Trade Conference 2023: Navigating the Geopolitics of Technology

Dario Acconci

Managing Director of Southeast Asia, Hawksford

Dario is the Head of Corporate Asia whilst managing a strategic portfolio of clients in China and Hong Kong.  

He started his career in Hong Kong in 2003 working for an international law firm and developed a deep experience in assisting foreign investments into China, Hong Kong and South East Asia advising clients in connection to various aspects ranging from corporate, commercial to labour law.

He has built a practice of multinational clients and a strong reputation of adviser to the board of several fashion and luxury brands
 

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Sabina Ciofu

Associate Director – International, techUK

Sabina leads techUK's international policy and engagement. Based in Brussels, she manages our EU policy priorities as well as our international trade agenda.

Sabina leads techUK’s engagement with the European Union institutions, as well as the EU Member States. Outside of the EU, her work is focused on key trade partners, such as the USA and Japan, as well as key international organisations, such as the WTO and the OECD. Previously, she worked as Policy Advisor in the European Parliament for almost a decade, where she specialised in tech regulation, international trade and EU-US relations.

Sabina is the founder of the Gentlewomen’s Club, co-organiser of the Young Professionals in Digital Policy and a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Community, where she has led several youth civic engagement and gender equality projects.

She holds an MA in War Studies from King’s College London and a BA in Classics from the University of Cambridge.

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Sue Daley

Director, Technology and Innovation, techUK

Sue leads techUK's Technology and Innovation work.

This includes work programmes on cloud, data protection, data analytics, AI, digital ethics, Digital Identity and Internet of Things as well as emerging and transformative technologies and innovation policy. She has been recognised as one of the most influential people in UK tech by Computer Weekly's UKtech50 Longlist and in 2021 was inducted into the Computer Weekly Most Influential Women in UK Tech Hall of Fame. A key influencer in driving forward the data agenda in the UK Sue is co-chair of the UK government's National Data Strategy Forum. As well as being recognised in the UK's Big Data 100 and the Global Top 100 Data Visionaries for 2020 Sue has also been shortlisted for the Milton Keynes Women Leaders Awards and was a judge for the Loebner Prize in AI. In addition to being a regular industry speaker on issues including AI ethics, data protection and cyber security, Sue was recently a judge for the UK Tech 50 and is a regular judge of the annual UK Cloud Awards.

Prior to joining techUK in January 2015 Sue was responsible for Symantec's Government Relations in the UK and Ireland. She has spoken at events including the UK-China Internet Forum in Beijing, UN IGF and European RSA on issues ranging from data usage and privacy, cloud computing and online child safety. Before joining Symantec, Sue was senior policy advisor at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). Sue has an BA degree on History and American Studies from Leeds University and a Masters Degree on International Relations and Diplomacy from the University of Birmingham. Sue is a keen sportswoman and in 2016 achieved a lifelong ambition to swim the English Channel.

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Peter H. Chase

Senior Fellow, German Marshall Fund

Peter Chase is a Senior Fellow with the German Marshall Fund, based in Brussels. He joined GMF in 2016, after six years as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Senior Representative in and Vice President for Europe. Prior to joining the Chamber, Mr. Chase was a U.S. diplomat for 30 years, including as Counselor and Minister-Counselor for Economic Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in London from 1997-2001. He has worked extensively on transatlantic economic policy since 1992; he focuses now on how the United States and Europe can best respond to the political and economic challenges China presents. Mr. Chase, who grew up in Taiwan, received his Bachelor of Arts in Chinese Language and Literature from the University of Washington in Seattle in 1976 and his Master of International Affairs from Columbia University in 1978. He was married and has three grown daughters.

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Stephanie Honey

Associate Director, New Zealand International Business Forum

Stephanie is a trade policy consultant with expertise in digital and services trade, regional economic integration in the Asia-Pacific, the WTO, agriculture and inclusion in trade.   Formerly a New Zealand trade negotiator, including serving as chief NZ agriculture negotiator during the intensive phase of the WTO Doha Round negotiations, Stephanie provides consulting services to a broad range of clients from the public and private sectors and international institutions such as the OECD and Asian Development Bank.  She is the policy advisor to the New Zealand members of the APEC Business Advisory Council, and is co-founder of Global Trade Insights, a business offering executive education in trade policy around the world.  Stephanie sits on the Board of the New Zealand Horticulture Export Authority and the Advisory Board of the Centres for Asia-Pacific Excellence in New Zealand.  

