Book IWD Speaker: Sana Khareghani

Professor of Practice in AI at King's College London, Trustee of the Institute for the Future of Work & Former Head of the UK Government Office for AI

Sana Khareghani has built a career that spans engineering, government, academia, and global advisory work, giving her a rare, panoramic view of how technology shapes society. She began her journey as a software engineer at MDA in 2001, later moving into systems engineering and quality assurance at Hemedex Inc. By 2004, she was managing complex projects at Ruckus Networks, gaining early experience in innovation and digital infrastructure. Her move to Booz & Company in 2007 widened her scope, exposing her to strategic work at scale, which later became central to her public leadership roles.

Her impact deepened when she entered the Cabinet Office in 2013 as Senior Advisor for Strategic Change. This laid the foundation for what became a defining chapter of her career. In 2018, Sana was appointed the inaugural Head of the UK Government’s Office for AI. She guided national AI policy at a critical moment, driving the development of the UK’s National AI Strategy. She led work that shaped a £1 billion investment into the UK’s AI ecosystem, focusing on skills, data access, international partnerships, and expert leadership. Her approach balanced economic ambition with public interest. For example, she championed programmes that ensured AI innovation aligned with ethical use and societal benefit.

After the government, she continued to influence the global AI landscape. She founded SKB Advisory in 2022, advising organisations on responsible and effective AI adoption. She became a Professor of Practice in AI at King’s College London in 2023, sharing real-world insights with the next generation of leaders. Her expertise has been recognised widely; she contributed to the Royal Academy of Engineering Review, served as a Trustee for the Institute for the Future of Work, and sits on the board of Technovation. Her achievements earned her a place on ComputerWeekly’s Most Influential Women in Tech List.

Sana is a regular presence at international events, speaking at the CogX Festival, The Alan Turing Institute’s AI UK event, the TAIFA Summit, and the WoMENAIT Responsible AI panel. These engagements reflect her gift for making AI understandable, human, and actionable for diverse audiences.

She is widely chosen as an International Women’s Day speaker because her story mirrors the progress and challenges of women in technology. She has led national policy, broken new ground in a male-dominated field, and continues to advocate for responsible, inclusive innovation. Her talks blend expertise with lived experience, encouraging teams to think ambitiously about the future while ensuring no one is left behind.

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