Our board

Sheila Flavell CBE

techUK President, Chief Operating Officer, FDM Group

Sheila is the President of techUK and Chief Operating Officer and Executive Board Director of FDM Group. She has over 30 years’ experience in both the public and private IT sectors. Sheila played an integral role in the Group’s flotation on AIM in 2005 and was a key instigator of the management buy-out of the Group in 2010 and its subsequent listing onto the main FTSE Market in June 2014 and more recent entry into the FTSE 250.

Sheila’s experience and knowledge of the sector has been crucial in driving the Group’s global expansion programme. She is fully committed to promoting all forms of diversity, especially women in Tech and spearheads FDM’s Women in IT campaign and FDM’s ‘Getting Back to Business‘ programme, aimed at providing opportunities for women looking to return to the workplace. She is frequently called to advise government committees on various issues. Most recently she gave evidence to the House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee on bridging the digital skills gap.

She has won numerous awards over many years for her services to the Tech industry, including a ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ by ‘Scottish Women In Tech’ and was most recently recognised in the 2020 New Year’s Honours List, by being awarded ‘Commander of the Order of The British Empire’ for services to ‘Gender Equality in IT and Graduate and Returners Employment.’ She is regularly listed as one of the Most Influential Woman in Tech in the UK, by Computer Weekly and has also been regularly named as one of the Most Influential Women in the North American Mid Market’ by CEO Connection.

Sheila is a keen helicopter pilot who also likes to plant trees, play golf/ski and cycle.

If you wish to contact a member of the Board, please do so via [email protected].

Dr Nicola Hodson

techUK Deputy President, Chief Executive in the UK and Ireland, IBM

Nicola Hodson was appointed Chief Executive, IBM UK and Ireland, in January 2023, where she is responsible for the company’s business operations.

Dr Hodson is an accomplished technology industry leader with a deep understanding of the challenges facing UK plc, as well as extensive experience in business and digital transformation. In June 2023, Dr Hodson ranked highly in Computer Weekly’s list of the 50 most influential people in UK technology. 

Dr Hodson held senior positions at Microsoft for 14 years, including as a global Vice President of Transformation for the commercial business, UK Chief Operating Officer and as head of its UK Public Sector business.

Dr Hoson is Deputy President of techUK, the trade association for the IT industry, and has a wide breadth of experience, serving on the boards of Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), Beazley plc and Drax Group plc, and is a governor of Bradfield College.

Formerly, she worked in the IT and business services division of Siemens, at CSC (now DXC), as a management consultant for EY and at BNFL.

She previously served as a non-executive director at energy regulator Ofgem, as a board member at the UK Council for Child Internet Safety, and at the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) group in the UK.

Dr Hodson holds an MBA and a PhD in Engineering. Nicola is married with three sons and two stepsons, loves outdoor pursuits and is a keen motorbike enthusiast.

If you wish to contact a member of the Board, please do so via [email protected].

Jay Chinnadorai

techUK Vice President of Operations, Senior Board Advisor, Informetis

Jay Chinnadorai is a Senior Board Advisor at Informetis Europe and Japan. Informetis is an AI based IoT solutions provider focused on the energy and smart health sectors. Jay is also Founder and Managing Director of Sumtotal, a strategy, product and business development consultancy. Sumtotal was established in 2004 and provides pragmatic and effective customer-centric solutions in the converging sectors of Smart Energy, IoT, Mobile and Digital Media solutions. In addition, Jay is a Crown Representative at the Cabinet Office.

Prior to founding Sumtotal, Jay was Vice President of Sony Europe responsible for different business units including Mobile Phones, Digital TV and Mobile Service Provider Business. Before joining Sony, Jay worked at Thomson Consumer Electronics as Marketing Director of its UK and Ireland Operations.

Jay has an MBA from Manchester Business School (MBA) and a BSc (First Class Hons) in Electronic Engineering from University College London. He is a Freeman of the City of London and a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Marketors. He is also a Business Leader of the Marketing Society.

If you wish to contact a member of the Board, please do so via [email protected].

