Dr Michelle Harrison, Chair of Trustees, was appointed Chair of Demos in 2026.

Michelle works as an advisor on public policy and social change to governments across the globe. She is Global President of Verian Group, the international public policy advisory and social research business where she was Founding CEO. During a career spanning more than three decades, she has held senior leadership roles across the research, consulting and communications sectors, including as a Global Executive Board member of Kantar and Founding Global CEO of WPP’s Government and Public Sector Practice.

Alongside her executive career, Michelle has more than 20 years’ experience as a trustee, non-executive director and board adviser, focused on public realm innovation, participatory democracy, social justice and gender equality. She currently serves as a trustee of Equality Now, the Institute for Cancer Research and Big Win Philanthropy, and has previously been a trustee of Nesta, Social Finance UK and Involve, the public participation charity. Michelle began her career in academia and is the author and co-author of two books on international development and social science. She is the co-creator of The Reykjavik Index for Leadership.