Our People - Digital Poverty Alliance

“I am…delighted to accept the position as Chair of the Digital Poverty Alliance, a newly formed organisation committed to making sure that families don’t have to suffer the injustice of being excluded from digital life.

Our vision is to enable a world that enables everyone to have an equal + sufficient opportunity for the life-changing benefits that digital brings.

Over the coming months, we are creating a local + global community of organisations collaborating + uniting under a common cause. We’ll start in the UK, but quickly engage with global partners that share our values.”

Lord Jim Knight

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DPA Core Team

Paul Finnis

CEO

paul@digitalpovertyalliance.org

Paul is CEO of the Learning Foundation and the Digital Poverty Alliance.

Elizabeth Anderson

COO

elizabeth@digitalpovertyalliance.org

Elizabeth leads the DPA’s operations and programmes, as well as those of the Learning Foundation.

Keelan Meade

Head of Research, Evaluation and Insights

keelan@digitalpovertyalliance.org

Keelan works with cross-sector partners to build the evidence base on digital poverty and evaluate our proof of concept projects.

Tom Lowe

Head of Policy and Communications

tom@digitalpovertyalliance.org

Tom leads on our work to advocate for solutions to digital poverty, as well as our communications work.

Kate Towey

National Partnerships Lead

kate@digitalpovertyalliance.org

Kate focusses on new and established corporate partnerships, as well as fundraising opportunities across the UK.

Fiona Wong

Project Support Manager

fiona@digitalpovertyalliance.org

Fiona supports our programmes and activities, liaising with partners and driving activity across the team.

Ellie Crouch

Head of Digital

ellie@digitalpovertyalliance.org

Ellie leads on our digital presence, processes, website and marketing.

Natalie Jubb

Administration and Policy Support

natalie@digitalpovertyalliance.org

Natalie provides key administration and policy research support.

Our structure and governance.

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Board

Core Partners and invited members
Responsible for Governance & Leadership

Lord Knight

Chair Emeritus

Jim Knight works in education, digital technology + as a legislator. Jim is a director of Suklaa Ltd, providing …

Read Jim's bio

Alex Baldock

CEO, Currys Plc

Alex has been CEO since 2018, and is leading an ambitious transformation to build a Currys that helps …

Read Alex's Bio

David Burrows

Trustee, The Learning Foundation

David Burrows has worked in IT for over 35 years, initially for Olivetti and Digital Equipment Corporation before …

Read David's Bio

Paula Coughlan

Chief People, Communications and Sustainability Officer at Currys

Paula is Currys’ Chief People Officer, a role she has held since 2019, when she joined with the ambition to…

Read Paula's Bio

Paul Finnis

CEO The Learning Foundation

Paul Finnis is the CEO of the Learning Foundation. Paul has worked within the charity/NGO sector for 35 years.

Read Paul's Bio

Danielle George MBE

Past President, IET

Danielle George MBE CEng FIET was born on 27th January 1976 and grew up in Newcastle upon Tyne and …

Read Danielle's Bio

Niel Mclean

Chair, The Learning Foundation

Neil started as a teacher + local authority adviser developing the use of technology in the classroom.

Read Niel's Bio

Michelle Richmond MBE CEng

Director of Membership and Professional Development, IET

Michelle Richmond was appointed IET Director of Membership + ….

Read Michelle's Bio

Leigh Smyth

Co-Chair, DPA Community Board

As a firm believer in equality of opportunity + using corporate scale, tech + data for good, Leigh has led …

Read Leigh's Bio

Moira Thomas

Group Director of Sustainability and ESG, Currys Plc

Moira joined Currys Plc as Group Director of Sustainability and ESG …

Read Moira's Bio

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Community board

We are asking expert cross sector partners and aggregators to drive and inspire collective action.

Leigh Smyth

Co-Chair

Ingrid Abreu Scherer

Member representing

National Academy for Social Prescribing

Matthew Adam

Member representing

We are Digital

Julia Adamson FRSA CITP

Director of Education

BCS

Stephen Bethel

Member representing

British Retail Consortium

Gillian Churchill

Member representing

Movement for Work

Julian David

Member representing

Tech UK

Amanda Davis

Member representing

Ofcom

Helen Dobson

Member representing

Citizens Online

Matthew Evans

Member representing

Tech UK – Broadband Stakeholder Group

Catrin Hale

Member representing

Currys

Russell Hobby

Member representing

Teach First

Rachel Huggins

Member representing

Internet Matters

Robin Knowles

Member representing

Digital Leaders

Mark Livesey

Member representing

Local Enterprise Partnerships

Jocelle Lovell

Member representing

Digital Inclusion Wales

Amy Low

Member representing

AbilityNet

Emma Stone

Member representing

Good Things Foundation

Phillip Mind

Member representing

Digital and Data at UK Finance

Kate Mitchenall

Member representing

UK Regulators Network

Polly Morgan

Member representing

iDEA Foundation

Claire O'Meara

Member representing

UK Committee for UNICEF

Martyn Perry

Member representing

Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Sarah Poretta

Member representing

Money and Pensions Services

Freddie Quek

Member representing

The community of tech leaders communities called #joiningthedots #uktechleaders

Jason Scott-Taggart

Member representing

Worshipful Company of Information Technologists

David Scurr

Member representing

CAST / Catalyst

Aaron Slater

Member representing

Scottish Council of voluntary organisations

Robert Sugden

Member representing

Housing Association Charitable Trust

Emma Weston

Member representing

CEO Digital Unite

Ambassadors

Our Ambassadors play a key role in helping to raise awareness and to support our small core team to deliver services for the DPA community.

Dr Kira Allmann

Public Engagement Researcher

Chris Ashworth

Head of Social Impact, Nominet

Matt Atkinson

Managing Director, System88 and Chief Innovation Officer, Waymark

Hilary Bannister

Principal Architect, Kainos

Andy Boucher

Co-founder, Employers’ Social Mobility Alliance

Tris Blomfield

Technology Sales Leader

Dan Brember

Deputy Director for GOV.UK

Dan Brown

Founder, Positive Transformation Group

Sally Caughey

Head of Digital Inclusion at Capgemini UK

Alfred Cardona

Head of Learning and Quality, Croydon College

Ri Chakraborty FRSA

Fellow, Royal Society of Arts and Trustee for Norwich University of the Arts

Beverly Clarke

Education Consultant at Beverly Clarke Consulting

Liam Cookson

Technical Lead, Code Nation

Jo Dalton

Senior Account Director, Lodestone Communications

Fiona Dawson

Director, Mayden and Bath Bridge,

Kat Dixon

Third Sector Lead, Snook

Dave Donaghy

Trustee at BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT

Elena Dumitrana

Product Lead

Dr Karen Elliott

Professor of Practice in Finance and Fintech, University of Birmingham

Angela Fairs

CEO, Full Circle Educational Consultancy

Alistair Forbes

Founding Director and CEO, Scottish Tech Army

Mick Goulding

Commercial Director, Cellnex UK

Michael Hall

Founder and CEO, Thebes Group

Fiona Hopkinson

Stakeholder and Communications Lead

Sean Houlston

Parliamentary Office Manager

Ebru Ilhan

Head of Sustainability Engagement and Capability Philip Morris International

Dr Sadia Jamil

Asian Media Information Communication Centre, UAE

Dhammaratna Jawale

Asia-Pacific Youth Ambassador, UNESCO-GAPMIL

Prof. Kerensa Jennings

Digital Impact Specialist

Sarah Jones

President at Open University Students Association

Savraj Kaur

Chair & Co-Founder Ready Tech Go

Richard Knowlton

Director of Security Studies, Oxford Cyber Academy

Al Kingsley

Group CEO, NetSupport Limited

James Lee Burgess

Founder CEO, UrbanXR

Mark Lockton-Goddard

Founder and CEO, Embracement

Kamran Mallick

CEO, Disability Rights UK

Michelle Mason

Managing Director, Global & Speciality, AON UK Ltd

Kirsty McIntosh

Head of Partnerships, Scottish Tech Army

Prof. Michael John Miller

WHO Digital Health Technical Advisory Group (DHTAG) Roster of Experts

Shakeeb Niazi

Founder of S.E.E.D.

Martin O'Kane

Strategic Lead for Technology and Employment, RNIB

Ray O'Sullivan

Chief Revenue Officer, Claxon Agency

Alison Owen

Senior Lawyer - Digital Media, AdTech, Data Governance, Data Privacy, Data Ethics

Freddie Quek

Chief Technology Officer, The community of tech leaders

Massimo Ragnedda

Associate Professor in Media and Communication at Northumbria University

Andrea Ravnik

Head of Amazon in the Community for Amazon UK

Catherine Ann Reid

CEO and Founder, Doqit Technologies

David Richards

Founder, CEO and chairman of WANdisco plc

Maria Laura Ruiu (PhD)

Senior Lecturer in Sociology, Northumbria University (UK)

