Laptop Weekly has introduced the twelfth annual UKtech50, our definitive listing of the movers and shakers in UK know-how – the CIOs, business executives, public servants and enterprise leaders driving the function of know-how within the UK financial system.
Congratulations go to Lindy Cameron, chief govt of the Nationwide Cyber Safety Centre, who has been named as probably the most influential individual in UK know-how in 2022.
Our goal was to establish the 50 most influential leaders in UK IT. An skilled judging panel representing each side of the IT career helped resolve the outcomes, together with a reader vote, to find out who holds probably the most affect over the way forward for the UK tech sector – and of IT professionals throughout the nation.
The judges’ collection of the highest 50 was influenced by a number of essential tech traits, not least the rising significance of cyber safety throughout nearly each side of UK society, in addition to the function of the personal sector in main the UK’s restoration from the Covid-19 pandemic. The listing displays the rising affect of sustainability and ethics within the IT sector, because the digital revolution continues to rework the way in which all of us dwell and work. And judges have been eager to advertise variety within the tech group – when it comes to gender, ethnicity, geography, business sector and firm dimension.
The work undertaken by IT leaders in each sector throughout the pandemic confirmed resilience and innovation, and this 12 months’s high 50 listing displays the onerous work organisations and people are placing in to rebuild after such an enormous financial shock.
Our because of the staff at Nash Squared for his or her help with this 12 months’s UKtech50.
Right here is the listing of the 50 most influential individuals in UK know-how for 2022.
1. Lindy Cameron, CEO, Nationwide Cyber Safety Centre
Cameron grew to become CEO of the Nationwide Cyber Safety Centre (NCSC) in October 2020 following greater than twenty years of nationwide safety coverage and disaster administration expertise. She was beforehand a director-general within the Northern Eire Workplace and on the Division for Worldwide Improvement. She is in command of the NCSC’s ongoing response to lots of of crucial cyber safety incidents, bettering the resilience of the UK’s crucial nationwide infrastructure, figuring out dangers and alternatives for UK plc in areas of rising know-how, and selling cyber safety greatest practices throughout the UK.
2. Daljit Rehal, CDIO, HMRC
Former Centrica IT chief Rehal was appointed as chief digital and knowledge officer (CDIO) at HM Income & Customs (HMRC) in September 2020. He’s accountable for a funds of over £1bn and oversees a few of the highest-profile IT techniques in authorities, corresponding to taxes, nationwide insurance coverage and the customs functions on the UK’s advanced post-Brexit borders.
3. Philip Jansen, CEO, BT
Jansen grew to become CEO of BT in 2019, changing long-term chief govt Gavin Patterson. Jansen was in command of Worldpay from 2013, overseeing each its 2015 flotation and a merger with e-commerce agency Vantiv. Earlier than that, he frolicked within the catering commerce at Brakes and Sodexo Group, in addition to a spell managing the buyer operations of Telewest, a predecessor of Virgin Media.
4. Tim Ferris, nationwide director of transformation, NHS England
Ferris took up the publish because the nationwide director of transformation in Might 2021. He served as a non-executive director of NHS Enchancment for nearly three years, and now leads the brand new Transformation Directorate, bringing collectively the organisation’s operational enchancment staff and NHSX, the digital arm, tasked with sustaining the tempo of innovation seen throughout the pandemic.
5. Tabitha Goldstaub, co-founder, CognitionX; chair of presidency’s AI Council
Goldstaub is the co-founder of CognitionX, a platform and community that helps to construct and speed up the adoption of synthetic intelligence (AI) and data-driven techniques. She is a serial entrepreneur, having co-founded a number of companies, and has additionally labored with organisations corresponding to Founders4Schools and Teenagers in AI. She can be the chair of the federal government’s AI Council.
6. Tanuja Randery, EMEA managing director, Amazon Internet Providers
A former associate at McKinsey, Randery took over Amazon Internet Providers (AWS) in Europe, the Center East and Africa (EMEA) in August 2021. She has beforehand been UK president of Schneider Electrical, president of technique, advertising and transformation at BT World Providers, and managing director at Colt. She has additionally frolicked working in personal fairness for Apax Companions. She is at the moment a non-executive director at London First, the enterprise marketing campaign group for the capital metropolis.
7. Demis Hassabis, founder and CEO, DeepMind
Hassabis based AI firm DeepMind in 2010. The corporate, which was purchased by Google in 2014 for about £400m, is concerned in a number of AI initiatives throughout sectors, together with the NHS. Earlier than founding DeepMind, Hassabis accomplished a PhD in neuroscience at UCL. He’s a earlier UKtech50 winner, in 2019.
