TEDxDurhamUniversity

Speakers

Speakers may not be confirmed. Check the event website for the latest lineup.

• Aymane Bourhfir

  Founder & CEO, Open Oceans Group | Chairman, SailWealth | Founder, Neptune Capital

  Aymane Bourhfir is a founder and entrepreneur with leadership roles across multiple ventures including Open Oceans Group, SailWealth, and Neptune Capital. He has experience in investment, finance, and business development, alongside a background as a national amateur boxing champion. His work focuses on entrepreneurship, leadership, and building cross-sector ventures.

• Geetanjali Gangoli

  Head of Sociology Department at Durham University

  Geetanjali Gangoli is a Professor and Head of the Department of Sociology at Durham University, and a member of the University’s Centre for Research into Violence and Abuse. Her work focuses on gender-based violence and abuse, with particular expertise in examining how class, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and disability intersect to shape both the experience and prevention of such violence. Her research also explores social and feminist responses to these harms, with a particular focus on India and the UK.

• Glen Robinson

  National Technology Officer - Microsoft UK

  Glen is Microsoft's National Technology Officer and in his role he applies his vision for technology to help people and businesses realise their full potential. Glen works closely with UK industry leads, heads of state, regulators and businesses of varying sizes, inspiring and guiding them in developing impactful digital transformation strategies which embrace innovation. Glen regularly advises the government on matters of national technology strategy, regulation and policy. He is also a member of several technical advisory boards advocating for the responsible and ethical use of AI. As well as leading Microsoft's UK technology community where he focuses on building technical excellence within the different roles, he is also passionate about increasing diversity and inclusion in the field. Over the course of his career, Glen has also held the roles of distinguished engineer, chief technology officer, executive advisor and has gained experience in almost every industry in the UK.

• Ishtiaq Hussain

  Assistant Director - Societal Resilience & Strategic Engagement at Ministry of Housing

  Ishtiaq is a UK Government leader specialising in governance, social cohesion and institutional resilience. With over 15 years of experience across the Home Office, Ministry of Justice, Department for Education and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, his work focuses on how institutions respond to risk, uncertainty and complex societal challenges. He has led national strategy and delivery on counter-extremism, safeguarding and cross-government risk, helping to shape approaches that strengthen public trust and cohesion. His work explores how systems function under pressure, and what enables institutions to remain effective, legitimate and trusted in rapidly changing environments.

• Marine Tanguy

  Founder & CEO, MTArt Agency | Art Innovator

  Marine Tanguy is the Founder and CEO of MTArt Agency, a leading global talent agency for visual artists. Recognised in Forbes 30 Under 30, she is a pioneering voice in the creative industries, championing artists and reshaping how art is valued in the modern economy. She focuses on cultural influence, creative entrepreneurship, and the role of art in society and public spaces.

• Ronald de Jonge

  Member of Executive Committee & Head of Public Sector and Defence & Security (GER & AT), Sopra Steria

  Ronald de Jonge is a senior executive at Sopra Steria, a leading European technology and consulting company headquartered in Paris. He serves on the Executive Committee and leads the Public Sector and Defence & Security divisions across Germany and Austria. With extensive experience in digital transformation, government technology, and large-scale organisational strategy, he brings insight into how technology is reshaping public institutions and security systems across Europe.

• Zachary Petzel

  Lecturer in Social Psychology at Newcastle University

  Zachary Petzel is a lecturer at Newcastle University who studies how the environments we live in shape our behaviour. Their work in psychology is interdisciplinary, drawing from neuroscience to measure the brain and heart, in addition to using virtual reality to simulate everyday experiences. Equality, diversity, and inclusion are central to their research, examining the consequences of stereotypes while also developing interventions to reduce their application and validity.