Sir William Touche

techUK Vice President of Finance

William Touche is a former London Senior Partner and Vice Chair at Deloitte LLP where he specialised in the TMT and consumer sectors. In a career as auditor and advisor spanning four decades he worked with many of the leading international companies in these sectors including both Euromoney and DMGT. 

William also founded and led Deloitte’s global boardroom program as well as leading the UK Deloitte Academy.  He is an advisor to several development stage tech companies and brings a broad range of experience and skills to the Board. 

He is a non-executive director of DMGT plc and serves as director, chairs the finance committee and is a member of the remuneration committee of techUK.

If you wish to contact a member of the Board, please do so via [email protected].

Jacqueline de Rojas CBE

techUK President Emeritus, Chair, Bletchley Park Trust & Institute of Coding

techUK Board Member and President Emeritus | Chair Bletchley Park Trust & Chair Institute of Coding | Portfolio Non Exec Director, Business Mentor and Advocate for Inclusion.

"If we are to thrive in a digital future, we must ensure that all our voices heard when it comes to designing technology. If we do not, we will create a world that does not work for everybody.

And as we build this digital world, the need to stay safe is heightened as our dependency to live and work online increases. Competitive advantage will come from teams that look outwards not inwards and therefore businesses that build a culture of inclusion and maximise their security posture"

Voted the Most Influential Woman in IT 2015 and Included in World’s 100 most influential people in digital government 2019: Woman of the Year awarded by Women in IT Excellence 2019, 2020 Asian Tech Pioneer, named in 2021 Connected Britain’s Top 100 Influencers and Stroeous Award Winner: Global Positive Impact Leader of the Year 2021. Listen to her life and music choices on Desert Island Discs podcast March 2019.

Jacqueline was appointed as a CBE in the Queen’s Honours List of 2018 and was conferred an Honorary Doctor of Engineering degree by the University of Bath in 2019.

If you wish to contact a member of the Board, please do so via [email protected].

Julian David

CEO, techUK

Julian David is the CEO of techUK, the leading technology trade association that aims to realise the positive outcomes that digital technology can achieve for People, Society, the Economy and the Planet.

He leads techUK’s nearly 100 strong team representing over a thousand British based tech companies, comprising global and national champions and more than 600 SMEs and ScaleUP companies. techUK is the voice of the tech industry in the UK with 21 member led programmes covering all of tech from ‘Chips to Clicks’ and addressing 11 market sectors from Defence and Central Government, through to Health, Consumer Electronics and Financial Services.

In 2021 techUK launched TechSkills, the employer-led accreditation organisation that aims to improve the flow of talent into the digital workforce and open up access for all to high value tech jobs.

Julian represents techUK on a number of external bodies including the Digital Economy Council, the National Cyber Security Advisory Council and the Department of Business and Trade’s Strategic Trade Advisory Group. He is member of the NTA Advisory Board of DIGITALEUROPE and is a member of the Board of the Health Innovation Network the South London Academic Health Science Network.

Julian has over thirty years of experience in the technology industry. Prior to joining techUK, he had a series of leadership roles at IBM including Vice President for Small and Medium Business and Public Sector. After leaving IBM he worked as a consultant helping tech SMEs establish successful operations in the U.K. His personal interests include Football (West Ham, Balham FC and Real Madrid) and Art.

Email:

[email protected]

Twitter:

@techUKCEO

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/julian-david-8013b817/

Katherine Ainley

CEO, Ericsson UK and Ireland

Katherine is the CEO of Ericsson UK and Ireland, working alongside major mobile network operators and service providers to create world leading mobile networks and game-changing technology for millions of subscribers and enterprise partners. She is a member of the leadership team for the Ericsson Market Area of Europe and Latin America.  Responsible for a team of more than 2,500 employees across the UK and Ireland, Katherine is leading Ericsson’s vision for 5G technology and deployment in the UK. The team focus on supporting the business growth of network operators through continuous technology and product performance, enabling digitisation across new industries, and delivering world-class connectivity for consumers. She features in the Top 10 of the Mobile Industry Awards Power 50.

Katherine joined Ericsson in February 2021 from BT where she held a number of senior roles for 13 years, and worked at Lloyds Bank and EY before this. She grew up in Wigan but now lives in Southeast London with her husband and two daughters.

If you wish to contact a member of the Board, please do so via [email protected].

