Alexandra Burns
www.nesta.org.uk/team/alexandra-burns/
www.nesta.org.uk/team/alexandra-burns/
Director of Policy
Alex was Director of Policy at Nesta.
The Policy team delivered the UK2040 Options project, which addressed defining issues facing the country. It also delivered rapid insights and events on policy issues for policymakers.
Alex joined Nesta in February 2023 after a decade in government as a civil servant. Her focus has been on domestic policy issues across a range of roles including as education policy lead in the 10 Downing Street policy unit, private secretary to the prime minister during the COVID-19 pandemic and heading up the ministers’ offices in the Department of Digital, Media, Culture and Sport.
She started her time in government as a social research analyst after studying experimental psychology. Her love of innovative policy began when she worked on introducing standardised packaging for cigarettes in 2015.
Outside of work, Alex is a long-suffering Nottingham Forest fan, a cat person and a somewhat reluctant runner.
