Eileen Burbidge succeds Joanna Shields as Tech City UK chair
The queen of UK tech Eileen Burbidge is adding another feather to her cap as the new chair of Tech City UK.
Burbidge, a partner at Passion Capital and recently appointed FinTech envoy to the UK government, will chair the group and a newly formed entrepreneurs advisory panel, succeeding former Facebook boss Baroness Shields who became a minister for internet safety and security under David Cameron in May.
Also joining the board of the government-backed group tasked with promoting tech startups, Silicon Roundabout and the growth of the digital economy, is renowned investor Robin Klein, Barclays' tech vice president Tim Luke, entrepreneur Wendy Tan-White and Google's European marketing vice president Yonca Brunini.
Read more: London's Tech City is an awesome success story
They join Tech City UK's chief Gerard Grech and Tech North chair Herb Kim.
On the new entrepreneur's panel are several of Britain's biggest tech entrepreneurs, including Zoopla's Alex Chesterman, Just Eat's David Buttress, Deep Mind's Demis Hassabis, King.com's Riccardo Zacconi, Transferwise's Taavet Hinrikus and Sarah Wood of Unruly Media, the adtech company which was last week acquired by News Corp for millions.
“Digital business and the rapid developments in technology are a key part of our long-term economic plan to support the industries of the future – creating jobs and building a more resilient economy," said Cameron. “Eileen Burbidge will be a fantastic appointment, her knowledge and experience of the digital landscape will ensure that the UK remains at the forefront of this innovative industry.”
On the being appointed to the role, Burbidge said:
“I first moved to London in 2004 to join the team at a very young Skype. Since then, the UK’s technology scene has changed beyond all recognition, and has certainly benefited in recent years from the efforts of the Tech City UK organisation. From my role at Passion Capital, I've witnessed first-hand the impact that Gerard and his team can make for digital businesses at all stages. I'm hugely excited to be joining and look forward to ushering in the next phase of the Tech City UK success story to deliver even greater impact and uplift for the digital economy in Britain.”
Burbidge will work closely with Grech on the long-term strategy of the group and on developing further tech and digital hubs across the UK