Panel

Charlie Boundy, Chief Data Officer, Companies House
Charlie is a senior data leader with extensive leadership experience turning data into a sustainable resource in a number of large enterprises. He draws on best practice experience from retail, utilities, telcos, insurance and government - most recently as the Head of Advanced Analytics at the Department for Work and Pensions. He joined Companies House as its first Chief Data Officer in July 2023 at a time where the new Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act is delivering significant new powers for Companies House to check, challenge and correct information on the Register.

Giuseppe Sollazzo, Deputy Director, Head of Products and Services, DWP Digital
Giuseppe has been leading the 150 people strong Data Products and Services division at DWP since August 2023. Previously Deputy Director of the NHS Artificial Intelligence Lab, he led the AI Skunkworks and Deployment programme that aimed to understand and scrutinise AI solution through an open source approach. As Head of Data at the Department for Transport, Giuseppe set up its first cross-functional Data Unit, led the development of its Transport Data Strategy, and the evolution of some of its public data services. He has over a decade of background in IT and technology, and as a data evangelist.”

Kate Boyle, Head of Data Services, Police Digital Service
Kate spent over 25 years in the financial industry working at organisations such as Accenture, Morgan Stanley, RBS, HSBC, and Lloyds Banking Group. She led the Data Maturity programme at Lloyds before establishing and heading up the Data Culture Chapter within the Chief Data & Analytics Office.  Kate joined the Police Digital Service as Head of Data and Analytics Services in 2022. She develops national data and analytic services for policing, working closely with national policing boards and organisations.

Richard Irvine, Chief Data Officer, Leeds City Council / NHS West Yorkshire ICB
Richard is the Chief Data Officer for NHS West Yorkshire ICB and Leeds City Council, having moved from NHS Digital in 2022. At NHS Digital, he held responsibility for all national data collection activity. During the pandemic, Richard led the data operations for the NHS Shielded Patient List and the Covid19 vaccination programme. He was inspired to move into the NHS in 2014, having spent eight years leading local government ICT and data services; and prior to this he worked as an accountant.

Tom McCann, Director, Sopra Steria 
Tom is the Growth and Marketing Director for Sopra Steria in the UK, responsible for their go-to-market strategy. He is also a member of the techUK Public Services Board and was the founding chair of the Central Government Council. Having previously led the central government business for Sopra Steria, Tom was responsible for the delivery in a number of the pathfinding GDS Digital Exemplar projects in central government and is passionate about the transformative benefits of technology and user-centred design in public services. In addition, Tom has extensive experience in regional government in the devolved administrations and, in his time eight years at the director level with the ‘Big 4’, has led and developed consulting teams in Europe and APAC delivering transformation projects in public sector.

Helen Olsen Bedford, Publisher, UKAuthority 
UKAuthority founder, Helen, has more than 20 years’ experience as a journalist and thought leader on the use of digital, data and technology in the health and public sector. From September 2013 to March 2016, as part of a contract won by UKAuthority in open tender, she acted as Head of Communications for the then Department of Communities and Local Government’s Local Digital Programme, managing the communications and engagement campaign to promote digital transformation across local services. She is passionate about the use of DDaT for the public good – the ethos of UKAuthority.