About the Distinguished Speaker Series
The University of London’s Distinguished Speaker Series brings leading figures from across science, business and public life to Senate House for free public conversations. This autumn’s event features Dr Hayaatun Sillem CBE, one of the UK’s most prominent voices in engineering and innovation.
What to Expect
Drawing on her experience across innovation, government and industry, Dr Sillem will share her perspective on leading through complexity and change. The conversation will touch on how science and technology can help tackle global challenges, why inclusive leadership matters, and what it takes to build organisations that genuinely support innovation. She will also reflect on her work in shaping policy, backing deeptech founders, and improving diversity in fields such as engineering and motorsport.
Dr Sillem will be in conversation with Professor Polina Bayvel, Professor of Optical Communications & Networks at University College London. The discussion includes time for questions from the audience.
About Dr Hayaatun Sillem CBE
Hayaatun is the founder and CEO of Argentic Associates, focused on transforming major philanthropy, and co-host of What We Don’t Know, a podcast on better leadership for a chaotic world. Until the end of 2025 she was CEO of the Royal Academy of Engineering, which promotes engineering and technology excellence for public benefit, and of the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering Foundation, which awards the world’s most prestigious engineering prize.
She is a member of the UK government’s Women in Tech Taskforce, a trustee of various charities, and a non-executive director at construction company Laing O’Rourke. She previously co-founded the Academy’s Enterprise Hub, a leading deeptech accelerator, chaired the government’s Business Innovation Forum, and co-chaired with Sir Lewis Hamilton his Commission on improving Black representation in motorsport. She was made a CBE for services to International Engineering in 2019.
Event Schedule
Doors open at 6pm with a drinks reception before the presentation begins at 6.30pm. There is time for audience Q&A during the talk, and the event concludes at 7.30pm.
Tickets & Admission
The event is free, but booking is essential. Because it is a free event the organisers overbook to allow for no-shows and to avoid empty seats, so a ticket does not guarantee a place: admission is on a first come, first served basis, and those without tickets will not be admitted. Book your place through the University of London.
Getting There
The talk takes place in Chancellor’s Hall on the first floor of Senate House, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HU. Senate House is in Bloomsbury, a short walk from Russell Square, Goodge Street and Tottenham Court Road Underground stations, and is well served by buses along Malet Street, Gower Street and Euston Road.
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