L-R: Niomie Haynes, Caroline Thee, Ella Gago-Brookes
September saw three new hires within Manchester Digital, in order to strengthen our team as we gear up for the new sector wide festival for 2027 - the Manchester Digital Festival. This year, we are also celebrating 25 years since the creation of Manchester Digital as a tech community.
Niomie Haynes, Caroline Thee and Ella Gago-Brookes have all joined our team, bringing with them a huge wealth of experience across partnership-building, funding, event organising and supporting a membership organisation.
Katie Gallagher OBE, Managing Director of Manchester Digital, said: “As the tech body for the region, we are constantly evolving and changing to reflect the changes and needs in the tech sector.
“Our three recent new hires have all brought with them a wide variety of strengths across tech, policy and building partnerships and community, as we continue to grow and underpin the region’s tech and digital sector.”
Niomie Haynes has joined the team as Head of Ecosystem and Membership, with 18 years experience at The Very Group and more recently four years at the North West Cyber Resilience Centre.
She said: “I am thrilled to continue working in Manchester's incredibly vibrant and ambitious tech community, and Manchester Digital plays a vital role in bringing it together. The strength of our membership lies in how businesses connect, share knowledge and create opportunities for one another. I’m excited to work alongside such an experienced and committed team to support our members’ objectives, build lasting partnerships and help strengthen Greater Manchester’s thriving tech sector.”
Caroline Thee has joined the team as Innovation Programmes Lead, with a background in global politics, policy, funding and managing a wide range of programmes. She will lead the planning of Manchester Digital Festival and also the award-winning DigitalHER programme.
Caroline said: “My objective in this new role is to develop impactful, sustainable programmes that respond to the needs of the sector, including leading the development and delivery of Manchester Digital Festival 2027, to showcase the region’s digital and technology sector and brings the community together.
Ella Gago-Brookes has joined the team as Ecosystem and Membership Lead, with a strong background in supporting programmes at Tech UK. She will be supporting across growing the membership and supporting the wide-ranging events programme.
She added, “I’m excited to be joining Manchester Digital at such an exciting time for the North, with growing political focus on the region and a real sense of momentum around what that could mean for local businesses. I’m particularly looking forward to supporting businesses on their growth journeys, learning more about the technology shaping our region, and building meaningful connections across such a vibrant network.”
"If you're looking to get more involved with Manchester’s tech community – whether you’re a member looking to discover more ways to benefit from your membership, or you’re interested in collaborating but aren’t quite sure what that might look like yet, I’d love to have that conversation and explore what we could make happen.
Find our more about the newly re-launched and re-branded Manchester Digital Festival, which takes place in February 2027: https://manchesterdigitalfestival.uk/