Paul Russell

Creative Thinking

Issi Saumtally

Chief Data Officer, Brunswick Group

Prof. Sam Shah

Chief Medical Strategy Officer, Numan

Cat Smith

Chief Operating Officer at Community TechAid

Phil Smith

Chairman IQE PLC

Louise Stokes

Digital Communities

Revd Gail Thompson

CEO founder, Millennium Community Solutions

Samantha Tilley

Digital Strategy & Innovation Manager at Wigan Council

Julia Von Klonowski

Digital Director, Career Colleges

Catherine Tryfona

Associate Dean Partnerships, Cardiff Metropolitan University

Andy Wake

Board Member at Town and Community Limited

Charlotte Walshe

Partnerships and Impact Director at In Kind Direct

Sara Weller

Non Executive at BT, Virgin Money and The Money and Pensions Service

Chris Winter

IBM Fellow (Retired)

Chris Wong

Digital Technologies Leader, Mars

Emma Wright

Lawyer

Prof. Simeon Yates

Professor of Digital Culture

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Lord Knight, DPA Board Co-Chair

Jim Knight works in education, digital technology + as a legislator. Jim is a director of Suklaa Ltd, providing advice services to UK + international clients working in technology for education + learning, international schooling, + teacher engagement. Jim also regularly speaks + facilitates events for a range of clients, adding to Suklaa’s expertise in increasing the engagement created by education events. Jim worked for many years as the Chief Education + External Officer at Tes Global Ltd. In over six years he co-founded Tes Institute in 2014, which is now the fifth largest qualifier of teachers in England; he has also managed Tes Resources, a global teacher community of 13.5 million users. Jim is also one of the founders of XRapid Group, a French/US business using iOS devices to power microscopes with artificial intelligence. Current applications for their technology include the diagnosis of malaria in blood + of asbestos fibres + mould spores in air samples.

As a UK government minister + MP, Jim’s portfolios included rural affairs, schools, digital + employment. He was a member of Gordon Brown’s Cabinet 2009- 2010, before joining the Lords after the 2010 General Election. He is the Honorary President of COBIS, is on the Nord Anglia Education Advisory Board, sits on the Global Advisory Council for BETT, + is the Chair of CAST (Centre for Acceleration of Social Technology) that is leading on the shift of the charity sector into the use of digital tools + approaches.

David Burrows

David Burrows has worked in IT for over 35 years, initially for Olivetti and Digital Equipment Corporation before joining Microsoft in 1991 where he went on to hold a range of management and senior executive positions covering a broad range of business functions at a UK, Europe & Middle East and Global/international level. David joined Intelligent Automation company UiPath in 2021 as their Public Sector industry leader.

During his time as Microsoft UK’s director of Education and Skills Development, David spearheaded efforts to improve ICT training for teachers, students and people in the workplace and was instrumental in helping establish the e-Learning Foundation and returned to the organisation as a Trustee for the last 10 years.

David is a past serving member on a number of UK Government advisory boards. From 2003-2011, he was a non-executive director of UKERNA/Ja.Net now part of JISC (the provider of the SuperJANET UK education and research high speed network), he is a past Chair of Trustees of the Learning Lab. He is a past member of the ITCESSG, a task group within the Information Age Partnership looking at IT Skills as part of the National Skills Task Force, a board member of CC4G (Computer Clubs for Girls); a past member of the DELG Task-Force reporting to the National LSC (Learning and Skills Council) on workplace learning using technology and was appointed as a member of the MOD Defence Education and Skills Advisory Board. In recognition for ITC related services to UK Education, David was made an Honorary Doctor at Sheffield Hallam University (2006) and Wolverhampton University (2008).

Paula Coughlan

Paula is Currys' Chief People Officer, a role she has held since 2019, when she joined with the ambition to build and lead a world-class People Team that could shape and drive the business' cultural transformation. This team now also provides vital counsel to the CEO and the Executive Committee.

Paula has extensive experience in managing global transformation programmes and organisational design having amassed over two decades of HR experience. She is passionate about developing and attracting top talent, enabling the success of happy, engaged and skilled colleagues and a champion of flexible working. 

Before joining Currys, Paula held several leadership roles at McDonald's. Most recently, she was Global Chief People Strategy Officer, where she was responsible for nearly two million colleagues and had a global remit that spanned the business' youth opportunity programme, employer reputation, digital engagement, change management, organisational design and people analytics and insight. Prior to this, Paula was Chief People Officer for Europe and the International Lead Markets. Before her career at McDonald's, Paula held a range of senior people roles at PepsiCo in the UK and Europe. 

She began her career as a HR Manager after graduating from the University of Cardiff with a Bachelor’s degree in Law and a Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the University of Birmingham. She lives in London with her partner and two children.

Paul Finnis

Paul Finnis is the CEO of the Learning Foundation. Paul has worked within the charity/NGO sector for 35 years. The last 20 years have seen a closer focus on education from setting up the British Council for School Environments to leading a British education NGO in Vietnam for 7 years. Paul has seen first-hand the power that the right intervention in education has to profoundly change lives + believes strongly in transparency + ensuring that genuine change is delivered. The Learning Foundation is now 20 years old + works directly with schools looking to introduce technology into learning as part of their toolkit for teachers + students. We have three watchwords for every programme: Equitable; Effective + Sustainable. In February 2019 Paul launched Digital Access for All with a powerful group of organisations aimed at ensuring that every school-aged child in the UK has the access, skills + support that they need to the digital world at home for learning + life. The pandemic demonstrated just how important that ambition was + continues to be; Paul + the team are now working hard to respond to urgent need + focused on a sustainable, strategic response to this issue through establishing the Digital Poverty Alliance.

Danielle George MBE

Danielle George MBE CEng FIET was born on 27th January 1976 and grew up in Newcastle upon Tyne and was educated at Kenton School and the University of Liverpool where Danielle completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Astrophysics. Danielle George is Professor of Radio Frequency Engineering at the University of Manchester and Associate Vice President. Her expertise in radio frequency engineering and microwave communications is applicable to broad range of scientific and industrial sectors. Danielle has worked with NASA and ESA on the development of instrumentation for researchers exploring the Big Bang. Danielle’s most recent work on broadband amplifier design at 116GHz is state-of-the-art and pushing the very limits of semiconductor technology.

An ambassador for STEM, she gave the 2014 Royal Institution Christmas Lecture, co-founded and developed the Manchester Robot Orchestra as a citizen science initiative, has given TED and TEDx talks, and was awarded the MBE in 2016. George became the 139th President of the Institution of Engineering and Technology in October 2020 the second female President in the IET’s history.

Danielle aims to inspire new audiences with science, technology, engineering and maths; and will lead the IET's 150th anniversary celebrations. These will include the #DifferenceMakers campaign to find those who are using engineering and technology solutions to solve a variety of global challenges across the world, and to share these stories beyond the Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) bubble, reaching new audiences globally.

Niel Mclean

Niel started as a teacher + local authority adviser developing the use of technology in the classroom. In the early 1990s he developed the first National Curriculum + qualifications for IT + Computing. As an executive director at the government’s technology agency, he created support services for schools + teachers, provided research-based evidence to the treasury, + led the scheme providing technology to 250 000 low-income families. He continued to work in senior roles in the private + charity sectors before joining BCS, including providing advice to governments across the Western Balkans on developing digital skills in the region. He chairs the Learning Foundation, is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, + was presented with a lifetime achievement award by Naace, the national educational technology association. Niel is currently Head of Education at BCS the Chartered Institute for IT. He managed the Network of Excellence to support over 30,000 computing teachers across the UK + developed the submission to the Treasury leading to the then Chancellor announcing a £100 million training programme for Computing teachers. He also worked with partners in a consortium to deliver a successful bid to deliver the new National Centre for Computing Education + recruited the network of regional delivery partners + school-based computing hubs to support the NCCE.+ Maths (STEM) bubble, reaching new audiences globally..

Michelle Richmond MBE CEng IET

Michelle Richmond was appointed IET Director of Membership + Professional Development in 2006. Her career started in 1981 with Siemens Plessey Radar, Isle of Wight, as an apprentice + then microwave technician engineer. On completion of her degree, Michelle became Principle Microwave Design Engineer. She was then promoted to Development Manager working on AR327 Military Radar System. Michelle joined Nokia Huntingdon in 1995 as base station Product Manager. Michelle moved to Matra Marconi Space in Stevenage in 1996 as Antenna Project Manager + later Deputy Project Manager for the Skynet 5 Satellite System; in 2000 she joined Ubinetics, a PA Consulting Group technology spin-off company, as Programme Manager, working on advanced 3G test platforms + then as Operations Manager. Ubinetics was acquired by Aeroflex in 2005.

Michelle also represents the IET on the Engineering Council Board of Trustees + was a member of the IET Council at the time of its formation by the IIE + IEE. She was awarded Britain’s ‘Young Woman Engineer of the Year’ in 1990. She is a Chartered Engineer + has an electronics engineering degree from the Southampton Institute of Higher Education (part-time) + was awarded a Fellowship of the IET in 1999. Michelle was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours list 2019 for services to engineering.

As a firm believer in equality of opportunity + using corporate scale, tech + data for good, Leigh has led initiatives which help cross sector organisations do well by also doing good. This includes launching the Uks first children’s range of technology at PCW, leading to proving the case + designing the market model + pilot for the Govt Home Access £350M programme for low-income families. Leigh also worked with Baroness Lane Fox as the CEO to lead the RaceOnline2012 campaign + to establish the Go ON UK Charity to tackle the UKs digital skills agenda. More recently as the first Responsible Transformation Director in the UK, whilst at Lloyds Banking Group, Leigh led the team for the development of the largest network of digital advocates in Europe + for UK Government and partners, Leigh established the annual UK benchmark Index Digital Skills for consumers + business, now in their 8th year. Leigh also led the team behind the concept, design + delivery of the Lloyds Banking Digital Skills Academy for “Everyone” which has gone on to now train hundreds of thousands of people per year. Leigh also led the Group Transformation Division I+D + talent strategy + introduced initiatives such as diverse retraining programmes for colleague tech qualifications + achieving the customer accessibility accreditation for LBG customer websites, a first for a FTSE. Leigh has since established a global social Inclusion strategy consultancy + advised the Money and Pensions Service on mobilising a Financial Wellbeing Movement and is currently advising international companies + initiatives such as the United Nations. Leigh is also a Board member of the TechTalentCharter and is currently leading on the strategy + start-up operations for the Digital Poverty Alliance.

Moira Thomas

Moira joined Currys plc as Group Director of Sustainability and ESG in March 2021, with responsibility for elevating the business’ sustainability strategy across the Group.

Prior to joining Currys, Moira spent more than 15 years in various corporate social responsibility-focused roles at John Lewis Partnership. Most recently, she led a team of specialist Corporate Responsibility professionals to drive the Group’s ambition to protect and increase its value through ethical and sustainable business practice.

Since joining Currys she has pledged the company’s support to the Business Ambition for 1.5°C campaign and formalised it’s support of the Taskforce for Climate-related disclosures – commitments that have been cemented with the launch of new ambitious greenhouse gas emissions targets last month.

Outside of work, Moira can be found in Guildford, where she balances life with two young children by working a nine-day fortnight. She is passionate about spending time outside and exploring the countryside. Her children are as eco-conscious as she is, and the entire family can often be found out in their neighbourhood picking up litter to do their bit for the planet.

Moira has a BSc in Natural Sciences from the University of Bath.

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Our People.

Visit the DPA Global Community Hub

DPA Core Team

Paul Finnis

Elizabeth Anderson

Keelan Meade

Tom Lowe

Kate Towey

Fiona Wong

Ellie Crouch

Natalie Jubb

Our structure and governance.

Board

Lord Knight

Alex Baldock

David Burrows

Paula Coughlan

Paul Finnis

Danielle George MBE

Niel Mclean

Michelle Richmond MBE CEng

Leigh Smyth

Moira Thomas

Community board

Leigh Smyth

Ingrid Abreu Scherer

Matthew Adam

Julia Adamson FRSA CITP

Stephen Bethel

Gillian Churchill

Julian David

Amanda Davis

Helen Dobson

Matthew Evans

Catrin Hale

Russell Hobby

Rachel Huggins

Robin Knowles

Mark Livesey

Jocelle Lovell

Amy Low

Emma Stone

Phillip Mind

Kate Mitchenall

Polly Morgan

Claire O'Meara

Martyn Perry

Sarah Poretta

Freddie Quek

Jason Scott-Taggart

David Scurr

Aaron Slater

Robert Sugden

Emma Weston

Ambassadors

Our Ambassadors play a key role in helping to raise awareness and to support our small core team to deliver services for the DPA community.

Dr Kira Allmann

Chris Ashworth

Matt Atkinson

Hilary Bannister

Andy Boucher

Tris Blomfield

Dan Brember

Dan Brown

Sally Caughey

Alfred Cardona

Ri Chakraborty FRSA

Beverly Clarke

Liam Cookson

Jo Dalton

Fiona Dawson

Kat Dixon

Dave Donaghy

Elena Dumitrana

Dr Karen Elliott

Angela Fairs

Alistair Forbes

Mick Goulding

Michael Hall

Fiona Hopkinson