International Trade Conference 2026 | Time to Trade: Taking UK Tech to the World in 2026

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.

---

Sir Chris Bryant MP

Minister of State, Department for Business and Trade

Sir Chris Bryant was appointed Minister of State at the Department for Business and Trade on 6 September 2025.

He was previously Minister of State at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport between 8 July 2024 and 6 September 2025.

He was elected as the MP for Rhondda and Ogmore (previously Rhondda) on 7 June 2001.  

He studied English at Mansfield College, Oxford, and theology at (ISEDET) in Buenos Aires and at Ripon College, Cuddeson, Oxford.

---

Amanda Brooks

Director General for Trade Policy, Implementation and Negotiations, Department for Business and Trade

Amanda Brooks has been Director General for Trade Policy, Implementation and Negotiations in the Department for Business and Trade since June 2021. Amanda leads teams: negotiating free trade agreements (FTAs) and leading the DBT contribution to the reset of the UK-EU relationship; implementing some trade agreements, including aspects of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement and Windsor Framework; providing policy leadership for work on market access, multilateral trade, and development of broader economic relationships; and developing related domestic regulatory policy to improve trade and domestic outcomes together.

Amanda joined the then Department for International Trade in 2016. Her prior roles include Director of Business Innovation, and Deputy High Commissioner and Director of Trade and Investment in Singapore. Amanda holds an MBA from Imperial College.

---

Sabina Ciofu

International Policy and Strategy Lead, techUK

Sabina Ciofu is International Policy and Strategy Lead at techUK, where she oversees the organisation’s global policy, strategy, and trade work. She leads the International Policy and Trade Programme, shaping techUK’s international engagement across the EU, US, Canada, Asia-Pacific, and the Gulf region.

Based in Brussels, Sabina drives strategic initiatives on digital trade at both bilateral and multilateral levels, regulatory cooperation, and the creation of new international commercial opportunities for UK technology companies - from startups to global players. Her remit also includes long-term strategic positioning, ensuring UK tech’s voice is heard in global policy debates and that members can navigate and influence the world’s digital economy.

Prior to joining techUK, Sabina spent nearly a decade as Policy Advisor to a Member of the European Parliament, specialising in tech regulation, international trade, and EU-US relations.

She is passionate about building communities and fostering connection. For 10 years, she co-organised Young Professionals in Digital Policy, growing the network to over 800 members, and now runs Old Professionals in Digital Policy - more experience, better wine, and slightly earlier bedtimes. She is also the founder of the Gentlewomen’s Club, a community of 500+ women committed to supporting each other with kindness and authenticity. In the past, she led civic engagement and gender equality initiatives through the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Community.

Sabina serves on the Advisory Board of the UCL European Institute, Café Transatlantique (a network of women in transatlantic tech policy), and The Nine, Brussels’ first women’s members club. She has been recognised as one of the most influential women in UK tech by ComputerWeekly and regularly speaks on tech regulatory cooperation, digital trade, and diversity, equity and inclusion.

She holds an MA in War Studies from King’s College London and a BA in Classics from the University of Cambridge. When not working, Sabina enjoys travelling (mostly for work - but she squeezes in fun when she can!) and running marathons around the world.

---

Jishnu Podwal

Head of Business, InsourceIndia

He brings a pragmatic approach to market entry, localisation, partnerships, and long-term growth.
 
Having spent his career guiding foreign organisations through India’s complexity, he believes the country can truly transform a business only when its roots and its cracks are equally understood. Raised across India’s diverse cultural landscapes, this lived perspective now shapes how he represents and delivers InsourceIndia’s strategies to companies aspiring to be in India.
 

---

Ani Kaprekar

Board Adviser and Strategic Counsel to CEOs, InsourceIndia

A Manchester-based, Mumbai-born polymath whose career spans technology, entrepreneurship, and the performing arts.
Ani is Co-founder of Tech India Advocates and serves on the boards of Opera North and Rifco Theatre Company. He also advises the Diversity Economics Institute, an AI-powered think tank.
A recognised voice in the UK–India corridor, he works at the intersection of tech, culture, and creativity to spark meaningful, cross-sector change.
 

---

Harry Dhillon

Head of Partnerships, EMEA , GoGlobal

As Head of Partnerships, EMEA at GoGlobal, Harry drives strategic alliances to promote GoGlobal’s full suite of global expansion solutions. He collaborates with partners around the world to support companies as they establish, scale and manage their international operations with confidence and compliance. Harry’s deep expertise in global workforce strategies enables him to connect businesses with the right solutions—no matter the market or challenge.

 

Prior to joining GoGlobal, Harry was the Head of Partnerships for Lano, a European Employer of Record (EOR) platform and previously held the role of Sales Manager for People 2.0, the world’s largest EOR and agent of record (AOR) platform for three years. He also has several years of experience working for an international executive search firm focusing on the technology sector.

---

Paul Haynes

Director of Sales, EMEA , GoGlobal

Paul is a seasoned global business strategist with over 15 years of experience helping companies navigate complex regulatory environments and successfully enter new international markets. His expertise spans HR strategy, compliance and entity structuring globally—a combination that enables growing organizations to scale efficiently while managing risk.

As Director of Sales, EMEA at GoGlobal, he partners with leadership teams to design compliant operating models, anticipate regulatory challenges and establish resilient market entry frameworks that support long-term growth and operational success. Paul is known for translating evolving global rules into clear, actionable strategies that empower companies to expand with confidence.

---

Ed Bevan

Head of SME Engagement, techUK

Ed is Head of SME Engagement and is responsible for shaping techUK’s proposition to our SMEs across the country, ensuring our policy work, market access activity and services benefit the SME community.

Prior to working at techUK, Ed worked in the at the Department for International Trade, engaging with a variety of businesses, particularly SMEs, to understand the benefits of Free Trade Agreements and act as case studies in press and social media. Ed has also worked in policy and public affairs within the voluntary sector, namely the Alzheimer’s Society and the Men’s Health Forum.

Ed holds a MA in International Relations from Leiden University, and in his spare time enjoys spending time with his son, travelling, and visiting historical sites.

---

Adam Stevens

Deputy Director, Department for Business and Trade

Adam is Deputy Director for exports performance in the Department for Business and Trade. Working with businesses of all shapes and sizes to ensure they get the most from the export support services the UK government provides. 

---

Rob Lankey

Afin Bank, National Sales Director

Rob brings deep experience from the risk and lending side of SME finance. He understands how credit committees, underwriting models, and portfolio risk constraints actually operate  and where traditional data inputs fall short.

---

Sandy Feriz

SME CFO and Strategic Finance Advisor,

Sandy brings the lived SME reality of navigating finance, growth, and credibility thresholds  not as theory, but as experience. She has confronted the practical friction SMEs face when financial institutions and procurement systems assess risk without sufficient operational context.

---