Oh dear, the pols are trying to herd the cats.

Top Facebook executive Joanna Shields resigns to head up London’s Tech City – Telegraph.

Joanna Shields, one of Facebook’s most senior executives, is to quit the social media giant and join David Cameron’s project to create a competitor to California’s Silicon Valley in East London.

Ms Shields, the vice-president of Facebook who is responsible for the business in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, is to become the new chief executive of the Tech City Investment Organisation.

In a significant coup for Downing Street, Ms Shields will spearhead a push to bring greater foreign direct investment into the area around Shoreditch which has seen investments from Google, Intel and Cisco.

Speaking to The Sunday Telegraph, Ms Shields said that she had always had a “passion” for public policy and was keen to help the Government. Tech City is already home to 3,000 digital companies, most of them start-ups.

“There are not many opportunities where you know from day one you can contribute on a huge level,” said Ms Shields, the former chief executive of Bebo who was also a senior figure at Google.

“I think London is an extraordinary city. This is the gateway to the world. It should not be a step-child to other cities. It should be in its rightful place as the centre for innovation in my world, the digital industries.”