Speakers and panellists

Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs

David Lammy has been the Labour MP for Tottenham since 2000 and is the Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs. David served as a Minister in the Labour Government from 2001 to 2010 and was made a Privy Councillor in 2008.

David studied at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and was the first black Briton to receive a Master’s degree from Harvard University. He was admitted to the Bar of England and Wales in 1994 and is a Professor of Practice at SOAS School of Law.

Broadcaster

Ayesha Hazarika MBE is a broadcaster, writer and award-winning comedian. She is a much sought after political pundit with great wit and insight, appearing regularly across shows on the BBC, Sky, ITN and Dave as well as writing for national newspapers and print including the FT, Guardian, Grazia, The Scotsman and New Statesman. Ayesha is a guest presenter on BBC Radio 4’s Saturday Review, leading the weeks discussion on all things cultural and was previously a lead panel presenter on CNN Talk (CNN international) and a regular presenter on LBC.

In 2019 Ayesha Hazarika took over as Editor of The Londoner, the Evening Standard’s Daily Diary section, where she distils the latest news and insights from across the capital. Ayesha continues with her hugely popular column for the Evening Standard every Wednesday. Ayesha is a much sought-after political expert and broadcaster after serving as Chief of Staff to Harriet Harman, Labour Deputy Leader and twice Acting Leader of the Labour Party.

Former Chief Executive, Siemens UK

Juergen Maier is an Industrialist and the former Chief Executive of Siemens UK, a position he held from July 2014 to December 2019. Over his 33 year career with Siemens he held a number of senior roles within Siemens in the UK and Germany. He built Siemens UK into a R&D led engineering powerhouse, significantly contributing to net zero goals and bringing high value jobs across the UK.

Juergen now Chairs the Digital Catapult and has contributed to the creation of a more focused approach to UK's industrial and innovation strategies. He founded the national Made Smarter programme that is driving industrial digitalisation into UK's manufacturing base and supporting more investment in research and innovation . He advises tech start-up and scale-up businesses which are a key part of the industrial ecosystem creating UK's green 4th Industrial revolution. In that capacity, Juergen chairs the Manchester Graphene Company.

Juergen has received honorary doctorates and professorships from a number of UK Universities including visiting professorships at the University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University and Nottingham Trent University.

Shadow Secretary of State for International Trade

Nick Thomas-Symonds was first elected as the Labour MP for his home constituency of Torfaen in May 2015, and was re-elected in June 2017 and again in December 2019.

He has served in a number of frontbench roles for the Labour Party: Shadow Pensions Minister; Shadow Employment Minister; Shadow Solicitor-General; and Shadow Security Minister. He is currently the Shadow Secretary of State for International Trade and, in 2021, he was appointed a Privy Councillor.

Founder, Cobra Beer

Karan Bilimoria is the founder of Cobra Beer, Chairman of the Cobra Beer Partnership Limited, a Joint Venture with Molson Coors.

Lord Bilimoria is the Founding Chairman of the UK India Business Council, a Deputy Lieutenant of Greater London, a former Chancellor of Thames Valley University (now the University of West London); he was the youngest University Chancellor in the UK when appointed.

Karan was a former Senior Non-Executive Director of the Booker Group now TESCO PLC (2007-2016); he is one of the first two visiting entrepreneurs at the University of Cambridge; he is a founding member of the Prime Minister of India’s Global Advisory Council. In 2006, Karan Bilimoria was appointed the Lord Bilimoria of Chelsea, making him the first ever Zoroastrian Parsi to sit in the House of Lords.  In 2008 he was awarded the Pravasi Bharti Samman by the President of India.

In July 2014, he was installed as the seventh Chancellor of the University of Birmingham, making him the first Indian-born Chancellor of a Russell Group University in Great Britain.

Karan is also President of The UK Council on International Student Affairs (UKCISA) and Co-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for International Students. Joined Policy Exchange & the ICC (International Chamber of Commerce) as a Board Member in 2022.

Head of International and Transactional Banking, Santander UK

A native Australian, residing in the UK after having studied in Malaysia and worked in Spain for many years, John’s career has always been linked to the international sphere. His 25 years spent with the Santander Group across several different divisions and geographies of the bank have afforded him a unique set of experiences and skills on International Business, providing clear insight into the challenges and opportunities faced by international trading companies. He also acts as Chair of the International Chambers of Commerce’s new UK Trade and Investment Policy Committee since 2016. He has been appointed Chair of ICC United Kingdom’s New Centre For Digital Trade & Innovation in September, 2022.

