Dr Nicola Hodson
Biography
Dr Hodson was appointed as a non-executive director at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology in November 2024.
She was appointed as UK Chief Executive, IBM UK and Ireland in January 2023, where she is responsible for the company’s business operations.
Dr Hodson is an accomplished technology industry leader with a deep understanding of the challenges facing UK plc, as well as extensive experience in business and digital transformation. In June 2023, she ranked highly in Computer Weekly’s list of the 50 most influential people in UK technology.
Dr Hodson held senior positions at Microsoft for 14 years, including as a global Vice President of Transformation for the commercial business, UK Chief Operating Officer (CEO) and as head of it’s UK Public Sector business. She is Deputy President of techUK, the trade association for the IT industry, and has a wide breadth of experience, serving on the boards of Beazley plc and Drax Group plc. She is also a governor of Bradfield College.
Dr Hodson has worked in the IT and business services division of Siemens, at CSC (now DXC), as a management consultant for EY and at BNFL. She previously served as a non-executive director at energy regulator Ofgem, as a board member at the UK Council for Child Internet Safety, and at the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) group in the UK.
Dr Hodson holds an MBA and a PhD in Engineering. She is married with 3 sons and 2 stepsons, loves outdoor pursuits and is a keen motorbike enthusiast.
Non-executive board member
The main responsibilities of non-executive board members are to:
- attend meetings of the departmental board, chaired by the Secretary of State
- provide over-arching strategic guidance and insight to the department