Liz Ashall-Payne

Founding CEO, Orcha

Liz Ashall-Payne's visionary leadership, extensive expertise in healthcare transformation, and dedication to harnessing the potential of digital health make her a prominent figure in the industry, driving positive change and innovation for the benefit of patients and healthcare systems worldwide.

If you wish to contact a member of the Board, please do so via [email protected].

Jaspal (Jas) Bhogal

Senior Director, Global Accounts, Intel

Jas Bhogal is currently the Senior Director for Global Accounts and leads a senior sales team responsible for creating business value and providing innovative solutions, together with partners, to enterprise customers across multiple industry verticals, public sector and Government.

Jas Bhogal joined Intel in 2001 and has held a variety of sales management positions. Prior to joining Intel Bhogal held sales and management positions at Cap Gemini.

Jas Bhogal holds a Bachelor of Laws Degree (LLB Hons) and a Master’s Degree (MSc) in Business Information Systems and has also completed the International Executive Programme in General Management at INSEAD business school.

If you wish to contact a member of the Board, please do so via [email protected].

Tricia Blatherwick

Chief Commercial Officer, AutogenAI

Tricia Blatherwick is the Chief Commercial Officer at AutogenAI.  She has spent over 30 years working for some of the UK’s largest IT and Outsourcing companies, generating sales in excess of £4bn.   She holds a degree in English Literature and an MBA in Strategic Discourse - and is passionate about the power of language - including business language - to motivate, inspire and create change in the world. Having put in the 'hard yards’ of bid writing throughout her career, she also knows that the Proposal industry is way overdue for a technological breakthrough - which is the reason she joined the leadership team at AutogenAI.

 With 5 kids, 2 snooty cats, and a dopey Labrador, Tricia thrives on creativity, stimulation, and intravenous caffeine.

If you wish to contact a member of the Board, please do so via [email protected].

Siobhan Costello

Chief Legal Officer, Trust Payments

Siobhan Costello is the Chief Legal Officer of fast growing fintech, Trust Payments, which is headquartered in the UK. She is responsible for Risk, Governance and Compliance across UK, Europe and the US. Trust Payments is recognised on the UK's Fast Growth 50 Index and uses financial technology to provide seamless and omnichannel commerce solutions to merchants across multiple channels and on any device.

Siobhan has spent the last decade of her career in fintech.  Previously she was Head of Regulatory Law and Policy at Visa Inc in Europe.  She has also worked at the Financial Conduct Authority tasked with improving competition in the financial services sector. She has sat on the UK Finance Open Banking Steering Committee and has served as a panel member on techUK's Financial Services Council. Siobhan wants to see the UK cement its place as a tech superpower by creating the best environment for technology companies to not just launch but scale globally and attract UK investment.

If you wish to contact a member of the Board, please do so via [email protected].

Jonathan Cowan

Chief of Staff, Sage

Jon is Chief of Staff at Sage, a member of the Sage Executive Leadership Team and runs the functions of Strategy, Transformation, and Corporate Development. Jon has a decade of experience at Sage in its UK, European, Marketing, Product, and Global functions, and a background in product & marketing leadership roles in Tech & Telecoms at Skype, T-Mobile and One2One.

Passionate about technology, digitisation an growth (And mountains where he can usually be found outside of work).

If you wish to contact a member of the Board, please do so via [email protected].

Julian Cracknell

Chief Technology & Information Officer, BAE Systems

Julian Cracknell is Chief Technology & Information Officer for BAE Systems. Previously, Julian held a number of senior roles in the Company’s cyber security business including the position of Managing Director Applied Intelligence. Julian joined BAE Systems in July 2012.

Prior to joining BAE Systems, Julian worked at Logica in a number of roles including Director of National Security and Business Unit Manager for Defence Systems.

Julian has a First Class Honours Degree in Computer Science from the University of Dundee and is a trustee of Naomi House, a children’s hospice in Hampshire, UK.

When not at work Julian enjoys spending time with his wife and two children, reading and keeping fit.

If you wish to contact a member of the Board, please do so via [email protected].

Chris Francis

Director for Government Relations, SAP UK

Chris leads on all areas of policy and business support for SAP UK as well as covering a portfolio of EU issues.

