Emerging Tech Leadership Committee

Brian Edwards

Senior Manager, Technology Strategy, Sony 

Camilla de Coverly Ceale

Head of Government Relations, Mozilla

Carla Baker

Senior Director, Government Affairs UK&I, Palo Alto Networks

"Carla is a Senior Director of Policy & Government Affairs at Palo Alto Networks, where she is responsible for driving the company’s public policy agenda in the UK and Ireland on a
broad range of issues, including cyber security, privacy, and wider technology policy. She is also a Trustee of the UK Cyber Security Council, a member of the Scottish National Cyber Resilience Advisory Board, and Vice-Chair of techUK’s Cyber Management Committee.

Prior to joining Palo Alto Networks, Carla was a Director of Government Affairs at Symantec for several years, leading the company’s public policy agenda in the UK and representing the company before governments, trade associations, think tanks and HM Government-industry boards. Carla started her career in Government in the Department for Health, Department for Transport and the Home Office and held a variety of different roles, ranging from facilitating procurement contracts to shaping the development of mental health legislation and ensuring the smooth passage of the Bill through Parliament."

Carson Bradbury

Dir. EU Chips Act & Co-founder Siemens Cre8Ventures, Siemens

Dan Jones

Go-To-Market and Product Lead, Oxford Dynamics

"Dan Jones is Go-to-Market and Product Lead at Oxford Dynamics, a company specialising in advanced AI solutions that enable machines to think more like humans. He previously served as Head of Data and Analysis for the Strategic Defence Review and advised on Digital Strategy at the Ministry of Defence between 2022 and 2024."

Dan Patten

Government Affairs Lead, UK & Europe, Scale AI

Dan is Government Affairs Lead for the UK at Scale AI. In this role, he covers policy and government engagement for the UK. Founded in 2016, Scale AI has become the leading provider of high-quality data and evaluations that serve as the foundational infrastructure for AI development. The company's services include training and improving AI models and developing applications for many of the world's leading generative AI companies, government agencies, and enterprises. Scale is also the world leading in paid AI opportunities globally.

Dr Andy Sellars

Director of Strategy, CORNERSTONE

Duncan Chapple

Observatory co-director, Business School, University of Edinburgh

"Duncan Chapple brings over 20 years of B2B tech industry expertise and deep knowledge of AI-powered automation, telecommunications infrastructure, and manufacturing technology through his current role with the University of Edinburgh and Elisa. His background as a former industry analyst at Ovum (now Omdia) enables him to translate complex technology developments into strategic narratives for policymakers and enterprise buyers, while his work spans critical convergence areas including AI + manufacturing, automation + telecoms, and semiconductor systems. As a Business Associate in the innovation group at the University of Edinburgh Business School, he bridges academic rigor with industry practice, particularly around technology adoption patterns and market evolution. The Innovation Group's unique value lies in understanding how emerging technologies are commercialized and evaluated at enterprise scale—essential for developing policy recommendations that unlock genuine economic value rather than just technical possibility."

Ed Bithell

Head of Strategy and Sovereign Partnerships, Fractile

"Ed Bithell is Head of Strategy and Sovereign Partnerships at Fractile. Fractile is building AI inference accelerator chips, software and hardware systems to radically scale frontier AI inference. Prior to joining Fractile, Ed worked as a civil servant and as an analyst specialising in trade and emerging technologies."

Elizabeth Patterson

Policy and Program Manager, Seagate

Elizabeth Patterson is a Senior Program and Policy Manager at Seagate Technology, with a strategic focus on photonics innovation and commercialisation. Elizabeth plays a pivotal role in shaping Seagate’s engagement with UK and EU photonics ecosystems, driving initiatives that bridge research and industry across quantum, AI, and semiconductor application

Emilia Conlon

Communications & Planning Lead, Riverlane

Emilia Conlon is Communications & Planning Lead at Riverlane, the world leader in quantum error correction (QEC) — the technology that will enable quantum computers to scale from experimental machines to utility-scale systems capable of transforming industries. She leads communications and strategic planning at Riverlane, having established the company’s communications function to build its profile as a science, product, and thought leader in quantum computing. Previously, she was a consultant at Milltown Partners, a global advisory firm, where she advised technology companies on reputation, communications, and public policy challenges.

