A graduate of Cambridge University, Susanna’s professional experience includes over 15 years in senior leadership roles in international B2B and learning businesses. Susanna began her career at the Institute for International Research (IIR) where she first worked with Lord Laidlaw, rising to Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). When IIR, which was the world’s largest organiser of commercial conferences, was acquired by Informa plc in 2005 Susanna was appointed CMO of the enlarged group and also led the public company’s investor relations programmes. She subsequently joined Emap Ltd as Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer and CEO of Emap Networks, that group’s conferences business. Later she became CEO of the fashion industry forecaster WGSN and was latterly Group Content and Marketing Partner of the leading strategy consultancy Brunswick Group. A German-American raised and educated in the UK and a committed internationalist, Susanna has been involved in globally trading businesses throughout her career, directing activity in the Americas, across continental Europe, and the Asia Pacific. Susanna has been extensively involved with education and professional development over many years. She was Head of Group Training and led the commercial acquisition and integration of a portfolio of corporate training businesses whilst at IIR; and created learning academies at both Informa and Emap. She believes experiencing and appreciating different cultures promotes better global understanding, creativity and leadership. She is passionate about the power of education to transform lives; and believes that we need to develop a new generation of diverse leaders who are curious, bold and devoted to decency, truthfulness, and innovation. Susanna is committed to diversity not only as a societal imperative but as a critical component of commercial success. As an advisor to the trustees of the Foundation, Susanna first learnt about its purpose and programmes before becoming its Chief Executive responsible for the Laidlaw Schools Trust, the Laidlaw Scholars and its other education programmes. Susanna read English and Philosophy at Newnham College, University of Cambridge. She has five half blues in swimming and water polo; and played netball and rowed for Newnham.

Andrew Singleton has recently joined the Tufts-Laidlaw Undergraduate Research and Leadership Programme team as a Programme Administrator and is excited to continue to elevate the Laidlaw Programming for current and future scholars. He joined the programme from Venture Café, which connects and educates the entrepreneurial and innovation community in Boston through programs/spaces/events and many other cities around the world. He has a B.S. from MIT in Biology and a background in social-impact enterprises, wind-power, user-computer-interfaces, as well as computer network design. In his spare time, Andrew enjoys travel, hiking, and wildlife photography.

Hi! My name is Aaryn and I'm entering my third and final year of Biological Sciences at Durham University. I completed my research project in summer 2024, with a Leadership in Action project in Boston, summer 2025. My research project focused on the regulation of stem cells in model organism Drosophila melanogaster (common fruit flies) specifically investigating genes linked to cancer in humans and my LiA is with the Timothy Smith Network. I am particularly interested in genetics and disease, and I would like to pursue a career in clinical research. Outside of my studies, I also work as a student librarian, and I enjoy singing in my college jazz band and musicals, playing netball, reading, and art!

Hello, everyone! I’m Kathleen, a Biomedical Sciences student at the University of Hong Kong’s Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine. As a goal-driven student, I have a keen interest in conducting literature and experimental scientific research in areas such as bioinformatics, oncology, stem cells, genetics, neuroscience, and pharmacology. I am passionate about deepening my understanding of these fields and contributing to advancements in medicine and biomedical innovation.

Hi! I'm Leo and I study Civil Engineering at University College London. My research project focused on integrating location-based datasets - one of the best ways to understand spatial matters and, thus, develop better decisions and policies. This is crucial to creating smarter and more sustainable cities, a topic I'm really interested in. I am passionate about improving infrastructure and addressing inequality, particularly social-environmental sustainability in urbanism and transportation. I aim to continue working in this field and collaborating with NGOs, so feel free to reach out if our interests align!

Hi everybody. I am Mateo. I am an Experimental Physics graduate from the University of St Andrews. I am a curious, talkative and reflective individual with a love for telling and hearing stories. I am from Peru, but have moved around quite a bit having lived in Equatorial Guinea, England and now Scotland. I consider having such a multicultural background a very nourishing and essential part of my being. Consequentially, I love travelling and learning languages, and I am always happy to connect with people from all walks of life and parts of the world. When I am not busy demystifying the rules of the universe, I enjoy dancing, cooking, walking and analysing movies. I also love programming and its applications for simulating real-world physics and processing large amounts of day-to-day data. In June, I will be graduating with an Integrated Masters in Physics, however, I aspire to develop professionally outside of academia possibly in the field of data analytics. I am happy to connect with any Scholars! 

I'm a second-year engineer at Durham University. My main area for research is in composite materials, in particular the formation of voids and the effect of them. I'm also part of Durham University Electric Motorsport, we design, build and race a challenger solar car in the World Solar Challenge, a 3000km race held biannually in Australia!