8. Cindy Rose, president, Microsoft Western Europe
Rose was lately appointed the president of Western Europe for Microsoft, having served because the CEO of Microsoft UK since 2016, the place she was accountable for the agency’s product, service and help providing throughout the area. Final 12 months, she was added to the Laptop Weekly girls in know-how corridor of fame.
9. John Edwards, UK data commissioner
New Zealand’s former privateness commissioner Edwards was chosen by the UK authorities to succeed Elizabeth Denham as data commissioner when she stepped down from the publish in October 2021. Edwards, who served two five-year phrases in New Zealand, was appointed to that publish in 2014, and oversaw the introduction of the nation’s 2020 Privateness Act. He was additionally chairman of the World Privateness Meeting from 2014 to 2017.
10. Poppy Gustafsson, CEO, Darktrace
Gustafsson studied arithmetic at Sheffield College, transferring on to grow to be an assistant supervisor at Deloitte, then a fund accountant at Amadeus Capital Companions. She joined Darktrace as chief monetary officer (CFO) in 2013, then spent a while because the chief working officer (COO) earlier than turning into CEO in 2016. She was chosen because the Laptop Weekly most influential girl in UK know-how in 2021, and led the flotation of Darktrace in April 2021.
11. Jeremy Fleming, director, GCHQ
Fleming is the director of GCHQ, the UK’s intelligence, cyber and safety company. He was appointed in 2017 and is the sixteenth individual to carry the function. He oversaw the creation of the Nationwide Cyber Safety Centre with a mission to make the UK the most secure place to dwell and do enterprise on-line.
12. Simon McKinnon, CDIO, Division for Work & Pensions
McKinnon was appointed chief digital data officer (CDIO) on the Division for Work and Pensions (DWP) in December 2019. Previous to taking up the function as CDIO, McKinnon was know-how director for kids, well being and pensions providers at DWP. He has led a significant digital transformation of the IT supporting the UK’s welfare system.
13. Zahra Bahrololoumi, CEO, Salesforce UK
Bahrololoumi joined Salesforce as UK and Eire CEO in March 2021 to steer the corporate’s operations in each markets. She got here to Salesforce from Accenture the place she led its know-how observe for UK and Eire.
14. Brent Hoberman, entrepreneur; chair of Founders Manufacturing unit and Founders Discussion board
Serial entrepreneur Hoberman is the chairman and co-founder of Founders Manufacturing unit, a London-based accelerator and incubator. He’s additionally a non-executive director and co-founder of Made.com and has sat on the board of a number of corporations, together with EasyCar and Shazam. In 1998, he co-founded Lastminute.com along with Martha Lane Fox.
15. Gill Whitehead, CEO, Digital Regulation Cooperation Discussion board
The Digital Regulation Cooperation Discussion board – which consists of the Competitors and Markets Authority, the Monetary Conduct Authority, the Info Commissioner’s Workplace and Ofcom – was fashioned in July 2020 to strengthen the working relationships between the watchdogs and set up a coordinated regulatory strategy to the UK’s digital providers and financial system. Appointed CEO in November 2021, Whitehead will play a key function in rising UK regulation of the net world.
16. Anne-Marie Imafidon, CEO, Stemettes
Imafidon is CEO, founder and head stemette at social enterprise Stemettes, which goals to encourage younger girls to decide on careers in science, know-how, engineering and maths (STEM). She has grow to be a high-profile advocate and campaigner, participating in racing driver Lewis Hamilton’s fee to encourage a extra numerous workforce in engineering, and appeared on the Channel 4 present Countdown whereas common mathematician Rachel Riley was on maternity go away. Imafidon was voted probably the most influential girl in UK know-how in 2020.
17. Toni Scullion, computing science instructor; founding father of dressCode
Scullion’s work to lift the profile and to help computing science as a topic at faculties, assist encourage the following technology and to assist shut the gender hole has been recognised by various awards. She is one among Scotland’s highest profile advocates for variety in tech, and founding father of dressCode, a free lunchtime membership for ladies aged 11 to 13.
18. Tom Learn, CEO, Authorities Digital Service
Learn was appointed CEO of the Authorities Digital Service (GDS) in 2021, the place he’s on the helm of presidency know-how. Previous to this function, Learn was Ministry of Justice (MoJ) CDIO for a number of years, the place he undertook a number of giant know-how transformation initiatives.