Euan Cameron

AI and Emerging Technology Leader, PwC

"Euan is PwC's AI and emerging technology leader. He works with colleagues and clients to build understanding of frontier technologies and identify opportunities to create business value through their development and deployment. He assumed the role of AI leader at PwC in 2016 and has been part of the firm's technology leadership throughout that period. Prior to this, Euan was a strategy consulting partner in Strategy& for 10 years. He holds an MEng from University of Cambridge and an MBA from INSEAD."

Freddie Milles

Strategic Partnership Lead UK, FVEY & NATO, Enveil

Freddie Milles is the Strategic Partnerships Lead at Enveil, the pioneering Privacy Enhancing Technology company changing the paradigm of how and where organisations can leverage data to unlock value. He spent the majority of his career in the UK National Security domain working across a range of operational and strategic roles. This included extensive engagement with major defence primes providing a valuable perspective on the public–private sector divide and the critical importance of that relationship. At Enveil, Freddie leads expansion efforts in the UK, EU, and NATO markets, with a wide remit covering national security, defence, and commercial applications. He maintains close connections with end users to help directly inform product development to ensure transformative operational capability.

Frederick Duffield  

Senior Partner Government Relations, Samsung

" Frederick (Freddie) is a Senior Adviser in Government Relations to Samsung, leading on several policy areas, including AI, international trade, telecommunications, and corporate. He is an Adviser to TechUK, the trade association of the tech sector, and the International Business and Diplomatic Exchange’s (IBDE) AI Advisory Group and Trade and Investment Group.

He joined Samsung in 2025 from Isomorphic Labs (part of Alphabet), as well as previous roles including Global Head of Corporate Affairs at Oritain, a PE-backed ESG firm, and roles at the pharmaceutical giant Novartis in the UK and globally. He holds degrees from the University of London and the University of Hong Kong and is currently finalising an Executive MPA from Sciences Po in Paris"

Gordon Sweny

Director of Strategy, Satellite Applications Catapult

Gordon is Head of Strategy at the Satellite Applications Catapult. He has worked for more than 20 years in space, defence and technology. He helps organisations and start-ups find real markets for new ideas and get useful tools into people’s hands. His experience ranges from setting direction with boards to running complex programmes with teams across the UK and overseas. He builds strong partnerships, keeps plans practical and measures results. He cares about turning promising tech into services that work, grow and last. A former Royal Marine, he brings a calm, mission-led approach and a bias for action. 

Hannah Garratt

Digital Affairs Manager UK, Airbus

"Hannah Garratt is the UK Digital Affairs Manager for Airbus. Airbus is the UK’s largest aerospace company and its foremost exporter in aeronautics. Hannah works to monitor the UK`s digital regulatory and industrial developments & trends, whilst establishing and fostering partnerships with private and institutional stakeholders supporting strategic initiatives that promote and position Airbus’ digital ambitions. Prior to her role in Digital Affairs, Hannah was Airbus` Global Competence & Learning Manager for Analytics, AI & Quantum Technologies."

Jarryd Braithwaite 

Head of Innovation & Technology Partnerships, Saab UK

Jarryd Braithwaite is the Head of Innovation & Technology Partnerships at Saab UK. An engineer by background, spending over a decade working on research and technology within academia, he now leads the engagement with academia, start-up, SME, and industry within Saab UK's innovation division.

Katy Alexandar

CCO, Delta.g 

Kostakis Bouzoukas

Principal Solutions Architect, Amazon

"Kostakis Bouzoukas is a Principal Solutions Architect at Amazon, leading partner-facing technical initiatives across Fire TV and other device platforms. With 20 years’ experience spanning software, cloud and AI, he drives large-scale engineering and infrastructure transformation programmes that improve performance, scalability and customer experience for global streaming and gaming partners. His work bridges product direction and solutions architecture to align emerging technology with measurable business outcomes. Before Amazon, Kostakis founded two startups. He holds an MSc in IT and Telecommunications from the Athens Information Technology (AIT) and an MBA from Warwick Business School."

