Staff Spotlight: Nathan Lumb – Driving Operational Excellence from the GEIC to the South Pole

Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre 21 May 2025

At the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC), innovation isn’t just driven by scientists at the bench – it’s powered by the people who build the systems, partnerships, and strategy behind the scenes.

In this first edition of our Staff Spotlight series, we speak with Nathan Lumb, GEIC’s Partner Projects Manager – a strategic mind at the core of our operations and partnerships, and someone who is preparing for one of the boldest personal challenges: an unsupported expedition to the South Pole.

Nathan’s story is a compelling example of what it means to support innovation from the inside out – combining vision, resilience, and a drive to make meaningful impact across everything he does.

From finance to innovation infrastructure

Nathan joined the GEIC following a career in the financial sector, where he’d recently completed a high-stakes acquisition project for an investment bank. Initially brought in on a short-term contract, he was soon drawn in by the Centre’s ambition and energy.

“When you join the GEIC, you quickly realise you’re part of something at the forefront of global innovation. That’s incredibly motivating,” Nathan shares.

As Projects Manager, Nathan plays a critical role in onboarding partners from across the world, managing strategic relationships, overseeing governance, and continuously refining our operational model – helping ensure GEIC remains agile, efficient, and ready to respond to opportunity.

Making innovation deliverable

Nathan’s day-to-day focus is on ensuring the GEIC delivers high-quality collaboration experiences for its industrial partners – from SMEs to global corporations – through well-structured, data-informed processes.

“We’ve developed a project model that’s not only agile and scalable, but grounded in five years of real data. That’s allowed us to spot trends, improve reporting, and introduce new pathways like feasibility studies – helping partners engage in a way that suits their scale and ambitions.”

By keeping operations lean and responsive, Nathan and the operations team ensure that GEIC can stay ahead without compromising on delivery.

Global partnerships, local Impact

With a partner base that spans Brazil, Australia, and the Middle East, Nathan brings a thoughtful and culturally aware approach to international relationship management.

“Each partner operates differently – culturally, commercially, structurally. So, it’s not about one-size-fits-all. You have to be flexible, while maintaining the GEIC’s high standards and outcomes.”

This ability to bridge international expectations with local excellence is part of what makes GEIC a trusted collaborator on a global stage.

Learning as a catalyst for change

Motivated by a desire to strengthen GEIC’s strategic capabilities, Nathan recently completed an MBA at the University of Manchester’s Alliance Manchester Business School, following leadership and strategy training through the Help to Grow programme.

“Our first audit showed us that we needed more structured strategic thinking. That was a wake-up call for me – and led to a complete shift in how I work.”

The GEIC supported Nathan throughout the process, recognising the value of investing in professional growth that feeds directly back into the Centre’s evolution. The results are already visible.

That backing – both in time and encouragement – helped Nathan translate his academic learning into practical, lasting impact. From refining management reporting and enhancing financial planning to implementing more inclusive staff communication systems, Nathan’s MBA learnings are feeding directly back into GEIC’s advancement.

Frozen Horizons: planning a world-first south pole expedition

Beyond the operational world of project planning, Nathan is preparing for an extraordinary personal challenge: a self-supported, round-trip expedition to the South Pole – a feat never completed by a British-Irish team.

The initiative, Frozen Horizons, has three clear goals:

1. To complete the first unsupported round-trip to the South Pole by a British-Irish team.
2. To raise funds for The King’s Trust to support youth development and opportunity.
3. To collect unique snow samples — outbound and return — in partnership with Science in the Wild, offering rare insights into carbon data from a consistent location set.

“It started with a second-hand book I found while travelling. Now we’re engaging sponsors, planning routes, training on Arctic terrain – and aligning it all to a wider purpose.”

Much like a high-stakes project at GEIC, the expedition is driven by planning, partnerships, and vision – with dedicated hours, precise coordination, and an unwavering focus on long-term impact.

Supported by GEIC values and leadership

While the expedition is a personal endeavour, it’s one that GEIC has embraced. Nathan credits the organisation’s leadership and culture with enabling him to pursue big ideas inside and outside the workplace.

“The senior leadership team have supported me from day one. They’ve encouraged the journey, helped with networks, and shown what it means to back your people. That mindset – of backing ambition – is what makes GEIC so unique.”

Legacy and long-term vision

Looking ahead, Nathan hopes to bring even more strategic thinking and data-led improvements to GEIC’s operational infrastructure.

“At GEIC, my legacy will hopefully be in how we built smart systems from the ground up – proving that operational excellence is just as important as technical innovation.”

“With Frozen Horizons, I want to show what’s possible when you combine ambition, discipline, and purpose – and to leave a lasting impact through youth empowerment and scientific discovery.”

Advice for the next gen of changemakers

To those working in innovation – whether in strategy, delivery, commercial, or technical roles – Nathan offers a simple piece of advice:

“Keep pushing yourself to learn. Talk to people from different backgrounds. Stay curious. The biggest growth happens when you listen to diverse perspectives and bring that thinking back into your own work.”

Nathan’s story is a reminder that pioneering research and innovation rely just as much on strategic minds as they do on scientific breakthroughs. At the GEIC, we’re proud to support the people who make innovation work – from planning and partnerships to delivery and beyond.

If you’re interested in collaborating with us or learning more about how we turn ideas into impact, get in touch with our team.