19. Caroline Gorski, CEO, R² Manufacturing unit at Rolls-Royce
Gorski is CEO of R² Knowledge Labs, the information innovation and synthetic intelligence catalyst inside Rolls-Royce. She is a know-how chief of greater than 25 years’ expertise, with a background in technique consulting, market improvement and industrial decision-making at FTSE 100 board stage. She is co-founder of the Emergent Alliance, a not-for-profit world knowledge collaboration initiative specializing in financial restoration analytics in response to Covid-19.
20. Debbie Forster, CEO, Tech Expertise Constitution
Forster is CEO of government-backed initiative Tech Expertise Constitution, which goals to spice up variety and inclusion within the tech sector. She can be director at consultancy Novel Design, and director for worldwide improvement on the Nationwide Consortium of Secondary STEM Faculties (NCSSS). She was voted probably the most influential girl in UK know-how in 2019. Initially an English instructor, Forster has been concerned within the tech sector for a decade, working as co-CEO for student-focused initiative Apps for Good, as effectively heading up training for e-skills UK.
21. Russ Shaw, founding father of Tech London Advocates and World Tech Advocates
Shaw based Tech London Advocates in April 2013 as a non-public sector group selling London’s know-how sector and connecting startups with enterprises. He has based comparable organisations underneath the World Tech Advocates banner in 16 places worldwide. He has since been appointed a London tech ambassador by the Mayor’s Workplace and a member of the Tech Metropolis Advisory Group, in addition to being a part of the London Know-how Week steering group and a member of the UK Digital Expertise Taskforce.
22. Nicola Blackwood, chair, Genomics England
Blackwood is chair of the board of Genomics England, deputy chair of Public Coverage Tasks and board trustee for the Alan Turing Institute. Previous to this she labored within the public sector, initially as the primary feminine MP for Oxford and extra lately as minister for innovation within the Division of Well being and Social Care.
23. Chi Onwurah, shadow minister for science, analysis and digital, Labour
Onwurah is the Labour MP for Newcastle upon Tyne Central and is the shadow digital minister. A chartered engineer and former head of telecoms know-how at UK regulator Ofcom, she is vice-chair of the Parliamentary ICT Discussion board and former board member of the Parliamentary Workplace of Science and Know-how.
24. Geoff Huggins, digital director, Scottish Authorities
Huggins was appointed to steer the digital staff within the Scottish authorities in July 2021, succeeding Colin Prepare dinner. He has held various senior digital authorities roles in Scotland, together with director, digital third sector transformation, director of NDS Scotland – a directorate of NHS Schooling for Scotland – and director of well being and social care integration.
25. Chris Philp, minister for tech and the digital financial system, DCMS
Philp is the UK authorities minister accountable for tech and the digital financial system, protecting digital and tech coverage, on-line security, worldwide technique, playing and lotteries, and laws. He was appointed to his function on the Division for Digital, Tradition, Media and Sport (DCMS) in September 2021.
26. Justin Lewis, vice-president, incubation, BP
Lewis leads and operates a enterprise incubation unit at BP to check and develop enterprise fashions, such because the vitality big’s efforts in charging factors for electrical autos. He was beforehand at Tesla and Google, the place he claims to have been probably the most prolific inventor on the search agency with over 400 software program utility patents filed.
27. Jacqueline De Rojas, president, TechUK
The 2015 winner of Laptop Weekly’s most influential girl UK tech, De Rojas insists that you simply “can have all of it” – she is just not solely president of two corporations and non-executive director of a number of extra, however can be married and has three kids and two canines. De Rojas is president of each TechUK and Digital Leaders, co-chair of the governance board for the Institute of Coding, and non-executive director of Rightmove, IFS, Costain Group and FDM Group.
28. Joanna Davinson, govt director, Central Digital and Knowledge Workplace, UK authorities
Davinson was appointed govt director of the federal government’s new Central Digital and Knowledge Workplace in 2021, main the strategic centre for digital, knowledge and know-how (DDaT) throughout authorities. In her function, she is in command of the federal government’s 18,000 digital, knowledge and know-how professionals and leads the DDaT operate for presidency. Previous to this function, Davinson was chief digital, knowledge and know-how officer on the Residence Workplace. She is because of step down from her present job later this 12 months.
