Ian Plunkett

Ian Plunkett currently heads up public policy communications for Europe, the Middle East and Africa for Twitter. An alumnus of the London School of Economics, Ian has BA in International Relations and an MSc in Political Science and Communications. His master’s dissertation focused on contemporary Saudi society and was awarded a distinction from the LSE. Ian worked on Capitol Hill for Congressman Michael McMahon who sat on the Subcommittee for Foreign Affairs and he is a graduate of the Washington-Ireland Program for Service and Leadership, a post-conflict program that brings Catholics and Protestants together from across the island of Ireland. Ian also worked for Tech City UK, a non-partisan body that advised UK Prime Minister David Cameron on technology policy. Whilst working there he worked on the launch of the Digital Business Academy. Passionate about the intersection of technology, policy and politics, Ian spent time in the West Bank pursuing the idea that new technologies can be a force for positive social change. In his role at Twitter, he works on issues relating to countering violent extremism and the power of digital platforms to foster societal tolerance