Martha Lane Fox facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Baroness Lane-Fox of Soho
CBE HonFREng
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Lane Fox in 2013
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| Chancellor of the Open University | |
| Assumed office 12 March 2014 |
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| Preceded by | The Lord Puttnam |
| Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal |
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| Assumed office 26 March 2013 Life peerage |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Martha Lane Fox
10 February 1973 London, England |
| Political party | None (crossbencher) |
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| Residences | Marylebone, London, England |
| Education | Oxford High School, Oxford Westminster School |
| Alma mater | University of Oxford (BA) |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur, life peer |
| Website | Martha Lane Fox on LinkedInLua error in Module:EditAtWikidata at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). |
Martha Lane Fox, Baroness Lane-Fox of Soho (born 10 February 1973) is a British businesswoman. She is also known for her charity work and public service. Martha helped start Last Minute in the early 2000s. This was a time when many internet companies, called "dotcoms," became popular.
After Last Minute, she worked on many digital projects for the public. She is currently on the boards of companies like WeTransfer and Chanel. She is also a trustee for The Queen's Commonwealth Trust.
In 2013, she joined the House of Lords. This is part of the UK Parliament. She became the youngest woman member there. In 2014, she became the Chancellor of the Open University. This is a big role at a university. In 2019, a magazine called The Drum named her the most important woman in Britain's digital world over the last 25 years.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Martha Lane Fox was born in London, England. Her father, Robin Lane Fox, is a writer and academic. She went to private schools, including Oxford High School and Westminster School.
Later, she studied Ancient and Modern History at the University of Oxford. She earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree there.
Martha's Career Journey
Martha Lane Fox started her career at a company called Spectrum. There, she met Brent Hoberman. In 1998, Martha and Brent created Last Minute. This was an online business for travel and gifts.
She left her role as managing director in 2003. Last Minute was later bought by another company in 2005.
After leaving Last Minute, Martha helped start a karaoke company called Lucky Voice. She also joined the board of Marks & Spencer in 2007.
From 2009 to 2013, Martha was the UK's "Digital Champion." In this role, she helped create the Government Digital Service. This team launched gov.uk, a website for government services. Her goal was to help more people learn how to use computers.
She also worked to improve digital public services. She encouraged more people in Britain to use the internet. She left her Digital Champion role in 2013.
Joining the House of Lords
On March 26, 2013, Martha joined the House of Lords. She became a "crossbencher," meaning she doesn't belong to a specific political party. She was the youngest woman to join at that time.
In her first speech, she talked about how important digital skills are for everyone. That same year, the Open University chose her as its Chancellor. In 2014, she signed a letter against Scottish independence.
Since then, Martha has taken on many important roles. In 2017, she joined a committee on national security. In 2018, she became a director at Chanel. She also became a trustee for the Queen's Commonwealth Trust.
She was on the board of Twitter, Inc. from 2016 until 2022. In 2020, she joined the board of WeTransfer. In 2022, she became president of the British Chambers of Commerce. In 2024, she joined the board of Multiverse, a company focused on apprenticeships.
Helping Others: Charity Work
Lady Lane-Fox cares deeply about human rights and helping women. In 2007, she started a trust called Antigone. This trust gives money to charities in the United Kingdom.
She supports several charities. These include Reprieve, which helps people with legal issues. She also supports CAMFED, an organization that fights poverty and HIV in Africa. CAMFED does this by focusing on educating young women.
Martha also supports Just for Kids Law. This charity helps children and young people in London. It also works to improve laws for young people across the UK.
When a company stopped supporting the Orange Prize for women writers, Martha helped. She was one of several people who offered money to keep the contest going.
Awards and Recognition
In 2013, Martha Lane Fox received a special award. She was made a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE). This was for her work in the digital economy and charity.
In February 2013, she was named one of the 100 most powerful women in the UK. Later that month, it was announced she would become a "life peer." This meant she would join the House of Lords for life. She was also named one of the BBC's 100 women of 2013.
On March 25, 2013, she officially became Baroness Lane-Fox of Soho. She was introduced to the House of Lords the next day. In 2015, she was ranked among the top 100 influential British entrepreneurs. In 2016, she became a Distinguished Fellow of the British Computer Society.
In October 2019, a publication called The Drum named her the most influential woman in Britain's digital sector. This covered the past 25 years. In 2023, she was made an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering.
Personal Life
Martha Lane Fox lives in London with her partner, Chris Gorell Barnes. They have twin sons, Milo and Felix, who were born in 2016.
In 2004, she was in a car accident in Morocco. She received medical treatment and recovered well.
See also
In Spanish: Martha Lane Fox para niños
- Lane Fox family