29. Nigel Toon, CEO, Graphcore
Toon is co-founder and CEO of Graphcore, a quickly rising British semiconductor firm that specialises in accelerators for AI and machine studying. He was CEO of two enterprise capital-backed silicon corporations earlier than founding Graphcore – Picochip, which was offered to Mindspeed in 2012, and XMOS, through which Graphcore was incubated for 2 years earlier than being established as a separate entity in 2016.
30. Julian David, CEO, TechUK
David is the CEO of know-how commerce affiliation TechUK. He was appointed because the director-general of Mind in March 2012 and led its transformation to TechUK in November 2013. Julian has spent over 30 years within the know-how business, largely working for IBM in numerous roles together with vice-president for small and medium enterprise in UK, Eire, Netherlands and Africa after which for 5 years as vice-president for public sector in UK, Eire and South Africa.
31. Bella Abrams, director of IT, College of Sheffield
Abrams joined the College of Sheffield as director of IT in 2019. She has 19 years’ expertise working in IT in the private and non-private training sector. Most lately, she was CIO at Sheffield Faculty and held various roles creating and delivering on-line training and evaluation providers.
32. Storm Fagan, chief product officer, BBC
Fagan joined the BBC in September 2021 as chief product officer, main the event and supply of the broadcaster’s audience-facing digital merchandise, together with the BBC iPlayer, and the BBC Sounds, BBC Information and BBC Sport apps. She was beforehand chief product officer at on-line meals supply firm Simply Eat, the place she labored from 2015.
33. Rene Haas, CEO, Arm Holdings
Arm introduced in February this 12 months that it had appointed 35-year semiconductor business chief Haas as chief govt, succeeding Simon Segars, who stepped down after 30 years with the corporate. Haas was beforehand president of the Arm IP Merchandise Group since 2017, having joined the agency in 2013.
34. Mark Martin, co-founder of UKBlackTech; assistant professor in laptop science and training observe, New Faculty of the Humanities
Martin is a instructor, instructional know-how evangelist and founding father of UKBlackTech. In 2018, he received the Variety Champion Award at London Tech Week and in 2019 was honoured by the Mayor of London for his efforts to make know-how extra numerous.
35. Heena Mistry, chief digital officer, United Utilities
Mistry joined United Utilities in January 2021 as chief digital officer, with the goal of delivering the corporate’s ambition to grow to be a “digital utility firm”. She has labored in numerous industries, corresponding to defence and aerospace, metal and logistics, she has helped ship IT transformation at corporations corresponding to Babcock, Rolls-Royce and Harsco.
36. George Freeman, minister for science, analysis and innovation, BEIS
Freeman was appointed as a minister within the Division for Enterprise, Power and Industrial Technique (BEIS) in September 2021. His obligations embrace science and analysis and the related businesses UK Analysis and Innovation and the Superior Analysis and Invention Company, in addition to the Workplace for Synthetic Intelligence, collectively with DCMS. He was beforehand a minister within the Division for Transport.
37. Bev White, CEO, Nash Squared
As CEO of Nash Squared – previously generally known as Harvey Nash Group – White heads up the worldwide agency which gives IT recruitment, know-how options and management providers out of 36 places of work internationally. White has a protracted background within the tech sector, having beforehand held roles as CIO and director of IT, in addition to finishing a level in laptop science.
38. Charles Forte, CIO, Ministry of Defence
Forte grew to become CIO on the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in January 2018. Earlier than taking up the function on the MoD, Forte spent six months as interim CIO at Thames Water. Beforehand, he was CEO of group IT providers at Prudential from March 2015 to the top of 2016, and earlier than that, deputy group CIO and CIO of worldwide operations at BP, in addition to spending time as an impartial marketing consultant.
39. Ian Levy, technical director, Nationwide Cyber Safety Centre
Levy has been the technical director for the NCSC since its formation in 2016. Beforehand, he was technical director of cyber safety and resilience at GCHQ. At NCSC, he leads on creating defences to handle cyber threats.
40. Ed Alford, CTO, New Look
Alford was appointed to the newly created function of chief know-how officer (CTO) at New Look in April 2021. He’s accountable for the style retailer’s omnichannel technique, in addition to its know-how funding, engineering and IT capabilities. He was beforehand CIO for digital transformation at BP.
41. Cijo Joseph, CTIO, Mitie
Joseph was appointed chief know-how and knowledge officer (CTIO) at services administration supplier Mitie in April 2019, having beforehand served as director of technique and options. Previous to Mitie, he was in senior software improvement roles at Centrica/British Fuel.
