Virendra Kumar Sharma (born 5 April 1947) is a British-Indian Labour Party politician. He served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ealing Southall from 2007 to 2024. Virendra Sharma was born on 5 April 1947 in Mandhali, Nawanshahr in the Punjab Province of British India into a Punjabi Hindu Brahmin family. He went to university at the London School of Economics on a trade union scholarship.
Sharma came to Hanwell, Ealing, London from India in 1968 and became a bus conductor on the 207 route, later working as a day services manager for people with learning disabilities in Hillingdon. He began his political career by joining the Liberal Party, then switched to Labour. Sharma was Race Equalities Officer to the Labour Party nationally.
He was a councillor in the London Borough of Ealing from 1982 to 2010 and became Mayor.
Sharma was elected to Parliament as MP for Ealing Southall at the 2007 Ealing Southall by-election with 41.5% of the vote and a majority of 5,070.
In September 2008, Sharma signed a letter drafted by Keith Vaz on behalf of the disgraced lawyer Shahrokh Mireskandari, for which Vaz was criticised for not declaring his relationship with him. Sharma said that Vaz had not informed him of the relationship and that he would “be more questioning before I sign a letter in future”.
In November 2008, Sharma was appointed as Parliamentary private secretary (PPS) to the Minister of State at the Treasury and Home Office, Phil Woolas. Sharma resigned from this post in January 2009 in opposition to the Labour government’s proposal to build a third runway at Heathrow Airport.
At the 2010 general election, Sharma was re-elected as MP for Ealing Southall with an increased vote share of 51.5% and an increased majority of 9,291.He supported David Miliband in the 2010 Labour leadership election.
Sharma was again re-elected at the 2015 general election with an increased vote share of 65% and an increased majority of 18,760.
In 2016, in a reversal of his previous stance, Sharma announced that he now supported Heathrow expansion.
At the snap 2017 general election, Sharma was again re-elected with an increased vote share of 70.3% and an increased majority of 22,090.
In July 2017, Sharma voted against the bill on triggering Article 50 in the House of Commons, expressing his concern over Brexit’s potential effects on the economy.
In March 2019, Sharma lost a vote of no-confidence at his Constituency Labour Party: the reasons given by opponents were his low attendance at party meetings, slow response to constituents communications and unwillingness to campaign against toxic emissions from the redevelopment of the Old Gasworks site (Southall Waterside). Despite this, he was again re-elected at the 2019 general election, with a decreased vote share of 60.8% and a decreased majority of 16,084.
Sharma is a member of Labour Friends of Israel. He is also vice-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for British-Hindus.
On 27 May 2024, Sharma announced his retirement at the 2024 general election.

Raminder Singh Ranger, Baron Ranger (born 3 July 1947), is a British-Indian businessman and Conservative Party politician. He is the founder of Sun Mark, a multinational consumer-goods company, and has been a member of the House of Lords since 2019.
Born in Gujranwala, Punjab, just before the partition of India, Ranger was raised by his widowed mother in Patiala. He moved to the United Kingdom in 1971, and founded the shipping company Sea, Air and Land Forwarding in 1987, followed by Sun Mark in 1995. Ranger is a donor to the Conservative Party and served as a co-chairman of Conservative Friends of India. He was nominated for a life peerage in Theresa May’s resignation honours.
In 2023, the House of Lords commissioner for standards found that Ranger bullied and harassed a journalist following a Diwali event in Parliament. After further revelations of derogatory comments about Pakistanis and Sikhs, Ranger’s CBE appointment was revoked by the Honours Forfeiture Committee in 2024.

Dr Bilyaminu is a Lecturer in Computer Science & Digital Technology at the Department of Computing
and Engineering at the University of East London (UEL). Bilyaminu attained a PhD in Computer Science
(Software Engineering) from Brunel University London, with experience spanning 8 years in the
industry and academia in empirical software engineering.
Before joining UEL, his recent multidisciplinary research role at Exergy Global UK include Software
Development Consultant of €13M EU’s Horizon 2020 ECOBulk.EU project to design and implement a
circular economy digital platform. He had been a Lecturer and co-investigator of £30K GCRF Frontiers
of Engineers Royal Academy of Engineering seed funding project whilst at Coventry University Group.
His research interests include Open Source Software (OSS) projects, OSS-Component Re-use, software
maintenance and evolution, mining software repositories and blockchain technology. In the past, his
focus has been improving the quality of bug data in open-source software repositories. Bilyaminu is a
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (UK), Fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of
Arts, Manufacture and Commerce, Certified SAP Associate and Certified Microsoft Innovative
Educator.

