Geography: EU

  • Gaia Marcus

    Gaia Marcus is Director of the Ada Lovelace Institute. Prior to joining Ada, Gaia was Deputy Director (Advanced Analytics and Local Capabilities) at the Spatial Data Unit within the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC). In this role, she led on ensuring that data and data-driven analysis were used to support policymaking and service delivery.

    Gaia has extensive experience of leadership roles across the civil service and the non-profit sector. In government she has held roles as Deputy Director (Strategy for the Integrated Data Service) at the Office for National Statistics, Head of Engagement for Civil Service Reform at the Cabinet Office, and Head of National Data Strategy at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

    In the non-profit sector, Gaia specialised in data strategy and participatory approaches to research, innovation and policy. This included roles at Parkinson’s UK, Centrepoint and the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce. She also serves on the Samaritans’ Board of Trustees.

  • Francesca Scapolo

  • Elise Soucie Watts

    Elise is the Executive Director of Global Digital Finance (GDF), board member, and also board advisor to several firms on policy & regulatory issues. She is also the co-host of the podcast The Outside Context which considers how technology is impacting the future of civilisation.

    Previously, she was at the Association for Financial Markets in Europe (AFME), leading Digital Assets and Data Strategy work, and prior to that she worked at the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), across both their Technology, Resilience and Cyber Division. and International Division.

    Named ‘Next Generation Leader of the Year’ at the 2022 Women in Finance Awards UK, and part of the Innovate Finance Standout 45 on the Women in Fintech Powerlist 2024 as a Regulatory and Policy Expert, Elise’s dual public and private sector experience positions her to lead both regulatory advocacy and contribute technical knowledge to support the growth of the digital finance ecosystem.

  • Felicia Anthonio

    Felicia Anthonio is GlobalCampaign Manager – #KeepItOn at Access Now, an organisation which campaigns to promote digital rights and freedom of expression. The #KeepItOn Campaign is global campaign of over 345 organizations that fights against internet shutdowns. Felicia leads the coalition strategic advocacy and campaigns to mobilize and engage various stakeholders to end internet censorship around the globe. Felicia has authored and co-authored several publications on internet shutdowns and hosted the Kill Switch Podcast. Felicia is also an Advisory Council member of the US-based Open Technology Fund (OTF) and a board member of the World Expression Forum (WEXFO), in Norway.

  • Elena Sinel

  • Eleanor Hevey

    Eleanor joined the leadership team of the Centre for Long-Term Resilience in spring 2025, where she leads external relations, communications and organisational culture. She brings more than 18 years of experience as a senior policy leader, spokesperson and strategist for world-leading humanitarian organisations, research institutes and in impact philanthropy.
    Eleanor most recently served as part of the leadership team for the UK government’s flagship climate resilience and disaster risk finance initiative. She brings deep experience of public policy influencing and leading innovative cross-sector partnerships. She is accomplished in international diplomacy, negotiating intergovernmental agreements including the Sustainable Development Goals. She has led major G20, G7, COP and UN General Assembly initiatives.
    Eleanor recently completed her MBA with Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, awarded the Oxford Women’s Scholarship and Best and Brightest Top 100 Global Executive MBAs 2023.

  • Dr Nikki Soo

    Dr Nikki Soo is Safety and Digital Well-being Public Policy Lead in TikTok’s EU Public Policy Team. She leads and engages in a wide range of industry safety issues such as including mis/disinformation, hateful behaviour and digital well-being. Prior to joining TikTok, Nikki worked in academia for over 10 years, specialising in the effects of digital technology on society, media and culture. Her work has previously been published in The British Journal of Politics and International Relations, Journalism Studies, as well as The Conversation and The Independent.

  • Dr Hannah Shimko

    Hannah is the Managing Director of the Gift Card and Voucher Association (GCVA). She is responsible for the running of the trade association and delivery of the GCVA mission to promote and protect the gift card sector. She is also the co-founder of the Women in Tech Policy Network.

    Hannah comes from a career running trade associations, previously as CEO of the Online Dating Association and prior to that as Head of Policy and Comms at the Heritage Alliance.

    She has spent many years on the coalface of advocacy and public relations developing collaborative relationships with government and media as well as influencing key decisions. For the last 5 years, her work has focused on different parts of the tech space, initially online dating, encompassing online safety, digital competition, data protection and cybersecurity, while she now focuses on fintech, payments, and anti-fraud technology.

    She also has a long career of experience working with members and membership organisations, connecting industry professionals with each other and wider stakeholders.

    She holds a PhD from the University of Birmingham.

  • Dr Erin Young

    Dr. Erin Young is Head of Innovation and Technology Policy at the Institute of Directors where she leads the IoD’s policy, strategy and thought leadership work on technology, science and innovation. Before joining the IoD, Erin was Project Co-Lead and Research Fellow in Public Policy at The Alan Turing Institute, where her work influenced the UK’s National AI Strategy and AI Opportunities Action Plan. Previously, Erin held positions at the UN in Paris, WPP in London, MediaX at Stanford University, and Thomson Reuters in New York City. She sits on the Strategy Steering Board for the City of London Corporation’s Women Pivoting to Digital Taskforce and advises the Hg Foundation on AI, inequalities and skills. Erin holds a BA from the University of Cambridge, an MSc in Education (Learning and Technology) from the University of Oxford, a PGC in International Business Practice, Finance and Organisational Behaviour, and a DPhil in Science and Technology Studies from the University of Oxford.

  • Doris Li

    Doris is a technology policy leader with experience shaping regulatory approaches to emerging technologies and designing frameworks that center safety and accessibility. She is currently a Tech Policy Manager at Ofcom, where she leads projects and programs for regulating generative AI under the Online Safety Act. Prior to Ofcom, she spent several years at Meta as a Senior Product & Regulatory Operations Specialist, where she managed a global safety program to combat the abuse of content moderation systems. As Meta’s Inclusive Product Council Member, she evaluated company priority products against safety and accessibility standards to provide guidance for research, engineering, and product teams innovating in AI and the Metaverse.

    In addition to her day-to-day work, Doris is an Inclusion Advisor to Open Data Institute’s Solid Initiative, an open-source project which reimagines data use and sharing, and regularly volunteers with organisations promoting diversity in tech spaces, including Women in Data. She is passionate about bridging policy, product, and community engagement to amplify historically underrepresented voices in the development and governance of data-driven technologies.