42. Julia Lopez, minister of state for media, knowledge and digital infrastructure, DCMS
Lopez is the federal government minister accountable for telecoms and digital infrastructure, knowledge coverage and reform, cyber safety and digital identification, and media and artistic industries, and was appointed within the reshuffle of December 2021. She was beforehand a junior minister within the Cupboard Workplace, the place she was accountable for the Authorities Digital Service.
43. Sian Jones, CEO, Correla
Correla is a Midlands-based know-how and knowledge providers enterprise that goals to assist to create a much less advanced and extra sustainable vitality sector. CEO and co-founder Jones arrange the corporate in 2021 with the goal of serving to the UK to decarbonise and attain web zero.
44. Mark Logan, advisor to Scottish Authorities, Scottish Know-how Ecosystem
Former Skyscanner chief working officer Logan accomplished a assessment for the Scottish Authorities in August 2020 that examined alternatives for the nation’s tech ecosystem. He was subsequently appointed as an advisor to assist with implementing his suggestions. The programme goals to determine Scotland as a world-class know-how hub, backed by £7m in funding.
45. Dara Nasr, managing director, Twitter UK
Nasr joined Twitter in November 2012, heading up its gross sales staff, earlier than turning into managing director in 2016. Previous to becoming a member of Twitter UK, Nasr oversaw the gross sales staff for YouTube and Show at Google.
46. James Matthews, CEO, Ocado Know-how
Matthews spent a number of years with the net grocery store earlier than turning into CEO of Ocado Know-how in April 2018. Since taking up the function, Matthews has labored to develop Ocado Know-how into a number one UK know-how firm, helped drive the Ocado Good Platform and mature the corporate’s know-how. He heads up a staff of greater than 2,000 technologists.
47. Elena Sinel, founder, Acorn Aspirations and Teenagers in AI; member, APPG on AI
Sinel based Teenagers in AI and Acorn Aspirations to assist younger individuals perceive the way to use synthetic intelligence, digital, augmented and combined actuality to resolve real-world issues. She has received awards for her work, together with CogX 2017 Award in Utilizing AI for Social Good Tasks, and is at the moment an training taskforce committee member for the All-Social gathering Parliamentary Group (APPG) on synthetic intelligence.
48. Trish Quinn, digital programme director, Directorate for Social Care and Nationwide Care Service Improvement, Scottish Authorities
Quinn is a part of the staff organising the organising the Nationwide Care Service in Scotland. She was appointed to her present function in November 2021, after almost 4 years as head of product and industrial within the digital directorate, the place she held numerous management roles since 2015.
49. Glyn Jones, chief digital officer, Welsh Authorities
Jones was appointed chief digital officer and director for evaluation on the Welsh Authorities in July 2020. He’s head of the DDaT career for Wales, accountable for company IT providers, and acts as coverage lead on digital technique for Wales, working with CDOs for native authorities, well being and the Centre for Digital Public Providers.
50. Clare Barclay, CEO, Microsoft UK
Barclay is CEO of Microsoft UK, the place she is accountable for all of Microsoft’s product and repair choices within the UK and for supporting the success of its industrial clients and companions. Previous to October 2020, she was the software program big’s UK chief working officer for 4 years.
Judging the UKtech50
The judging panel was chosen to signify totally different views in IT – so every particular person acted each as an neutral and skilled choose, in addition to an advocate for his or her space of curiosity. The judges have been:
- Rhona Carmichael, regional managing director at Harvey Nash UK North & Eire.
- Sue Daley, director of know-how and innovation at TechUK.
- Andy Heyes, UK South managing director at Harvey Nash.
- Joanna Poplawska, CEO at CITF, the collaboration, innovation and know-how discussion board.
- Adam Thilthorpe, director for professionalism at BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT.
Our judging panel selected the highest 50 candidates primarily based on the next standards:
- Affect: What authority or means does the individual have – both via their private place or the function they maintain – to personally affect the event of UK know-how, or to affect others in positions of authority?
- Achievements: What has the individual achieved previously 12 months to assist the event of UK know-how?
- Profile: Is the individual recognised as a task mannequin for aspiring leaders? How broadly are they acknowledged by their friends as an authority and affect on UK tech?
- Management: Does the individual exhibit the talents and expertise essential to be seen as a pacesetter within the improvement of the tech group within the UK? Have they got a management function and does that assist them develop the function of know-how within the UK?
- Potential: How seemingly is it that the individual can have a big impression on UK tech within the subsequent 12 months? Will their authority and duty develop?