The Board Specialists

Dr Sophie Dale-Black, Founder and Managing Director of The Portfolio House, is a scientifically trained and commercially driven board advisor, consultant and non-executive focused on the success of science and innovation led businesses across the UK.

Her work through The Portfolio House combines commercial knowledge of what it takes for a business to grow and succeed, awareness of regional opportunities for grant, lending and equity based business investment, and a deep understanding of a wide variety of sectors, especially life sciences and tech. She has a particular focus on working with businesses to secure funding, build high-performing teams and implement governance that enables sustainable growth.

Among a wider portfolio of clients, she is a Board Advisor to start-up and university spin-out businesses, including Myomaker Bio plus others in stealth mode, with previous support for Forge Genetics, Lockdown Cyber Security and Collectivault. She has been a Consultant with fractional chief financial officer, accounting and HR firm Isosceles (part of the UK Top 25 accounting firm Dains Group) and with university spin-out business Intelligent Energy. The Portfolio House is also a Certified Partner of Governance 360, a governance tech platform simplifying businesses’ management of board processes. Sophie has also co-founded the cycling sales agency Spoken Vélo, where she acts as Commercial Director, supporting bicycle and cycling technology brands in entering and growing in the UK and Republic of Ireland markets.

Sophie’s non-executive experience includes being Vice Chair of the Governing Council at the research intensive University of Leicester, Member of its Nomination and Remuneration Committees, and Trustee of its van Geest Foundation Cardiovascular Disease Research Fund. Additionally, she has held advisory positions on UK Research and Innovation funded research programmes and as a primary school Governor. Sophie also operates within the academic sector as a Mentor with the Northern Triangle Mentoring Programme for emerging spin-out businesses from Sheffield, Leeds and Manchester universities, and as an Advisory Board Member to the University of Leeds’ Bragg Centre for Materials Research and Loughborough University’s Chemistry Department.

A PhD-qualified scientist by training, Sophie’s career experience has taken her from lab science to leadership. Most recently Sophie was a Director within the British Business Bank’s UK Network, leading a team of senior managers based across the Midlands and North of England in working with key partner organisations to help the Bank understand and overcome the challenges smaller businesses face in their access to finance journey. Sophie joined the British Business Bank from ICAEW, the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, where she focused on transforming member engagement and local support services in her role as Midlands Director.

Sophie previously worked at Innovate UK, the UK Government’s innovation agency, where she worked across the UK in various roles supporting the growth of innovative businesses, including through a Chief of Staff style role strategically supporting the Chief Executive, Deputy Chief Executive and Chair. Prior to that, Sophie built her career in research and innovation management at Loughborough and Nottingham universities, following an initial postdoctoral research position at Newcastle University.

Born in Leicestershire, Sophie also completed her studies in the county, gaining a PhD in chemistry and X-ray crystallography and a first class medicinal and pharmaceutical chemistry degree from Loughborough University.