Speakers

Robin Pembrooke, Programme Lead, GOV.UK / GDS AI Programme, Government Digital Service
Robin has worked across teaching, consulting and coaching to help people launch and scale their digital media businesses, drawing on wide ranging experience of running large online operations in broadcast and online media such as BBC News, Global Radio, Yahoo!, and ITV.

Chris Butson, Lead Automation Developer and Business Analyst, University Hospitals Plymouth NHS TrustC
Chris has spent the majority of his career in the private sector within the manufacturing industry. In January 2020 he joined the NHS within the procurement department as a senior data analyst and used his process improvement experience and knowledge of Microsoft products to help automate and streamline existing manual processes within the department and to introduce new ones. The opportunity came to switch departments and help form and implement the RPA team in September 2021. Since then he has formed a small team of three to start investigating, designing, developing and deployed automation solutions across the trust in Plymouth. They are now in the early discussion stages to spread further afield and start introducing RPA into other trusts within the region. 
  

Jonathan Boyle, Technical Architect, North of England Care System Support (NECS)
Jonathan manages and oversees automation initiatives within the organisation. He plays a key role in identifying automation opportunities and developing strategies to implement them, as well as designing and implementing automation solutions to optimize business processes. 

Philip Sheen, Head of Public Sector - UK & Ireland, UiPath                                                                                   
Philip is responsible for UiPath's market engagement with the Public Sector across the UK and Ireland with 20 years' experience of driving engagement between technology and public sector organisations. UiPath is helping address some of the systemic challenges facing the UK, driving enhanced citizen outcomes and bridging the digital skills gap which exists across agencies, departments and wider public sector bodies. 

David Knott, Chief Technology Officer, Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO)
David is a technology leader, strategist and architect with over 30 years of experience across a range of industries. He has designed, constructed and led many large transformation initiatives throughout his career and passionately believes in the power of new technologies and using new ways of working to liberate organisations from the constraints of their legacy technologies.

Kurt Frary, Head of IT and Chief Technology Officer, Norfolk County Council and Vice President, Socitm
Kurt has over 34 years’ experience working in ICT for both public and the private sector and his passion for digital innovation, change and technology is contagious.  He delivered Norfolk’s ground breaking innovation network which is the largest free to use public sector IoT Network in the UK and is currently leading Norfolk’s County Wide future network programme. 

Lawrence Hopper, Deputy Director for Digital Products, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC)
Lawrence is a senior civil servant at the Department supporting the transition to more innovative and digital ways of working; Lawrence supports it to design services that better meet user needs and to take advantage of the opportunities of modern technologies underpinned by good quality data.

Leonardo Tantari, Chief Digital & Information Officer, NHS (Leeds) West Yorkshire ICB and Leeds City Council
Leonardo has been in post for nearly three over two years, bringing with him vast experience of working at senior leadership level in global companies such as Experian, Walgreens (Boots) and Travelex. He is accomplished at delivering solutions that drive change and transform services. Leonardo leads complex and diverse digital teams that ensures that no one is left behind within the city with successful digital inclusion and integration programmes, staff training and development, whilst keeping a very keen eye on the finances. Leonardo has been instrumental in ensuring both Leeds City Council and the NHS in Leeds transform using data and digital as the driving force to integrate health and care to improve the lives of the people of Leeds.  

         

Lianne Anderton, Intelligent Automation Garage delivery lead, Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
Lianne has worked in the public sector for over 20 years, including working in resource planning, data warehousing and health transformation. She brings a wealth of digital experience to the IAG and is currently road mapping the next generation of digital technologies to step-change customer experience and automation efficiency. 

Sarah Ward, Collaborations and Engagement Manager, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC)
Sarah is an experienced engagement professional and project manager, with a background in communications, public affairs strategy and policy. 

Umar Sani, Delivery Manager, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC)