Claire Spencer is currently an independent consultant with the British Council working on the Hammamet series of conferences that fosters greater links between the UK and North Africa. The current theme for cooperation focuses on the socio-economic transformations of the digital age and the opportunities the growth of virtual connectivity presents to otherwise marginalised communities. Prior to this, Dr. Spencer was Senior Research Fellow and Head of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Programme at the foreign policy institute Chatham House, having previously served as Head of Policy for the Middle East and Central Asia for the development agency Christian Aid. Until 2001, she was Deputy Director of the Centre for Defence Studies at King's College, where she set up and led the Mediterranean Security programme.

Dr. Spencer is a member of a number of advisory boards and associations relating to the MENA region, and has acted as an expert witness in a number of legal proceedings and parliamentary enquiries. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce. Dr. Spencer received her BSc in politics from Bristol University and her PhD from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London