Building the Smarter State 2025

Julian David OBE

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 100+ strong team representing 1,100+ 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.

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Sarah Walker

Chief Executive, Cisco, UK & Ireland 

As Chief Executive for the UK & Ireland, Sarah Walker has direct responsibility for Cisco’s sales operations in the region and oversees a diverse community of employees who represent over 40 areas of Cisco’s global business. 

Sarah has built a career in digital technology and communications, focussed on customer centricity and using technology to deliver outcomes aligned to business objectives. With early roles in mobile telephony, working her way up the technology stack, Sarah spent 25 years in BT in various senior leadership positions across both the public and private sector before joining Cisco two years ago to lead its Enterprise business in the UK and Ireland. 

In her prior role leading Cisco’s Enterprise business, Sarah was responsible for the company’s relationships with more than a hundred large, private sector organisations across key sectors for the UK and Ireland – ranging from transport to pharmaceuticals and financial services.

Sarah is also an advisor to the UK Government’s Board of Trade, a Non-Executive Director at Liverpool Women’s Hospital Trust, Chair of the Board of Trustees at Greater Manchester Academies Trust as well as the proud Executive Sponsor for Women of Cisco UKI.
 

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Adele Every

Managing Director, Public Sector, Cisco, UK & Ireland

Focused on enabling secure, next generation, government services, Adele and her team work with complex ecosystems bringing value to government and their transformation agenda.  Adele is passionate about closing the digital skills gap and works proactively with academia, start ups, government and large business to collaboratively establish regional training hubs and programmes to uplift skills across communities.
Prior to joining Cisco, Adele spent 17 years at Capgemini. As a Vice President she led a high performing cross functional team to deliver on their largest global account fulfilling programmes of national importance including BREXIT and COVID 19 support packages. She has also established and sat on innovation programme boards within the public sector focused on bringing a broad ecosystem of partner offers to support the transformation and SME agenda. 
She is a trustee for the National Centre for Universities and Business and has a mature network across government, connecting MPs, lobby groups, SME tech partners and start ups and has featured in many tech publications including, Technology Record, IT Pro Journal and the New Statesman. 
 

: https://www.cisco.com/c/en_uk/index.html
: Cisco
: @CiscoUKI

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Sonia Patel

Chief Informatics Officer, NHS England

As CTO for the NHS, Sonia’s key priorities focus on delivering a clear vision of what successful digital transformation looks like at a national level. She is dedicated to strengthening the digital foundations of frontline organisations, ensuring equitable access to cutting-edge technology, and supporting local boards in taking ownership of their digital transformation strategies. Central to her mission is building a digitally confident workforce, capable of harnessing technology and data to empower citizens in managing their health and well-being in new, meaningful ways.

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Emily Middleton

Director General, Digital Centre Design at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Emily Middleton is the Director General for Digital Centre Design at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).
Emily was previously a partner at the consultancy Public Digital. She set up the firm’s international practice, working with multilateral development banks, UN agencies and philanthropies. She has worked with governments around the world to develop digital strategies and to design, scale and reboot digital and data units.
Prior to joining Public Digital, Emily led the design of the London Office of Technology and Innovation. Earlier in her career, while at the Boston Consulting Group, she worked on digital strategy and transformation programmes in Europe and Southeast Asia. She has also worked for UNICEF Innovation and the European Union Delegation to Ethiopia.

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Owen Pritchard

Head of Cyber Digital and Technology Programme, Local Government Association

Owen leads the Local Government Association’s Cyber, Digital, and Technology team. With over two decades of experience in public sector leadership and management, he began specialising in information management and digital technology in 2010. Owen has continuously enhanced his professional expertise through postgraduate studies at Cranfield University, Manchester Business School, and the Saïd Business School. Beyond his professional role, he is also a partner in a small business and previously served as the Deputy Leader of a London Council.

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Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley QPM

Commissioner, Metropolitan Police

Sir Mark Rowley QPM is a leader in national security, crisis and risk management and transformation with a policing career that spans more than 30 years.

Sir Mark joined West Midlands Police in 1987 after graduating from Cambridge. He would spend the first ten years of his career with the force before joining the National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS) as a Detective Superintendent.

He spent three years with NCIS before joining Surrey Police. He ultimately became Chief Constable of Surrey in 2008, lifting public confidence levels to the highest in the country under his leadership.

In 2011, Sir Mark joined the Metropolitan Police as an Assistant Commissioner, responsible for Specialist Crime and Operations. In 2014 he took over responsibility for UK counter terrorism policing, leading the police response to the terror attacks in the summer of 2017.

Sir Mark received a knighthood from Her Majesty the Queen in 2018 for his “exceptional contribution to national security and national leadership at a time of unprecedented threat and personally providing reassuring national leadership through the attacks of 2017”.

