Founder Director, Behaviour Change People

Policy Fellow Alum, Centre for Science and Policy

Dr Laura Haynes is the Founder Director of Behaviour Change People. Laura is a behavioural scientist with a passion for designing services around real-world behaviour. She brings a unique combination of skills to this challenge - a deep understanding of how to influence behaviour, analytical rigour, and pragmatic and commercial savvy. Laura has a track record of delivering proven changes in customer outcomes, with over 10+ years in high profile public and private sector roles.

Behaviour Change People, founded by Laura in 2016, helps businesses and government change customer behaviour with scientifically-robust, cost effective service solutions.

Previous to this, Laura was the Director of Behavioural Insight and Intelligence for the Capita Group (2013-2016). She was the Head of Policy Research in the Behavioural Insights Team at the Cabinet Office in January 2011. Laura spearheaded the use of scientific evidence and the scientific method to guide and assess the team's work on behaviour change. As Head of Policy Research, she led the development of more than twenty low-cost randomised trials in a range of policy areas to identify cost-effective policy solutions grounded in behavioural science. Laura was the lead author of "Test, Learn, Adapt: Developing Public Policy with Randomised Controlled Trials" which is one of the Cabinet Office's most downloaded publications (see here). Laura also headed the team's work on health and energy/environment.

Laura received the University Medal at the University of New South Wales (Sydney, Australia) for her undergraduate studies in psychology. Laura completed her PhD in Experimental Psychology at the University of Cambridge and was Visiting Research Fellow in Health Psychology at King's College London, and Policy Fellow at the Centre for Science and Policy. Laura's work in the public sector includes Research Fellowship in Behavioural Economics at the National Audit Office, where she developed a framework to assess value for money when government seeks to influence citizen behaviour.