ENGAGE Annual Conference

With her remarkable career spanning life sciences innovation and record-setting adventures at sea, few know how to navigate certain as well as Dr. Elin Haf Davies.

Dr. Elin Haf Davies has spent nearly two decades advancing treatments for children with rare diseases. A former children’s nurse with a PhD in Neurometabolics, Elin Haf went on to work in drug development and as a scientific advisor to the European Medicines Agency before founding Aparito, a digital health company developing digital biomarkers to monitor patients remotely and in real time.

Beyond her work in life sciences, Elin Haf is a record-setting ocean rower, sailor, author, and inspirational speaker. She became the first Welsh woman to row across the Atlantic and was part of the first all-woman team to row across the Indian Ocean. She later sailed across the Pacific and Atlantic, spending a total of 204 days at sea. Through her adventures, Elin Haf has raised nearly £300,000 for charity and used her platform to bring awareness to rare childhood disorders and the need for new treatments.

At ENGAGE 2026, Elin Haf will draw on her extraordinary experiences in both life sciences and at sea to share lessons in resilience, adaptability, and embracing uncertainty. She’ll also explore how those qualities can help leaders thrive in periods of rapid change, inspire innovation, and turn ambitious ideas into action.