honours/Awards, including ‘Business Woman of the Year 2023’ and 'Asian Tech Pioneer 2024' for Business, and ‘Scottish Women’s Award 2025 for Achievements in the Science & Technology’ sectors. Poonam holds a PhD in Biomedical Sciences/Virology from the University of Glasgow, UK, an MBA (Distinction) in 'Strategy and Leadership' from the University of Edinburgh Business School UK, and a Masters (MSc) in Biotechnology & a Bachelors (BSc) in Chemistry & Zoology from India.
