Our 2025 speaker lineup was a dynamic mix of sector leaders and specialists tackling the biggest challenges in public service and tech. Last year featured exclusive insights from the National Cyber Security Centre, expert analysis on AI’s impact on the threat landscape, and discussions on secure-by-design principles and protecting frontline services. 2026 speakers will be announced soon, so stay tuned for the lineup!
AI Programme Lead
BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT
Senior Digital Specialist
UK National Audit Office
Detective Chief Inspector
NPCC Cybercrime Team
Director Technology and Workplace
London Borough of Hackney
Chair and Founding Member
Mental Health in Cyber Security Foundation
Research Fellow, Cyber and Tech
Royal United Services Institute (RUSI)
Mental Health First Aider & Chair of the Mental Health Ambassador Network
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Cyber Security Manager
London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust
Senior Lecturer, Research Ethics in Computing
Goldsmiths, University of London
Service Owner – Defend As One
Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government
Founder & CEO
e2e-assure
Client Engagement Manager – Local Gov, Education, NHS, Blue Light & Research
Crown Hosting Data Centres
Interim Public Sector CIO
Senior Analyst
Forrester
Editor
PublicTechnology.net
Head of Cyber Resilience
techUK
Jill leads the techUK Cyber Security programme, having originally joined techUK in October 2020 as a Programme Manager for the Cyber and Central Government programmes. She is responsible for managing techUK’s work across the cyber security ecosystem, bringing industry together with key stakeholders across the public and private sectors. Jill also provides the industry secretariat for the Cyber Growth Partnership, the industry and government conduit for supporting the growth of the sector. A key focus of her work is to strengthen the public–private partnership across cyber to support further development of UK cyber security and resilience policy.
Before joining techUK, Jill worked as a Senior Caseworker for an MP, advocating for local communities, businesses and individuals, so she is particularly committed to techUK’s vision of harnessing the power of technology to improve people’s lives. Jill is also an experienced editorial professional and has delivered copyediting and writing services for public-body and SME clients as well as publishers.
Editor
PublicTechnology
Sam is editor of PublicTechnology, the UK’s leading source of daily news and analysis for anyone interested in how the public sector is using technology and digital platforms to transform citizen services.
As editor, Sam oversees overall editorial output and direction, as well continuing to report breaking news and write interviews and features. He is also heavily involved in the publication’s growing portfolio of in-person and online events for its core audience of public sector digital, data and technology professionals.
Sam has been a journalist for over 15 years and worked for various local news, technology and business publications before joining PublicTechnology in June 2017.
Enterprise Architect, Lead Technologist
Fortinet
Dan Kendall has worked in the UK Cybersecurity industry for over 10 years. He started his career within a UK IT Managed Service provider gaining experience across multiple verticals and solution sets, joining Fortinet in 2019 to support the growing momentum of the UK Public Sector business.
Now an Enterprise Architect, working with customers and partners on strategic cybersecurity projects aimed at enabling business agility and better operational capabilities through consolidation and automation. Dan holds a BSc degree in Forensic Computing and Security from Bournemouth University, United Kingdom.
Cyber Assessment Framework Service Owner
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Mental Health First Aider & Chair of the Mental Health Ambassador Network
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Head of Digital Forensics and Incident Response, EMEA
Unit 42 at Palo Alto Networks
Senior Digital Specialist
National Audit Office
Jonathan is a senior digital specialist at the National Audit Office and has over 20 years’ experience of assessing digital and technology programmes in the central government sector, including the management of associated technology risk.
He is a contributing author to numerous NAO reports including Digital transformation in government, Challenges in using data across government, Digital transformation in the NHS and The challenges in implementing digital change as well as the NAO good practice insight guides on Cloud Services and Cyber and information security.
Prior to joining the NAO he held an assurance role with one of the leading international accountancy and advisory firms.
Chief Digital and Technology Officer
Medicine and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency
After an early career in local and central government working with refugees and asylum seekers, Claire made the move to IT, working in engineering and architecture for UK software houses. She moved from private to public sector several years ago, leading on organisational transformation and grappling challenges and opportunities with legacy technology, data and digitalisation.
Claire worked in a variety of government organisations such as NHS Digital, DWP and Homes England, and also spent time consulting and collaborating with other governments and cities around the world before joining MHRA in 2021. She has a MSc In Technology Management and is partway through a PHD in International Business.
Deputy Chair Improvement & Innovation Board
Local Government Association
Chief Executive
Cyber Resilience Centre for London
Sapna Chadha leads a team to provide guidance to SMEs in London to prepare and protect from cyber threats. Sapna has held several senior roles across government, business and the science and technology sectors. She is also Founder of London Tech Futures, a non-profit organisation whose mission is to provide young people in London access to digital skills training and tech opportunities through outreach initiatives.
Editor
Civil Service World
Suzannah joined Civil Service World in 2010, and has worked in a number of roles across the title. Over the years Suzannah has developed a particular interest in questions of accountability and civil service reform, as well as leading on several data-based investigations and Special Reports. Suzannah previously edited schools title Education Executive, and healthcare publication Practice Business, and has also covered plastics, biofuels and the restaurant industry for various trade publications.
Deputy Director Government Digital Capability
Central Digital and Data Office
Thomas joined the new Central Digital and Data Office in 2021 and is responsible for transforming how government grows capability in digital and data. This includes attracting, recruiting and developing critical deep expertise, through to developing the many leaders in government who have specialism in other domains, but increasingly need digital and data confidence to deliver. Thomas moved to CDDO from DWP Digital, having joined government in 2019 from BT where he led workforce planning, apprenticeships and learning transformation.
