Aruj Haider is the Head of Digital Emerging Technology and Innovation at The Crown Estate. In this role, she leads the strategic adoption and integration of emerging technologies, including AI, to accelerate the Crown Estate’s mission. Her work encompasses driving technology adoption through impactful use cases, shaping an innovative organisational culture, and fostering communication and learning initiatives across the enterprise.

Aruj is currently leading the development of an innovative external Technology Lab concept for The Crown Estate, aiming to tackle systemic challenges such as net-zero goals, inclusive communities, energy transition, and nature recovery. Her role involves establishing strategic partnerships with startups, scale-ups, academia, and industry leaders, to collaboratively address national challenges through advanced experimentation and pilot initiatives.

Previously, Aruj served as the Chief Digital and Innovation Officer at Westminster City Council, where she led transformative smart city initiatives, significantly enhancing urban mobility, air quality, and digital accessibility. Her approach shifted traditional IT models towards agile and product-centric methodologies, drastically reducing project delivery timelines.

With extensive experience in driving cultural transformation and diversity, coupled with her rich background from startup environments and academic credentials from King’s College London and London Business School, Aruj is uniquely positioned to spearhead transformative change across public and private sectors.
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/aruj-haider-55592422