Sir Mark left policing in 2018 and spent four years working on specialist security projects and on technology/data-led transformation in the private sector. Sir Mark co-authored ‘Operating with Impunity’ with the Commission for Countering Extremism, which was published in 2021 and made recommendations to Government for a step change in the law’s ability to tackle modern extremism.

In April 2022, Sir Mark published ‘The Sleep of Reason’, his debut novel co-authored with journalist David Derbyshire.

He was appointed as Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police in July 2022, tasked with reforming the organisation and restoring public confidence after a period of unprecedented challenge.

He took up his post in September 2022 and has set out an ambitious agenda to rebuild the Met’s relationship with Londoners by delivering More Trust, Less Crime and High Standards through the New Met for London Plan.

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Gus Tugendhat

Founder, Tussell

Gus leads Tussell, the market’s trusted source of data on UK government contracts. He discovered the power of data when he started his career in investment banking at Lazard and other banks. Then he pivoted to building data-driven businesses, first at Thomson Reuters where he was a Managing Director, and then by founding Tussell. A few years on, Tussell is a high-growth and profitable software business

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Siobhan Benita

Advisor - Global Government Forum, Cognizant

Siobhan was a senior civil servant in the UK with more than 15 years’ Whitehall experience. She worked in many of major delivery departments, including Transport, Environment, Health and Local Government. She also had senior roles at the heart of government in the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury, including supporting the then Cabinet Secretary, Lord O’Donnell, to lead work on civil service reform and strategy. Siobhan left to run as an independent candidate in the Mayor of London election. She subsequently joined her alma mater, Warwick University, as Chief Strategy Officer of Warwick in London and Co-Director of the Warwick Policy Lab.  She is currently an advisor to Global Government Forum.

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Yatin Mahandru

VP, Head of Public Sector and Health, Cognizant UK & Ireland, Cognizant

Yatin is a thought leader and advisor with 40 years of experience in the public and private sectors supporting the delivery of complex, large-scale transformational programmes in the UK and globally. A member of the UK leadership team, in his role, Yatin sets and executes the growth strategy with a focus on how and where advances in technology can be beneficial to citizen services while delivering through empowered teams. He is certified coach, mediator and board-level advisor with an interest in developing future leaders and supporting boards in developing inclusive growth strategies.

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Paige Portal

Senior Account Director, Henham Strategy

Paige Portal, Senior Account Director at Henham Strategy, led the delivery of this report. She oversees much of the firm’s economics and policy offering, supporting clients in achieving their strategic goals through various initiatives. Paige brings over seven years of experience as a Government Economist, where she led economic policy analysis across high-profile areas including investment, international trade, local growth, and economic security. Notably, she spent two years negotiating market access for procurement within the UK’s Free Trade Agreements with Australia and New Zealand. Her deep understanding of both public and private sector dynamics has been instrumental to this review, offering insight into the complexities of government procurement and the strategic value of private sector partnerships in digital delivery.

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Sue Bateman

Chief Data Officer, Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs

Sue Bateman joined Defra in April 2024 as Chief Data Officer for the group to lead work in how data and information are used to support Defra’s own transformation journey. The vision is to put data and information at the heart of everything we do in Defra group – maximising the rich and varied data that we hold to support our missions – through the delivery of our Data and Information Strategic Roadmap.  
Sue is a longstanding civil servant with digital, data and strategy leadership experience – most recently having been the interim Government Chief Data Officer at Central Digital and Data Office where she led on the development and delivery of the National Data Strategy and Digital and Data Roadmap.  
 

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James Mitton

Director General, Enterprise Transformation, HMRC

James Mitton is the Director General for the Enterprise Transformation Group at His Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC), where he drives strategic initiatives to transform the delivery of services to businesses and individuals. Leading a dynamic team, James focuses on enhancing digital capabilities, improving operational efficiency, and fostering agile working practices to elevate both customer and colleague experiences.
 James joined HMRC in 2022 as Director of Benefits and Credits Operations, where he spearheaded key projects to improve customer experience, ensure compliance, and accelerate the adoption of advanced technologies. With a strong track record in service transformation, he is committed to driving large-scale change, innovation, and building high-performing teams.
 Prior to HMRC, James had a successful career in Retail, Financial Services, Telecoms and Utilities, where he gained extensive expertise in strategy, organisational change, and digital transformation
 

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Hannah Roden

Innovation Officer for the Integrated Digital Service, Leeds City Council/ Leeds Office of West Yorkshire ICB

Hannah Roden is the Digital Innovation Officer for the Integrated Digital Service, providing digital services for both Leeds City Council and the Integrated Care Board (ICB) in Leeds, with a passion for driving positive change through technology and connectivity. Hannah plays a pivotal role in driving strategic initiatives and fostering innovation. With a keen eye for identifying emerging trends and a strategic mindset, Hannah excels in developing and implementing innovative solutions that address complex challenges. Hannah is particularly passionate about AI, smart city initiatives and technology enabled care, aiming to harness innovation to enhance the quality of life for residents in Leeds and beyond.

