Making Technology Work for Small Business: Laura Burley, Xero

Laura Burley's work at Xero sits at the intersection of technology, data and small business advocacy, and her impact is felt by the thousands of UK SMEs whose financial resilience she has helped to strengthen. As Acting General Manager (Global) and Director of Government Relations (UK and EMEA), she has consistently translated the capabilities of Xero's platform into practical policy change, fairer payment cultures and stronger financial capability for small businesses across the country.

At the heart of her contribution is her campaign against late payment, which Xero has reframed, compellingly, as unapproved debt. Late payment is one of the most persistent and damaging drags on SME productivity in the UK, and Laura has used the data available through Xero's platform to make the case for change in terms that policymakers and large organisations cannot ignore. By quantifying the scale and cost of payment delays across thousands of anonymised SME accounts, she has provided an evidence base that has shaped conversations at government and industry level, supporting the adoption of fair payment codes and responsible procurement practices. Xero's own gold payment status under the fair payment code is, in part, a reflection of Laura's determination to lead by example.

Her work on financial capability is equally significant. Through the Unlock Your Numbers mentoring programme, she has championed initiatives that pair the real-time capabilities of Xero's platform, including cash flow forecasting, live dashboards and integrated banking, with structured mentoring and education for small business owners. The goal is to help SMEs move from reactive, compliance-driven financial management to genuinely data-led decision-making. The difference, for a small business navigating growth or managing risk, can be transformative.

Laura Burley leads with a clear sense of purpose: to make life better for the people behind small businesses by using technology as a catalyst for fairer and more resilient economic outcomes. Her work makes a strong and deserving case for the Economy Award.

To read more about the techUK President's Awards, visit our page here. Winners will be announced at the techUK Annual Dinner on 30 June.

Read more about our President's Award finalists: 

People Award

• Bringing Technology and Purpose Together: Fiona Dawson, Mayden
• Building a Future Where Disability Is No Barrier to Movement: Dr Malik Haddad, Northeastern University London
• Protecting People Online, at Scale: Robin Tombs, Yoti

Society Award

• Protecting Communities Through Intelligence: Clare Elford, Clue Software
• Putting Human Safety at the Centre of Technology: Dr Laura Bishop, British Standards Institution
• Connected Data, Public Value: Vishal Marria, Quantexa

Economy Award

• From Strategy to Production: Steve Chan, Stealth Labs
• Making Technology Work for Small Business: Laura Burley, Xero
• The Genetics Revolution, Made Real: Professor Sir Peter Donnelly, Genomics

Planet Award

• Sustainability by Design: Ray Knight, Atos
• Turning Buildings into Efficiency Engines: Javier Benitez, Colt Technology Services
• Technology in Service of Nature: Isobel Ashbey, Cambridge Consultants