ILEANA LUPSA
Website: www.ileanalupsa.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ileana-lupsa
PROFILE
I help mission-driven teams bring big ideas to life through strategy, collaboration, and delivery excellence. With
over seven years’ experience leading national programmes across innovation, sustainability, and technology, I
specialise in designing and delivering initiatives that create real-world impact.
As an Independent Senior Programme Manager and Founder of Ileana & Co, I support organisations through
programme and project management, stakeholder engagement, event design, strategic communications, and
research and insights. My work bridges public, private, and nonprofit sectors building partnerships that turn vision
into action and drive meaningful, measurable outcomes.
KEY SKILLS
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Programme & Project
Management
Stakeholder Engagement
Strategic Planning & Delivery
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Partnership Development
Event Design & Facilitation
Strategic Communications
Thought Leadership
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Sustainability & Innovation
Public speaking &
Presentations
Research & Insights
CURRENT STATUS
September 2025 – Present, Ileana & Co Ltd
Founder (Remote)
Founded Ileana & Co to partner with organisations driving social impact, innovation, and sustainability, providing
agile support across programme design, stakeholder engagement, and communications.
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Provide tailored consultancy support through project-based, retainer, and intensive engagements.
Lead end-to-end programme and project management – from strategy design to delivery oversight.
Drive stakeholder engagement and relationship management, fostering collaboration across public, private,
and nonprofit sectors.
Design and deliver remote events, workshops, and strategic sessions that inform and inspire.
Create high-quality content and thought leadership pieces aligned with organisational goals.
Conduct research and strategic analysis to support evidence-based decision-making and programme
insights.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
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To expand techUK’s influence and membership impact, I built strong relationships with local councils,
industry leaders, start-ups, SMEs, and large enterprises. By identifying collaboration opportunities and
facilitating introductions, I grew our partner network and helped raise the profile of techUK’s members. This
work directly supported membership retention and acquisition, contributing to organisational growth and
financial sustainability.
Recognising the need to position techUK and members as a thought leaders in tech and digital innovation, I
represented the organisation at conferences, events, and panel discussions. Through clear, engaging
communication and well-crafted presentations, I highlighted member success stories and emerging trends,
enhancing techUK’s reputation as a trusted voice in digital transformation.
To provide continuous value to members and stakeholders, I authored blogs, reports, and consultation
responses highlighting best practices and sector insights. My work translated complex topics like data-driven
policymaking or digital inclusion into clear, practical recommendations. These publications strengthened
techUK’s policy influence and supported informed decision-making across the ecosystem.
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In support of the UK’s sustainability goals, I worked closely with local councils on the use of digital tools for
achieving Net Zero and promoting environmental justice. Internally, I led the Premises workstream within
techUK’s Net Zero Strategy Action Team, embedding climate-conscious practices into operations and
demonstrating leadership by example.
CAREER HISTORY
August 2022 – September 2025, techUK
Programme Management - Programme Manager for Local Public Services and Nations & Regions
(Remote + UK travel)
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Managed activities for two national programmes – Local Public Services and Nations & Regions – driving
innovation through tech and digital solutions in public service delivery and strengthening regional tech
ecosystems. Developed and delivered strategic plans aligned with organisational objectives and programme
outcomes.
Built and maintained relationships with local authorities, industry leaders, start-ups, SMEs, and large
enterprises. Identified partnership opportunities, expanded networks, and raised the profile of techUK’s
members, supporting member acquisition, retention, and financial targets.
Delivered impactful presentations and spoke at events and panel discussions, establishing thought
leadership in tech and digital innovation through confident, engaging communication.
Lead the design and delivery of high-profile events across the UK – including workshops, roundtables, and
webinars – developing themes, securing speakers, and fostering collaboration between public and private
sectors.
Produced and authored blogs, reports, case studies, and consultation responses showcasing best practices
and actionable insights, delivering value to members and stakeholders.
