From 1997-2004, Colin Johnson was the Chief Executive of Techniquest, the UK’s first purpose-built science discovery centre.  He was the founding Chair of ECSITE-UK, the national science and discovery centre network, and has served the sector internationally in a number of capacities – notably as a board member of ECSITE (the European Collaborative for Science Industry and Technology Exhibitions) and of ASTC (the US-based Association for Science-Technology Centers).

His earlier background is in the formal education sector.  A chemist by training, he was for 12 years a science teacher, and for a further 12 years he was a university lecturer in science education, with responsibility for the pre-service and in-service training of chemistry teachers.

In retirement Colin works with a number of informal science education projects and is a consultant to three Research Councils and to the Wellcome Trust, among others.