Laura Bishop

Digital Sector Lead, AI & Cyber Security, British Standards Institute

"Laura Bishop is a Human Factors Cyberpsychologist. With a PhD in human vulnerabilities to cyber attacks and research in both human-robot and human-computer interaction, Laura is highly experienced on the psychological and societal impacts of technology. Laura works for the British Standards Institution supporting the development of standards around the safe, secure and reliable use of AI and cyber systems. Laura is also currently undertaking a secondment within UK Government as their Socio-technical Aspects of AI Fellow. As an Honorary Research Associate of Cardiff University, Laura advocates their continued exploration into the benefits and challenges of human-technology interaction and continues to peer review academic papers in both the cyber and robotics space."

Marc Nevin

Head of Technology Futures, Kainos

"Marc is Foresight & Innovation Lead at Kainos, where he leads the strategic identification, investment, and scaling of capabilities in emerging and exponential technologies such as AI, Quantum Computing, and Distributed Systems. He bridges futures thinking with execution by developing innovation and technology strategy, growing capability, forging cross-sector partnerships, and converting novel ideas into scalable market or societal solutions.

In his career, Marc has driven innovation programmes in collaboration with government, industry, startups and academia to deliver tangible outcomes such as scaling the use of AI tools responsibly and delivering innovation initiatives in regulated transport. He has also contributed to policy and regulatory discussions on ethics, governance, and the sustainable deployment of emerging technologies, including environmentally conscious approaches to AI."

Max Beverton-Palmer

Head of Public Policy, NVIDIA

"Max Beverton-Palmer is Head of Public Policy for the UK at NVIDIA, where he leads government affairs and public policy initiatives, drawing on over 15 years of experience in technology policy across regulatory bodies, industry, and civil society. Before joining NVIDIA, he directed the Internet Policy Unit at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, leading a global team to develop progressive tech policy solutions and advising governments on digital transformation, AI and compute infrastructure. Max previously held senior roles at Sky, overseeing digital policy and regulatory advocacy on issues such as online safety and platform governance, and spent several years at Ofcom, the UK communications regulator. He is also a Policy Fellow at Cambridge’s Centre for Science and Policy."

Max Hemingway

Distinguished Technologist, DXC Technology

"An experienced and qualified Technologist with over 35 years in the IT industry, specialising in designing and delivering enterprise-level solutions to meet business requirements and achieve tangible outcomes. Extensive expertise in the design and deployment of applications, systems, and enterprise architectures to support both cloud-based and traditional business services. Currently serving as a Distinguished Technologist collaborating with clients from C-Level executives to business sponsors and technical teams. Skilled in providing strategic guidance, industry trend analysis, and innovative solutions to enable clients' digital transformation journeys. Chartered IT Professional (CITP). Fellow of the BCS (FBCS) and a member of the BCS Fellows Technical Advisory Group (FTAG)."

Melina Beykou

Technology & Product Consultant, Plexal

"Dr. Melina Beykou is a technology and product consultant with deep expertise in the semiconductor industry and a strong record in building innovation ecosystems. She has previously focused on bio-inspired technologies including CMOS sensors, high-throughput imaging, signal processing and materials. Plexal is the innovation and growth company helping to strengthen the UK’s technology capabilities through collaboration. With teams in London, Manchester and Cheltenham, we work closely with government, industry, startups and academia to drive economic growth and reinforce national security. At Plexal, Melina connects government, academia and industry to accelerate the adoption of secure and transformative technologies. Known for bridging deep technical understanding with commercial insight, Melina advises on how to translate emerging technologies into secure solutions with a focus on national security to strengthen sovereign capability and economic resilience. With these two lenses Plexal and I can help the Committee anticipate future technology inflection points, understand their policy and security implications and enable initiatives that accelerate adoption while protecting sovereign capability."

Nargis Hassani

Head of Legal - Regulatory, Digital & Emerging Technology, Ocado Group

Oliver Morgan

Venture Partner, Vodafone

"Oliver Morgan is Venture Partner and Innovation Lead at Vodafone Group, where he focuses on accelerating innovation and venture engagement across the consumer and enterprise portfolio. His work bridges emerging technologies and commercial impact — developing partnerships, proof-of-concepts, and new growth models around AI, connectivity, and digital platforms.

Before joining Vodafone, Oliver spent nearly a decade running Ventuure Consulting, a Microsoft spin-out that has supported over 350 high-growth tech companies across the UK, Europe, and the US. Ventuure works with cutting-edge startups to develop product maturity, build market entry strategies, and secure investment.

