Martha Lane Fox is a leading entrepreneur, executive, and advocate, best known as the Co-founder of lastminute.com. A champion of digital inclusion and responsible technology, she has dedicated her career to understanding and maximizing the transformative power of the internet for society. Her work extends from launching a pioneering e-commerce venture to advising the UK government and advocating for a fairer, more accessible digital world.
Her career began in business development before she co-founded lastminute.com with Brent Hoberman in 1998. They successfully floated the company in 2000, and it was acquired in 2005 for £577 million, cementing its status as Europe’s largest travel and leisure website. Building on this success, she also founded the popular karaoke bar chain Lucky Voice. This track record demonstrates her unique ability to identify and scale innovative consumer-facing businesses in both the digital and physical realms.
From 2009–2013, she served as the UK Government’s Digital Inclusion Champion, advising on how to enhance online public services and increase computer literacy. This commitment to policy is further recognized by her appointment as a Crossbench Peer in the House of Lords in 2013, becoming its youngest female member. She currently serves on the board of major corporations, including Twitter and Chanel, bringing an essential digital and strategic perspective to global leadership.
As a dynamic speaker and thought leader, Lane Fox is highly sought after to inspire audiences on issues of technological transformation and social responsibility. She was the founder of the Dot Everyone initiative, established to fight for a fairer internet and responsible technology development. Her presentations combine her experience as a tech pioneer with her commitment to public service, challenging organizations to prioritize accessibility and ethical design to build a truly inclusive digital future.