Paola is a Senior Lecturer in Electro-Mechanical Engineering at the University of East London and an honorary visiting researcher at Imperial College London, delivering modules on the design of mechatronics systems of microcontrollers, Automation and Robotics, Microcontrollers for Industrial Applications, Robotic Construction and Integrative technologies and Electrical Automotive Engineering Practice. She also covers the role of programme leader for BEng Mechatronics Engineering, BEng Mechatronics and Computer Systems Engineering, and BEng Electrical and Electronic Engineering.

She has expertise in data-driven modelling for control, predictive control strategies under uncertainty, system modelling, energy management systems under uncertainty and developing and applying optimisation methods based on decomposition techniques for large-scale expansion planning problems of energy networks.

Sunil Sahadev is a Professor in Marketing and Responsible Enterprise at Sheffield Hallam University. He has previously worked at the University of Brighton, Salford University, University of Sheffield and at the Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode. His area of research interest include managing boundary spanning elements, especially managing frontline employees in service organisations, sustainable marketing, digital marketing and innovation strategy. He has authored papers in highly reputed peer reviewed journals like the British Journal of Management, Journal of World Business, Journal of Travel Research, Journal of Business Research etc.

Dr Abbas Fotouhi is a Reader in Vehicle Engineering and Transport Systems at Cranfield University. He
has over 20 years of research experience in Systems Modelling, Simulation, Optimization, and Control.
He also has extensive practical and algorithmic experience in applying Artificial Intelligence and
Machine Learning techniques to engineering problems. Before joining Cranfield University, he was
with the Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (CAIRO) at University Technology Malaysia
(UTM). His current research is focused on Electrified Transport Systems, Batteries for Electric Vehicles,
Fleet Management Optimisation, and Autonomous Vehicles.
Dr Fotouhi is part of the academic panel that leads MSc courses in Connected and Autonomous
Vehicles, Automotive/Motorsport Mechatronics, and Automotive Engineering at Cranfield University.
He has supervised more than 60 MSc students and 9 PhD students, and his total writing portfolio lists
over 70 publications. After joining Cranfield University, Dr Fotouhi has been also heavily involved in
research bid development with a total project cost of over £20m, where he was successful in
contributing to more than £2.2m income generation as an investigator (PI or Co-I). Dr Fotouhi is an
Associate Editor of the Automotive Innovation Journal and an editorial board member of the Neural
Computing and Applications Journal. He is a Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy, a Fellow of
the Faraday Institution in the UK, and a Senior Member of IEEE.

Professor Sankar Sivarajah is a distinguished academic leader and expert in technology management
and the circular economy. Currently Head of Kingston Business School at Kingston University London,
he brings a wealth of experience from his previous role as Dean of the School of Management at the
University of Bradford. During his time at Bradford, Professor Sivarajah spearheaded a remarkable transformation, leading to
significant growth in student enrollment, research output, and industry partnerships. Under his
leadership, the School achieved global recognition, with its Distance Learning MBA ranking first in the
world for value for money and ESG and net zero teaching by the Financial Times.
Professor Sivarajah’s research explores the intersection of emerging digital technologies and societal
impact. He is a prolific scholar, having published extensively in top-tier journals and conferences. His
expertise has also secured over £3 million in funding for research projects on topics such as 6G
technology, AI innovation, and Smart Cities.
A recognized leader in business education, Professor Sivarajah is the Deputy Editor of the Journal of
Enterprise Information Management and a Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy.
He also serves as a peer reviewer for prestigious accreditation bodies and holds an elected position
on the governing Council of the Chartered Association of Business Schools.

