Tech Policy Expertise: Digital competition/anti-trust

  • Navneet Gidda

    Navneet is a multidisciplinary strategic communications expert. She has led political communications strategies, across digital and traditional media, for charities, elected representatives, and think tanks.

    Navneet’s work and personal ethos are influenced by the history of art, literature, and moral philosophy. She is interested in narrative in public policy, and particularly how absurd and dystopian stories inform how governments imagine the future. Navneet’s current research interests lie in the realm of emerging AI technologies, corporate misconduct, and the global governance of big tech. In her work, she considers how nations can regulate – and provide new public imaginaries – about AI technologies that are disrupting the way we live and threatening our civil liberties.

    Navneet’s work bridges the gap between communications, governance, and the law to push back against big tech’s visions of the future, and produce tech policy that truly works for people.

  • Mina Mohammadi

    Mina Mohammadi is a data journalist and researcher. She currently works as an AI Policy Program Manager at the Mozilla Foundation. Prior to this, she worked as a Data Analyst at Google News Initiative. She holds a Masters of Science from the Oxford Internet Institute at the University of Oxford, and a Bachelors from New York University. Mina’s main research interests exist at the intersection of privacy-enhancing tech (PETs), tech workers rights and computational social science methods.

  • Laveena Iyer

    Laveena is a global technology and telecoms analyst at Economist Intelligence, this is the research and analysis business of The Economist Group. Based in the London office, she delivers industry, geopolitical and macroeconomic insights to clients in the government, corporate and academic sectors. In this role she also oversees client relations and partnerships for corporate clients in India.

    She is a seasoned industry analyst with over a decade of experience and in 2021 Onalytica named her among the industry’s top 10 technology analysts. She is a sought-after public speaker and has presented at conferences in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Her expertise lies in topics such as geopolitics of technology, digitalisation, artificial intelligence, 5G, cybersecurity, digital wallets and sustainability in technology.

    She often shares her comments on industry trends and latest developments with news media such as the BBC, Nikkei Asia, South China Morning Post, Al Jazeera and CNA Singapore. Prior to this role, Laveena covered corporate strategy, start-ups and the tech industry in India as a financial correspondent for a business magazine.

  • Kelli Fairbrother

    Kelli Fairbrother is co-founder and CEO of xigxag, a Cornwall-based startup leading first-ever innovation across the digital audiobook ecosystem. She’s ex-McKinsey, Whitbread, Deluxe digital media, and the former Chief Operating Officer of print tech scaleup Gelato. Not content with taking on Amazon, Kelli is a leading voice in also challenging Apple and Google’s monopoly control of mobile app ecosystems in the UK.

  • Helen Sithole

    Helen Sithole, the Legal and ICT Policy Officer for MISA Zimbabwe, is a dedicated legal professional with extensive experience in policy research, tech law, and information rights. Having recently completed a Master’s degree in Intellectual Property & Technology Law, she brings solidified expertise in emerging areas such as AI governance, data privacy, and digital ethics. Her background positions her as a crucial voice in shaping the future of responsible technological advancement, particularly concerning digital human rights and the intersection of technology with societal well-being. She is particularly passionate about translating complex legal concepts into accessible policy recommendations that foster innovation while safeguarding individual liberties in the digital realm.

  • 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.

  • Danushi Peiris

    I am a Regulatory Affairs Manager at a leading UK internet service provider (ISP), focussing on digital policy and regulation, including cloud services, digital markets, content distribution and net neutrality. I have an interest in technology policy relating to the technology, media and telecommunications (TMT) industries.

    I have experience in UK government working on digital policy. At DCMS, I worked on understanding and designing economic incentives to encourage cyber resilience in organisations across the UK. I also lead on cyber insurance and worked on the cyber resilience legislative package.

    My work in technology policy is based on my academic background in business, science and policy. I hold an MPhil in Technology Policy from the University of Cambridge, including a capstone project with DCMS. I also hold a BSc Advanced – Global Challenges (First Class) degree from Monash University Australia.

    Drawing on my business and scientific understanding, I worked in science strategy consulting at Australia’s National Science Agency CSIRO (The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) across a range of industries including healthcare, energy and education.

  • Dani Dhiman

    Dani joined Formation Advisory in 2024, bringing a deep expertise in tech policy and digital regulation. Over her career, she has advised tech companies, startups, regulators, and policymakers around the world on emerging digital regulation issues at the forefront of technological innovation. Dani has held a range of policy, research and technical roles at organisations such as the UK’s largest tech trade body, techUK, Vodafone Group, Digital Catapult, and Starling Bank. Dani currently serves on the AI Futures Council for the generative AI startup, Synthesia.

  • Collette Bird

    Collette is the Head of Corporate Affairs for Just Eat, heading up Corporate Communications, Public Affairs and Social Impact for the UK and Ireland. Collette Joined Just Eat from the Labour Party where she was a special advisor for the Shadow Health Secretary. She has previously held roles in Cabinet Office, trade unions and local governments.

  • Casey Calista

    Casey is the Chair of Labour Digital’s Advisory Board and co-founder of the Women in Tech Policy Network. With over a decade of experience in London’s tech policy scene, she ran a Shoreditch-based start-up as the first employee, acted as the Head of Policy and Public Affairs at a British scale-up, and launched the tech policy consultancy practice at a global agency. There she worked with some of the world’s largest and most exciting tech companies. Notably, Casey was the key tech challenger lobbyist for the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act. Recognised as one of Politico’s top 20 key influencers on Labour’s tech policy, Casey was also named one of Computer Weekly’s Top 25 Most Influential Women in UK Tech for 2024.