Judging Panel

Richard Koch is a former management consultant, entrepreneur, and writer of several books on how to apply the Pareto principle (80/20 rule) in all walks of life. Richard has also used his concepts to make a fortune from several private equity investments made personally. Richard’s investments have included Filofax, Plymouth Gin, the Great Little Trading Company and Betfair. Previously he had been a consultant at Boston Consulting Group and later a partner at Bain and Company, before leaving to start management consulting firm L.E.K. Consulting with Jim Lawrence and Iain Evans.

Professor Syed Kamall is Academic and Research Director at the IEA and Professor of Politics and International Relations at St Mary’s University, Twickenham. From May 2005 to June 2019, he was a Conservative MEP for London. In London, he regularly met and worked with local community projects tackling poverty and social exclusion. He is currently setting up a microfinance project to offer online loans to entrepreneurs from poorer communities. He is also in discussions to set up a network of local charities and volunteers to help inspire and incubate more local community charities.
He formerly worked as a strategy, public affairs and diversity consultant.

Mark Littlewood is the Director General of the Institute of Economic Affairs and the IEA’s Ralph Harris Fellow. Since his appointment in 2009, Mark has been instrumental in expanding the IEA’s reach, both inside and outside Britain. He was recently ranked number 45 on the right-wing power list.
Mark is recognised as a powerful spokesman for free markets and features as a regular guest on flagship political programs such as BBC Question Time, Newsnight and the Today Program. He writes a regular column for The Times and features in many other print and broadcast media such as The Telegraph, City AM and Any Questions.

Dehenna Davison is the Member of Parliament for Bishop Auckland, elected in 2019 as the first Conservative to represent the constituency since its creation in 1885.
Growing up on a council estate in Sheffield, social mobility and social justice have been drivers and motivators. Dehenna subsequently is on the Board of the Blue Collar Conservatives, a group seeking to promote policy which supports the levelling-up agenda.
Since becoming an MP in December 2019, Dehenna has been elected onto the Home Affairs Select Committee, seeking to be a voice for victims after experiencing a personal family tragedy in her early life. She is also Co-Chair of the APPG on British Bioethanol, and vice-chair of the APPGs for Sport, Music, and Video Games.
Dehenna graduated from the University of Hull in 2016, having studied British Politics and Legislative Studies. Before becoming an MP, she worked as a Research and Development Analyst for a County Durham start-up, and has previously worked in local government in a digital transformation role, in video gaming retail, and in various roles across the leisure and hospitality industries.