Paul Mitcheson received the MEng degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering in 2001 and the PhD
degree in 2005 both from Imperial College London. He is currently Professor of Electrical Energy
Conversion in the Control and Power Research Group in the Electrical Engineering Department at
Imperial and has research interests in energy harvesting systems, wireless power transfer and power
electronics. He is a fellow of the higher education academy and senior member of the IEEE. He was
general co-chair of PowerMEMS 2013, held in the Royal Society, London and sits on the Executive
Committee of the UK Power Electronics Centre.

Professor Bikash Pal is a leading expert in power systems, recognized with prestigious fellowships from
both the IEEE and the Royal Academy of Engineering. His research at Imperial College London focuses
on power system stability, control, and computation, attracting substantial funding from organizations
like EPSRC and major industry players such as National Grid and GE.
Professor Pal’s leadership extends to international collaborations. He has spearheaded multiuniversity research consortia involving the UK, China, and India, exploring sustainable energy
networks and smart grid technologies. His impactful work has led to the development of advanced
power system tools with SIEMENS and GE, now deployed in several countries, serving millions of
customers.
A dedicated educator, Professor Pal has supervised numerous PhD students and disseminated his
knowledge through over 160 publications, including books and influential IEEE reports. His
contributions to the field are further amplified by his roles as an IEEE Distinguished Lecturer and
Editor-in-Chief of IEEE Transactions on Sustainable Energy.
Beyond his academic achievements, Professor Pal demonstrates a commitment to social responsibility
through the Kajalbabu Memorial Trust, an educational charity he founded to support underprivileged
children in India.
His dedication to research and education makes him a prominent figure in the power systems field.

Professor Grattan is a renowned physicist and expert in measurement and instrumentation. His
career, spanning decades, has focused on the development and application of optical fiber sensor
technology.
After earning his PhD in Laser Physics from Queen’s University Belfast, he conducted postdoctoral
research at Imperial College London. In 1983, he joined City University London, rising to become
Professor of Measurement and Instrumentation and Head of the Department of Electrical, Electronic
and Information Engineering. He also served as Dean of the City Graduate School and was appointed
George Daniels Professor of Scientific Instrumentation.
Professor Grattan’s research has garnered significant funding from various sources, and he holds
several patents for his inventions. He is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, a past President
of the Institute of Measurement and Control, and has served on the Councils of several professional
bodies. His extensive publication record includes over 700 papers and co-editorship of a five-volume
series on Optical Fiber Sensor Technology.
Professor Grattan’s contributions to the field have been recognized with numerous awards, including
the Callendar Medal, the Honeywell Prize, and the Sir Harold Hartley Medal. He is also a Visiting
Professor at several universities in China. His commitment to academia extends beyond research, as
evidenced by his active involvement in university administration and committees.

Dr. Becky Lees, Head of the Department of Accounting, Finance and Informatics at Kingston University London, began her association with the institution as an undergraduate student. Following her studies, she returned as a staff member in 2000. During her tenure, she has lectured in quantitative methods, management science, and information management, while also fulfilling various course management and quality assurance roles. She currently leads the Department of Accounting, Finance, and Informatics and serves as the School Lead for Assurance of Learning.

Dr. Lees holds a PhD in Educational Research from Lancaster University. Her research interests center on pedagogic practices in higher education, with a particular focus on the student journey. This includes the transition to higher education, the learning and assessment experience, and the development of skills to enhance employability. She is particularly interested in supporting students in achieving programme learning outcomes and fostering continuity, collaboration, and co-construction in assessment across their degree programmes.

Dr. Lees is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) and holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. She is also a University Teaching Fellow and has achieved Certified Management and Business Educator status from the Chartered Association of Business Schools.

Professor Yang Gao is a Professor of Robotics and heads the Centre for Robotics Research within the Department of Engineering at King’s College London. She brings over 20 years of research experience in developing space robotics and autonomous systems, in which she has been the Principal Investigator of nationally and internationally teamed projects funded by European Space Agency (ESA), UK Space Agency, UK Research Innovation, Royal Academy of Engineering, European Commission, as well as industries. Yang is also actively involved in design and development of real-world space missions such as ESA ExoMars, Proba3 and VMMO (lunar ice mapper), UK’s CLEAR, MoonLITE and Moonraker, and CNSA Chang’E3. Yang’s work has been applied to several non-space sectors including nuclear, utility and agriculture through technology transfer and spin offs.

