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Henry Ajder is a globally recognised advisor, speaker, and broadcaster working at the frontier of the generative AI and synthetic media revolution.
Henry’s work has transformed society’s understanding of deepfakes and generative AI. He has led pioneering research at organisations including MIT, WITNESS, and Sensity AI, influencing international legislation and corporate AI strategy.
He advises organisations on the opportunities and challenges these game-changing technologies present, including Adobe, Meta, The European Commission, BBC, The Partnership on AI, and The House of Lords.
Previously, Henry led Synthetic Futures, the first initiative dedicated to ethical generative AI and metaverse technologies, bringing together over 50 industry-leading organisations.
Henry presented the BBC documentary series, The Future will be Synthesised, and regularly features in global media including The New York Times, MIT Tech Review, CNN, Reuters, and The Financial Times. He has been published by outlets including WIRED, The Next Web, NYU, and The World AI Summit.
An established keynote speaker and guest expert, Henry has spoken at venues including SXSW, CogX, The University of Oxford, and Adweek. He has been named in the top 20 European power players in Generative AI by the publication Sifted, and a top 15 Generative AI Expert by Champions Speaking Agency.
Deepfakes and disinformation in an election year what will it mean for democracy in the UK and abroad? Monday @ 12:25 PM
Ben is the Chief Risk Officer at Sage Group plc, where he is accountable for the security of Sage’s technology estate and software products and cloud services used by millions of Sage customers globally. Ben also leads Sage’s enterprise risk, internal controls, business continuity and data and AI governance functions.
Ben joined Sage as Global CISO in 2018, after almost 20 years in the UK Government in a variety of technology and national security roles. Ben left public service as director of the Cabinet Office Government Security Group and Deputy Chief Security Officer for government.
Ben is a member of the UK Cyber Security Council’s Strategic Advisory Panel.
How good at tech are we? Ensuring our tech sector remains globally competitive Monday @ 11:30 AM
Sabina leads techUK's international policy and engagement. Based in Brussels, she manages our EU policy priorities as well as our international trade agenda.
Sabina leads techUK’s engagement with the European Union institutions, as well as the EU Member States. Outside of the EU, her work is focused on key trade partners, such as the USA and Japan, as well as key international organisations, such as the WTO and the OECD. Previously, she worked as Policy Advisor in the European Parliament for almost a decade, where she specialised in tech regulation, international trade and EU-US relations.
Sabina is the founder of the Gentlewomen’s Club, co-organiser of the Young Professionals in Digital Policy and a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Community, where she has led several youth civic engagement and gender equality projects.
She holds an MA in War Studies from King’s College London and a BA in Classics from the University of Cambridge.
What is Britain’s role in a more complex and uncertain world of great power competition and fast technological change? Monday @ 2:45 PM
Michelle Donelan is the UK’s first ever Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology. In the first year of the Department Michelle and her team led a huge volume of work from completing the passage of the Online Safety Bill, to publication of a UK Semiconductor Strategy to organising a global first AI Safety Summit. The summit brought together the UK, US, EU, China and other countries to agree a framework for ensuring the most powerful AI technologies are safe and trusted.
In 2024 Michelle Donelan has set out her priorities as supporting Scale-ups, improving skills and ensuring UK regulation supports innovation.
Before going into politics Michelle worked in the media and entertainment industry, starting her career in Australia for Pacific Magazines, and then going on to work for The History Channel. She later worked for WWE as an International Marketing Communications Manager before being elected as the MP for Chippenham.
Keynote address and fireside chat with the Secretary of State for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology Rt Hon, Michelle Donelan MP Monday @ 10:30 AM
Saira is the Digital Health Lead at the Institute of Global Health Innovation, Imperial College London and an honorary consultant in respiratory medicine at St Mary’s Hospital. At Imperial College, Saira has spearheaded the College’s outputs on healthcare cybersecurity. Saira also leads work on evidence generation for digital health, the value of healthcare data and policy work on AI and machine learning for health.
Saira is also the co-founder of two start-ups: Prova Health (digital trials in health) and Psyma (mental health). Saira holds a MSc in Health Policy from Imperial College and was a Harkness Fellow in Health Policy and Practice in New York (2017).
AI in the decade ahead: what are the opportunities and challenges for the UK? Monday @ 9:30 AM
How good at tech are we? Ensuring our tech sector remains globally competitive Monday @ 11:30 AM
Nicola Hodson is a seasoned senior executive with expertise in delivering results and driving the strategic, commercial, and digital transformation of large, international complex technology and engineering companies. Her focus is on purpose-led, profitable growth, sustainability, and shareholder value.
Nicola is the Chief Executive of IBM in the UK and Ireland, responsible for business operations, driving revenue growth, client satisfaction and employee engagement in the UK and Ireland. Previously, Nicola was the Vice President of Change Management and Transformation for the Microsoft Customer and Partner Solutions (MCAPS) organization, directing innovative transformation and change management to empower Microsoft customers, partners, and employees. She was central in building new strategies and go-to-market methodologies as well as providing oversight to the change management landing and adoption of these priorities, and transformational initiatives. She played a key leadership role within the MCAPS organization and held several senior roles in Microsoft including UK COO.
