Maggie Philbin

Maggie Philbin has worked in radio and television for over 30 years on a wide range of science, medical and technology programmes.

President of the Institute of Engineering Designers and co-founder / CEO of TeenTech CIC. Maggie has been awarded seven Honorary Degrees in recognition of her work in the Sciences, most recently from the University of Roehampton in 2019.

Multi-award winning TeenTech helps young people understand opportunities in the science, technology and engineering industries, no matter what their gender or social background. Engaging, sharply focused initiatives are carefully planned to involve teachers and parents as they are the main influencers in career decisions.   TeenTech support schools, companies, councils, colleges and universities, providing them with strategies of engagement and ways to develop approaches which work well with young people. It works face to face with over 10,000 young people every year and reach many thousands more through its resources.

In January 2017 Maggie was awarded an OBE for her services to the Science, Technology and Creative Industries and in July that year she received the Tech4Good Special Award.

In 2016 Maggie was named as the Most Influential Woman in UKIT by Computer Weekly Magazine and was also named as 2016 Digital Leader of the Year for her work with TeenTech.

Maggie has a unique resonance with audiences, having grown up with them on much loved shows like BBC’s Swap Shop and Tomorrow’s World. Many of the everyday gadgets we now take for granted were demonstrated on live television for the very first time by Maggie – the first truly mobile phone, the first car navigation system, the first fax machine, even the first supermarket barcode reader.

Maggie has a unique and insightful perspective on technology, diversity and innovation, having covered stories all over the world for ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5, from earthquake prediction systems in Iceland, to wave power technology in Norway, to possibly the most dangerous system for rescuing people from ski cable cars in Switzerland.