Multiverse expands leadership with appointments of Baroness Martha Lane Fox and Jillian Gillespie

Left to right: Jillian Gillespie, Euan Blair and Martha Lane Fox

Multiverse has announced the appointment of Baroness Martha Lane Fox to its board of directors, along with Jillian Gillespie as Chief Financial Officer.

The additions come as the edtech company expands its focus on addressing global skills gaps, particularly in AI and technology.

Baroness Lane Fox, a prominent figure in the UK technology sector, brings nearly 30 years of industry experience. Currently, she serves as President of the British Chambers of Commerce and Chancellor of The Open University, along with her recent role as co-chair of a government panel promoting technology adoption in the public sector. Lane Fox also holds a board position at Chanel and previously served on Twitter’s board until 2022.

Jillian Gillespie joins Multiverse from MongoDB, where she was Senior Vice President of Finance and Operations. With over a decade of experience at MongoDB, Gillespie oversaw key growth milestones, including the company’s IPO in 2017. She will focus on supporting Multiverse’s financial strategy as the company continues to expand in the United States and increase its AI-driven programs, which now account for 22% of the company’s revenue.

Gillespie stated, "I am thrilled to join Multiverse at such a pivotal moment in its journey. What really attracted me is the opportunity to collaborate with such a talented, genuine, and ambitious team in a fast-growing, dynamic, and rewarding business. I firmly believe that applied, on-the-job learning represents the future of workforce development, and I look forward to applying my experience to an exciting new challenge."

The leadership changes come during a period of rapid growth for Multiverse. In October, the company launched the United Kingdom’s first apprenticeship focused on AI-powered productivity, embedding Microsoft 365 Copilot training into its curriculum. Multiverse has seen two consecutive record-breaking quarters, driven by increasing demand for skills in tech and AI, particularly as research shows that 64% of businesses feel underprepared for AI implementation.

Euan Blair, founder and CEO of Multiverse, stated, “Multiverse has the capacity to be a generational British tech success story - ensuring people globally can embrace tech with confidence by embedding learning in tech, data, and AI into their daily work. In Martha and Jillian, we're adding two exceptional leaders who understand both the scale of the global skills crisis and how to build and scale transformative solutions.

“As we expand our footprint with new products and partnerships, their experience in scaling high-growth tech companies will help us seize this moment and reshape how organizations develop talent in the AI era."

Baroness Martha Lane Fox added, “The promised gains from technology will never be delivered unless people have the skills to take advantage of them. This is becoming urgent in the boardrooms of every organization, and Multiverse is perfectly positioned with its model of continuous, applied learning.

“Across the UK we won’t unlock growth without giving employers access to the skills they need to thrive. The debate about skills reform sorely needs the voice of employers, and I’ll be working to deliver it, alongside companies themselves and learners.”