Chris Lawer, Founder-CEO

Chris founded Umio in 2014 and since has continually evolved its real experience thinking, framework and co-creation methods. In 2023, Umio began designing and prototyping its own experience ecosystem technologies (rather than advising others to do so) following successful R&D grant wins in the UK.

In the two decades of his health innovation-focused career, Chris has been privileged to meet with hundreds of people, patients, carers, health care practitioners, community leaders and other professionals in diverse settings and specialisms with real experience of different chronic health problems.

Drawing insight from these engagements, and using his novel experience-centred perspective on wellbeing, health and disease, Chris has shaped propositions and supported several health consortia to win through competitive rounds of EU Horizon PCP funding (with solutions for chronic pain, patent deterioration and surgical stress). 

As MD of Strategyn UK (2007-2013) and later as ZinC (prior to being renamed as Umio), Chris and his team and partners supported the management, marketing and R&D teams of several global 1000 enterprises to adopt a jobs-to-be-done innovation approach. This helped them to successfully reinvigorate their innovation efforts, redefine their markets, discover new growth opportunities and achieve revenue and share growth.

Chris holds two Masters degrees and is an alumni of Cranfield School of Management where for a time, he was a visiting fellow. He has published two books and occasionally teaches his thinking and frameworks to architecture and population health students at the New York Institute of Technology.

Seonad McHugh

Seonad is a highly experienced and empathic qualitative researcher with a deep intuitional sympathy for understanding people’s problems, thoughts, feelings and desires. A BPS accredited psychologist and qualified grief counsellor, she has worked in diverse settings and contexts in both direct and advisory capacities. These include roles as an ambulance call handler, a bereavement counsellor, a funeral operative, a dementia carer, a major trauma recovery therapist, a hospice worker, and a Brownie pack leader. Seonad has a special interest and skill in supporting people through loss, be it safety, mobility, lifestyle, hopes, memory or loved ones.

She holds a first-class honours degree in Intellectual History from Sussex and a Masters of Science in Psychology from Oxford Brookes (2023).

Mark Parsonage

Mark has over 25 years of experience working in Technology starting out as an Analyst Programmer. In that time he has worked in small, medium and large (FTSE 100) companies in sectors including Ticketing, Logistics, Advertising, eCommerce, Digital, Manufacturing, Higher Education, Consulting and Advisory businesses in both the private and public sectors. He has run multi-discipline teams consisting of software developers (mobile, web, application), DevOps, QA, IT and Information Security professionals to deliver new product POCs, incremental features to existing products, re-architected existing systems, cloud migrations and larger complex delivery programmes. Mark is used to working directly with developers, meeting customers, working across different areas of the business and reporting to boards.

This broad range of experiences and in-depth understanding of Product and Software development gives Mark the skills to work with a range of stakeholders to solve unique business problems, leverage appropriate methodologies, prove product offerings, deliver working solutions and advise on organisational design.

In 2014 Mark took a year out of industry to study full time for his MBA and most recently passed ISC2’s highly regarded CCSP (Cloud Certified Security Professional) exam as he continues his love of learning.

Angela Kennedy

Angela has been an NHS leader in mental health for almost three decades since qualifying as a Clinical Psychologist in 1994. She has been at the forefront of trauma-informed and compassionate leadership development, setting up a UK-wide network for change. Angela has delivered programmes of work and embedded co-production and lived experience in all that she does. She has set up regional staff support services during Covid and commissioned many creative or collective healing opportunities.

Angela is a feminist visual artist and has co-delivered sixty ‘music for wellbeing’ events. She is currently making a documentary about how healthcare staff survive their own suicide attempt.

Daniel Pesut

Daniel J. Pesut PhD RN FAAN is a nurse educator, academic, researcher, consultant, and coach. He is Emeritus Professor of Nursing at the University of Minnesota School of Nursing and Emeritus Katherine R. and C. Walton Lillehei Chair in Nursing Leadership at University of Minnesota. He served as the Director of the Katharine J. Densford International Center for Nursing Leadership from 2012 until his retirement in 2021. He has held academic and administrative positions at the University of Michigan, University of South Carolina, and Indiana University where he served as a department chair and Associate Dean for Graduate Programs and Director of the PhD program and is an Emeritus Professor of Indiana University School of Nursing Department of Community and Health Systems.

Dr. Pesut earned a PhD in Nursing from the University of Michigan, a master’s degree in Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing from the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, TX and BS degree in Nursing from Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL. He completed post graduate training in Integral Studies and alternative dispute resolution. He is a graduate of the Harvard Institute Higher Education Management Development Certificate program. He is a certified Hudson Institute coach and member of the International Coach Federation (ICF) and the Association of Professional Futurists. While on active duty in the US Army Nurse Corps (1975-1978) he created the first Psychiatric Clinical Nurse Specialist position at the US Army institute of Surgical Research (USAIR) Brooke Army Medical Center Burn Unit. He is past President (2003-2005) of the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International. His Presidential Call to Action was “Create the Future through Renewal.” He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. He is the recipient of several awards including the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International Edith Moore Copeland Founder’s Award for Creativity, and distinguished alumni awards for visionary leadership. He is an Honorary Member of the Global Academy of Holistic Nursing. He has served on the National Advisory Council (NAC) of the Robert Wood Johnson Nurse Faculty Scholars program and the Harold Amos Medical Scientist program. He is a subject matter expert with Jonas Philanthropies. He is best known for co- creating the Outcome Present State Test (OPT) Reflective model of clinical reasoning and his work in futures thinking and foresight leadership. The Sigma Theta Tau International Daniel J Pesut Spirit of Renewal Award honors his leadership and legacy contributions to the nursing profession.

Anne Hackworthy

Anne is a fourth generation HM Armed Forces Royal Navy Veteran, following in the naval service tradition of both her parents.

Since leaving the navy, Anne has been a residential social worker, founded and ran local charities, and been the managing director of her local community centre. She has worked with Hampshire Probation as a Veteran peer mentor as well as Age UK Portsmouth as a Veteran befriender. Prior to having her family, Anne was a Psychiatric Auxiliary Nurse, working on secure wards as well as community placements.

Anne studied Psychology, Sociology and Education at Portsmouth University. She is registered disabled and lives with chronic pain, amongst other health issues.

Anne works as our lived experience adviser on our UmioSphere for HM Armed Forces Veterans with Chronic Pain project. Learn more about what we are building here.