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Sam Trendall

Editor, PublicTechnology

Sam is editor of PublicTechnology, the UK’s leading source of daily news and analysis for anyone interested in how the public sector is using technology and digital platforms to transform citizen services. As editor, Sam oversees overall editorial output and direction, as well continuing to report breaking news and write interviews and features. He is also heavily involved in the publication’s growing portfolio of in-person and online events for its core audience of public sector digital, data and technology professionals.Sam has been a journalist for almost 20 years and worked for various local news, technology and business publications before joining PublicTechnology in June 2017.

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Greg Williams

Editor-in-Chief, WIRED UK

Greg Williams is the Editor-in-Chief of WIRED UK and Deputy Global Editorial Director of WIRED. A content creator, speaker and strategic forecaster who has held senior leadership roles in London and New York, Greg is interested in understanding the ideas, organisations, trends and technologies shaping the future. He has interviewed senior leaders in business, technology and policy, including Bill Gates, Satya Nadella, Demis Hassabis and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair. He was the British Society of Magazine Editors Editor of the Year in the Technology and Science category in 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2024.

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Thomas Rysgaard Christiansen

Partner, Netcompany

Thomas Rysgaard Christiansen is a partner at Netcompany and works with governments across Europe to drive digital strategies and transformations. He joined Netcompany in 2023 as Head of Digital Government and oversees key initiatives, including the large-scale EU EUDI Wallet project.

Before joining Netcompany, Thomas gained extensive international experience in the public and private sectors. Most recently, he spent seven years as CEO of KOMBIT Inc., leading the procurement, development and implementation of efficient, integrated and user-friendly IT solutions for Denmark's state and local governments. With his technical and business expertise, he played a key role in modernising critical case management and self-service systems while ensuring the implementation of new digital infrastructures across all Danish municipalities and local authorities.

As a strong advocate of digitalisation and a connected public sector, Thomas brings extensive experience from both the public and private sectors to his approach to digital transformation. He is an active member of expert committees and leads several networks focused on digital development and transformation.

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Karl Hoods CBE

Group Chief Digital and Information Officer, Department for Energy Security & Net Zero, and Department for Science, Innovation & Technology

Karl is an experienced Chief Information Officer (CIO) and has worked in the private, public and third sectors. He is currently the Group Chief Digital and Information Officer for the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero and the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology at Integrated Corporate Services where he is responsible for the delivery of core services, digital transformation, innovation, knowledge management and shared services. 

Prior to joining BEIS Karl was CIO for Save the Children where he was responsible for the delivery of technology and digital services to support humanitarian, policy, advocacy, and fundraising activities. He has also held business technology leadership roles with web and sports media startups and led major change programmes for publishing leading publishers.  His career in startups fostered his interest in how emerging technology can be applied to business problems.  

Outside of work Karl is interested in education and sits on the boards of the Harris Federation, Bournemouth University, the Safe & Trusted AI Centre for Doctoral Training and King’s College London’s Department for Informatics Industry Advisory Board. In addition, he is on the global steering council for an international metaverse association. 

Karl is also a keen runner and has completed many marathons.
 

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Roz Barrance

Head of Business Development, Civil, Leidos UK

Roz Barrance is the Head of Business Development for Leidos UK’s Civil Division. Previously, she was the Portfolio Development Lead for Leidos UK’s National Security Portfolio, and Programme Director, leading the delivery of one of Leidos’ largest UK government programmes.

Roz is a strong advocate of collaborative working, and passionate about technology and the benefits the combination of both can deliver to public services. Roz works in close partnership with her customers and colleagues to develop and deliver innovative solutions to help solve some of their biggest challenges.

Before joining Leidos in 2017, Roz established a business development consultancy working with SME Clients to support their growth as an integrated part of their team. Prior to that that she worked with multiple clients in IBM’s Global Services business, and in an environmental, technology and sustainability consultancy.

Roz is a keen supporter of women in technology, and mentors STEM graduates and apprentices helping them to make the most of the incredible opportunities that the sector offers.
 

