About Resham

 Overview

  • Resham is Head of Policy for The Open Data Institute, founded by Sir Tim Berners Lee and Sir Nigel Shadbolt. She advises the Government, private and public sector on data and tech policy

  • Resham was appointed by the Cabinet Office to be a Social Mobility Commissioner and  hold the Government to account on social mobility

  • Resham previously advised the Home Secretary on recommendations from the Windrush review

  • Resham has advised multi-national companies such as Reuters, Sky and Facebook

  • Resham worked as the lead economist on a campaign to tackle youth unemployment, successfully lobbying the Chancellor who enacted a policy recommendation into law

 

(You can read a quickfire Q&A with Resham here)

 

Resham campaigning

Political Experience

Resham has been active in politics for over a decade and is a dynamic, and energetic campaigner.

In the 2015 General Election, Resham raised £30,000 as the candidate for Dulwich and West Norwood, achieved a 30% increase in membership and moved the Conservative party from 3rd place to 2nd.

In the 2017 General Election, Resham stood as the target seat candidate in Coventry North West. She raised £25,000 in six weeks, and the highest vote for the party since 1979.

In 2022, Resham was appointed by the Cabinet Office to be a Social Mobility Commissioner - ensuring that people can achieve their potential and to create a United Kingdom where the circumstances of birth do not determine outcomes in life.

At the request of the Home Office, she has previously served on a working group advising former Home Minister The Rt. Hon. Priti Patel MP on immigration and recommendations from the Windrush Report.

Resham serves as the Head of Engagement for Women2Win, an organisation cofounded by the former Prime Minister to get more women elected to Parliament. She speaks at Schools and Universities around the country to encourage young people to get involved in politics.

She has written for The Times and ConservativeHome, has featured in the Financial Times, and has appeared on LBCChannel 5, the Victoria Derbyshire Show and BBC Asian Network amongst others. 

 

Voluntary Party

Resham has been a member of the party for decades, but got more heavily involved in 2012, campaigning in Local Elections, By-elections, Mayoral Elections and General Elections.

Resham has held a number of positions within the voluntary party, including as a member of the party's London Board, Area Chairman, and as a ward deputy chairman.

Resham is the co-Founder of the Conservative Friends of Technology, and the Founder of the Conservative Policy Network, designed to open up policy to members, with politicians such as The Rt. Hon. Michael Gove MP, The Rt. Hon. Suella Braverman MP and The Rt. Hon. Gillian Keegan MP. She currently serves on the Conservative Environment Network steering committee and is a Board member of the Conservative Friends of International Development.

Resham enjoys speaking to voters, debating policy on the doorstep, and using her network in Parliament to help with their issues.

 

Resham on LBC

 

Career

Resham studied Economics at the University of Cambridge.

Resham started off her career working at the Financial Consumer Authority where she worked to clean up Labour's mess after the recession.

She went on to work in Parliament as an Economic Advisor to an MP and Minister. Resham worked on a campaign to tackle youth unemployment which led to a change in law by the then Chancellor.

Resham went on to specialise in technology policy, working with companies such as Facebook, the BBC and Reuters  and then working for one of the UK's largest Financial Technology companies, leading on policy across the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Resham currently works as Head of Policy for the Open Data Institute, a not for profit founded by Sir Tim Berners Lee (the founder of the World Wide Web). 

Resham was recognised as one of the World Economic Forum’s “Global Shapers”, was selected as 1 of “100 most influential in UK-India relations” and was recognised as one of 100 Global Emerging Catalysts by Rhize (funded by the Gates Foundation) for her political work.

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Entrepreneur & Small Business Owner

Resham started training parliamentary candidates in public speaking in 2013, training over 100 candidates in the lead up to the 2015 General Election - over 30 of whom went on to become MPs.

Resham was flown to Macedonia by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy and the Conservative Party to train MPs and politicians from North Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo, Bosnia & Herzegovina and El Salvador.

Resham founded a business, “Podium Perfect” to teach public speaking skills and interview techniques to professionals, students and politicians. She has trained over 15,000 people from 101 countries, provided training at schools, careers days, candidate training sessions and for SMEs.

 

Advocate & Community Work

Resham has a long history of being a passionate advocate for causes she cares about, and contributes to her community as much as she can.

During the Covid pandemic, Resham volunteered weekly at a vaccine centre. She is a Prince's Trust mentor and has previously mentored with the Shaw Trust to support the long-term unemployed, and was a Governor at a Special Education Needs school. She fundraises for the Samaritans as her mum is a Samaritan.