New independent commissioner appointed by the Geospatial Commission
Gabriel Straub joins the expert committee providing advice to the government on the UK’s location data and technology priorities.
- Chief Data Officer at Ocado Technology, Gabriel Straub, to join the Geospatial Commission’s Board of Commissioners
- Gabriel brings a wealth of experience from industry and academia
- The Board of Commissioners provides expert advice on the strategic direction of the Geospatial Commission
Gabriel Straub has today (Friday 1 September) joined the Geospatial Commission’s Board of Commissioners.
The Geospatial Commission is an expert committee responsible for setting the UK’s priorities for location data and technology. The Board of Commissioners provides expert advice to unlock the significant economic, social and environmental opportunities offered by location data, applications and services and to advance the UK’s global geospatial expertise.
Gabriel brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the Board. Prior to his role with Ocado, he held senior roles at the BBC and Tesco, applying his expertise to lead data and machine learning strategies.
Chair of the Board of Commissioners, Sir Bernard Silverman said:
I welcome the appointment of Gabriel Straub to the Geospatial Commission’s Board of Commissioners. With an extensive career in data science and technology, Gabriel’s expertise will be crucial in helping us to deliver our UK Geospatial Strategy 2030 missions.
Gabriel Straub said:
I am excited to join the Geospatial Commission’s Board of Commissioners and look forward to helping continue their excellent work in harnessing the UK’s location data to drive higher productivity, promote economic growth and improve the delivery of public services.
It has never been a more important time for organisations and individuals to understand the value of their data, and location data is something that permeates all areas of our lives. It presents an immense opportunity for innovation and unlocks answers to some of the thorniest challenges facing the UK economy.
The Geospatial Commission’s Board of Commissioners are appointed through an open competition and provide impartial advice to the government.
The Board of Commissioners meets formally up to six times per year and has nine members:
- Sir Bernard Silverman (Chair)
- Nigel Clifford (Deputy Chair)
- Thalia Baldwin (Director, Geospatial Commission)
- Professor Louise Heathwaite (Independent Commissioner)
- Alex Notay (Independent Commissioner)
- Steve Unger (Independent Commissioner)
- Gabriel Straub (Independent Commissioner)
Stephen Lake (Chair, Ordnance Survey) and Peter Sparkes (Chief Executive, UK Hydrographic Office) are the two commissioners currently nominated by the partner bodies of the Geospatial Commission to represent them collectively on the Board.
Gabriel Straub biography
Gabriel joined Ocado Technology in 2020 as Chief Data Officer, bringing over 10 years’ experience leading and developing data science teams. At Ocado, his role is to harness the power of data and machine learning to best serve its retail partners and their customers.
Gabriel is a guest lecturer at London Business School and an Honorary Senior Research Associate at UCL. He has also advised start-ups and VCs on data and machine learning strategies. Before joining Ocado, Gabriel was Head of Data Science at the BBC, Data Director at notonthehighstreet.com and Head of Data Science at Tesco. He has a MA in Mathematics from the University of Cambridge and an MBA from London Business School.