Lars heads up the UK Software Economy, Academic and Emerging Business programmes at Microsoft, focusing on how software delivers responsible economic growth and the factors that accelerate that growth, such as skills, innovation, entrepreneurship, and investment. His previous roles have included running the Microsoft Technology Centre for four years, where corporate customers and partners are assisted with evaluating and developing innovative solutions on next-generation Microsoft technologies. Prior to joining Microsoft in 1996, Lars spent 10 years in software development, consultancy and management at the EBRD and Syntek Ltd. He holds a degree in mathematics from University of Cambridge and an International Baccalaureate from the United World College of the Atlantic. Having grown up in Sweden, Lars now lives in Buckinghamshire, UK, and his hobbies include trying to improve both his golf and his culinary skills.

Bindi is the VC/Emerging Business lead for Microsoft UK and is the UK-based member of the Emerging Business Team. She is responsible for managing the UK Startup Accelerator Programme where she focuses on how Microsoft can drive success for leading edge and early-stage technology companies. She is also responsible for managing the relationships with the UK Investor Community, including Venture Capitalist, Angels and other Investor Organisations. Her previous role at Microsoft was as a Business Productivity Advisor, where she was responsible for managing relationships with the most influential business decision-makers in the UK Financial Services Sector. She worked closely with this audience to ignite enthusiasm and to deliver on the benefits and business value of investing in the latest Information Worker related technologies by highlighting the importance of ‘worker productivity’, from the CEO to the call centre, as critical to ongoing business success. Prior to Microsoft, Bindi worked as an Associate Director in Interregnum, a UK-based Technology Merchant Bank; as Business Development Manager at Trayport Ltd, a highly successful commodities trading technology start-up; as a Strategy Management Consultant at PwC Consulting; and as a Senior Business Analyst at Datamonitor. Having grown up in Western Canada , Bindi now lives in London, and her hobbies include competing in Adventure Races such as the Microsoft UK Challenge, running marathons/duathlons, and skiing. She also enjoys the vibrant life of a Londoner, and can be seen checking out the latest restaurants or live gigs which make this city a great place to live.