London calling for blockchain entrepreneur

The Mayor of London has handpicked a blockchain author to join an elite group of key influencers selected from the city’s businesses.

MarketOrders co-founder Sukhi Jutla was chosen by mayor Sadiq Khan to be part of the group charged with shaping London’s skills system.

Jutla – an award-winning entrepreneur and author of three books – made headlines a year ago by becoming the first number one best-selling author covering blockchain.

She was also recently named as one of the UK’s Top 100 Women in Tech, and was listed as a Top 100 European Digital Pioneer by The Financial Times and Google.

Proud

“I am proud to be representing the voice of entrepreneurs and small business owners, especially those working in frontier technology areas such as blockchain and artificial intelligence, to ensure we create a suitable and responsive city-wide skills system for all Londoners,” she told Coin Rivet.

“The Business Partnership will play an essential role in ensuring that London’s economy is responsive to the changing skills landscape, especially when it comes to the digital and technological shifts occurring.”

The group will be expected to advise the mayor on how skills and education provision can help businesses access talent, particularly in response to a range of challenges including Brexit and increasing automation.

It is understood the mayor will publish a new ‘Skills and Employment Vision’ document later this year, which will be closely linked to his ‘Local Industrial Strategy’, due to be published at the same time.

The mayor, Sadiq Khan, explained his Skills for Londoners strategy in 2018 laid out his ambitions to “create a city for all Londoners” by granting access to skills for anyone who needed them.

Talent

“Involving London’s employers and businesses to meet this ambition is at the heart of this, and I’m delighted to announce my new Skills for Londoners Business Partnership, made up of leading figures from businesses of all sizes and sectors, who share my passion for supporting London’s talent,” he explained.

“I look forward to working with them as they play a central role in our efforts to maintain London’s global position as a great place to work, invest, and grow a business.”

The Business Partnership will play a key role in shaping both documents, which will set out the next steps for delivering on the mayor’s priorities such as new policies to address emerging challenges, and will make the case for more funding to be devolved to London.

Other key appointments to the group are Rajesh Agrawal (Deputy Mayor for Business and Chair of the Business Partnership), film and TV executive Nahrein Kemp, Aurea Jones of Barts Health NHS Trust, and Optimity founder Anthony Impey MBE.