Martha Lane Fox

Martha Lane Fox
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Name	Martha Lane Fox
Birth date	10 February 1973
Birth place	London, England
Alma mater	University of Oxford
Occupation	Businesswoman, philanthropist, public servant
Known for	Co-founding lastminute.com, digital inclusion advocacy
Spouse	Chris Gorell Barnes (m. 2007)

Martha Lane Fox. A British businesswoman, philanthropist, and public servant, she is best known as the co-founder of the pioneering travel and leisure website lastminute.com. Following a severe accident, she shifted her focus towards championing digital inclusion and technology for social good, leading to significant roles in government and the charitable sector, including her appointment as the Chancellor of the Open University and as a Crossbench life peer in the House of Lords.

Early life and education

Born in London, she is the daughter of the historian and University of Oxford academic Robin Lane Fox. She was educated at the independent Westminster School before reading ancient and modern history at Magdalen College, Oxford. Her time at the University of Oxford coincided with a period of rapid technological change, which would later inform her career trajectory. After graduating, she initially worked in media strategy for the theatrical agency Peters Fraser & Dunlop and as a consultant for the management firm Kleinwort Benson.

Career

In 1998, alongside business partner Brent Hoberman, she co-founded the internet startup lastminute.com. The company rapidly became one of the most prominent symbols of the dot-com boom in Europe, successfully floating on the London Stock Exchange in 2000. Following a life-threatening car accident in Morocco in 2004, she stepped back from executive duties. She later served as a non-executive director for several major companies, including Channel 4, Mydeco, and Twitter. In 2009, she was appointed by Prime Minister Gordon Brown as the UK’s first Digital Champion, tasked with promoting digital inclusion. This led to her founding the charity Go ON UK (later Good Things Foundation). She has also served as a board member for the Women's Prize for Fiction and the Baillie Gifford Prize.

Public service and philanthropy

Her public service work has been predominantly focused on leveraging technology for social benefit. As the UK’s Digital Champion, she authored the influential "Manifesto for a Networked Nation," which set ambitious targets for getting more people online. She was appointed a Crossbench life peer in 2013, taking the title Baroness Lane-Fox of Soho in the City of Westminster. In the House of Lords, she advocates on issues of digital rights, public service reform, and technology ethics. In 2014, she became the first female Chancellor of the Open University, aligning with her commitment to accessible education. She is a founding member of the board of the Institute for the Future of Work and continues to support numerous charitable initiatives through her role as a patron of organisations like AbilityNet and Carers UK.

Honours and recognition

She was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to the digital economy and charity. Her entry into the House of Lords as a life peer in 2013 further recognised her contributions to public life. She has received honorary doctorates from several universities, including the University of Bath and Goldsmiths, University of London. She has been featured in lists such as the BBC's "100 Women" series and has received awards from bodies like the British Interactive Media Association.

Personal life

In 2007, she married advertising executive Chris Gorell Barnes, with whom she has two children. The family resides in London. Her serious accident in 2004, which resulted in multiple injuries and a long period of rehabilitation, was a pivotal event that deepened her commitment to philanthropic and public service work. She is a supporter of the National Health Service and has spoken publicly about her experiences as a patient. Her interests include the arts, literature, and promoting greater diversity within the technology sector.

Category:1973 births Category:Alumni of Magdalen College, Oxford Category:British life peers Category:Businesspeople in retailing Category:Chancellors of the Open University Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Category:English businesswomen Category:Female life peers Category:Living people Category:People educated at Westminster School, London Category:Women technology company founders