Earlier in his career, Oliver served as Programme Director for Microsoft ScaleUp in London and Berlin, helping more than 200 B2B startups to achieve product-market fit and scale through enterprise partnerships. He also brings operational experience from the Bloodhound SSC engineering project and a 17-year career as a British Army Officer, specialising in engineering and technology delivery in complex environments."

Paul Ceely 

Director of Research for Emerging Technology, Digital Catapult

"Paul Ceely is responsible for the medium to long-term technology strategy for Digital Catapult, looking at future digital technology landscape and identifying priority areas to focus on. In addition he leads Emerging Technology within Digital Catapult including Quantum Technologies and Digital Security.

Paul has over 25 years’ experience in technology strategy and network strategy, covering mobile, internet, security, quantum and technology evolution in general. He led network strategy in the operators BT and EE in the UK, developing the 5G strategy for BT, was instrumental in the strategy for EE’s 4G launch in 2012, as well as taking a leading role in the network strategy during the merger of BT and EE, and Orange and T-Mobile to become EE. He played a fundamental role in the set up of SONIC Labs, a DCMS funded facility and collaborative programme for testing the interoperability and integration of open, multi-vendor, software-centric networks. He graduated from Cambridge University in Physics, focusing on astrophysics and quantum."

Professor Jason Crain

Senior Research Manager , IBM

"Professor Jason Crain is a Senior Research Manager at IBM and Visiting Professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Oxford. He has published over 200 papers on emerging computational technologies and their applications, with pioneering work at the intersection of quantum computing, AI, and molecular simulation. At IBM, he established and led the UK quantum research team, delivering the country’s first utility-scale quantum experiments and co-developing foundational AI tools for drug discovery. He currently serves as UK quantum lead at the Hartree National Centre for Digital Innovation, shaping public-private investment to advance national capability in emerging technologies. Previously, as Director of Research at the National Physical Laboratory, he restructured the UK’s measurement science portfolio and launched enduring national programmes. His career reflects deep technical insight and strategic leadership in translating frontier science into transformative innovation."

Professor Lucy Mason

Director, Capgemini

"Professor Lucy Mason FRSA is a Director at Capgemini Invent leading on emerging technologies and innovation, especially in the defence, space, and security sectors. She is the founder and former Head of the Government’s Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) which finds and funds innovation to create novel defence and security capabilities. Her interests include the threats and opportunities posed by AI and machine learning, the internet of things, quantum technologies, futures thinking, and the implications of technologies for people and society. Lucy is passionate about bringing industry, academia, and Government together in multidisciplinary teams to better solve major social challenges. She is a visiting Professor at Cranfield University, a member of the Government's Regulatory Horizons Council where she led work on the future regulation of space technologies, Chair of the Bath Institute for Digital Security and Behaviour Advisory Board at the University of Bath, and Chair of the SPRITE+ Advisory Board. She is a member of the Advisory Boards for the Common Mission Project and CREST Research. Lucy was a former civil servant between 2009 – 2019. She has a doctorate in archaeological science."

Robert Lamb

Chief Research and Technology Officer, Leonardo 

"Robert is the Chief Research and Technology Officer for Electronics Division at Leonardo. He began his research career in 1986 at MOD in optical phase conjugation in high power solid state lasers for electro-optical sensor systems. In 1996 he initiated research into single photon counting lidar for remote sensing.

In 1999 he was awarded a three-year MOD research fellowship to investigate the use of ultrashort pulse supercontinuum lasers for remote sensing with atmospheric filamentation, during which he transferred to QinetiQ. He was appointed a QinetiQ Fellow in 2006. He led the Future Systems Group in Selex SAS (now Leonardo) and was subsequently appointed CTO for EO Systems where he led applied research in novel laser techniques, lidar, photonics, computational image processing, additive manufacturing and quantum technology. He established close collaborations with academia, especially in quantum sensing, neuromorphic processing, compressive sensing and photonics, supporting several PhD students and linking academic research to Leonardo’s development programmes.

In 2021 he was appointed CRTO to oversee emerging and strategic academic research across Leonardo’s Electronics Division, linking it to government strategies for semiconductors and quantum technologies. He has now initiated research into the use of quantum information processing techniques and integrated photonics for beam switching, modulation, optical data processing and optical communications.

