Paul Hawkins Keynote Speaker

Dr. Paul Hawkins OBE is the founder of Hawk-Eye Innovations Ltd. Paul has taken the business from a start up in 2001 to a business which now employs over 550 people and is valued in excess of £250m. Andre Agassi described Hawk-Eye as “the biggest thing to happen in tennis for 40 years”. The technology is best known for its use in tennis, cricket and football but is also used in 24 other sports around the globe.

Paul Hawkins gained a Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence from Durham University after which he worked for Roke Manor Research Ltd – where the idea of Hawk-Eye was initially pitched and developed. Paul’s work has been recognised through being awarded the “young entrepreneur of the year”, and in 2014 was awarded an OBE for his services to Sport and Technology.  In addition to his clear innovative capabilities, Paul has the rare talent of being able to excel in the technology and commercial side of a business.  This enables him to be an important bridge in architecting a solution which delivers what a customer wants in a way which is technically and commercially viable.

Paul is particularly passionate about “challenging convention”, and feels the mind set of “that is how we have always done it” is one of the greatest inhibitors to progress.  He talks of the courage to be different and not being afraid to be wrong in a way which delivers success in a generally risk averse environment.