Professor Dame Wendy Hall

Executive Director of the Web Science Institute at the University of Southampton, Co-Chair of the UK Government AI Review, The Regius Professor of Computer Science & Fellow of the Royal Society

Professor Dame Wendy Hall’s Biography:

Professor Dame Wendy Hall is a world-leading computer scientist, artificial intelligence policy expert, and Managing Director of the Web Science Trust, as well as Chair of the Ada Lovelace Institute. A Fellow of the Royal Society and member of the United Nations High-Level Advisory Board on Artificial Intelligence, she is widely hired as a London keynote speaker because of her unique combination of deep technical expertise, leadership in global AI governance, and decades of experience advising governments, industry, and international organisations on the future of technology. As co-chair of the UK Government’s Artificial Intelligence Review and co-author of ‘Four Internets: Data, Geopolitics & the Governance of Cyberspace’, she offers audiences rare insight into how AI, data, and geopolitics are reshaping economies, regulation, and society.

Wendy’s early education began in mathematics and computer science, fields in which she quickly distinguished herself during her studies at the University of Southampton. Her academic career grew from pioneering research into hypermedia systems, including her role in the team that invented the Microcosm Hypermedia System, through to co-founding the Web Science Research Initiative in 2006. Over the following decades she held senior leadership roles across the UK’s scientific and engineering institutions, including President of the ACM and BCS, Senior Vice President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, and member of the UK Prime Minister’s Council for Science and Technology, while earning major honours such as the Anita Borg Award for Technical Leadership, appointment as Dame Commander of the British Empire, and election as a Fellow of the Royal Society. These milestones reflect a career defined by innovation, public service, and global influence in the development of artificial intelligence and the World Wide Web.

Why Hire Professor Dame Wendy Hall?

Professor Dame Wendy Hall is frequently hired as a London keynote speaker because of her unmatched experience shaping technology strategy at the highest levels of government, industry, and international research. As the UK Government’s first Skills Champion for AI and a member of the UK Government’s AI Council, she has helped guide national priorities on education, workforce development, and responsible innovation, topics that are especially relevant to global technology and finance hubs. Her position on the BT Technology Advisory Board also gives her direct insight into how major telecommunications and digital infrastructure organisations are adapting to rapid advances in data-driven technologies, making her talks highly practical for corporate and policy audiences alike.

She is also sought after for her global perspective on digital policy and innovation ecosystems. As a founding member of the European Research Council and former Chair of the European Commission’s ISTAG, she has helped shape research funding priorities and long-term technology strategy across Europe. Her work with the Global Commission on Internet Governance and the World Economic Forum’s Global Futures Council on the Digital Economy brings a wide-ranging understanding of how different regions approach regulation, innovation, and digital transformation. This ability to connect UK priorities with European and global trends makes her particularly valuable for London events that bring together international investors, policymakers, and business leaders.

In addition, Wendy’s long list of honours, including the Sufrage Science Award from the MRC London Institute of Medical Science, the Duncan Davies Medal, multiple honorary doctorates from universities around the world, and recognition as a Distinguished Fellow of the British Computer Society, demonstrates the respect she commands across academia, engineering, and public service. Event organisers often hire her because she combines authority, credibility, and clarity to explain complex technological change, inspire strategic thinking, and provide guidance on how organisations can prepare for the future of artificial intelligence, skills, and digital society.

Professor Dame Wendy Hall’s Career Highlights:

Here are some of the key milestones that define Professor Dame Wendy Hall’s remarkable career:

• 2023 – Appointed to the United Nations High-Level Advisory Board on Artificial Intelligence
• 2021 – Co-Author of “Four Internets: Data, Geopolitics & the Governance of Cyberspace”
• 2021 – Member of the BT Technology Advisory Board
• 2020 – Chair of the Ada Lovelace Institute
• 2017 – Co-Chair of the UK Government’s Artificial Intelligence Review
• The UK Government’s first Skills Champion for AI
• Fellow of the Royal Society
• Managing Director of the Web Science Trust
• Member of the AI Council of the UK Government
• Member of the team that invented the Microcosm Hypermedia System