Meet the Leadership Team Driving Innovation at Micro Materials

Dr Krish Narain

Sales & Marketing Director

Krish read Chemistry at the University of Sussex, before completing a PhD at Cambridge University specialising in high resolution TEM. This was followed by an MBA at the Edinburgh Business School.

Starting as an applications engineer for an AFM manufacturer in the 1990s, he progressed to manage a sales group that covered nanoindentation, AFM, profilers and ellipsometry. In 2001, Krish joined Micro Materials as manager and later director of sales and marketing. In 2006 he moved to Keysight and set up the European area operations for their nanoscale measurements division.

During his career, Krish has developed specialist knowledge of international sales of AFM, nanoindentation and SEM. In addition to helping to develop Spantech Products Limited, a specialist in the calibration gas business.

In 2017, Spantech Products acquired Micro Materials and Krish took on the role of sales and marketing director.

Prof Ben Beake

Director of Materials Research

After a degree and PhD (1994) in Chemistry, both from the University of Exeter, Ben worked at the Universities of Hull, Nottingham and UMIST.  He joined Micro Materials as an Applications Scientist in 1999. He was promoted to Director of Materials Research in April 2006.

Ben is a Fellow of both the Institute of Nanotechnology and the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3), as well as a past chair of the IOP Tribology Group.

Ben is currently a Visiting Professor in Mechanical Engineering, University of Leeds and the University of Huddersfield. He is very active in collaborative research with other NanoTest users (over 100 published papers), particularly in:

• Developing new nano-mechanical test methods

• Applying them to study mechanical and tribological properties of thin films and coatings

• Environmental sensitivity in polymers

Dr Jim Smith

Founder and Chief Scientist

In 1988, Jim Smith left his position as Manager of Engineering Physics at Eaton Corporation in Boston to develop the original Micro Materials NanoTest instruments.

Jim continues to provide valuable technical input to the modern day systems. Collaborating on a wide range of highly innovative projects with our user sites around the globe.

Jim is widely acknowledged as a leading figure in the field of nanoindentation and is one of the iconic people in life who can say that they love what they do.

Dr Stephen Goodes

Director of Instrument Development

Stephen completed a BSc in Physics and Computer Science from the University of Aberystwyth and continued to complete a PhD in the area of non-destructive characterisation.

Following a post-doc appointment, Stephen joined MML in 1992 and has had a leading role in the development of the NanoTest system, in particular the software and associated electronics.

Adrian Harris

Operations Director

Adrian read Materials Science and Engineering at Brunel University, during which he completed an industrial placement working with nanoindentation, nano scratch and tribological measurements. He joined Micro Materials in 2005 and since then has been involved in multiple collaborative projects with both industrial and academic partners to develop new test capability and analysis techniques.

Adrian is a co-author on many publications across a wide range of research applications.