Heather Beardmore - Director, Halpenfield

Heather graduated in Computer Science and then began a career in the IT industry working for some of the top computer software vendors in the world. Initially entering the profession as a computer programmer Heather rose to the position of Professional Services Director. She built professional services teams from zero eventually managing a team of 120 consultants both in the UK and internationally. In 2004 Heather started Halpenfield Ltd, a specialist BI & Analytics company. Halpenfield delivers data driven solutions on premise or in the cloud to businesses in the UK, EMEA and USA.

David Cleevely CBE, FREng FIET - Chairman, Raspberry Pi Foundation

David Cleevely CBE FREng, FIET is the Chairman of the Raspberry Pi Foundation and Raspberry Pi (Trading) Ltd. He is the founder and former Chairman of telecoms consultancy Analysys (acquired by Datatec International in 2004). In 1998, he co-founded the web based antibody company Abcam (ABC.L) with Jonathan Milner and was Chairman until November 2009. In late 2004 he co-founded the 3G femto base station company, 3Way Networks, which was sold to Airvana in April 2007. He has invested in over 55 companies and is Chairman of four of them, including the award winning restaurant “Bocca di Lupo” and its gelateria subsidiary, Gelupo. He has been a prime mover behind Cambridge Network, co-founder of Cambridge Wireless, co-founder and Chairman of Cambridge Angels and is a member of the IET Communications Policy Panel. For 8 years until March 2009 he was a member of the Ofcom Spectrum Advisory Board. From 2001 to 2008 he was a member of the Ministry of Defence Board overseeing information systems and services (DES-ISS, formerly the Defence Communications Services Agency). After being sponsored to study Cybernetics at Reading by Post Office Telecommunications, he joined their Long Range Studies Division. A PhD at Cambridge was then followed by the Economist Intelligence Unit in London. He is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and the IET and he has recently held an Industrial Fellowship at the University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory. In 2009 he was appointed the Founding Director and Executive Committee Member of the Centre for Science and Policy, University of Cambridge and was Chair until June 2018. He was elected a Fellow Commoner of Queens College, Cambridge in 2013 and an Honorary Fellow of Trinity Hall in 2015. He was awarded a CBE in the Queen’s New Year Honours List in 2013.

Akriti Dokania - Early Stage Investor, Octopus Ventures

Akriti joined Octopus in 2018, with a focus on deep tech businesses within the fields of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning software, B2B Enterprise Software, Cyber Security and next generation automation. Having worked internationally, UK, US and India, Akriti understands how to build a business. She is a computer science engineer by background and worked as a Product Manager with Windows and in the User Experience team at Windows Edge. Prior to this, Akriti built a B2B Business in India, with a focus on accounting in the retail space. She graduated from the University of Michigan with a bachelor’s degree in Engineering and completed an MBA at the London Business School. Whilst completing her MBA, Akriti worked with the Amazon Alexa team to help launch Alexa in new territories. She also worked at Forward Partners as a pre-seed/seed stage investor.

Poppy Gustafsson - CEO, Darktrace

Poppy is a co-founder of Darktrace, which under her leadership has reached a $1.65 billion valuation in under five years and was named Europe’s ‘Fastest Growing Super Scale-up’ by Tech Tour. Poppy is a qualified chartered accountant and previously served as the company’s CFO. Prior roles also include financial controller positions in the technology and venture capital sectors. She was named City A.M.’s Entrepreneur of the Year 2017.

Ward Hills - CEO, Albion Innovations, Director, Makespace

Ward provides board-level strategic direction for early stage companies. He has been CTO, CEO and Director of several companies through new product development, regulatory approvals and shipments to customers world wide, and finally exit. At Makespace he is part of a community of engineers, scientists, artist and business people creating new things and products. The Makespace community is centred on the growth and exchange of STEM skills and resources amongst it members. As chairman of the digital health firm Abed Graham Healthcare Strategies he is overseeing substantial growth each year from contracts with government, multinational healthcare and cyber-security firms. He holds a Certificate in Company Direction from the Institute of Directors and has been a board member in the UK, US and Malaysia. At The University of Cambridge Judge Business School he contributes to the Executive Education, MBA and post graduate programmes.

