Tech Policy Expertise: Partnerships & societal impact

  • Claire Spiller

    I am an advocate for creating fair access to tech careers and supporting people to reach their potential. Over the last twenty years, I have designed and managed re-skilling programmes, including those for marginalised groups of society. I support females, refugees, ex-offenders, people with disabilities and other people across our communities.

    Now I bridge the gap between education and paid employment, by providing work placements at a Tech For Good, non-profit, The Cloud Crew CIC. By populating CV’s with AI and digital transformation projects, more under-represented people stand out in recruitment processes.

    Through my work on the Digital Skills Council (DiSC) I have seen first-hand how policies could be better aligned and how initiatives could benefit from having more consistent quality-control measures across counties.

    Through my work at AWS, rolling out an EMEA-wide tech re-skilling programme, I am passionate about sharing ideas and concepts across boarders. Ideas shaped in a different country, based on the context of their economic climate, industry needs and socio-economic requirements, can often be translated into other countries and cultures, bringing a fresh perspective to shared challenges.

    I am an experienced speaker on topics such as diversity in tech, purposeful leadership and skills-based hiring and have contributed to articles, studies and interviews on the subjects.

  • Larissa Zutter

    Currently, I work as a consultant at McKinsey and Company. I am also a member of the Board of Directors at the Center for AI and Digital Policy (CAIDP), where I provide strategic vision and direction, write policy recommendations, and consult various stakeholders on responsible AI. I have been involved with CAIDP in various capacities such as Senior AI Policy Advisor, Research and Teaching Fellow, where I advised on matters of AI and related policy as well as helped with CAIDP’s expansion projects. Previously, I have also worked in Pharmaceuticals (Novartis), Healthcare (UNAIDS), Fintech (Unique AG) and various NGOs (e.g. Michael Dukakis Institute)

    I graduated from a dual master’s degree in International Security and International Political Economy from Sciences Po Paris and London School of Economics. With a strong foundation in business, economics, and political science, I bring a unique blend of expertise and perspective to the intersection of technology, business, and policy.

  • Jenny Thornton

    Jenny Thornton is a seasoned professional in strategic partnerships and international development. With a Master’s in International Relations from the University of Cambridge and a deep commitment to human rights, Jenny brings over 15 years of experience bridging technology, policy, and global collaboration.

  • Imogen Parker

    Imogen Parker is Associate Director of Social and Economic Policy at the Ada Lovelace Institute, an independent research and ethics body with a mission to ensure data and AI work for people and society. She led the scoping and development for the Institute, creating the founding partnership of the Nuffield Foundation, the Alan Turing Institute, the British Academy, Luminate, the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, the Royal Society, the Royal Statistical Society, techUK and Wellcome.

    She was a Policy Fellow at Cambridge University’s Centre for Science and Policy and has first-class degrees from both the University of Oxford (BA, MAOxon) and the London Consortium (MRes).

    She has over 15 years experience working on the intersections of social justice, policy research and technology. She worked with Baroness Kidron to create 5Rights, the children’s digital rights charity. Other roles include Head of the Nuffield Foundation’s programmes on Justice, Rights and Digital Society, acting Head of Policy Research for Citizens and Democracy at Citizens Advice head office, and Research Fellow at the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR).

  • 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.

  • Dr Claire Thorne

    Claire is Adviser and Venture Partner at Deep Science Ventures, co-founding and now scaling the Venture Science Directorate. She serves on the Council of The Foundation for Science and Technology, is a member of the Sutton Trust’s Tech Future Taskforce and techUK’s TechSkills Advisory Board. She is also co-Chief Executive Officer of a ‘tech for good’ scale-up, an industry-backed charity tackling the UK’s tech skills gap: Tech She Can.

    Claire regularly speaks at London Tech Weeks, Mobile World Congress, Accenture and Infosys’ client conferences, and contributes to publications in Computing, The Guardian and with the Tony Blair Institute.

    What drives me: social justice and opportunity for all
    Passionate about equitable pathways, skills, R&D policy, and STEM education and research
    Her background is in innovation strategy at UK universities: shaping Imperial’s 23-acre White City innovation district, and operating a #1 university business incubator. Claire holds a PhD in Astroparticle Physics on dark matter from Imperial College London.