Joanna Shields
M.B.A. ’87, Honorary Doctor of Public Service ’16
Business Executive
Monumental Achievement: Tech industry veteran Joanna Shields has helped build some of the world’s best-known companies, including Google, AOL, and Facebook. She is currently the CEO of Precognition, an AI-driven company focused on anticipating future challenges and building transformative solutions. Previously, she was the CEO of BenevolentAI, a world-leading biotech company using machine learning and AI to develop more effective medicines. Joanna also served as the United Kingdom’s first Minister for Internet Safety and Security, Under-Secretary of State, UK Ambassador for Digital Industries, Special Advisor to the Prime Minister on the Digital Economy, and Chair & CEO of TechCityUK.
In 2014, Joanna founded WePROTECT Global Alliance, a global coalition dedicated to protecting children from online abuse and exploitation, which now has over 98 member countries. She currently serves as Co-Chair of the Global Partnership on AI (GPAI), supported by the OECD. Joanna’s contributions have earned her many prestigious accolades, including being named the Most Influential Woman in UK IT by Computer Weekly in 2013.
In recognition of her services to the digital industries and her voluntary efforts for young people, Joanna was appointed to the Order of the British Empire in 2014 and made a life peer of the House of Lords.
"It was during my M.B.A. studies at GW that I discovered digital technology and what led me to Silicon Valley. The flexible programme allowed me to work full time in a start up whilst studying in the evenings. It was a powerful learning experience to combine my academic studies with real world business experiences."
Biography
Joanna Shields (Baroness Shields OBE) is a tech industry veteran with over 30 years of experience building some of the world’s most recognised companies. She is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Precognition, a company focused on empowering leaders with AI to address global challenges. Previously, she served as CEO of BenevolentAI, leading advancements in AI and machine learning to accelerate drug discovery.
Shields served as the UK’s first Minister for Internet Safety and Security and held roles such as Under-Secretary of State, Special Advisor on the Digital Economy, and Chair & CEO of TechCityUK. Prior to her government service, she held executive roles at Google, Facebook, Bebo/AOL, Decru, RealNetworks, Veon, and EFI, and served as a Non-Executive Director of the London Stock Exchange Group.
She founded WePROTECT.org, a global alliance working to protect children from online abuse and exploitation. Joanna is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity, and the Child Dignity Alliance. She also serves as a Commissioner on the Oxford Commission on AI & Good Governance (OxCAIGG) and co-chairs the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI), a multi-stakeholder initiative supported by the OECD, dedicated to the trustworthy development of AI.
Among her many honours, Shields ranked first on the Wired 100 UK’s Digital Power Brokers list in 2011 and was named the Most Influential Woman in UK IT by Computer Weekly in 2013. She has received awards such as the HRH Fatima Bint Mubarak Award for Motherhood and Childhood and the Thank You Award from the World Childhood Foundation for her lifelong commitment to child protection.
In 2014, she was appointed OBE for services to digital industries and voluntary service to young people, and she was made a life peer of the House of Lords.