Previously Chris has worked on technical regulatory affairs and policy matters in the UK and the EU for over ten years following a career in the UK Civil Service covering a wide range of trade and business policy issues as well as innovation support.

If you wish to contact a member of the Board, please do so via [email protected].

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-francis-a06366/

Dr Sarah Gates

Director of Public Policy, Wayve

Sarah Gates is Director of Public Policy at Wayve, a London-based company pioneering AI technology to enable autonomous vehicles to drive in complex urban environments. Prior to joining Wayve, Sarah had a multidisciplinary background across a variety of science and technology roles. She began her career in academia, with a PhD at Imperial College London and has since specialised in science and research policy; in AI, data and emerging technologies, both in UK Government and industry. At Wayve Sarah works closely with government and our partners, focusing on the future regulatory framework for autonomous vehicles.

If you wish to contact a member of the Board, please do so via [email protected].

Duncan Greenwood

Vice President EMEA/Latin America, Palo Alto Networks

Duncan brings over 25 years of experience in high growth technology companies with a particular track record of building organisations through transformations in cloud computing, infrastructure and cyber security. 

He was appointed as Vice President EMEAL for Palo Alto Networks in April 2024. Prior to that he was Vice President – International Business at Hashicorp. Previously he was Vice President and General Manager in northern EMEA for VMware, as well as Lead for Diversity, Equality and Inclusion in EMEA. Prior to that he held senior leadership positions in the UK and Ireland for both CA Technologies and McAfee, and established Troux Technologies’ presence in the region as Vice President for EMEA. 

Across all these roles, he has grown the footprint of these businesses, increased sales and customer retention, developed and retained talent, built channel and strategic partner strategies, and navigated major technological transitions, especially in the growth of SAAS and cloud. Duncan is a passionate ally and agent for change in diversity, equality and inclusion. 

If you wish to contact a member of the Board, please do so via [email protected].

Andy Hague

Founder, The Cyberfort Group

Andy acted as CEO of The Cyberfort Group from starting the business in 2017 until the start of 2024 where he stepped back to the role of Founder to focus on promoting the SME agenda within government and building strong partnerships with the established primes in Defence and wider HMG departments.

Cyberfort was created from his idea to bring together the best of breed products and services in the field of data security by a combination of targeted acquisition , industry recruitment and organic build of market leading services.

Prior to founding Cyberfort, Andy held a wide variety of roles across technology businesses and cybersecurity in particular notably heading up the cybersecurity division of NCC Group in its early days and setting the foundations for the business to become a global player in the field.

In his early career Andy carried out the MBO of a software business and transformed it into a telecoms business operating in over 100 countries before selling the business to an AIM company in 2005.  This venture saw him receive a much respected Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

In addition to cyber services , Andy has sat on the Board of Wolters Kluwer in the UK where he drove the digital transformation of a legacy print and contact centre business to a software, digital content and online serviced operation.

In January 2023 Andy helped set up the SME cybersecurity forum within TechUK that has now gained strong momentum and has seen him subsequently pick up the SME industry panel remit within the Cabinet Office for the rollout of Secure By Design.

Other current roles include sitting as a member of the Bank of England Decision Making Panel providing important industry data and feedback on a monthly basis to help shape the MPC policy decisions.

Outside of business and advisory roles, Andy is a passionate advocate of Neurodiversity inclusion and acceptance where he has always embraced the strong crossover with cybersecurity skills.

Andy lives outside Stratford upon Avon with his wife and two young children, one of whom is autistic and provides inspiration every day to help shape and improve the future life chances of neurodiverse individuals.

If you wish to contact a member of the Board, please do so via [email protected].

Stephen Hall

CEO, Crown Hosting Data Centres

Steve spent almost 19 years in the Royal Navy as a Chartered Aeronautical Engineer - a perfect background for a second career in IT. 

He has worked for Logica, EDS, HP and now Ark data centres where he was the CEO of Crown Hosting (CH), a highly successful JV with the Cabinet Office; he is now is advising CH. He has also taken on the role of Chief Revenue Officer  at Littlefish, an award winning Managed Services Company who have grown from a SME to be a UK challenger company to the ‘Usual Suspects’.

