A mathematician and cyber defence expert, Poppy Gustafsson has been handed an integral role within government, as the prime minister attempts to grow the economy and attract international investment.

She was born in 1982, to parents John and Gilly. Her father ran an agricultural sales business, while her mother was a journalist.

In her early career, Poppy Gustafsson worked for a venture capital firm before co-founding Darktrace, a cybersecurity company, in 2013. She would go on to take the role of co-CEO in 2016 and became the sole CEO in 2020.

Darktrace was among the first companies in its field to use artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning to improve cyber-security.

So, as ministers attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, what tricks does this one time CEO of the Year have in store?

Mark Coles has been taking a closer look.

Production Team