Here East CEO Gavin Poole – Innovators and visionaries: creating a home for the future
Episode 31, Sep 11, 2020, 09:00 AM
Gavin Poole is CEO of Here East, the Olympic Park home to some of the country’s most vibrant innovators, from leading universities to the most exciting and disruptive creative and technology start-ups around. Over the past eight years, Here East has grown under Gavin’s leadership to become home to more than 4,500 entrepreneurs, creatives, visionaries and like-minded locals, all with the vision to deliver on the 2012 Olympic legacy and contribute positive social impact to east London. But Gavin’s journey didn’t start there; a former RAF officer, he tells his story and the life lessons that drive him to create opportunities for others.
Gavin is CEO of Here East – the 1.2 million sq ft technology and Innovation campus on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London, and one of the fastest growing business clusters in the UK. Recently, Gavin has been at the forefront of developing the concept of creating London’s first digital games and esports cluster. Prior, Gavin served as an engineering officer in the UK Royal Air Force for over 20 years before leaving following tours as a Wing Commander. Upon leaving military service, he ran the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) and helped form major policy initiatives including the introduction of the Modern-Day Slavery Act within the UK. Gavin is a board member of Plexal, sits on the Advisory Board of Global Tech Advocates and is a London Technology Ambassador for London & Partners. In addition, he sits on the Advisory Board for London Tech Week.