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Matt Houlihan

Senior Director, Government and Corporate Affairs, UK, Ireland and North Europe, Cisco

Matt joined Cisco as Director for Government Affairs for the UK and Ireland in 2015, a role which sees him developing Cisco public policy and regulatory relationships across the two countries.  Matt has built on this role to also lead Cisco’s Corporate Affairs work in the UK and has also taken on Government Affairs responsibility for the Nordic countries.  Matt chairs techUK’s International Trade group and is a member of the UK government’s Digital and Telecoms Trade Advisory Group. He represents the company in meetings with Government ministers, policy makers and industry groups in the UK and Ireland. 

Previously, Matt worked for the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office in postings in Paris and in the UK’s Permanent Representation to the EU in Brussels.  Matt has also worked as an advisor to the UK’s EU Commissioner, in the UK Prime Minister’s EU advisory team and in various policy roles in the Home Office.

Matt holds a BSc in Sociology and an MSc in European Politics and Policy, both from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and a diploma in Economics from the Open University
 

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Nigel Huddleston

Minister of State, Department for Business and Trade

Nigel Huddleston was appointed Minister of State at the Department for Business and Trade on 7 February 2023.

He was previously Government Whip (Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury) from 20 September 2022 to 7 February 2023, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for International Trade from 30 October 2022 to 7 February 2023, and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport from 14 February 2020 to September 2022.

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Kumar Iyer

Director General, Economics, Science and Technology, Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)

Kumar Iyer is the Director General, Economics, Science and Technology at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). He has been a Director General at the FCDO since its formation in 2020. Before that Kumar was a Director General in the Prime Minister’s COVID-19 Taskforce, the Chief Economist at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), and British Deputy High Commissioner to India and Her Majesty’s Trade Commissioner to South Asia. His career has been split between the private sector, public sector and academia. Kumar has held senior roles in the private sector in management consultancy with the Boston Consulting Group and Oliver Wyman, including as a Partner within the Financial Service Practice. He has also spent time as a Visiting Academic and Teaching Fellow in economics at Oxford University and Harvard.

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Juan Nascimbene

Associate, Cooley (UK) LLP

Juan is an associate at Cooley (UK) LLP working on international law and international trade law and policy matters with a particular focus on EU and UK sanctions and export controls. His experience runs across life sciences and technology technologies, including software development, encryption, artificial intelligence, pharma and biotechnology. Juan is focused on understanding his clients’ products, technology and operations and helping them understand the associated regulatory requirements.

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George Riddell

Director of Trade Policy & Strategy , EY

George has a decade of experience in International Trade. He is primarily responsible for advising multinational corporations on their trade strategy and Brexit preparedness. Prior to joining EY, George spent over six years representing the United Kingdom at the World Trade Organisation. 

• Extensive experience in preparing clients for the different Brexit scenarios and how to take advantage of the new trading relationship between the UK and EU. 

• Solid understanding and strong expertise in helping to promote and support the development of trade strategies for services-based companies operating across multiple countries.  

• During his time representing the UK at the WTO, he undertook many of the technical requirements needed to ensure the UK’s position in the WTO as a result of Brexit. Prior to the Referendum, he represented UK interests in several trade negotiations and in several international fora including the OECD, UN and G20. 

• George co-Chair’s the Trade Technical Group of the UK Professional and Business Services Council which works with a variety of HMG departments across a wide range of trade policy matters. 

• Member of the Chartered Institute of Export and International Trade (MIEx) 

George is a passionate advocate for environmental sustainability and oceans management. He is always looking for ways to bring this into his professional work when dealing with supply chains and building a long-term sustainable trade strategy.  

In his spare time he is an avid scuba-diving having gone as far becoming a PADI instructor.  

 

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Paul Scully MP

Minister for Tech and the Digital Economy, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Paul Scully was appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Tech and the Digital Economy) at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 7 February 2023. He is also Minister for London, having been appointed on 13 February 2020.

He was previously:

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport from 27 October 2022 to 7 February 2023
Minister of State at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities between 7 July 2022 and 27 October 2022
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy from 13 February 2020 to July 2022.
He was elected the Conservative MP for Sutton and Cheam on 7 May 2015

: @scullyp

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Susannah Storey

Director General, Digital Technologies and Telecoms at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Susannah Storey is the Director General for Digital and Tech at the newly formed Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. Prior to this Susannah was the Director General for Digital and Media Policy in the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

Previously, Susannah was Director General at the Department for Exiting the European Union. Before joining DExEU, she held a number of director roles at BEIS, DECC and UK Government Investments and had a career in investment banking.
 

: https://www.gov.uk/government/people/susannah-storey
: Susannah Storey
: @SStoreyDCMS

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Antony Walker

Deputy CEO, techUK

No bio provided

: @techUKdepceo

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