Co-Founder & Investor of Seers, AI Advisor to the Commonwealth Businesswomen’s Network, Former Management Consultant at Accenture & Winner of the Top 100 Influential People Award
Zahra Shah is a leading voice in artificial intelligence, data privacy and ethical technology, recognised for bridging the gap between innovation, governance and social impact. A former Management Consultant at Accenture, Zahra is best known as the Co-Founder and Investor of Seers, where she helped lead the development of the UK’s first and only Child Privacy Consent Management Platform. Her influence across the AI sector has earned her widespread recognition, including winning the prestigious Top 100 Influential People Award in both 2025 and 2026. Alongside her entrepreneurial work, Zahra serves as an AI Advisor to the Commonwealth Businesswomen’s Network and chairs the Women in AI Working Group at UKAI.
After completing an MSc in Analysis, Design and Management of Information Systems at the London School of Economics in 2003, Zahra began her career at Accenture in 2004, specialising in management consultancy within Financial Services and Capital Markets. Her work in strategy and transformation laid the foundations for a successful transition into technology leadership and venture investment. In 2016, she became CEO of the British Pakistan Foundation, having first joined the organisation as a Trustee in 2017 and later continuing her involvement in governance and community leadership. Zahra became a key investor in Seers before co-founding the company in 2019 as Chief Commercial Officer. Since then, she has held numerous advisory and board positions, including Board Advisor at NexaQuanta, Senior Board Advisor and Investment Committee Member at Teamup Ventures, and Expert Member of the Technology Advisory Panel at the Information Commissioner’s Office. She also serves as Chair and President of OPEN London CIC and Chair of the UK Association for Medical Aid to Pakistan.
Zahra’s expertise has been recognised through extensive media commentary and industry leadership. Since 2019, she has appeared across major outlets including the BBC, Channel 4, LBC and Bloomsbury Radio, discussing AI, frontier technology and digital ethics. She was selected as part of the Google for Startups Female Founders Programme in 2020, chosen as one of Europe’s most innovative female tech founders. Her professional development includes the FT Board Director Programme, a Non-Executive Director Diploma, climate and sustainability certification from Conduit Academy, and multiple AI and Generative AI certifications from IBM. In 2025, she also became a contributing writer for The AI Journal.
Passionate about ethical innovation and inclusive leadership, Zahra is widely respected for helping organisations navigate the rapidly changing AI landscape with confidence and responsibility. Her experience spans entrepreneurship, governance, investment, public policy and technology transformation, allowing her to speak credibly to both technical and non-technical audiences. Combining commercial insight with a strong social purpose, she delivers practical guidance on AI adoption, responsible innovation, data privacy and the future of work. Zahra’s ability to connect emerging technology with real world business and societal challenges makes her a highly sought-after keynote speaker for conferences, leadership summits and corporate events worldwide.
Why Hire Zahra Shah?
Zahra Shah is hired as a speaker for her rare ability to combine deep AI expertise with practical business insight and ethical leadership. Drawing on her experience as a founder, investor, advisor and policy contributor, she delivers engaging talks on responsible AI, innovation, privacy, governance and the future of technology. Zahra has spoken across major industry forums and is a recognised media commentator featured by the BBC, Channel 4 and LBC. Her sessions provide audiences with actionable strategies for navigating AI transformation while ensuring trust, inclusion and sustainable growth in an increasingly technology-driven world.
- VIDEOS
- TESTIMONIALS
- SPEAKING TOPICS
- COSTS
“Working with Zahra Shah was a pleasure. As an AI expert, she expertly navigated the complexities of data transformation in financial services. Her deep knowledge of both AI and the financial sector ensured a dynamic, insightful discussion. Zahra kept the conversation engaging, encouraged diverse perspectives, and skilfully managed audience interaction. I highly recommend Zahra for any event focused on AI and data transformation in financial services.” – Jawad, Head of Product Management, Regulatory & Risk, Vermeg
“Zahra Shah served as a speaker on the “How Should Boards Consider AI Adoption” panel at the Global Innovation Summit. She provided expert guidance to the attendees who were board directors and C-suite executives of listed companies. She Discussed the key areas very well with plenty of examples to bring the insights to life. She received excellent feedback from the attendees.” – Corina, Founder, Innovation Partnership
“Zahra Shah was recently a keynote speaker at one of our events aimed at UHN’s and Angel Investors on AI & Ethics. Zahra was an engaging and impressive speaker, delivering some thought-provoking topics which captured the imagination of the audience, leading to strong debate and questions in the crowd. She also dealt with the questions in a very professional and authoritative manner, looking forward to having her back to speak again soon.” – Michael, Founder & Founding Partner, Entrepreneurs Collective & Alator Capital
“Zahra kindly joined a panel discussion at Level39, exploring the revolution of Financial Services: The Intersection of Web3, DeFi & AI. Zahra was an incredible addition to our lineup of speakers on the night. She is a thought leader in this space, sharing her experience and insights as an entrepreneur and investor. We had such wonderful feedback from our audience about Zahra’s energy and passion for this subject, and I truly appreciate Zahra for joining us to share her thoughts and vision with our startup and scaleup community!” – Amy, Director at Level 39
- AI & Frontier Technology
- Women in Technology
- AI for Digital Strategy Management
- Responsible AI adoption
- Responsible AI & AI Governance for Boards
- AI Regulation & Governance
- AI for Digital Transformation in Financial Services
- AI Education & Upskilling
- AI & Creative Industries
- Bias in AI
- AI & Privacy
- Future of AI
- Building Responsible AI
- AI & Data
- Ethical AI
- Women in AI
- Building Gender Equitable AI
- Agentic AI
- AI as Co-Founder
- AI Agents in Business & Financial Services
- AI & Healthcare
- AI & Young People
- AI & Energy
- AI & Commonwealth
- AI & Cybersecurity
- UK’s AI Opportunities Action Plan
The cost of hiring Zahra Shah depends on your event format, location, duration and any travel requirements. For an accurate and tailored quote, please contact a SpeakOut booking agent for expert guidance.