He is a Fellow and VP (Business) of the Institute of Physics, an Honorary Professor of Physics at Heriot-Watt University and he is the UK industrial representative for NATO’s Sensing Technologies Panel."

Sachin Agrawal

Managing Director, Zoho UK

Sachin Agrawal is the Managing Director of Zoho UK. Zoho is global software product company with 900,000 customers in 150 companies. It has a large porfolio of products such as Zoho CRM, Zoho Desk and Zoho Workplace, covering all functional areas such as sales, marketing support, finance, IT and collaboration. Prior to his current role, Sachin managed a few of Zoho’s product lines globally and the account management team. Before Zoho, Sachin was an entrepreneur for five years and built an HR Tech SaaS business. Earlier he spent 16 years in consulting, restructuring and enterprise technology space with companies such as IBM, A&M, Tech Mahindra & Tata Group. During this period he worked across various regions including India, APAC, Middle East & Americas.

Sarah Cameron

Legal Director, Pinsent Masons

"Sarah is in the Technology and Digital Markets sector team and in particular focuses on AI, connected digital twins, data sharing and the convergence of emerging technologies.

Member of Tech UK's Data Analytics and AI Leadership Committee; techuk's Digital Twin Steering Group, and Digital Ethics and Quantum WGs. 
Member/co-Chair/ of Digital Twin Hub Governance and Trust Working Group
Contributor to various programmes eg Digital Leadership Forum, Digital Twin Hub Work Group on Governance and Trust, OneTrust etc  
Member and former Chair of Governance Board for SDTAP [Securing Digital Technology at the Periphery] UKRI funded inter-disciplinary research and applied R&D programme (2016-2024)."

Sarah Cornwall

Market Development Lead, Virgin Media O2

"Sarah Cornwall is the Market Development Lead for Fixed Wholesale solutions for Virgin Media O2. VMO2's fibre network reaches more than 7 million premises today, with continued expansion well underway. 

The VMO2 wholesale unit is positioned as a key UK Sovereign challenger to the existing wholesale market. It supports its wholesale partners in building future-proofed connectivity solutions for ISPs, AI/HPC, hyperscalers, neoclouds, resellers and enterprise carriers. 

Sarah is responsible for reporting on the evolving landscape of the UK market developments & trends, whilst establishing and fostering partnerships with key stakeholders. A supporting focus is on identifying strategic initiatives that can promote and position VMO2 and its partners' growth ambitions."

Scott Marshall

CEO & Founder, BCVR Immersive

Scott Marshall is CEO & Founder of BCVR Immersive, a leader in immersive storytelling, XR production, and experiential design. An award-winning XR Creative Director and Exec Producer, he has collaborated with institutions and brands such as the Victoria & Albert Museum, Frieze Art Fair, the Commonwealth Games, Burberry, Disney, and Marvel, delivering cutting-edge AR and XR experiences that transform audience engagement.

He is also the founder of EarthXR, the world’s first climate data and spatial computing platform, which turns complex carbon data into compelling immersive experiences for schools, STEM institutes, businesses, and governments.
Scott is currently co-producing Gauguin & the Canal, an innovative immersive exhibition reimagining the life and art of Paul Gauguin, coming to London in 2026.

Sharon Backer-Holst

CEO, Blockhouse Technology (TBTL)

Sharon Backer-Holst is the CEO of The Blockhouse Technology Ltd, a company specialising in building trust through technology.  Its specialist areas include blockchain technology for a digital civilisation and trusted computing to underpin digital identity solutions. Having worked in the tech industry for over 40 years, including  10 years in start-up companies, Sharon joined TBTL in 2024 to take the company to the next stage in its commercial journey.

Tim Prior

Strategic Programme Manager, National Physical Laboratory

As a government laboratory, NPL works across nearly all sectors. We are the UK's National Metrology Laboratory (NMI) and we provide the measurement capability that underpins the UK’s prosperity and quality of life, as well as accelerating the application of innovation with independence and impartiality. In quantum NPL is a key part of the UK National Quantum Technologies programme, with a remit to deliver confidence in quantum technologies for innovators, investors, manufacturers and end users by developing and implementing cutting edge test and evaluation capabilities.