Baroness Joanna Shields OBE is a globally recognised authority in artificial intelligence, technology and cybersecurity, known for her transformative leadership across both the private and public sectors. She is currently Chief Executive Officer of Precognition, where she leads the development of AI driven solutions that help senior leaders anticipate and mitigate emerging risks. She also serves as Executive Chair of the Responsible AI Future Foundation and was previously the Co-Chair of the Global Partnership on AI, shaping international frameworks for responsible and human-centred AI adoption.
Joanna’s career in technology spans more than three decades and includes senior executive roles at some of the world’s most influential digital companies. She was formerly President and Chief Executive Officer of Bebo, where she spearheaded the company’s acquisition by AOL for 850 million dollars, positioning Bebo at the forefront of early social media and online video innovation. She later became Vice President of Facebook EMEA, growing the regional organisation from 150 to 1100 employees and scaling revenues from 130 million pounds to 1.5 billion pounds under her leadership. Earlier in her career, she served as Managing Director of Google Business Developments for EMEA, playing a pivotal role in expanding Google’s commercial partnerships across the region.
As Chief Executive Officer of BenevolentAI, Joanna transformed the business from a start up into a global leader in AI enabled drug discovery, scaling it into a company valued at 2 billion pounds and advancing the application of artificial intelligence to complex biomedical research. Her ability to scale high growth technology companies across sectors has established her as one of the UK’s most influential digital leaders.
Her public service record is equally distinguished. Joanna was the UK’s first ever Minister of State for Internet Safety and Security, leading policy at the intersection of technology, national security and online protection. She also served as Digital Economy Advisor to the Prime Minister and as Chair and Chief Executive Officer of the Tech City Investment Organisation, strengthening the UK’s position as a global technology hub. In addition, she was a Non Executive Director of the London Stock Exchange Group, contributing to governance and innovation at one of the world’s leading financial markets infrastructure providers.
Recognised as number one on Wired’s 100 Most Powerful UK Digital Influencers and among the MediaGuardian 100, recipient of the British Interactive Media Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and a Life Peer in the House of Lords, Joanna is a highly sought-after keynote speaker. She addresses global audiences on AI governance, cybersecurity, digital resilience and the responsible development of technology, offering rare insight drawn from scaling multi-billion pound businesses and shaping national and international digital policy.
