After a BSC and a PhD in Organic Chemistry at the University of Glasgow, George joined ICI (a major UK Chemicals business) and spent 15 years in in Sales, Marketing and Business Management. Sectors covered included bulk petrochemicals, water treatment, electrochemical technology licensing, brine cavity usage and major power contracts. He then joined AstraZeneca Specialty Chemicals to lead their Japanese ink jet dye business. 

The newly formed Regional Development Agencies, economic development agencies of the UK Government, were growing rapidly and George joined the North West Development Agency in 2003 as Director of Science and Innovation. Over the next 8 years, NWDA led a number of major economic development initiatives including Daresbury Science and Innovation Campus. In 2011 he joined Salford University as Professor of Innovation and Enterprise and then took over as Director of Research and Enterprise, standing in for a period as Vice Chancellor Research and Enterprise. A move to the University of Nottingham followed as Director of the Business, Enterprise and Innovation Division and also of the Research Support Office before moving to the University of Edinburgh in 2016 as CEO of ERI ltd (now EI Ltd.) the University’s Commercialisation Company whose staff of 150 lead on business development,  Consultancy, venture capital, spin-outs, start-ups and student enterprise. 

In April 2024 he became the inaugural Chief Innovation and Economic Development Officer at UC Davis, which includes leadership of the Aggie Square project.