Lara Sampson is a digital transformation and product specialist with experience of major government programmes. She led the product development of Universal Credit, the UK Government’s reform of its welfare system, taking it from inception in 2013 through to 6 million customers in 2021 including withstanding a 500% increase in demand during the early stages of the pandemic.

Most recently she led the product development of Kickstart, a scheme that provides funding to employers to create jobs for for young people in response to the labour market impacts of covid-19. She took the scheme from announcement to launch in 6 weeks and subsequently scaled it.

As part of the senior leadership in the Department for Work and Pensions, a member of its Digital Executive Team and Service Transformation Executive Team and Head of Product, Lara has been at the forefront of changing ways of working to create user-centred, outcome-focused public services owned and run by expert teams. Previously Lara also created the first department wide business and digital strategies and established the departaments Customer Insight function. Before joining DWP, Lara held roles in the Cabinet Office working on e-Government. Prior to becoming a civil servant, Lara worked in the private sector on digital strategy and delivery for clients such as TXU Energy and TV Licensing.