Tiffany St James is the Chief AI Officer for Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. This role is the first public sector CAIO in the UK with a regional remit. Tiffany is an award-winning AI and digital strategist and leadership psychologist, recognised for her pioneering contributions to digital transformation in government and public services. With over two decades of experience spanning central and local government, global organisations, and the private sector, she brings a unique blend of strategic leadership, technical understanding, and public impact.

Tiffany has trained over 10,000 professionals in practical digital and AI skills, delivered AI and digital capability programmes to more than 70 local authorities across the UK, and served as an AI leadership consultant to national and international organisations.

She authored the UK’s first State of the Nation report on AI in Adult Social Care across 23 councils in the North West, for NW ADASS, providing frameworks and resources now available to all local authorities. Tiffany also advises the Data for London Advisory Board at the Greater London Authority and has supported the development of AI and digital strategies across government bodies.

Her early public service work includes launching Directgov (precursor to GOV.UK) as its first Communications Director, launching DATA.GOV.UK in collaboration with Sir Tim Berners-Lee, and serving as the UK Government’s first Head of Public Participation, a global first in digital policy co-creation. She led all digital communications for the Grenfell Response Team in Gold Command, designing the strategy and overseeing crisis communications delivery.

Tiffany previously held the roles of Chief Digital Officer and Director of Residents’ Experience at Lambeth Council, where she developed and implemented cross-council digital transformation strategies and governance for over 100 digital projects.

Tiffany’s previous work has also straddled digital transformation in both public and private sector through the consultancy she founded Transmute; socio-economic development, raising funds for international development projects in the Wellbeing sector through Vitalis Capital and as a global keynote speaker on technology for 15 years.

She has been recognised as one of 25 women who have shaped the British digital industry over the past 25 years and holds multiple national and international awards for her contributions to AI, digital strategy and leadership. In 2026 she was voted into the Government AI 100, Apolitical’s list of top global government pioneers globally.Tiffany has been awarded:

• Government AI 100 – Top global government AI pioneers, Apolitical.

• One of 25 women responsible for shaping the British Digital Industry in the last 25 years,The Drum

• Most Influential Woman in Digital Strategy Consulting 2020 Acquisition International Magazine

• Most Influential Woman in Global Digital Capabilities 2019, Acquisition International Magazine

• Female Tech Trailblazers 2019, Business Cloud Magazine

• Top 100 women role models in tech 2016, Business Cloud Magazine

• The Drum Digerati 2015 - Top 100 People Most Influential in Digital Marketing, The Drum

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffanystjames/