think ahead

Freelance Journalist

Tim Smith has been a journalist for 10 years and specialises in reporting on AI and deep tech, ranging from semiconductors and robotics, to novel materials and quantum. Until recently he was news editor and senior reporter at the Financial Times-backed Sifted, and before that worked at the BBC, making award-winning news programmes and documentaries for radio and television.

Chief Data Officer, Ocado Technology

Gabriel joined Ocado Technology in 2020 as Chief Data Officer, bringing over 10 years’ experience leading and developing data science teams. At Ocado, his role is to harness the power of data and machine learning to best serve its retail partners and their customers.

Gabriel is a guest lecturer at London Business School and an Honorary Senior Research Associate at University College London. He has also advised start-ups and VCs on data and machine learning strategies. Before joining Ocado, Gabriel was Head of Data Science at the BBC, Data Director at notonthehighstreet.com and Head of Data Science at Tesco. He has a MA in Mathematics from the University of Cambridge and an MBA from London Business School.

Professor of Management Science and Operations, London Business School

Professor Nicos Savva is an expert in data science, using it to solve operational problems and help large organisations develop data-science capabilities. His research focuses on healthcare management, including hospital operations, regional organisation of care, assessing performance, measuring health inequity, and innovation. His work has appeared in leading journals such as Management Science, Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, Production & Operations Management, and Nature Biotechnology. He is a Department Editor at Management Science.

Nicos has acted as an external advisor to NHS England/NHS Improvement, and a consultant to hospitals, biotech companies, high-tech start-ups, retail firms, and a hedge fund. He also advises on the policy implications of algorithms. Besides LBS, he has also taught at The Wharton School, Columbia GSB, and at Judge Business School, University of Cambridge.

Deputy Executive Director, Startup Coalition

Vinous Ali is the Deputy Executive Director of Startup Coalition, the policy voice for startups in the UK. With over 4,000 startups in their network Startup Coalition works with policymakers in Westminster and beyond to ensure the UK's policy environment supports startups scale and thrive. Vinous has worked at the intersection of technology and policy in a variety of roles - most recently at Public First, a policy and research consultancy, where she built the technology practice and led the firm's US expansion. Vinous co-founded Digital Lib Dems and has undertaken a fellowship with the University of Cambridge's Centre for Science and Policy exploring the future of work.