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Mark Watson

Chief Architect, Civil Division, Leidos UK

Mark is the Chief Architect for the Civil Division of Leidos UK. Working across the Central Government, Devolved Government, Transport and Air Traffic Control sectors, Mark brings a wealth of experience to his customers

Mark is a seasoned professional known for introducing groundbreaking solutions to the market. His achievements include spearheading innovative projects such as Biometric services for Borders, Machine Learning applications, and Digital Twin technology for Intelligent Road Management. Mark has also led initiatives in Robotic Process Automation for Passport Control and has contributed to Security Accredited Shared Services, significantly reducing ownership costs for Government Departments.
With a distinguished career spanning over 28 years in the IT industry, Mark has held pivotal roles at renowned companies like IBM, CSC, Fujitsu, and Sopra Steria. In 2021, he joined Leidos UK, where he is dedicated to advancing cutting-edge solutions in the Civil space. Mark's mission centers on creating solutions that foster safety, health, and efficiency through the convergence of technology, engineering, and science. 
Mark is a pivotal member of the TechUK Steering Group for Digital Twin, playing a crucial role in driving the adoption of this transformative technology within the Government. He actively spearheads discussions across prominent entities such as the Cabinet Office, Number 10, NHS, DEFRA, Department for Transport, and HMRC. Mark's contributions are instrumental in fostering valuable conversations and initiatives that shape the digital landscape for the public sector.
 

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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 16 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.

: https://www.techmarketview.com/
: Georgina O'Toole
: @@GeorginaEOToole

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Matthew Wynn

Data and Technology Executive Director, NHS Supply Chain

Matt works for Supply Chain Coordination Limited (SCCL) - the management function of the new NHS Supply Chain. He is the Executive Director of Data and Technology.

Matt joined NHS Supply chain in 2019 as the Executive Director for Transformation – establishing an internal change capability during the Covid pandemic and helping the business shape and embark on a challenging modernisation journey. In the last two years he has taken on the Data and Technology portfolio leading the end to end redesign of technology services and IT delivery across the business whilst continuing to drive the adoption of digital solutions and modern cloud based technology.

Matt’s early career was in Utilities leading major technology and business wide transformation initiatives and teams before joining EY and then Project One in senior consulting roles. Outside of work he is a keen mountain ultra runner and spends as much time as possible in the big outdoors with his wife, teenage kids and the dogs.

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Heather Cover-Kus

Associate Director, Central Government and Education, techUK

Heather is Head of Central Government Programme at techUK, working to represent the supplier community of tech products and services to Central Government.

Prior to joining techUK in April 2022, Heather worked in the Economic Policy and Small States Section at the Commonwealth Secretariat.  She led the organisation’s FinTech programme and worked to create an enabling environment for developing countries to take advantage of the socio-economic benefits of FinTech.

Before moving to the UK, Heather worked at the Office of the Prime Minister of The Bahamas and the Central Bank of The Bahamas.

Heather holds a Graduate Diploma in Law from BPP, a Masters in Public Administration (MPA) from LSE, and a BA in Economics and Sociology from Macalester College.

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Rob Thompson

Chief Digital, Data and Technology Officer, Home Office

Fellow of BCS (FBCS), Fellow of IET (FIET), Chartered Engineer (C.Eng), Batchelor of Engineering (B.Eng), MPLA Graduate.
 
Rob is an accomplished CDIO & CTO. He spearheads digital, technology and innovation at the UK Home Office. Renowned for strategic vision and impactful leadership, he excels in digital transformation, digital product development, and leading large-scale IT organisations, delivering critical services in complex organisations.
 
Rob joined the Home Office as CTO in 2018 and has recently transitioned to the role of CDIO, setting the department 2030 Digital Strategy which has recently been published on GOV.UK.
 
In addition to his role at the Home Office, Rob is also a Non-Executive Director & Trustee of the British Computer Society, supporting the wider UK IT industry.

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Matthew Evans

Director for Markets and COO, techUK

Matthew Evans leads techUK’s Market Programme teams and is a member of the senior leadership team.

The Market Programme teams help techUK members apply innovative technology solutions across a range of sectors, including the Public Sector, Financial Services and Cyber. 

Prior to his appointment in early 2019, Matt led techUK’s Smart Infrastructure and IoT work, as well as being CEO of the Broadband Stakeholder Group. During this time he led the telecoms industry’s approach to lowering the cost of network deployment, played a key role in coordinating it’s response to Brexit and was closely involved in the development of the Government’s Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review. He also assisted in the development of the UK’s first secure by design Code of Practice aimed at consumer IoT, oversaw the publication of a paper outlining the tech sector’s view of future mobility services and drove engagement around the use of digital twins.

Matt sits on the Steering Board of the Electric Vehicle Energy Taskforce, Digital Framework Task Group,  andthe advisory board for the Prospering from the Energy Revolution industrial challenge fund.

Prior to joining techUK, Matt worked in Arqiva's public policy team, across the broadcast and telecoms markets. Before that he was a researcher for an MP at Westminster.

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