Tech Foundations (Higher Education) Working Group

With over 21 years of experience in the Edtech industry, Sian joined The Skills Network in February 2022. Experienced in growth, strategic business development, strategic skills strategies, customer experience, marketing and brand, Sian works with customers, colleagues, and partners to further the reach and impact of FE and HE. As a member of numerous social cause groups, Sian advocates for inclusive skills opportunities for all, driving forward accessible learning and skills opportunities throughout the sector and beyond.

Yuliana is an Associate Professor, Business Mentor, and Award-Winning Social Entrepreneur. She has been widely celebrated for her leadership, being named one of the Top 100 Most Inspiring Mentors in the UK (2016), winning the Croydon Business Awards twice (2013, 2017) for Commitment to the Community and Women in Business, and featuring in the WISE 2020 List: 100 Social Enterprise Leaders Showing COVID Who is the Boss!. Most recently, Yuliana was awarded an MBE for Services to Business and Female Entrepreneurship. Currently, she serves as Associate Professor of Enterprise and Innovation at the University of East London and Director of the Strategic Planning Team at DOHE Europe. She also contributes to the sector through her role on the techUK EdTech Council, GETN and EUropean EdTech Alliance as an advisory board member. Passionate about education, female and social entrepreneurship, she now leads on developing Global EdTech ecosystems, working to minimise barriers and maximise opportunities for EdTech entrepreneurs around the world.

Dr Asieh Hosseini Tabaghdehi is an Economist and Senior Lecturer in Strategy and Business Economics at Brunel University London, where she also serves as Programme Director and Lead at the Brunel Centre for AI. Her work centres on the digital and agentic economy, exploring how AI, automation, and data-driven innovation reshape economic systems, trade dynamics, and social equity. A Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, member of the UK Energy Institute, and associate member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on AI, Dr Hosseini Tabaghdehi advises national and international organisations on AI policy, socio-economic transformation, and digital trade strategy. She has also provided written and oral evidence to the UK Parliament, contributing to national discussions on the ethical and economic implications of AI. She is currently the Economic Impact Assessor for the €2.71 million CELTIC-NEXT ATTACC Project (2025–2027) on AI-enabled smart trade and financial technologies and has co-led a UKRI/ESRC-funded project on ethical use of smart data for SME value creation. Her recent research explores how agentic AI can drive sustainable value creation, trust, and productivity across digital economies.

As a Digital Transformation Consultant at CGI, Dr. Tim Cockle helps organisations use technology to achieve their goals, combining experience in digital transformation, education, and strategic consulting across public and private sectors. Tim has worked with various higher education institutions and has a background in higher education as a researcher and part-time lecturer as part of his Ph.D. Working in the commercial sector Tim has experience with Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs), bridging academia and industry to drive innovation. Passionate about technology’s role in shaping the future of learning and teaching, he actively contributes to discussions on AI, student experience, and cost optimisation in education. His cross-sector experience positions him to drive impactful collaboration between policymakers, education providers, and technology companies. Committed to making a difference, Tim is also a Governor at his local high school focusing on curriculum and assessment, across 6th Form as well as in specific subjects.

Charlene is Education Account Director with Kainos, overseeing multiple digital transformation/operations engagements, including with the Department for Education, University of Cambridge, Queen’s University (Belfast) and The Open University. Charlene brings 20+ years of experience in leading digital and data transformation across the UK public sector, both in education and other large-scale, complex transformation programs including the NHS and several central government departments. Her expertise includes defining, shaping, and implementing organisational strategies, TOMs, and leading transformation/change programmes that deliver innovation, growth, and efficiencies. Her work leading the NHS Digital Transformation of Screening Programme earned Charlene the ‘Women in Business’ Digital Transformation Leader of the Year award in 2023. For the last year she has led the blended Open University/Kainos team digitally transforming the organisation and redesigning the student experience. She is committed to fostering diversity and inclusion through tech outreach initiatives, encouraging women and underrepresented groups to pursue careers in technology.

Ricardo Santos is the Education Market Development and Partner Strategy Lead for Cisco in the UK and Europe. In this role, he supports customers and partners in advancing digital transformation initiatives that address real-world challenges across the Higher Education, Research, and Schools sectors. With over 20 years at Cisco and more than 34 years of experience in the IT and Telecom industries across the US, Latin America, and Europe, Ricardo brings a deep, multicultural perspective and a strong understanding of the evolving demands of digital transformation. His work focuses on leveraging technology to support teaching, learning, and research, while also enabling secure, smart, and sustainable campus environments that improve operational efficiency and enhance the student experience. Ricardo holds an MBA from Duke University (USA) and a postgraduate degree in Advanced Management from INSEAD (France). He is also actively engaged in international communities focused on educational technology adoption. In addition to his corporate career, Ricardo has over 25 years of experience as a Higher Education teacher and mentor in Business Schools, specializing in Marketing and Strategic Planning.

Ajay Chauhan is an accomplished cybersecurity professional with a diverse background spanning customer engagement, technical solutions, and strategic leadership. He currently serves at CrowdStrike, a leading cybersecurity firm, where he leverages his extensive expertise to protect organisations from cyber threats. Based in Reading, UK, Ajay has cultivated a robust network of over 500 professional connections. His career reflects a commitment to advancing cybersecurity practices and delivering innovative solutions to complex challenges.

Tamara Monti is a dynamic Sales Director with a strong track record in driving SaaS adoption and forging strategic partnerships across the Education and Enterprise sectors. With over a decade of experience spanning technical consulting, sales leadership, and academia, she has led high-performing teams to exceed growth targets and deliver impactful solutions in Northern Europe.