Tech Policy Conference 2025

Antony Walker

Deputy CEO, techUK

Antony Walker is deputy CEO of techUK,  which he played a lead role in launching in November 2013.

Antony is a member of the senior leadership team and has overall responsibility for techUK’s policy work. Prior to his appointment in July 2012 Antony was chief executive of the Broadband Stakeholder Group (BSG), the UK’s independent advisory group on broadband policy. Antony was closely involved in the development of broadband policy development in the UK since the BSG was established in 2001 and authored several major reports to government. He also led the development of the UK’s world leading Open Internet Code of Practice that addresses the issue of net neutrality in the UK. Prior to setting up the BSG, Antony spent six years working in Brussels for the American Chamber of Commerce following and writing about telecoms issues and as a consultant working on EU social affairs and environmental issues. Antony is a graduate of Aberdeen University and KU Leuven and is also a Policy Fellow Alumni of the Centre for Science and Policy at Cambridge University.

: @techUKdepceo

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Chi Onwurah MP

Chair of Science, Innovation and Technology Committee, UK Parliament

Chi Onwurah MP is a British politician representing Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West in the House of Commons. She was first elected in 2010 to represent Newcastle Central. She serves as the Chair of the House of Commons Science, Innovation and Technology Committee. 

Chi is a Charted Electrical Engineer and before entering Parliament spent over twenty years working on engineering projects around the world. She has previously served as Head of Technology at Ofcom.   

Born in Wallsend, Chi attended Kenton Comprehensive School in Newcastle, where she was elected the school’s ‘MP’ in mock elections aged 17.  

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Kate Bell

Assistant General Secretary, Trades Union Congress (TUC)

Kate Bell is Assistant General Secretary and supports Paul Nowak in leading the TUC.

Kate works with external stakeholders on behalf of the TUC and is responsible for inter-union relations. She also leads on internal TUC matters. Kate joined the TUC in 2016 as the organisation’s head of economics, international and employment rights department. Kate played a lead role in securing the furlough scheme during the pandemic – leading vital meetings with ministers and civil servants. She has also led the TUC’s campaign for a £15 minimum wage, common ownership in the energy sector and stronger worker bargaining rights.

Before joining the TUC, Kate worked as Head of Policy and Public Affairs for a local authority. She has also worked for the Labour Party, and for the charities Child Poverty Action Group and Gingerbread. Kate was a longstanding member of the Low Pay Commission until January 2024.

: https://www.tuc.org.uk/person/kate-bell
: kate-bell-13421826

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Sarah Cardell

Chief Executive, Competitions and Markets Authority (CMA)

Sarah Cardell was appointed as Chief Executive of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) on 19 December 2022.

Sarah Cardell was previously appointed as General Counsel at the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) on 11 September 2013, and took up the role of Interim Chief Executive between July and December 2022.

Previous career highlights include:

• Legal Partner of the Markets Division at Ofgem, where her responsibilities included leading on competition law matters
• Partner in the Competition Group at Slaughter and May, where she advised across a wide range of EU and UK merger and antitrust cases
• Working on secondment at the Office of Fair Trading (OFT)

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Kate Davies

Public Policy Director, Ofcom

Kate Davies joined Ofcom in 2016 and has been Public Policy Director since 2021, supporting Ofcom’s work across communications, media and online sectors, and engaging with policy makers across the UK. Kate also oversees Ofcom’s work in the Digital Regulation Cooperation Forum. Previously Kate was Director of Strategy at Ofcom for three years.

Before joining Ofcom, Kate worked in a range of roles in HM Treasury, the Department for Work and Pensions and the third sector. Kate was Head of Spending Strategy at HM Treasury, responsible for the delivery of the 2015 Spending Review.

Kate has an MSc in Development and Population from LSE, and an MA Joint Hons in History and English from the University of Edinburgh.

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Emily Keaney

Deputy Commissioner - Regulatory Policy, Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)

Deputy Commissioner of Regulatory Policy, is responsible for overseeing the ICO’s programme of strategic policy work and the development of the ICO’s Policy Profession. She was previously Director of Legislative Reform at the ICO, leading the team providing expert advice and input to Government as it reforms data protection legislation to ensure it is fit for the future. Prior to this Emily was Director of Regulatory Futures at the ICO, responsible for identifying, understanding and planning for emerging social, political and business trends to ensure the ICO continues to be an effective, future-facing regulator.

