Access
This is a council composed exclusively of techUK members. If you are interested in understanding the election process, we encourage you to reach out to one of our team members listed at the bottom of this page.
The Nations and Regions Council will be comprised of large companies and SMEs across the UK's Nations and Regions. The Council sets the strategic direction for techUK’s work across the UK’s Nations and Regions with devolved government and Mayors, take forward and grow the Local Digital Index, and champion the crucial role of UK’s digital economy.
Chair and Vice-chairs
Helen Swift
Helen Swift
Dr Nafeesa Dajda
Dr Nafeesa Dajda
Marie Hamilton
Marie Hamilton
Nick Speed
Nick Speed
Council members
Alex Kirkhope
Alex Kirkhope
Annet Kinyanjui
Annet Kinyanjui
Bethan Evans
Bethan Evans
Elizabeth Patterson
Elizabeth Patterson
Emma Gooderham
Emma Gooderham
Gerard Rafferty
Gerard Rafferty
James Hodgson
James Hodgson
James Mackenzie
James Mackenzie
Lisa Ventura MBE
Lisa Ventura MBE
Mike Lewis
Mike Lewis
Robin Beattie
Robin Beattie
With over two decades immersed in the talent acquisition realm, I recently took on a new strategic role at Hays UK&I focused on delivering talent and skill solutions tailored for Tech Scale Ups. Before joining Hays, I served as Managing Director of Spinks, a specialized firm partnering with tech startups and scale-ups globally to tackle their acute talent needs during hyper-growth phases. This experience has granted me invaluable insights into the unique people challenges founders and leadership teams grapple with as they navigate the scale-up journey. As an active angel investor in the tech ecosystem, I'm passionate about empowering entrepreneurs and driving innovation. I've had the privilege of sharing my expertise on technology talent topics through speaking engagements and advisory roles. At Hays, I'm thrilled to leverage my expertise to elevate their value proposition for fast-growing tech companies. My mission is to pioneer talent strategies and solutions that enable scaling leaders to assemble world-class teams leaving them to focus on Innovation.
Silka Patel
Silka Patel
Simon Shaw
Simon Shaw
Stephen Rick
Stephen Rick
Wendy Shearer
Wendy Shearer
Yiannis Maos
Yiannis Maos
Objective and purpose
This Council engages with stakeholders in devolved government across the UK helping support techUK’s engagement, feedback and relationship with these important partners to the UK’s tech sector and ensuring the programme accurately reflects members’ and our partners priorities.
Governance
The Nations & Regions Council will be governed by a Chair and two Vice-Chairs (one role is reserved for an SME Vice Chair). Approximatively ten of the seats on the Council are reserved for Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) representatives.
Tenure and meeting schedule of the council
The Council has a tenure of two years (March 2024 – March 2026) and will meet six times a year, with further meetings to be scheduled as required/agreed by the membership.
For more information or questions, please contact:
Ileana Lupsa
Ileana Lupsa
Ileana Lupsa is the Programme Manager for Local Public Services and Nations and Regions, at techUK.
Ileana studied electronics, telecommunications and IT as an undergraduate, followed by an MSc in engineering and project management at Coventry University.
She refined her programme management expertise through her most recent roles working in the automotive industry.
Ileana is passionate about sustainability and creating a positive impact globally through innovation.
- Email:
- [email protected]
- Twitter:
- @IleanaLupsa
- Website:
- www.techUK.org
- LinkedIn:
- www.linkedin.com/in/ileana-lupsa
Matt Robinson
Matt Robinson
Matt is techUK’s Head of Nations and Regions.
Matt is leading techUK’s work with members and stakeholders across the UK to increase the Local Digital Capital across the UK’s nation and regions, build communities and to ensure that digital technology plays a key part the post-COVID-19 levelling-up recovery.
Prior to joining techUK, Matt worked for several national education charities and membership bodies to develop their regional partnerships with schools, academy trusts, local authorities, and other stakeholders. He’s also worked with local authority leaders and other stakeholders to engage communities, work with elected members and improve public services.
He holds a BA in Politics from the University of York and an MA in International Relations from the University of Leeds. Away from work he’s a keen football fan and golfer.
If you’d like to find out more about our work in the nations and regions please get in touch with Matt:
- Email:
- [email protected]
- Website:
- techuk.org,,techuk.org,
Tracy Modha
Tracy Modha
Tracy supports several areas at techUK, including Cyber Exchange, Cyber Security, Defence, Health and Social Care, Local Public Services, Nations and Regions and National Security.
Tracy joined techUK in March 2022, having worked in the education sector for 19 years, covering administration, research project support, IT support and event/training support. My most outstanding achievement has been running three very successful international conferences and over 300 training courses booked all over the globe!
Tracy has a great interest in tech. Gaming and computing have been a big part of her life, and now electric cars are an exciting look at the future. She has warmed to Alexa, even though it can sometimes be sassy!
- Email:
- [email protected]
- Phone:
- 02073312000
- Twitter:
- @TracyModha,@TracyModha
- Website:
- www.techuk.org,www.techuk.org
- LinkedIn:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracymodha83,https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracymodha83