Dr Jean Innes announced on 4th September that she would be stepping down from her role as CEO of the Alan Turing Institute.
Her departure comes as the Institute concluded its transformation programme and prepares for a new phase, with a stronger focus on defence, national security, and sovereign capabilities.
The Turing’s Board confirmed that the search for a successor is underway. The next CEO will be tasked with deepening engagement with defence and security partners, identifying specific areas of research, and strengthening leadership expertise in this domain, including at board level.
At the same time, the Institute will continue to pursue carefully selected high-impact projects in areas such as health and the environment, aligned with government priorities and the interests of philanthropic and private sector funders.
Dr Innes, who will remain in post until later this year, oversaw a restructuring process that reduced the Institute’s broad portfolio of research projects in favour of a smaller number of large-scale initiatives designed to deliver measurable outcomes.
Doug Gurr, Chair of the Alan Turing Institute, commented: “With £100M of core funding allocated last year, a newly focused approach to science and innovation, and the operational restructure due to complete this autumn, I and the Board would like to thank Jean for her major contribution, ensuring the national institute’s priorities are streamlined and focused on delivering real-world impact in priority areas for the UK.
“We are now looking for a successor as CEO to drive the next phase of the organisation, ensuring our unique capabilities are used to deliver high-impact work that increases our capacity and expertise in defence and national security, and continues to drive forward exciting innovations in environment and healthcare.”
Dr Innes said: “It has been a great honour to lead the UK’s national institute for data science and artificial intelligence, implementing a new strategy and overseeing significant organisational transformation. With that work concluding, and a new chapter starting for the Institute, now is the right time for new leadership and I am excited about what it will achieve.”
Her departure follows pressure from Technology Secretary Peter Kyle, who had warned that government funding could be withdrawn unless the Institute reoriented its activities towards defence and security. His intervention came alongside allegations from staff of a “toxic internal culture” and a whistleblowing complaint submitted to the Charity Commission, which accused leadership of misusing public funds and failing to deliver on its mission.
A spokesperson from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology reiterated Kyle’s stance: “The technology secretary has been clear on the need for the institute to deliver value for money and maximum impact for taxpayers, and we will continue our work to support that ambition.”
The debate came as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer reaffirmed a commitment to increase UK defence spending to 5% of national income by 2035, with artificial intelligence playing an increasingly central role in military capability.
What is the Alan Turing Institute?
The Alan Turing Institute is the UK’s national institute for data science and artificial intelligence, established in 2015. It was named after Alan Turing, the mathematician and computer scientist who made pioneering contributions to computing and codebreaking during the Second World War.
Based at the British Library in London, the Institute brings together universities, government bodies, and industry partners to advance research in AI and data science. Its work has spanned a broad range of fields, including healthcare, environmental science, ethics, and financial technology.
The Institute has acted as a hub for academic collaboration and policy advice, aiming to translate cutting-edge research into real-world applications. Over time, it has shifted its strategy to focus on fewer but higher-impact projects, aligned with government priorities and national interests.
