Vanda is a British Diplomat and Head of the Digital & Emerging Technologies team at the UK Mission to the European Union, a UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) posting stationed in Brussels to foster positive relations with the European Union and its Member States. Vanda has extensive policy and external engagement experience in the fields of space and emerging technologies, having previously worked at the Department for International Trade and the UK Space Agency as well. At the Agency, she led on the EU Space Programme called Governmental Satellite Communications (GOVSATCOM), and was the UK representative on the European Commission Members’ Expert Group representing the UK government and space sector. With a background both in government and the private sector, Vanda brings a unique perspective and skill set to her work with significant experience in change and programme management.
Vanda holds a number of awards, most recent of which is a Permanent Secretary’s Special Award for her leadership of a crisis response team during the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic. As a diplomat, Vanda works to promote international collaboration and facilitates dialogue among stakeholders in her field. Vanda is one of the co-authors of the UK Innovation and Tech Show project and if you have managed to read this far, well done: I hope I’ll see you in person at the Tech Show!