The news that Rohan Silva is to step down from his post as Senior Policy Adviser to David Cameron broke late last night, and was confirmed in an exclusive interview with your very own, Tech City News.
Sources at Index Ventures have also confirmed with us that the current government tech guru will indeed be joining them as an entrepreneur in residence, after he clears his desk at No. 10 in June.
Leading voices from across the industry told us what they thought of the man who is widely regarded as one of the pioneers of Tech City.
It’s a natural next step
“When you have a passion for entrepreneurship like Rohan and spend as much time working with startups as he has in building Tech City, moving from championing those businesses to creating one is a natural next step. We will continue to work closely with Rohan until his departure in June and we wish him a world of success.“
Joanna Shields, TCIO
Rohan helped London become the digital capital of Europe
“Rohan has done a fantastic job directing Government support for the UK’s growing technology sector. Many technology clusters around the world are envious of the work that Rohan and his team have done to put Tech City on the map, and create an environment that is delivering jobs and attracting investment. The challenge is to build on this success, to enhance London’s position as the digital capital of Europe and fuse together the financial and technology worlds. We wish Rohan all the very best in the private sector, where we have no doubt he will excel.“
Eric van der Kleij, Level39
He’s made the UK a better place to build great companies
“In Rohan Silva’s departure from 10 Downing, we’re given a rare moment to look back at all he’s accomplished to make the United Kingdom a better place to build great companies. It’s very exciting to see him leave to do exactly that and continue to brighten London’s technology sector on the map.“
Courtney Boyd Myers, co-Founder 3460 Miles
Rohan has made a real impact
“Rohan has been a great advocate for UK tech entrepreneurs, and he has made a real impact as a champion for the east London tech cluster. I’m excited for him personally that he is branching out and looking to start something of his own, and it shows how strong the momentum around UK startups is becoming.“
Pete Smith, Songkick
His genuine warmth will be sorely missed
“All of us at Passion Capital and White Bear Yard are extremely grateful for all of Rohan’s leadership and efforts over the last few years in raising the profile of entrepreneurship and investing in the UK. His grasp of the ways Government policy can improve the environment for startups has been second to none. His willingness to always extend a warm handshake, offer a genuine smile and help connect startup founders, teams, investors and partners will be sorely missed.“
Eileen Burbidge, Passion Capital
He is someone who just gets things done
“He will be missed as he has been such a crucial driving force in making digital and entrepreneurship a priority focus item for this administration. He brought his own ideas to Tech City and also kept a very open ear to hearing us/those that work in tech entrepreneurship directly. Mainly he just got things done, which is often the biggest measure of success in our industry. We are eager to see who will take on the mantle of leadership in his role.“