Christopher Freeman Email & Phone Number

Edify is a no-code, multi-player, immersive learning platform which uses 3D content and game engine technology to delivery collaborative experiences. As CPO, I oversee the creation and definition of the Edify product, ensuring alignment with the strategic goals of the founders. Reporting directly to the board of directors, I collaborate closely with the go-to-market teams to ensure all business functions share a common vision and strategic alignment on product goals. Leveraging my extensive experience in the immersive sector, I drive user experience design and engineering roadmaps to transform a technology-centric solution into a scalable product. I have 6 direct reports formed of Directors in Design, Engineering, Product, Studio, and Projects, and lead on creating processes, working practices and strategies to turn the company vision into reality. Other core duties include:• Key decision-maker with ownership and sign-off responsibility across all product verticals.• Manage product vertical leads, assessing growth, resource, and capacity planning, ensuring alignment with the strategic roadmap, adherence to all team processes, and project delivery best practices.• Foster a data-driven culture, gathering market, customer, and product data to establish consumer metrics and KPIs, driving iteration and improvement.• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to continuously review product market fit, including routine assessment of the defensible core.• Line manage and mentor the product leadership group, providing support and guidance around decision-making and fostering a culture of trust and continuous improvement.• Regularly report to the board of directors on product status and team performance.

As VP for Product, I was responsible for Sublime Digital’s industrial Product strategy, with global oversight of Product and R&D activities. I developed a cohesive technology and project roadmap focused on IP generation, successfully overseeing a portfolio of immersive and digital twin digital products, delivering projects valued at over £5m. Leveraging my knowledge of the UK grant funding ecosystem, I was responsible for fund-raising, writing collaborative proposals raising over £2m in additional run-way. Other core duties included:• Primary point of contact for roadmap development and product discovery activities.• Management of the design and engineering units using both agile and waterfall methodologies.• Creation of a skills and recruitment strategy, building a team to execute the portfolio roadmap.• Leading on all dissemination and outreach activities around the roadmap in order to attract external interest in the work being undertaken and identify potential commercial partnership opportunities.• Consortium building in the R&D and innovation space to identify both commercial and academic partners to unlock further grant funded opportunities.• Ensuring all project process, documentation, and reporting conformed with funder guidelines.• Financial control of the R&D programme, managing expenditure across staff, operations and materials.• Leading on project ideation and setup, including programme development, capacity planning, resourcing, and timeline planning.

Sheffield, United Kingdom

I was part of the senior leadership team at the AMRC's state-of-the-art facility, Factory 2050, responsible for managing the digital manufacturing roadmap, and a portfolio of digital products. These products encompassed various ‘Industry 4.0’ technologies, including Digital Twin, IoT, AI, and immersive technologies. As lead, I oversaw projects worth over £20m, leading across all research outputs and project delivery. Other core duties included:• Defining the research agenda and executing across a range of digital products, fostering strategic relationships and collaboration with industrial practitioners, academic peers, and research institutes.• Led all road mapping and product discovery activities across the digital portfolio, identifying gaps in both the research and competency of the theme in accordance with a range of industrial partner requirements.• Management of the design, engineering and project delivery units, leading on the management of all programme level tasks including process adherence, resource management, risk management and QA.• Representation of the group at AMRC board level and support board level decision making research strategy, funding mechanisms and growth plans.• Representing the AMRC and the High Value Manufacturing Catapult to support government agencies on strategic policy-shaping activities, ensuring theme alignment with UK and global trends and opportunities.

Sheffield, United Kingdom

I scaled and managed a group focused developing a range of technology centric solutions which aligned with the digital assembly and wearable technology roadmaps of our industrial partners. I led on all project scoping and product discovery activities, plus client liaison and project management. Other core duties included:• Creation of a skills and recruitment strategy, building a team to execute the portfolio roadmap.• Programme management, incorporating scoping, costing, purchasing, resourcing and through life monitoring of technical progress, operating in accordance with ISO 9100.• Group responsibility for business development within the partner network, providing front of house thought leadership, helping to build consortia and secure project income to ensure group fiscal independence.

