Sarah Florence Wood (born 1973) is a British businesswoman. She is the co-founder of video advertising platform Unruly
and received an
OBE
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
for services to innovation and technology.
Early life and education
Wood was born in
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is ...
, England where she lived until the age of ten before moving close to
Brighton
Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London.
Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...
. Wood graduated from
Cambridge University
, mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts.
Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge.
, established =
, other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
with a bachelor's degree in English and a master's degree in American literature.
Career
From 2002 to 2004 Wood worked as a fundraising and development officer
The Old Vic theatre in London. From 2004 to 2005, she was a lecturer in American Studies at the
University of Sussex
, mottoeng = Be Still and Know
, established =
, type = Public research university
, endowment = £14.4 million (2020)
, budget = £319.6 million (2019–20)
, chancellor = Sanjeev Bhaskar
, vice_chancellor = Sasha Roseneil
, ...
.
In 2006, Wood co-founded Unruly, a global video advertising marketplace, with Scott Button and Matt Cooker. In 2015 Wood and her co-founders sold Unruly to American media and publishing company
News Corp
News Corporation, stylized as News Corp, is an American mass media and publishing company headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The second incarnation of the News Corporation (1980–2013), original News Corporation, it was formed ...
.
In 2018, Wood was appointed a
non-executive board member for global lifestyle clothing brand
Superdry. additionally, She has served as a judge for the
Women's Prize for Fiction. Wood is an independent director on the board of Tech Nation, a growth platform for British tech entrepreneurs.
Wood is also an ambassador for
The Prince's Trust "Women Supporting Women" programme, and is on the advisory boards for AccelerateHer and City Ventures (
University of London
The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...
).
In October 2018, Wood released her first publication ''Stepping Up,'' about business leadership''.''
During 2021, Wood was appointed Non Executive Director of UK-based artificial intelligence company Signal AI. The company uses artificial intelligence to transform data into accessible business knowledge. Additionally in 2021, Wood was also appointed Non Executive Director of International investment firm Hambro Perks, an acquisition firm that provide capital and support to technology-enabled companies.
Wood has also been listed as a trustee for children's charity the Anna Freud National Centre.
Recognition
In 2015, Wood was voted one of "15 Women to Watch in Tech" by ''
Inc.'', one of Europe's "'most inspiring women' in technology" by Inspiring Fifty and #4 in
Digital Spy
Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television programmes, ...
's "Top 10 Women in Tech".
In November 2016 Wood received an
OBE
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
in the Queen's
90th Birthday Honours for services to innovation and technology.
In March 2023, Wood was listed as number 67 on the
Evening Standard
The ''Evening Standard'', formerly ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), also known as the ''London Evening Standard'', is a local free daily newspaper in London, England, published Monday to Friday in tabloid format.
In October 2009, after be ...
''Tech Rich List'' with a reported networth of roughly £67 million.
Personal life
She lives in London with her husband Scott Button and her three children.
Works
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References
Further reading
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Living people
21st-century British businesswomen
Businesspeople from Newcastle upon Tyne
Women inventors
1973 births
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