Speaker Bio

Sophie joined the CAA in 2016 to head up the Corporate Strategy, Risk and Better Regulation Function. In 2018, Sophie moved into the Safety and Airspace Regulation Group to set up the RPAS Unit which has since tripled in size. In 2020, Sophie merged the RPAS unit with General Aviation to form the RPAS and GA Unit. In 2023, Sophie stepped into the new role of heading up the Future Safety and Innovation (FSI) team and as part of that, stood up the CAA Future Flight programme which she now directs. In 2024, Sophie was made a permanent member of the CAA’s Executive Committee.
Sophie has a wealth of experience in technology, innovation and strategy. Before her time at the CAA, she spent a decade in the technology industry working at both Microsoft and IBM. She held a mix of strategy creation, consultancy and management roles running teams in the UK and across Europe.