Chris Michaels - Founder, Digital Advisory

Chris founded consultancy Digital Advisory in 2022 to create new intersections between art, research and technology. His clients include some of the world’s leading universities, museums and foundations, plus a portfolio of creative technology startups. He is the Deputy Chair of English Heritage; an Associate of Human Economics; Digital and Strategy Director for Bolton & Quinn, and a former Sr Visiting Fellow at King’s College London. He is the author of “Creative R&D: Art | Ideas | Technology” a weekly newsletter on new trends in culture and creativity.

From 2017-22 Chris was Director of Digital, Communications and Technology at the National Gallery and ran National Gallery X, an innovation lab for the future of art and technology. Chris has a PHD from the University of Bristol and a Masters in Innovation Economics from UCL.

Charlotte Richards - Business Intelligence Strategy and Times & Sunday Times Director, News UK

In Charolotte's role of Business Intelligence Strategy and Times & Sunday Times Director, she ensures that research, analytics and campaigning are used to drive better, more customer-focused decisions for all areas of the Times & Sunday Times, including editorial, marketing and finance.

Charlotte excels at storytelling and communications, making sure that our insights have maximum impact on the right audiences. Building and managing a News UK knowledge management platform, the Knowledge Hub, ensures that the whole business has access to a 'corporate memory' of what we have learned about our customers and our activities.

Other areas of responsibility include successful execution of projects to enable the Business Intelligence team to focus on answering the business questions that will make a difference to our customers. Tracking the value created by the BI team, whether that is value in the form of additional revenue or reduced costs, or in driving better brand perceptions or audience reach.

Tamzin Simpson - Strategy Programme Manager, Royal Academy of Arts

As Strategy Projects Manager for the Royal Academy, Tamsin is responsible for driving key strategic initiatives to support the RA's transformation programme in the run up to the Academy's 250th anniversary in 2018. 

Projects include establishing new revenue-generating business lines, digital strategy, major procurement projects, organisational development, and growth of our 90k Friends subscriber base.

Before joining the RA, Tamsin worked for OC&C Strategy Consultants.

Tim Plyming - Director, Digital Arts & Media, NESTA

Tim is a Director in the Innovation Lab where he oversees Nesta’s portfolio of work supporting digital arts and media.

Current projects include the Digital R&D Funds for the Arts in England and Wales, the Creative Business Mentor Network and Nesta's work in hyperlocal media.

Prior to joining Nesta, Tim worked as an Executive Producer in BBC Television where he oversaw history and science output across digital platforms. Tim was responsible for delivering the digital elements of the BBC’s World War One centenary season including launching the ground-breaking iWonder publishing platform, WW1 UNCUT made exclusively for BBC iPlayer and an interactive episode of Our World War for BBC THREE.

Prior to this Tim was the first Head of Digital Media & Publishing at the British Museum where he oversaw all publishing, online, broadcast and image licensing activity as well as being a board member of the British Museum Company. Tim conceived and delivered 'Pompeii Live' - a live international cinema event broadcast from the British Museum broadcast to cinemas across the world.

In previous roles, Tim worked on the London 2012 Olympic Games where oversaw the BBC’s award winning Digital Olympics program, delivering 3,500 hours of Olympic Games content over digital platforms - he was also the Editor of the BBC’s Live Sites – a network of 24 outdoor viewing screens in cities across the UK. Tim was responsible for launching the first Radio 2 and 6 Music websites. Prior to working at the BBC Tim worked for News International and was responsible for publishing the first internet additions of The Times, Sunday Times, Sun and News of the World.

Tim has a BA in English and Drama from Loughborough University and an MBA from Bradford University School of Management.

Tim's passions include motor biking, Spanish food and the writings of Federico García Lorca.