Joanna Shields has held and continues to hold many titles in life and career. She used to be the Minister for Internet Safety and Security of the United Kingdom and is the first one to hold the position.
She was once the Under Secretary of State of the U.K. as well as the Special Advisor on the Digital Economy. Today she is the chief executive of BenevolentAI. She is also known as Baroness Shields.
In this #TechCEO feature, learn more about the tech veteran who continues to make waves in the industry.
Joanna Shields's Early Career in the Tech Industry
Joanna Shields, Baroness Shields, OBE worked in a couple of tech companies prior to her government work and becoming the CEO of BenevolentAI.
According to her official website, the British-American tech veteran held an executive role at Google. She was the managing director for Google Europe, Middle East, and Africa.
She also held an executive role at social media giant Facebook, which is now known as Meta, where she was vice president and managing director and ran Facebook in the same regions she focused on for Google.
Per her website, Shields likewise held executive roles in other tech companies such as Aol, Decru, RealNetworks, and Veon. Specifically, she became the CEO of Veon in 1997.
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Joanna Shields and Her Career in Government
Joanna Shields's work is not limited to working for tech giants and companies. She also has an impressive career in government.
Her career in the U.K. government began when she was tasked to lead the Tech City initiative by then-Prime Minister David Cameron. She served as the CEO and chair of Tech City for two years.
She was made a Special Adviser on the Digital Economy in 2014 before she was appointed as the Minister for Internet Safety and Security the year after. She was also made a Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Home Office as well as the Department of Culture, Media, and Sport.
In 2014, Joanna Shield was appointed OBE and made a Life Peer of the House of Lords. Because of this, she is also known as Baroness Shields.
BenevolentAI CEO and Founder of WeProtect Global Alliance
The Baroness has been CEO of Benevolent AI since 2018. Her official website describes the company as "a world leader in the development and application of artificial intelligence and machine learning to understand the underlying causes of disease, accelerate drug discovery and develop new and more effective medicines."
She is also a well-known advocate for children's rights and safety online, according to the BenevolentAI website, and has founded the WeProtect Global Alliance.
The goal of this multi-stakeholder alliance is to protect children against online exploitation and abuse. She is currently an active management board member of the alliance.
Read Also: Google, Facebook And Twitter Team Up To Eradicate Child Abuse Images From The Internet
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Written by Isabella James