Mike Price - Chair and Owner, MPA Group

Mike qualified as an accountant some 25 years ago. He developed his career around his passion, technology, working in financial and general management. This career was cut short in 2004 when Mike was hit by joy riders, the resulting spinal injuries making a ‘normal’ job all but impossible. Mike is Chairman and Founder of MPA Group. The company, incorporated in 2007, quickly established itself as a leader in accounting, tax and business consulting exclusively for the technology sector. The company has grown rapidly and it’s 75 employees now serve over 850 clients throughout the UK. Outside of work, Mike spends his time with an extended family of three daughters and two spaniels. Mike has a keen (some would say obsessive) interest in triathlon. The current challenge is to set a new world record for the most half Ironman events completed in 12 months.

Toby Young - Partner, Bailey Fisher Executive Search

Toby is a Technology Partner at Bailey Fisher Executive Search, working with a broad range of clients from early-stage & venture backed businesses to private equity backed companies and large corporates.  Toby has 13 years’ executive search experience in the technology and finance sectors.

Toby has recently completed the following mandates:  NED for an AIM listed location intelligence solutions company, CEO for a VC backed high-energy-density battery business, COO for an international subsea cabling company, General Manager Smart Mobility for the innovation division of a multinational corporation, CTO for a home monitoring solutions company and Commercial Director for a waste energy recovery spin-out.

Toby co-hosts Bailey Fisher’s series of CEO Dinners with a focus on knowledge sharing and thought leadership for CEOs of high growth technology companies.  Guest speakers have included the former CEO of ARM (Barron’s List of World’s Top 30 CEOs 2011 & 2013), CISCO’s Corporate Venturing Director, Head of Innovation at Jaguar Land Rover, Director of Castrol innoVentures at BP, CEO of Horizon Discovery Group plc and the CEO of Neul.

Ann Fisher - Co-Founder, Bailey Fisher Executive Search

Ann co-founded Bailey Fisher Executive Search in 1998 and is the founder of Women 4 Technology, a networking forum for over 1500 international female entrepreneurs, investors and business leaders in the technology sector. Ann has over 20 years' experience in executive search, focusing on Technology and Professional Services. Ann is highly adept at building senior management teams for fast-paced innovative technology companies. In recognition of Ann's extensive business network, she was nominated as one of the Top 25 Most Influential Business People in the Cambridge Technology Cluster. Ann is a mentor on the Techstars Barclays Accelerator; a member of the Astia Global Advisory Board, a US organisation dedicated to the success of high-potential growth ventures, and a member of the Cambridge Campaign Committee for the Arthur Rank Hospice Charity. Ann leads the business development activities in Bailey Fisher, as well as supporting the Partners with the delivery of key mandates. Prior to co-founding Bailey Fisher, Ann set up her first recruitment business at the age of 27, which she built to a successful exit within 5 years. Ann started her commercial career as Head of Finance with an early-stage software house in London, having trained with a Top 10 Manchester-based accountancy firm.

Soraya Jones - Director of Communications, Invested Investor, Ambassador, The Bradfield Centre

Dr. Soraya Jones was the first CEO of Cambridge Wireless (CW), growing the business to a membership of over 400 companies and 20 Industry Special Interest Groups, making it one of the premier tech clusters in the UK. She stepped down as the CEO in 2015, to pursue other ventures including becoming an entrepreneur -in-residence, board members/mentors to various organisations and start-ups. Previously, she was also the Innovate UK Women in Innovation Ambassador, and Board member of the Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN). She is currently the Ambassador for the Bradfield Centre in Cambridge, as well as the Director of Comms/Partnerships at the Invested Investor, a social venture that aims to increase the success rate for entrepreneurs and investors. Born in Malaysia, Soraya holds BSc and MSc degrees from Indiana University, USA, and a PhD from the University of Cambridge.

Mike Price - Chair and Owner, MPA Group

Mike qualified as an accountant some 25 years ago. He developed his career around his passion, technology, working in financial and general management. This career was cut short in 2004 when Mike was hit by joy riders, the resulting spinal injuries making a ‘normal’ job all but impossible. Mike is Chairman and Founder of MPA Group. The company, incorporated in 2007, quickly established itself as a leader in accounting, tax and business consulting exclusively for the technology sector. The company has grown rapidly and it’s 75 employees now serve over 850 clients throughout the UK. Outside of work, Mike spends his time with an extended family of three daughters and two spaniels. Mike has a keen (some would say obsessive) interest in triathlon. The current challenge is to set a new world record for the most half Ironman events completed in 12 months.