Steve has been elected to the board as an SME representative and is looking forward to ensuring that the capabilities, innovation and agility of the SMEs community is fully taken advantage of to make the UK a much better place to live and work in - driven by a vibrant Information Technology sector.

If you wish to contact a member of the Board, please do so via [email protected].

Charlotte Holloway

Charlotte is a former political adviser and has previously worked at Zoom Video Communications, the RSA, techUK and The Work Foundation.

She has served on the Smart London Board for the Mayor of London and completed a policy fellowship at the Centre of Science and Policy at the University of Cambridge.

She has previously been listed as one of the Top 50 Most Influential Women in IT by Computer Weekly. 

If you wish to contact a member of the Board, please do so via [email protected].

Chris Hulm

Director - Europe Government Engagement, Visa

Chris leads Visa’s public affairs team in the UK and Ireland. Previously, Chris was based at Visa’s Global HQ in San Francisco as a Director in the Global Policy team.

Prior to joining Visa in 2018, Chris held roles in the financial services policy team at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), as well as various advisory roles for MPs in Parliament.

Chris holds a degree in Government from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

If you wish to contact a member of the Board, please do so via [email protected].

Aleyne Johnson

Director of Government and External Relations, Samsung Electronics

Aleyne Johnson is Samsung Electronic’s Director of Government and External Relations.  

Samsung Electronics is one of the world’s largest tech companies, employing over 300,000 people around the globe, a fifth of whom work in R&D.  The UK is home to Samsung’s European operations, including its R&D centre, AI centre, and new King’s Cross tech venue, and is one Samsung's most important commercial and research markets.  Aleyne is responsible for leading Samsung's policy development across all business and technology issues and works with Government and a wide range of external stakeholders. He also helps promote UK trade with important tech nations around the world.

He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce and former Board member of the UK Government's Child Internet Safety Council (UKCCIS) and the Prince's Trust Technology Leadership Group.

Prior to joining Samsung, Aleyne held roles in the technology and telecoms sectors with Vodafone and Orange and, before that, in the financial services sector in the UK and Australasia. He also worked for the British Government. 

He lives in West London with his wife, two children and cat.

If you wish to contact a member of the Board, please do so via [email protected].

Emma Kendrew

Technology Lead, UK, Ireland and Africa, Accenture

Emma Kendrew leads Accenture’s Technology business in the UK, Ireland and Africa. Emma has over 20 years of experience driving technology-powered business transformation with clients in retail, resources, government, and financial services. Throughout her tenure at Accenture she has played a lead role in establishing new centres to drive innovation, and built new practices including automation, AI, cloud and full-stack engineering.

Before leading Technology, Emma led Accenture’s Enterprise and Industry Technologies practice in UKI where she was focused on helping clients achieve enterprise-wide transformation, working closely with leading platform providers. In 2015 Emma was recognised as one of the UK’s exceptional young businesswomen in Management Today’s “35 Women Under 35”. She holds a degree in Geography from the University of Cambridge, and is passionate about the role of technology in sustainability, diversity and regional opportunity.

If you wish to contact a member of the Board, please do so via [email protected].

Daniela Menzky

Co-founder and Chair, Climate Essentials

Daniela Menzky is a serial entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience in the corporate sector across diverse industries and business models. Daniela held a number of senior Human Resources & Organisational Strategy roles in major blue chip organisations such as Kodak and Avon Cosmetics before moving into General Management as a Managing Director for HAVI Logistics, the world’s largest privately-owned food service logistics company, as well as small & medium size technology enterprises.

Following her successful corporate career, she co-founded and scaled several companies across Cybersecurity, IoT Communications, and Climate Mitigation. She is co-ceo of ANGOKA, a cyber security company and co-founder and chair of Climate Essentials, a startup helping organisations reach net zero via their data-driven multi-stakeholder software solution, Climate Essentials.

If you wish to contact a member of the Board, please do so via [email protected].

Georgina O'Toole

Chief Analyst, TechMarketView

Georgina O'Toole is Chief Analyst at TechMarketView, a role that encompasses thought leadership and business development.

