The Director's Quarterly Update

Alex Hall-Chen is a Principal Policy Advisor at the Institute of Directors, where she specialises in employment, skills, and sustainability policy. She previously worked in education research and as a Policy Advisor at the Confederation of British Industry.

She holds a BA in Politics from the University of Cambridge and an MSc in Comparative Education from the University of Oxford, and is a school governor for the Thinking Schools Academy Trust.

Anna is Chief Economist at the Institute of Directors and has held this role since June 2024.

Anna sits on the steering committee for the Royal Economic Society Women in Economics Network, which seeks to support the career development of women in economics, where she’s responsible for partnerships. She is also on the steering group for the Pissarides Review into the Future of Work and Wellbeing.

Before joining the IoD, Anna was Deputy Chief Economist at the CBI, leading workstreams across macroeconomics, surveys and consulting, and she has also worked in the Government Economic Service, in HM Treasury and DWP.

Dr. Erin Young is Head of Innovation and Technology Policy at the Institute of Directors where she leads the IoD’s policy, strategy and thought leadership work on technology, science and innovation. Before joining the IoD, Erin was Project Co-Lead and Research Fellow in Public Policy at The Alan Turing Institute, the UK’s National Institute for Data Science and AI, where her work influenced the UK’s National AI Strategy and AI Opportunities Action Plan. Previously, Erin held positions at the United Nations (UN IIEP-UNESCO) in Paris, Kantar/WPP in London, MediaX at Stanford University, and Thomson Reuters in New York City, across policy, strategic communications, research, stakeholder engagement and government affairs.

Erin sits on the Strategy Steering Board for the City of London Corporation’s Women Pivoting to Digital Taskforce and advises the Hg Foundation on AI, skills and inequalities. She is frequently featured in high-profile media and presents across business and government including the European Parliament, GCHQ, KKR and the UK Science and Innovation Network (FCDO/DSIT) at British Embassies and Consulates globally.

Emma Rowland is a Policy Advisor at the Institute of Directors specialising in international trade and EU affairs. She advocates on behalf of IoD members in areas relating to export promotion, free trade agreement negotiation and the trading relationship between the UK and EU. She has represented business interests in government inquiries on the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, and input into the Labour Government’s strategy for boosting UK exports.

She also manages Policy Voice, the IoD's policy market research and survey activities. This involves collating statistical and anecdotal evidence on the impact of policy decisions on business, and tracking economic confidence trends.

Emma graduated with a history degree from Cardiff University in 2020. Her final dissertation focused on the geopolitical relationship between China and Hong Kong from 1979-2019.

A member of the IoD’s policy team, Hugo leads external communications, raising the profile of the organisation across national print, broadcast and digital media in support of its role of encouraging and fostering a climate favourable to entrepreneurial activity and wealth creation. He is also now responsible for communicating and coordinating with the IoD’s key stakeholder relationships, including the membership.

Marc is currently the Senior Policy Advisor for Devolved Nations at the Institute of Directors. The Institute of Directors (IoD) is a British professional organisation for company directors, senior business leaders and entrepreneurs. It is the UK's longest running organisation for professional leaders, having been founded in 1903 and incorporated by royal charter in 1906. The charter charged the IoD with promoting free enterprise, lobbying government and setting standards for corporate governance. Marc's role is to develop expertise and policy insights aimed at creating a positive environment for boards/directors, IoD members and the wider business community in the Devolved Nations across the UK.