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Alison Wright's avatar

Further analysis, using your article as a springboard, Hedley, is available here: https://open.substack.com/pub/alisonwright/p/conflict-of-interest-and-legal-compliance?r=15h096&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

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Alison Wright's avatar

I gave the following analysis of Nicole Mather's IBM declaration and records for her in Companies House:

Improve this: by adding the legal breaches and answering the question posed. Add any further other observations you arrive at. "The IBM website describes Dr Nicole Mather, "Dr. Nicole Mather

Health & Life Sciences Data & AI Lead, Partner, IBM Consulting, UK & Ireland

Dr Nicole Mather leads IBM’s Life Sciences consulting team in the UK, which brings world-leading business, technology and digital capabilities to innovative pharma and growing SMEs. As Director of the Office for Life Sciences, Nicole shaped the UK ecosystem and health data environment and led the UK government on the development of the Life Sciences Industrial Strategy and first Sector deal, focusing on the creation of new UK industries in the UK, such as Genomics, Digital Health, and early diagnosis. Nicole is a Non-Executive Director of the Wellcome Sanger Centre and the Health Research Authority and holds a DPhil, MSc, and MA from the University of Oxford." (https://www.ibm.com/think/author/nicole-mather)

A search in Companies House on this name returns one for Dr Nicole Mather. This identity is associated to two private companies limited by guarantee without share capital: (https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/officers/Q8Vy_Alz7OXjloJsheLlAWiNsks/appointments)

1. Cell Therapy Catapult Limited, Registered office address 12th Floor Tower Wing B, Guys Hospital, London, SE1 9RT, for "Other professional, scientific and technical activities not elsewhere classified", appointed 25 April 2024. It has charges outstanding to Innovate UK and the Technology Strategy Board. And,

2. Genome Research Limited, Registered office address Wellcome Sanger Institute Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Saffron Walden, England, CB10 1SA, for "- Research and experimental development on biotechnology", appointed 29 July 2019. It's person with significant control is "The Wellcome Trust Limited, As Trustee Of The Wellcome Trust". Strictly speaking this is not the correct name, and this variation could cause non-match errors in audit software which relies on legal names being provided.

Comparing the IBM declaration of Dr Nicole Mather's interests on the IBM website there is evidence of obfuscation: Her IBM declaration declares "Wellcome Sanger Centre and the Health Research Authority" instead of "Cell Therapy Catapult" and "Genome Research Limited". "Wellcome Sanger Centre and the Health Research Authority" are two fictional names. This could cause non-match errors in audit and KYC. The risk to the public's best interest is Very High. As this associates IBM (and IBM Watson AI), with all genomic data held on the population.

This mirrors the situation preceding World War II during which time IBM provided solutions to the Third Reich (Chairman was Thomas Watson) making use of census data to identify targets of and for the Third Reich, using Hollerith machines and data punch cards. These machines were also used to manage the "Human Resources" and suppliers in the concentration camps.

Is this a conflict of interest with her role at IBM?" I'll publish the response on my substack as it is lengthy.

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