Meet The Team

Vanessa has over 20 years of leadership experience in the chemicals industry. Following a PhD in Electrochemistry at the Universities of Bristol and Warwick, she joined CMS Chemicals, where she progressed to Technical Director. Vanessa subsequently founded and led Carbosynth, a supplier of specialist biochemical products, before becoming CEO of PhosphonicS in 2017. With extensive experience building and leading technology-focussed SMEs, Vanessa is driving the continued growth of PhosphonicS, helping customers worldwide recover value and solve complex metal separation challenges.

Jim has extensive experience in international business operations, commercial development and manufacturing management across the chemical and life sciences sectors. Throughout his career, he has held senior leadership positions, including Executive Board roles with Holliday Chemical Holdings, Carbosynth and now PhosphonicS. His expertise in building international businesses, managing global operations and developing long-term customer relationships has helped drive the successful growth of technology-focussed enterprises. Today, Jim supports the continued expansion of PhosphonicS, helping bring innovative metal recovery and purification solutions to customers around the world.

Guy leads the scientific and technical development of PhosphonicS' metal recovery and purification technologies. With a PhD in phosphorus chemistry from the University of Bath, he has built a career focussed on developing innovative chemistry and translating it into practical industrial solutions. His experience spans research, product development and process innovation across both CRO and industrial environments, giving him a broad understanding of how scientific innovation can be applied to real-world research and manufacturing challenges. At PhosphonicS, Guy plays a key role in advancing the company's proprietary functionalised scavenger technologies, leading research programmes that help customers recover valuable metals, remove impurities and optimise process performance.

Following a PhD in inorganic chemistry from the University of Bristol, Laura joined the technical team at PhosphonicS, working on new product development and customer projects. She subsequently moved into a consultancy role focussed on process development, supporting chemists across a variety of industries with experimental design and process optimisation. Her understanding of both the scientific and commercial aspects of separation processes helps customers identify effective and economically viable solutions. Laura supports customer engagement and business development activities at PhosphonicS, working closely with organisations across the pharmaceutical, chemical, mining and refining sectors. Combining technical expertise with commercial insight, she helps customers from initial discussions through technical evaluation and implementation.

Following a PhD in organometallic chemistry from the University of Bristol, Sebastian held postdoctoral research positions across Europe before moving into industry. Since joining PhosphonicS, he has applied his scientific rigour to process development and optimisation for metal recovery projects across a range of industries. At PhosphonicS, Sebastian leads the technical delivery of customer programmes, designing and overseeing laboratory evaluations, interpreting experimental data and developing practical recovery solutions. As Lead Scientist and Project Manager, he is responsible for guiding projects from initial laboratory testing through process optimisation and ultimately to commercial implementation, helping customers maximise recovery and achieve successful outcomes.

Vera joined PhosphonicS in 2021 to support the company's growth in China, bringing over 14 years of commercial experience in the life sciences and speciality chemicals sectors. After graduating from Changsha University of Science and Technology, she began her career with Carbosynth China, where she progressed through a range of commercial and leadership roles, including Sales Manager and Executive Assistant to the General Manager.

As Sales and Business Development Manager for China, Vera works closely with customers across the region, building long-term partnerships and supporting the adoption of PhosphonicS' metal recovery and purification technologies. Her commercial expertise and strong understanding of customer requirements continue to play an important role in the company's growth in the Chinese market.

David leads quality management activities across PhosphonicS, ensuring the company's products, processes and systems maintain the highest standards of consistency, compliance and performance. He holds a PhD in Environmental Chemistry from the University of Reading, where his research focused on the remediation of metal-contaminated soils and waters using engineered iron oxide nanoparticles. Prior to joining PhosphonicS, he spent four years at Thames Water as a Materials Testing Laboratory Analyst.

As Quality Manager, David is responsible for overseeing and continually improving the quality management system, supporting both operational excellence and customer confidence. Working closely with teams across the business, he helps embed robust quality practices throughout product development, manufacturing, analytical testing and customer support. His attention to detail and commitment to continuous improvement play an important role in ensuring PhosphonicS delivers reliable products and services to customers worldwide.