Prior to joining Microsoft, Nicola held positions at Siemens, CSC, and Ernst & Young Management Consulting selling and delivering multiple transformation projects in the energy and utilities sector.
Nicola lends her extensive technology, digital transformation, sales, IT and ESG experience by participating on boards, both in the private and public sectors. She is currently Deputy President of techUK and a non-executive director at Drax Group Plc and at Beazley Plc.
She holds an MBA with a focus on management and operations, a PhD in Materials Engineering, and a BSc in Chemistry and Materials Science.
Keynote address and fireside chat with the Secretary of State for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology Rt Hon, Michelle Donelan MP Monday @ 10:30 AM
AI in the decade ahead: what are the opportunities and challenges for the UK? Monday @ 9:30 AM
Peter Kyle was appointed to the role of Shadow Secretary of State for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology in September 2023. Since his appointment he has championed the importance of the the UK tech sector to achieving Labour's five missions for Government. In particular Labour's plans to grow the British economy and revolutionise public services.
Before being appointed to the Shadow DSIT role, Peter was Shadow Secretary for Northern Ireland and sat on the influential Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Select Committee. Before he entered Parliament Peter worked as an aid worker in Eastern Europe and the Balkans, helping children and young people whose lives had been radically affected by war as well as holding the position of deputy chief executive of ACEVO, the umbrella body for the voluntary sector.
Keynote address and Q&A with Shadow Secretary of State for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology Peter Kyle MP Monday @ 4:15 PM
David Lidington is Chair of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), the UK’s foremost Defence and Security Policy think tank, and UK Chair of the Koenigswinter Conference (UK/Germany) and the Aurora Forum (UK/Nordics and Baltics). He is a member of the Advisory Council of the Centre for European Reform and the Advisory Board to Cambridge University’s Baltic Programme, and is Hon President of the Great Britain China Centre, a Foreign Office arms-length public body.
David served in the House of Commons from 1992 to 2019.
As Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster he served as deputy to Prime Minister Theresa May from January 2018 to July 2019, having previously served in the May governments as Leader of the House of Commons and as Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor. At the Cabinet Office he was a member of the National Security Council and held responsibility for the National Cyber Security Centre.
David served as Minister for Europe from 2010 to 2016, the UK’s longest-serving holder of that post. He held responsibility for the UK’s relations with more than 50 countries in Europe and Central Asia and represented the UK at the EU, NATO, OSCE, Council of Europe and the UN Security Council.
What is Britain’s role in a more complex and uncertain world of great power competition and fast technological change? Monday @ 2:45 PM
Chloe MacEwen is Senior Director, UK Government Affairs at Microsoft. Prior to joining Microsoft, Chloe was Head of Competition Policy EU at Amazon, VP EMEA for Western Union and Senior Vice-President, Global Public and Regulatory Affairs, at Argus Media, based in London. She has campaigned for legislative change on company critical issues with policy makers, legislators and regulators around the world. Prior to this Chloe worked as Head of International Policy and Competition at Lloyds Banking Group overseeing the bank’s engagement strategy with policy makers on a broad range of financial services and competition issues. Chloe qualified as a solicitor at Simmons & Simmons and then worked as a competition lawyer at Herbert Smith before spending ten years working as a regulator at the Competition Commission, Office of Fair Trading and DG Competition, European Commission. Chloe was educated at King’s College London where she gained a LLB and LLM.
AI in the decade ahead: what are the opportunities and challenges for the UK? Monday @ 9:30 AM
Keynote address and Q&A with Shadow Secretary of State for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology Peter Kyle MP Monday @ 4:15 PM
As Autodesk’s Director for Market & Industry Development, Asif leads a collaborative initiative focused on the digital transformation of the design and manufacturing industry. He’s worked alongside many inspiring SMEs that you might never have heard of and believes that digital transformation doesn’t have to be difficult, that people are the most important aspect of any transformation, and that design is equally as important as manufacturing.
Asif feels that what industry needs is a clear vision of the future and a realistic strategy that’s free from hype, jargon and which also challenges the many boundaries that SME’s face.
Does the UK need an industrial strategy for tech? And how do our strengths shape the UK’s global role Monday @ 1:45 PM
Wendy Morgan, Founder and CEO of Jumar since its inception in 1999, has spearheaded the company's remarkable 24-year journey. Jumar works with its financial, insurance and public sector clients to provide a holistic range of IT services including digital transformation, application development, resource augmentation and executive search.
Wendy's strategic vision expanded beyond organisational growth as she actively engaged with local stakeholders, developing valuable collaborations. In 2023, Jumar secured a pivotal investment from Aliter Capital, reinforcing its position as a key player in the UK's technology resourcing and solutions landscape.
Wendy is also a Co-Founder and Director of CyberNest Labs, a world class AI and cybersecurity training provider, a Non-Executive Director for Partnerships at Genesis Sun, a not-for-profit social enterprise providing original and innovative entertaining educational programme events for young black people, and Chair of the Association of Professional Staffing Companies West Midlands Forum.
