Being in the middle of amazing tech minds and developments Coffee order: Skinny Latte (decaf after 12) Cocktail order: Martini Favourite book: Shoe Dog by Phil Knight What was your first job? At the tourist offices in North Wales. I’m pretty sure a few visitors received terrible advice about climbing Snowdon, which I have only done by train.

Saying Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch 20 times a day to Americans was also a highlight! Taught me a lot about customer service. What was your first role in tech?

I was a research analyst and conference producer for Informa Telecoms & Media. It was a fantastic role as a fresh grad right at the heart of the mobile telecoms boom and we travelled the world producing world class events – I realised quickly tech is the place to be. When did you know you wanted to build a career in tech?

Pretty early. I was drawn to the intersection of people and ideas, and technology gave me the perfect arena for that. Being ringside at the future being built in real time was beyond energising.

What hooked me was the mix: the pace of change, the global reach, the sense that the decisions being made in rooms you were curating actually mattered. It was a natural evolution to move into the world of tech entrepreneurs, and now as the CEO of Founders Forum Group, I get to sit at the very heart of where technology and ambition collide. What’s one thing you love about the City of London?

It’s sheer scale and the variety that comes with it – its blend of modern and historic. I think there is a depth to London that most cities can’t replicate. And one thing you would change?

A greater appetite for risk. London has so much going for it but we can still be cautious when it comes to backing bold ideas early. What’s been your most memorable lunch or meeting?

A conversation with Blaise Metreweli that I think about often. Just before she went on to head up MI6, I moderated a talk with her about the weight of the decisions she navigates, the real-world stakes, the lives genuinely on the line. Sitting across from someone who has that responsibility, and carries it with such grace, has a way of putting everything into sharp perspective.

And any business faux pas? In one of my first job interviews, I walked into the cleaning cupboard at the back of the room instead of leaving through the main door I’d walked through 40 minutes before. It was the second interview, 15 people were in the room and I wish I could have been swallowed up whole.

I still got the job! What’s been your proudest moment? Watching London Tech Week grow into the event it has become, but my pride is less about the numbers and more about the impact it has on the UK’s position on the world stage.

And then receiving an OBE for doing what you love is something I still can’t quite believe. Being able to take my parents, who sacrificed so much to give me the education that set me on this path, was extra special. And who do you look up to?

The founders I work with every day. What I find endlessly inspiring isn’t just what they build, it’s the resilience they carry. Holding a clear vision through inevitable chaos and keeping going when most people would have stopped.

What’s the best career advice you’ve ever been given? Two actually. Make sure you look around corners and focus on the things only you can do – don’t be a blocker.

And always find people smarter than you. If you’re the smartest person in the room, get out. And the worst? “Work smarter not harder” – I think it’s a terrible cliche and getting where you want to be often does need to be a combination of both, not either or.

Are you optimistic for the year ahead? Yes, and I don’t say that lightly. The pace of AI development alone would be enough to get excited about, but what I find most energising is seeing how founders are applying it to real, meaningful problems.

On a personal note, I’m excited about launching The Longevity Show in June. It’s my first ever consumer launch in an incredible area of transformation for us all, and there’s a real thrill of doing something new at this stage. We’re going for lunch, and you’re picking – where are we going?

CORD by Le Cordon Bleu. And if we’re grabbing a drink after work? Wagtail. Views, cocktails, who needs more?

Where’s home during the week? Chobham, Surrey. And where might we find you at the weekend? Colwell Bay, Isle of Wight.

You’ve got a well-deserved two weeks off. Where are you going and who with? Always somewher