Polly Mackenzie

Polly Mackenzie is CEO of Zinc Innovation Partners, a venture builder supporting early stage research commercialisation and academic entrepreneurship. From 2022-25 she served as Chief Social Purpose Officer at University of the Arts London, leading environmental and social governance, civic engagement, communications and development. 

She was Director of Policy to the Deputy Prime Minister from 2010-2015, advising the coalition government on domestic policy.

She went on to found the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute, a charity working to break the link between financial difficulties and mental health problems. She led the cross-party think tank Demos from 2018 - 2022, focusing on democratic health, information environments and public sector reform. 

Polly is a non-executive director of a recruitment company, Door 10, an advisory council member at the Future Governance Forum, a council member at Research England, and chairs the policy committee of Family Business UK, a trade association representing family-owned businesses.