How good at tech are we? Ensuring our tech sector remains globally competitive Monday @ 11:30 AM
Does the UK need an industrial strategy for tech? And how do our strengths shape the UK’s global role Monday @ 1:45 PM
Olivia O’Sullivan is Director of the UK in the World Programme at Chatham House. Before joining Chatham House, Olivia worked for over a decade in international development and foreign policy in the UK government, across roles in the Department for International Development, Cabinet Office and cross-government teams.
She was foreign policy lead and deputy head of the Open Innovation Team, a government research unit that translates academic evidence into policy. Her experience includes managing external expert engagement for the 2021 Integrated Review, working on the UK’s funding and policy response to the Rohingya refugee crisis, and overseeing a range of international development and humanitarian funding programmes.
Does the UK need an industrial strategy for tech? And how do our strengths shape the UK’s global role Monday @ 1:45 PM
Henry runs Global Government Affairs for Logically, a UK tech scale-up that combines advanced AI with one of the world’s largest commercial fact-checking and Open Source Intelligence teams. The company works with governments, businesses, and social media platforms to identify harmful mis and disinformation online. Prior to Logically, Henry managed public affairs functions at BT & Twilio, was UK Public Affairs Lead for The General Medical Council, managed Public Policy & Regulatory Affairs for The GSMA across Asia-Pacific and was Gatwick Airport’s first public affairs manager following its sale by BAA.
Deepfakes and disinformation in an election year what will it mean for democracy in the UK and abroad? Monday @ 12:25 PM
John Penrose was elected MP for Weston-super-Mare in 2005. He is currently Chair of Conservative Policy Forum, and has held a variety of posts since he was elected including PPS to Oliver Letwin, Shadow Business Minister, Tourism & Heritage Minister, Government Whip, Constitution Minister and Northern Ireland Minister.
John Penrose MP led the report “Power to the people: independent report on competition policy” commissioned by the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy in September 2020. In the report, he explores ways to improve consumer protection and promote competition, and makes a wide range of recommendations.
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http://johnpenrose.org/wp/
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@JohnPenroseNews
Deepfakes and disinformation in an election year what will it mean for democracy in the UK and abroad? Monday @ 12:25 PM
How good at tech are we? Ensuring our tech sector remains globally competitive Monday @ 11:30 AM
As Associate Director for Policy Neil leads on techUK's public policy work in the UK. In this role he regularly engages with UK and Devolved Government Ministers, senior civil servants and members of the UK’s Parliaments aiming to make the UK the best place to start, scale and develop a tech business.
Neil joined techUK in 2019 to lead on techUK’s input into the UK-EU Brexit trade deal negotiations and economic policy. Alongside his role leading techUK's public policy work Neil also acts as a spokesperson for techUK often appearing in the media and providing evidence to a range of Parliamentary committees.
In 2023 Neil was listed by the Politico newspaper as one of the '20 people who matter in UK tech' and has regularly been cited as a key industry figure shaping UK tech policy.
AI in the decade ahead: what are the opportunities and challenges for the UK? Monday @ 9:30 AM
Sam draws on his deep experience in government and the private sector to lead policy across all areas of TBI, with a focus on unlocking the transformative power of technology. He has shaped major pieces of legislation, represented the UK in international settings and spent years advocating for policy improvements.
His aim is to instil a shared vision between policymakers and technologists, helping policymakers become less intimidated by technology while encouraging technologists to be more trusting of the policy process.
Prior to joining TBI, Sam worked for many years at Apple, and as an advisor to Google and Vodafone.
What is Britain’s role in a more complex and uncertain world of great power competition and fast technological change? Monday @ 2:45 PM
Nicola leads the TUC's work on economics and employment rights, making the case for social and economic policies that benefit people at work.
Prior to her current role she was Interim Chief Executive at social enterprise Timewise and before that led external relations as an Assistant Director for the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
She has recently returned to the TUC, having previously coordinated the work of their Commission on Vulnerable Employment (CoVE) and leading equality, strategy and employment rights teams. Nicola has also been a member of the Social Security Advisory Committee, scrutinising secondary social security legislation.
Earlier in her career, Nicola held research and policy roles at the Centre for Economic and Social Inclusion, Barnardo’s and the Children and Young People’s Unit (CYPU) at the old Department for Education and Skills (DfES).
Does the UK need an industrial strategy for tech? And how do our strengths shape the UK’s global role Monday @ 1:45 PM
What is Britain’s role in a more complex and uncertain world of great power competition and fast technological change? Monday @ 2:45 PM
Deepfakes and disinformation in an election year what will it mean for democracy in the UK and abroad? Monday @ 12:25 PM
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.
techUK opening and launch of Seven Tech Priorities for the new Government and industry polling Monday @ 9:15 AM
Does the UK need an industrial strategy for tech? And how do our strengths shape the UK’s global role Monday @ 1:45 PM
Deepfakes and disinformation in an election year what will it mean for democracy in the UK and abroad? Monday @ 12:25 PM
