Press Office
Welcome to the press office — for media enquiries please contact Media Relations Officer, Andy Twelves at andy.twelves@bcs.uk or +44 7442 65467.
BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT are the professional body for information technology. Our purpose, as defined by Royal Charter, is to promote and advance the education and practice of computing for the benefit of the public. With over 70,000 members, we bring together academics, practitioners, industry and government to share knowledge, inform the design of new curricula, and shape policy. We're also the leading end point assessment organisation for Digital Apprenticeships.
BCS regularly comments in national print and broadcast media on key issues shaping the digital world. Our media work spans topics such as artificial intelligence, cyber security, digital skills, online safety, and the ethical use of technology.
With a diverse range of expert spokespeople drawn from industry, academia, and the public sector, we provide balanced, authoritative insight on the role of tech in society. We aim to ensure that the voice of the professional tech community is heard in public debate, helping to inform policy, build public trust, and support responsible innovation.
Meet our experts
Adam Leon Smith
Fellow of BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT
Adam Leon Smith is a leading expert in AI regulation and technical standards, currently working full-time on standardisation initiatives. He chairs the AIQI Consortium, a global initiative promoting the use of quality infrastructure for responsible AI, and serves as Deputy Chair of the UK’s national AI standards committee. Adam has played a key role in international standardisation, leading multiple projects on testing and assurance of AI systems. At the European level, he is closely involved in writing standards to support the EU AI Act, including those on quality management systems and system logging. He also supports the European Commission through the NoLeFa-84 project, helping coordinate market surveillance across EU member states. Domestically, he chairs the BCS Fellows’ Technical Advisory Group. Before focusing on quality infrastructure, Adam spent two decades in senior technology roles, including as CTO of Dragonfly, delivering verification and validation solutions for high-risk industries. In 2024, the University of Bath awarded him an honorary doctorate in recognition of his professional impact.
Adam is available for comment to both broadcast and print media on AI, misinformation, disinformation, and wider technology policy issues.
Julia Adamson MBE
Managing Director, Education & Public Benefit at BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT
Julia is the Managing Director for Education & Public Benefit at BCS, and leads the organisation’s mission to advance computing education and ensure digital skills are accessible to all. Working closely with educators, policymakers and industry leaders, Julia champions inclusive, high-quality digital learning that supports a thriving, tech-enabled society. She also serves as a board member at the Institute of Coding. A Chartered IT Professional, BCS Fellow, and former ICT teacher, Julia brings a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to digital education.
Julia is available for comment to both broadcast and print media on digital skills, computing education, and the role of technology in public life, including championing greater representation of women in tech.
Dan Howl
Head of Policy at BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT
Dan is Head of Policy & Public Affairs at BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, where he leads the organisation’s policy work and government engagement. He plays a key role in shaping BCS’ voice on issues that matter the most to the tech profession and wider society. Working closely with policymakers, industry leaders and BCS members, Dan ensures that the value of IT in serving the public good is recognised and championed at the highest levels. Before joining BCS, Dan spent 6 years at the Labour Party as a National Officer, and had previously worked for Deloitte.
Dan is available for comment to broadcast and print media on all things tech policy, and regularly appears on panels that focus on the intersection of politics and technology.
Patrick Burgess
Cybersecurity expert with BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT
Patrick is a committee member of BCS' Information Security Specialist Group and a Chartered IT Professional. He serves as the Technical Director at Nutbourne, a Managed Service Provider, and is an ISAO Executive Steering Council Member at the Global Technology Industry Association. Patrick has led BCS’ media response to the CrowdStrike outage and is a regular commentator on national television and radio during major incidents, such as banking outages.
Patrick is available for comment on cybersecurity, outages, and software resilience for both broadcast and print media.
Contact press office
For comments from any of our experts, or for other media enquiries, please contact Media Relations Officer Andy Twelves at andy.twelves@bcs.uk or on +44 7442 654679.
Press releases
Discover key announcements and updates from the past 15 months.