Sheffield, United Kingdom

As interest in immersive technology burgeoned both within the AMRC and with our industrial partners, I worked to expand the competency, taking ownership of the immersive project portfolio. I was also tasked with broadening my remit to become much more R&D orientated. The work conducted resulted in gaining my Technical Fellowship. Core duties included: • Further the groups capability and drive a range of thought leadership activities in the immersive space.• Setup, manage and maintain the flow of project information in an ISO 9001 environment.

Sheffield, United Kingdom

As a System Developer I was recruited to support the development and delivery of VR projects. The creation of the experiences often entailed modelling / adapting the content (invariably 3D CAD) for consumption in the VR Engine, and then programming the various interactions and outputs using a generic an Objective-C programming language. Core duties included:• Responsibility for the day-to-day scheduling and maintenance of the VR systems. • Drive academic credibility through the publication of peer review journals and papers for conferences.

Sheffield, United Kingdom

Employed to work as part of the Business Implementation Management team. First point of contact for B2B telephone technical support problems occurring during media installations. • Diary management & validation of business media orders being sent out to contractors.• General administrative duties including the continuous maintenance of in-house databases.• Provision of a clear audit trail and operate in accordance with numerous Ofcom regulations and strict compliance procedures.

Sheffield, United Kingdom

I was a designer tasked with designing both custom and system-based stands for a range of high profile clients. Utilising a range of CG tools, both 2D and 3D, I would operate from briefing and design through to providing support and guidance for fabrication and installation.• Responsibility for all work incoming and outgoing work from the design team, providing effectual project management, ensuring workloads are managed, measured and monitored so as to meet agreed organisational performance plans. • Client liaison and account management throughout the course of the design programme.• The design of custom and system based exhibition stands.• The implementation, delivery and maintenance of the company render farm.• Daily use of high end design and CAD software.Due to the economic climate at the time, Clear Exhibitions Ltd ceased trading.

Sheffield, United Kingdom

Antick Ltd was set up in 2006 to offer an agency CGI covering visualisation and animation. I operated across a range of operational and technical functions, from being hands on with 3D CAD, graphics and animation software, to sales and marketing as I looked to build a pipeline of work and a create long standing commercial partners.• The continued research and development of both software and hardware enabling the business to stay at the forefront of the industry.• Develop and implement an efficient, manageable and cost effective workflow.• Dealing with strict budgetary requirements and assisting in the management of all associated monetary account and business handling.• Effective project and operations management, ensuring workloads are managed, measured and monitored so as to meet agreed organisational performance plans. Plan and develop appropriate strategic systems, designed to report on operational effectiveness. • Account management and retention, incorporating ongoing client liaison, Responsible for managing, supporting, and servicing the accounts related to the needs of strategic customers. • Creating and delivering a cross platform marketing strategy.• Continual professional development.• Create a corporate identity which is consistent and applicable through a number of mediums including all presentation material and web based media.• Lead Visualiser, ensuring a consistent quality of work.Due to the economic climate at the time, Antick Ltd ceased trading.

Sheffield, United Kingdom

I was recruited to assist in the delivery of a wide range of interior design projects and head up the companies 3D modelling and visualisation capability. The firm operated across a range of projects from high street bars and clubs to large scale housing developments• Research and development into all aspects of 3D Visualisation and animation, including hardware specifications and extensive software testing.• Implementation of the CGI department within the business creating a marketable and profitable product, utilising servers/render farms and additional third-party software• Assisting in the design, development and specifications of all Interior Architecture work.• Provide CAD assistance for other aspects of the business, including extensive work in the housing and interior sectors.

Ma, Design & Manufacture

Ba (Hons), Interior Design

Gce A-Levels, English, Art, Geography, A-C