

Alex Hilton
Chief Executive, FAST – Federation Against Software Theft
Alex Hilton
Chief Executive, FAST – Federation Against Software Theft
Alex has been the Chief Executive of FAST for 10 years. He spent over 3 decades working in senior toles in the IT industry. Following his completion of ICL’s graduate training scheme Alex moved to US software publisher Borland, managing the emerging retail business as IT superstores were established in the UK.
He then spent 12 years at Microsoft, joining in 1994, gaining diverse experience within the organisation, from Enterprise sales through to Channel management.
In November 2003 Alex moved from running the £500m UK Channel Distribution business to run Microsoft’s anti-piracy and Software Asset Management (SAM) teams. This role incorporated Microsoft’s anti-counterfeiting efforts through to corporate governance and working with influential third parties such as government ministers and pan-industry organisations to help draw attention to the scale of software piracy. As head of the UK SAM business, Alex ran a team of compliance and audit professionals as well as supporting the development of an ISO standard driving commercial awareness for intellectual property protection.
In 2006 Alex joined Centennial Software as world-wide head of sales; a fast growing UK business developing software for the compliance and SAM market. He saw the business through to acquisition by FrontRange Solutions in 2008. Alex stayed in the merged businesses as Director of Infrastructure Management.
In 2010 Alex joined Fasthosts Internet with direct accountability as Managing Director of Rise – their Cloud IaaS hosting proposition aimed at Channel Partners. Alex developed the Rise proposition to a profitable recurring revenue stream and in 2011 Rise was awarded Microsoft’s prestigious prize of world-wide Hosting Partner of the Year.
In February 2013 Alex joined FAST as Chief Executive. He had been serving as non-Executive Director since 2008.
Outside of work, Alex is married with four children, a keen cyclist, skier and real tennis player.

Peter Allan
Chairman of the Board of the Federation Against Software Theft
Peter Allan
Chairman of the Board of the Federation
Peter was one of the first Computer Science graduates in the UK and holds postgraduate degrees in Computer Science and Psychology.
Having worked initially as a University lecturer, then in Senior IT roles Peter started his first business in the 1980’s. This company eventually became part of a group which did a very successful full stock market listing. Peter returned to the SME world in 2002, turnaround a failing IT business, successfully doing a high value Trade sale.
Peter has his own property business both in the UK and mainland Europe.

Dawn Osborne
Legal Counsel and Chair of FAST Legal Advisory Group
Dawn Osborne
Counsel & Chair of FAST Legal Advisory Group
Oxbridge educated, Dawn Osborne has over 30 years’ experience as an IP lawyer, having qualified in the City and has been a partner for over twenty years in top tier IP boutique firms. She is primarily involved in litigation, advice and mediation. She has been consistently ranked in the Legal 500 for her IP work. She has recently been recommended as an IP STAR by Managing Intellectual Property Magazine based on client or peer reviews. She was given an award by INTA the international trade mark association for an outstanding contribution to the organisation.
Dawn’s extensive expertise covers trademarks, copyright, designs, internet law and confidentiality/privacy. She is a board member of the Federation Against Software Theft and head of FLAG their legal action group, a qualified CI Arb Mediator and an INTA neutral. She has a particular reputation as an Internet lawyer being an expert in domain name resolution for WIPO, NAF, Nominet and for the .eu and UDRP procedures of the CAC and extensive experience in entertainment (publishing, music, film, theatre and sport), media, fashion, and luxury goods including high end jewellery, watches and motor vehicles. She has a national and international reputation and made partner in 2000 when she was seven years qualified. She is a Solicitor Advocate and in her spare time has studied history of art, world arts and culture and anthropology and edited the magazine of a major British museum. Personable and down to earth her interest in music has spun off into a regular radio show where she has interviewed rock legends such as Suzi Quatro and Steve Hackett of Genesis. She has lectured at international conferences with audiences as large as 5000.
Highlights
- Acting as an expert in UK copyright law in US proceedings involving Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons
- Leading Partner for successful case in the Court of Appeal for BMW against Technosport.
- Leading Partner for successful High Court case Oran v Oranmore
- Author of the UK Chapter of the Oxford University Press publication and text book ‘Domain Name Law and Practice: an international handbook.’