Yang is an elected Fellow of Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET) and Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS). She was named by the Times Higher Education in 2008 one of ten UK’s young leading academics making a significant contribution to their disciplines, and she also received the Mulan Award in 2019 for her contributions to science, technology and engineering. Within her research field, Yang serves the international R&D community through various leadership roles, such as being the Editor-in-Chief of Wiley’s Journal of Field Robotics, the Co-Chair of IEEE Robotics & Automation Society’s Technical Committee on Space Robotics, and the Mentor of the United Nations’ Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) Space4Women program, etc.

Prior to joining King’s in August 2023, Yang spent nearly 19 years at the University of Surrey where she founded and led the multi-award winning STAR LAB (Space Technology for Autonomous & Robotic systems Laboratory). Before that, she was an awardee of the prestigious Singapore Millennium Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship and worked on intelligent and autonomous vehicles. She gained the B.Eng. (First Class Honours) degree and Ph.D. degree from the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore in 2000 and 2003 respectively.

Dr Ranjan Chaudhuri is a Full Professor in the Department of Digital Marketing Business at EMLV Business School. Dr Ranjan Chaudhuri was a Fulbright Fellow at the University of Alabama in Huntsville in 2012. Dr Ranjan Chaudhuri in the recent past was a Professor of Marketing and Professor-in-charge (Institute Administration) at Indian Institute of Management Ranchi. In the recent past, he was associated with the National Institute of Industrial Engineering, Mumbai. Earlier, Dr. Chaudhuri also served as a Faculty at the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur and the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi. Dr. Chaudhuri has over twenty-two years of industrial, teaching, and research experience. Major awards and honors recently awarded to Dr. Chaudhuri include 2023 Basant Kumar BIrla Outstanding Management Researcher in India, InsideIIM Best Professor in Management for 2021, 2020 and 2019, for three times in a row, Bombay Management Association Outstanding Faculty of India Award 2020, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur Teaching Excellence Award 2018, All India Council for Robotics and Automation Lifetime Achievement Award 2019, Glory of India Award 2019, Academy of Management Professionals Best Teacher Award 2017, INFOMS USA Distinguished Service Award 2014, Fulbright Fellowship to United States, Fall 2012 (August – December 2012), Higher Education Forum (HEF) India Best Young Teacher Award 2012, Association of Indian Management Scholars (AIMS) International Outstanding Management Researcher Award 2010. He is also the recipient of the Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Award, 2001 for best-published paper in the Journal of the Institution of Engineers (India), Interdisciplinary Division. Dr. Chaudhuri’s teaching and research interests are in the areas of Business to Business Marketing, Global Marketing, and Retail Management.

Shantanu Goswami
(Innovation and Insights leader, Platforms and Data Management, EMEA North)
In his many roles, Shantanu has excelled as a business developer, manager of sales teams and in charge of sector PNLs. His unique gift is to be able to simplify complex thoughts and translate that within the least possible time to a decision maker.

Shantanu has spent over 20 years in building CXO Relationships and generating demand through Multi-Year frame agreements, Multi-Tower Deal Shaping, Bid management, Sales messaging, building Alliances & Partnership and Account & PNL management, in the IT Offshoring & Outsourcing, Software & Services space.

He has worked in multi-cultural global environments and sold in multiple countries including The United Kingdom, Eastern & Western Europe, North & South Africa, Latin America and India. With long residential stints in South Africa, the UK and India. He lives in Manchester UK with his wife and daughter.

As a certified messaging coach, Shantanu is passionate about leadership development, team building and deal shaping.

In his spare time Shantanu is a keen street photographer and an aspiring writer.

Dr Asma Khan –
is a renowned chef and the founder-owner of the award-winning restaurant Darjeeling Express.
She now serves as the UN World Food Programme’s Chef Advocate and is a distinguished presence on the Mayor of London’s Business Advisory Board.

One of the UK’s most prominent female chefs, she was the first British chef to feature on Netflix’s Emmy-nominated Chef’s Table and has also appeared on the BBC’s Saturday Kitchen as well as Celebrity MasterChef, setting the stars a culinary challenge.

She was featured as Vogue’s list of 25 most powerful women and in 2024 in Time Magazine’s Global list of 100 most influential people.

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