Before coming to the ICO Emily was Director of the UK Regulators’ Network. She has an extensive career in consumer policy and research, including in previous roles as Head of Media Literacy and Children’s Research at Ofcom where she managed a large programme of research into the ways in which adults and children use, create and understand media.

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Alan Mak MP

Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Member of Parliament

Member of Parliament for the Havant Constituency. Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation & Technology. Former UK Government Minister.

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Margot James

Former Minister for Digital and Minister for Small Business, Consumers and Corporate Responsibility,

I am involved with innovative organisations in the fields of technology, climate change and public policy. I work as an independent consultant and am a Governor Emeritus of the London School of Economics and Political Science. 

Between 2020 and 2023 I was Executive Chair of the Warwick Manufacturing Group at the University of Warwick and, in association with the University of Warwick, I currently chair the West Midlands Electrification Taskforce, and the Independent Climate Change Advisory board to Coventry City Council. I also served on the advisory board to the Harrington Review of Foreign Direct Investment. During that time I also chaired Taso Advisory and had the huge pleasure of being associated with Taso from its early beginnings to its successful sale to Milltown Partners towards the end of 2023. I also served on the board of Vanquis Banking Group as a Non-Executive Director and a member of the Remuneration Committee and the Customer, Culture and Ethics Committee between 2020 and 2024.

Between 2010 and 2019 I was Member of Parliament for Stourbridge and during this time I held a number of roles in government. I served as Minister of State for Digital and the Creative Industries, and prior to that Parliamentary Under-Secretary in the Business Department with responsibility for small business, corporate governance and consumer policy. 

My first career before going in to politics was in business. I co-founded Shire Health Group and led its growth to over 100 staff, together we created a new dialogue between pharmaceutical companies and their customers including successful public health campaigns. I was voted Communicator of the Year and received a lifetime service award to the pharmaceutical marketing industry. One of my career highlights was leading the successful transition of Shire Health Group into WPP in 2000 and later into Ogilvy & Mather. 

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The Rt Hon Peter Kyle MP

Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology,

Peter Kyle was appointed Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology on 5 July 2024, and is the member of parliament for Hove & Portslade.
 
Peter Kyle was first elected as MP for Hove and Portslade in 2015, and has twice been re-elected.
Before being appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology  he was Shadow Secretary for Northern Ireland and Chair of  the influential Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Select Committee, where he has served on the high-profile Carillion and Thomas Cook inquiries. Peter also chaired the All Party Parliamentary Groups on Southern Rail, and on Further Education and Lifelong Learning.
Since his election Peter has led campaigns in Parliament to protect victims of domestic abuse and reform family courts, to lower the voting age to 16, and proposed the amendment for a confirmatory public vote on Brexit. Locally he has supported affordable housing, campaigned against school cuts, worked with the council to create 1,000 local apprenticeships, and spearheaded the response to the Southern Rail crisis.

He campaigned for remain during the EU membership referendum, 2016. In June 2018, he said “Brexit is a big deal but it’s not a done deal”. In March 2019, alongside fellow Labour MP Phil Wilson, Peter put forward an amendment to Theresa May’s Brexit Withdrawal Agreement. Dubbed the “Kyle-Wilson” amendment, it aimed to pass the Withdrawal Agreement Bill on the condition that the deal on offer would go back to the British people through a confirmatory vote.

Peter overcame difficulties with severe dyslexia to return to school aged 25 and achieve a PhD in community economic development from Sussex University. In his earlier career he worked as an aid worker in Eastern Europe and the Balkans, helping children and young people whose lives had been radically affected by war.  The orphanage he set up in Romania still exists today. He then moved on to work as a policy maker in the Cabinet Office, focusing on social exclusion.
Prior to his election Peter was deputy chief exective of ACEVO, the umbrella body for the voluntary sector, and he was head of youth employment charity Working for Youth.
He has lived in Hove for over 20 years.

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