Supported local councils on digital tools for Net Zero and environmental justice. Lead the Premises
workstream of techUK’s internal Net Zero Strategy Action Team to embed climate-conscious practices.
Delivered targeted communications through newsletters, mailers, and social media, promoting programme
activities and member achievements.
Wrote monthly newsletters and reports for both programmes, providing stakeholders with key updates,
opportunities, and insights.
Drove collaboration across departments to create insights, reports, and events tackling key industry
challenges through tech innovation and ecosystem partnerships.
November 2019 – July 2022, Advanced Propulsion Centre UK
Programme Management - National Networks Programmes Coordinator (Hybrid + UK travel)
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Led activities part of the Stakeholder Engagement team, collaborating with academic, industry (start-ups,
SMEs, large companies), and government partners to facilitate knowledge transfer for Net Zero initiatives.
Engaged cross-functionally across the organisation to align business strategies, developed a finance
process, managed budgets, and tracked KPIs.
Collaborated with government departments on strategies, policies, and budgets to achieve Net Zero targets.
Conducted research on technological areas and Life Cycle Assessments to support the circular economy
transition.
Expanded networks and engaged with experts at conferences and cross-sector events.
Organised technical workshops, authored and published six reports identifying industry and research
challenges.
Led both online and in-person events, aligning themes with strategic objectives and managing key speakers.
Developed strong presentation skills, regularly presenting to executive leadership and at external events.
Technical assessor for various funding programs (start-ups, SMEs and large-scale industrialisation).
Advocated for diversity in engineering as part of a diversity and inclusion working group.
July 2018 – September 2019 Aston Martin, Gaydon (United Kingdom)
Programme Management – Programmes Coordinator
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Project managed key issues across five programmes, collaborating with Directors to implement solutions for
quality, issue resolution, and overall support.
Managed production and supply chain challenges, leading daily meetings to define ownership, action plans,
and confirm engineering changes impacting cost and quality.
Implemented business process improvements, reporting to the Transformation Director and ensuring
adoption of change management practices.
Created and presented weekly metrics to Directors, providing status updates for programme steering
meetings to aid decision-making at senior levels.
January 2018 – July 2018 Killarney Telecommunications Limited, Birmingham (United Kingdom)
Programme Management – Technical Project Coordinator
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Managed queries from clients and liaised with teams in KTL, BT and EE and worked with various online and
software tools such as Citrix, Google Earth.
Reviewed technical drawings and created technical documentation.
EDUCATION
October 2016 – November 2017 Msc Engineering and Management Coventry University, Coventry (United
Kingdom)
October 2012 – August 2016 Bachelor of Applied Electronics, Faculty of Electronics,
Telecommunications and Information Technology, University Politehnica of Bucharest, Bucharest
(Romania)
QUALIFICATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS
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November 2016 – November 2017 Global Leaders Programme Diploma, Global Leaders Programme,
Coventry (United Kingdom)
Activities: Workshops on Managing communications, Leading Change, Management Consultancy, Leading
and Managing Teams
February 2017 – June 2017 Level 7 Award in Professional Consulting, Chartered Management
Institute, Coventry (United Kingdom)
February 2017 – June 2017 Level 7 Certificate in Strategic Leadership and Management, Chartered
Management Institute, Coventry (United Kingdom)
2017 Centre for Global Engagement - Certificate of Achievement - Linguae Mundi German Beginners
Courses
2016 IELTS - British Council
2010 DELF - Education diploma in French B1
AWARDS
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March 2025 Shortlisted in the Transformational Leader category for the West Midlands Leadership Awards
2025
December 2024 Winner of the Young Digital & Tech Professional of the Year category for the
Midlands Young Professional Awards
September 2024 Shortlisted in the Digital, Tech & Innovation category for the Greater Birmingham Young
Professional of the Year
September 2023 Winner of the TechWM and Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce - Future
Faces Women in Tech Award 2023
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