LIZ EASTAUGH
THE AI INTERVIEW
Liz Eastaugh’ s fascination with technology began decades before AI even became a boardroom conversation, let alone a priority. As a child, her family owned a ZX Spectrum, an early British home computer that ran on the BASIC programming language. The machine was frustratingly limited, back when running a game meant waiting for a cassette tape to load.
Still, Liz was captivated. She devoured weekly computer magazines and began writing her own code long before mainstream operating systems like Windows existed.
“ I was really fascinated by all things tech and I started reading a lot of Isaac Asimov,” Liz reflects, recalling her interest in the American professor who was known for his science-fiction robot stories.“ I was incredibly fascinated by what machines could do and artificial intelligence back then.
“ I didn’ t really consider a career in technology at all at that time. It was just a hobby. At no point did it cross my mind it was something you could do as a real job. People didn’ t regularly use computers. We had one computer for the school and we got to play on it at lunchtime.”
From Turing’ s legacy to the Just Eat platform team Liz went on to study at the University of Essex, drawn by Professor Huosheng Hu, a robotics specialist known for developing mechanical fish for the London Aquarium.
LIZ EASTAUGH
TITLE: VICE PRESIDENT OF GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY PLATFORMS
COMPANY: JUST EAT TAKEAWAY. COM
INDUSTRY: TECHNOLOGY AND E-COMMERCE
Liz serves as VP of Global Technology Platforms at Just Eat Takeaway. com. She is responsible for building the capabilities that power product engineers to build commercial and customer-facing products and services.
Hu’ s own professor had studied under Alan Turing, the mathematician whose codebreaking work during the Second World War laid foundations for modern computing.
Given Liz’ s interest in cryptography, the connection proved irresistible, with the course itself blending physical robotics, computer chip programming and theoretical AI.
At the time, AI applications were narrow. Researchers focused on problems like optimising cargo container packing, cryptography and early game theory.
“ We really didn’ t think about automation, and the world of AI now was just unimaginable,” says Liz.“ Even throughout my career, people ask where you want to be in five years, and you’ re like, who knows?”
22 August 2026