Martha Lane Fox is a pioneering British entrepreneur and public servant, known for co-founding Lastminute.com and her continued advocacy for digital inclusion and responsible technology. After co-founding Lastminute.com in 1998 with Brent Hoberman, Martha Lane Fox rapidly established herself as a pioneering force in the digital landscape. The online travel and gift business achieved significant success, going public with a stock market flotation in 2000. Lane Fox served as managing director until 2003, overseeing the companys growth before its acquisition by Sabre Holdings in 2005 for £577 million, a testament to its market impact and value.
In 2013, her contributions were further recognized with an appointment as a CBE and her entry into the House of Lords as a crossbench peer, where she became its youngest female member. She was subsequently appointed Chancellor of the Open University in 2014. Building on her commitment to responsible technology, Lane Fox founded Doteveryone in 2015, a prominent think tank dedicated to championing ethical practices in the digital sphere. Her extensive leadership experience has been sought by numerous high-profile organizations for board governance.
She joined the board of Twitter Inc. in 2016, followed by appointments to the boards of Chanel, Donmar Warehouse, and The Queen’s Commonwealth Trust, all in 2018. Her board portfolio expanded further in 2020 with her appointment to WeTransfer, showcasing her continuous influence across diverse sectors. Demonstrating continued leadership in the business community, Lane Fox was appointed President of the British Chambers of Commerce in 2022.
She further bolstered her commitment to future-focused initiatives by joining the board of Multiverse in 2024. Beyond her corporate and public service roles, she maintains an active philanthropic presence as a patron for vital charities including Reprieve, CAMFED, and Just for Kids Law, underscoring her broad impact and dedication to societal advancement and digital inclusion.