Georgina joined TechMarketView as a Research Director for PublicSectorViews in February 2010. She is a respected industry analyst known for her commentary on the UK software and IT services market and for her in depth knowledge of the public sector, having primarily focused on the sector for the last 20 years.

Before joining TechMarketView, Georgina was Practice Leader for Ovum’s Geographies & Industries practice (alongside Tola Sargeant) where she was responsible for Ovum’s government research globally.

As an analyst at Ovum Holway from 2000, Georgina had previously worked closely with both enterprise and vendor clients providing advice and opinion on the UK software and IT services market. She was instrumental in the launch of Ovum’s well-respected PublicSector@Ovum research programme in 2004 and went on to focus her research on the UK central government, defence and criminal justice markets. As a lead analyst in these sectors, Georgina’s opinion was valued by a variety of clients including IT services companies, major defence contractors and the UK Ministry of Defence.

Prior to joining Ovum, Georgina was a business analyst for CMG (now Logica) working for a variety of clients in the transport & logistics and telecoms sectors.

Georgina has a BSc in Management Sciences from the University of Southampton.

If you wish to contact a member of the Board, please do so via [email protected].

Sue Preston

Vice President & General Manager, UKIMESA, HPE Pointnext Services

Sue Preston is the worldwide Vice President & General Manager for Advisory & Professional Services. Together with her team, she is a strategic partner to customers and provides advisory-led engagements and outcomes-driven digital transformation journeys.

She has dedicated her entire career to technology leadership and transformation.

Before joining HPE, Sue spent two years at Microsoft running the Azure & Data AI Specialist teams in the UK across Enterprise Commercial and Public Sector.  Prior to Microsoft she spent eight years at Hitachi driving Global Financial Services and Managed Services teams along with driving transformation and focus on IoT. She also held leadership roles in the Partner Ecosystem and started her career in the Unix arena and ERP transformation.

Sue is passionate about people and has a solid track record of building high performing teams.  Sue actively participates and drives sustainability initiatives across technology, environmental and social and governance (ESG) strategies. She was shortlisted for CRN Exec Mentor of the Year and takes on various judging roles for Women in Business. Sue sits on the techUK Board and was recently recognised in the top 100 DataIQ most influential leaders in Data.

Outside of work Sue is engaged in raising funds for various charities, enjoys Golf & DIY.

If you wish to contact a member of the Board, please do so via [email protected].

David Price

David is currently Chair of the techUK Open Data Standards Working Group, a member of the techUK AI and ML Working Group and the techUK Cloud Leadership Committee.

David was formerly Account Director at Rackspace Technology, and focussed on large Organisations in the Public Sector and who serve the Public Sector.

Prior to joining Rackspace Technology David was the Brand Director for Health at UKCloud, Head of Healthcare for Veritas, Head of Central Government for Insight, Head of Public Sector for Commvault and prior to joining the IT industry in 1999 he was a Royal Naval Marine Engineer.

David lives on the edge of the Cotswolds in north Oxfordshire and is married with three grown up children, two grandsons and a cat.

If you wish to contact a member of the Board, please do so via [email protected].

Julia Rowe

Sustainability Director, Ocado Group

Julia Rowe is the Sustainability Director of Ocado Group, a FTSE250 company bringing to market cutting-edge technology solutions that leverage the latest advances in automation, robotics, machine learning and artificial intelligence for the online grocery distribution industry and beyond. She is responsible for setting, and embedding into normal business, a holistic sustainability strategy across global operations.

Julia has been working in corporate sustainability for more than 18 years. She has a PhD in chemistry and spent her early career in technology development of hydrogen fuel cells for automotive applications. She is also sits on the Expert Panel of the Faraday Institution, the UK’s independent institute for electrochemical energy storage research, where she is the member leading on battery recycling.

Julia wants to see the UK tech industry leading the way solving global sustainability issues through technological advancements, for the benefit of society today and for future generations.

If you wish to contact a member of the Board, please do so via [email protected].

Will Scrimshaw

General Counsel, BenevolentAI

Will is General Counsel at BenevolentAI, a leader in applying advanced AI to accelerate biopharma drug discovery.  Will has over 20 years’ legal experience, having held senior legal and policy positions at Microsoft, Skype and BT, where he played a key role in enabling growth through innovative approaches to law and regulation.  Will studied law at the University of Bristol, and then trained and qualified as a solicitor in the intellectual property and technology practice of the London office of Norton Rose Fulbright.

If you wish to contact a member of the Board, please do so via [email protected].

Neil Sawyer

Senior Vice President and Managing Director Northwest Europe Market, HP

Neil Sawyer is responsible for leading market strategy and managing the multibillion-dollar P&L for HP’s Northwest Europe Market, spanning commercial and consumer channel and customer segments. Neil has more than 20 years of experience in the technology industry, across corporate, public infrastructure, and consumer electronics. He is a member of the non-governmental organisation techUK.

Prior to his role as Managing Director of HP Northwest Europe, Neil served as Vice President and Managing Director for HP UK&I. Before that he led numerous operational, marketing, and strategy roles in his career spanning consumer electronics, commercial technology and telecoms sectors.

He initially joined HP in 2002 as part of the graduate program and built his career path in the IT and electronics sector. Prior to recently returning to HP, Neil has also worked for Lenovo, Samsung Electronics, and Vodafone.

Neil is known for his focus on both business growth and his commitment to talent development whilst nurturing a diverse and inclusive culture. In addition to his role at HP he is a member of the non-governmental organisation techUK, which represents the broader topical issues and opportunities for the technology sector. He shares findings and opinions with the UK Government and the wider technology stakeholder groups in the UK.

Neil holds a degree in Business Studies from the University of the West of England. He lives in London with his wife and three children.

If you wish to contact a member of the Board, please do so via [email protected].

Alex Towers

Director of Policy and Public Affairs, BT Group

Alex was appointed Director of Policy and Public Affairs for BT Group in November 2017.  He leads BT’s political strategy and its public policy work, both in the UK and around the world.

Before joining BT, Alex was the Director of the BBC Trust – the BBC’s regulator and governing body - from 2015 to 2017.  In that time, he helped to restore stability at the top of the BBC after a period of crisis; negotiated a new Royal Charter to sustain a strong, independent BBC in the form that the public want; and managed the process of change and transition to a new BBC governance structure, winding up the BBC Trust itself in the process.

Alex held earlier positions at the Trust as Head of Finance, Economics and Strategy and then as Deputy Director. He led the Trust’s work to assess the performance of BBC’s services, to approve and allocate budgets, to scrutinise value for money, and to assess BBC proposals for new services and activities. He oversaw its programme of audience research, data analysis and public consultation.  He also ran policy negotiations with Government officials and regulators.

In his earlier career, Alex was a civil servant at DCMS.  His work on media policy included the 2003 Communications Act, Ofcom’s first review of public service broadcasting and the BBC Charter Review that followed. He also helped to plan and deliver the 2012 Olympics.

He grew up in Yorkshire, and now lives in South East London with his wife and their four children.

If you wish to contact a member of the Board, please do so via [email protected].

Justin Wilson

Senior Vice President and Head of UK Industries, Salesforce

Justin Wilson is a highly accomplished executive, serving as the Senior Vice President and Head of UK Industries for Salesforce. Justin’s organisation is responsible for driving the growth and success of customers in the region. Justin has held this position since February 2023. In addition, Justin is also the executive sponsor for the AbilityForce equality group and serves on the advisory board of international NGO, Save the Children UK.

Prior to his current position, Justin excelled as the leader of the MuleSoft business unit from 2018. During his tenure, he spearheaded transformative growth, driving MuleSoft to achieve unparalleled success in the UK and Ireland. Under Justin's visionary leadership, MuleSoft secured the coveted position of #1 market share in API management and integration. Moreover, his strategic initiatives resulted in a threefold increase in organisational revenues during this period.

Justin joined Salesforce in January 2009, holding several senior leadership positions in the UK & EMEA. Notably, Justin has played a pivotal role in propelling Salesforce's rapid expansion, enabling the company to outpace its competitors in the enterprise software industry. Before embarking on his career at Salesforce, Justin spent eight years at Nortel, where he lead an international team and acquired a deep understanding of the technology and customer experience landscape.

If you wish to contact a member of the Board, please do so via [email protected].