Monday 21st June 2021, 6pm – 9.30pm

Dr. Nabil Lawandy received a PhD in Chemical Physics from the Johns Hopkins University in 1980. Dr. Lawandy worked in the Laser Technology Branch at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center from 1977-1980 on submillimeter lasers for Astronomy, culminating in the mapping of CO2 in the Orion Nebulae at the Mauna Kea telescope in Hawaii. In 1981 he joined the faculty at Brown University where his work focused on instabilities in single and multimode lasers, optically encoded second harmonic generation in glasses, novel laser fabrication methods for nano and micro-optics, inhibition of spontaneous emission in a 3D photonic lattice of self-organized colloidal crystals, laser action in a 3D FCC structure, and high gain Random Laser action. The latter work created a major resurgence of interest in this area and has since grown into a major field in modern optical interactions.
Dr. Lawandy left Brown in 1998 and became the founder and CEO of Spectra Systems Corporation where he has developed novel authentication technologies used by over twenty central banks, the world’s first banknote cleaning technology using supercritical CO2, and most recently, the first machine readable polymer banknote substrates and a machine for the deactivation of Covid-19 on banknotes. During his years at Brown University in the Division of Engineering and Department of Physics and since his transition to business, Professor Lawandy published over 180 papers in peer reviewed journals and mentored nineteen PhD students through a combination of funding sources. Dr. Lawandy has founded three companies and in July of 2011, he and the Spectra Systems management team successfully floated Spectra Systems on the AIM segment of the London Stock Exchange.
Dr. Lawandy holds over 100 published US and international patents in a number of applications spanning optical materials, authentication technologies, and devices. Dr. Lawandy is an Alfred P. Sloan Fellow, a recipient of a Cottrell Award, the Presidential Young Investigator Award, the Slater Foundation Innovation Award, and the Rolex Prize for his work on using Random Lasers.

I am a Full Time Professional Investor, having enjoyed a 30 year career working  the Retail Industry, and been a Director of many well know High Street names. I have been fortunate to work directly for some of the greatest Retailers of the last generation, including Lord Kirkham, Sir Philip Green (interesting experience!!) and Sir Stuart Rose. Fortunate to have learned from some of the very best.  I post occasionally on message boards as “Simso”…going right back to PaulyPiliots Pub and the old Motley Fool days! Current investment strategy is specifically focussed on stocks which benefit from the current environment.”