John and his team have recently launched The Santander Navigator platform. A revolutionary digital portal that supports businesses to trade internationally, tailoring the digital experience to the business’s specific needs. Thanks to insights gained from Santander’s Trade Barometer research, this platform supports the UK economy and post-COVID-19 recovery by drawing on business confidence in future growth prospects, as well as saving businesses both time and money.

Chief Executive, New Economics Foundation

Miatta has a wealth of experience in developing and delivering policy to empower communities and change people’s lives. She has been at the forefront of generating new ideas on reshaping our economy inside government and out. Prior to joining NEF she was Director of Policy & Research at the Institute of Public Policy Research. Before this, she has worked at senior levels for the Leader of the Opposition, the Cabinet Office, and the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit.

Her work has included the development of policies from devolution to local economic growth, housing, energy and climate change and transport, driving forward the Government’s economic devolution agenda in England, and localism and local economic growth. Miatta has a Masters and PhD in economic development from the LSE and a BA in PPE from Oxford.

Chair, International Chamber of Commerce

Paul Drechsler CBE is Former President of Confederation of British Industry. Paul is also Chairman, BusinessLDN (previously London First). He is a Non-Executive Director of Greencore Plc and Schroders & Co. Paul is currently the (Honorary) President of the Society of Chemical Industry, (SCI). He has previously held senior appointments including; Chairman Bibby Line Group, Chairman & Chief Executive of Wates Group, Executive Director of ICI Plc, Non-executive Director of Essentra Plc, Chairman CBI energy Policy Committee.

Prior to joining Wates, Paul spent 24 years with ICI PLC, holding Senior / Board positions and living in the UK, Brazil, the USA and the Netherlands. He was previously Chancellor of Teesside University, a position he held until July 2022, and Chairman Teach First, Chairman of UK Skills Funding Agency Advisory Board, Director of Business in the Community, The Princes Trust (Construction Council), and TCD Business School Advisory Board. Paul is an Engineering graduate from the University of Dublin, Trinity College, where he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Laws in 2018.

Former Chairman of the John Lewis Partnership

Charlie Mayfield is chairman of QA Limited, the UK’s leading technology and IT skills solutions provider. He also founded and chairs Be the Business, which is focused on stimulating and encouraging competitiveness, growth and technology adoption in businesses across the UK. In addition, Charlie is an advisor to a number of private equity firms, including CVC and Exponent.

He was Executive Chairman of the John Lewis Partnership from 2007 to 2020, having joined the Partnership in 2000, with responsibility for business strategy and development for both John Lewis and Waitrose. He led the development of the Partnership's online strategy, including the acquisition of buy.com (which became JL.com and accounted for 45% of sales by 2020) and the Partnership’s investment in and strategic partnership with Ocado, where he was a board director for 5 years. He was Managing Director of John Lewis prior to taking up his appointment as Chairman of the Partnership in 2007.

He is a Trustee of Place2Be (a child mental health charity) and of the British Museum, where he is overseeing the Rosetta programme, which effect a transformation over the next 10 years. He received a knighthood in June 2013 for services to business.

Chief Executive, North West Business Leadership Team (NWBLT)

Emma Degg is the Chief Executive of the North West Business Leadership Team (NWBLT). The NWBLT brings together leaders of national and international businesses with substantial commitments and interests in the North West of England. The Team works to exert its collective influence for the long-term good of the region, economically, environmentally, culturally and socially.

Emma has spent her career focussed upon bringing together business leaders and policy makers to make a tangible difference, nationally, across the North West and in local government. She regards the promotion of responsible business leadership as essential to the future of the UK economy.

Emma serves on the UK2070 independent House of Lords Commission led by Sir Bob Kerslake that is examining how to tackle the UK’s economic and social regional disparities. She is a Board Member of Made Smarter North West and a Trustee of ‘We Mind the Gap’.

Managing Director, SBIT

Charles is Managing Director and Spokesperson for SBIT, which represents and supports seasonal UK outbound travel businesses.

He has managed businesses in the travel and hospitality industry for 20 years. He is also MD of European Pubs which operates bars, hotels and restaurants in the French Alps.

Secretary General, ICC United Kingdom

Chris Southworth is Secretary General at the International Chamber of Commerce UK and a regular voice for business in the international media.

He is also Co-Chair of the Legal Reform Advisory Board at the ICC Digital Standards Initiative, co-founder of the UK Centre for Digital Trade and Innovation and ICC Representative to The Commonwealth.

He is a member of the ICC World Council as well as the International Advisory Boards of the Digital Trade Network and Queen Mary-UNIDROIT Institute of Transnational Commercial Law.

Labour MP and Co-convenor, UK Trade & Business Commission

Hilary is MP for Leeds Central and Co-convener of the UK Trade and Business Commission which provides independent scrutiny of the UK’s trade deals and provides recommendations to the Government.

A former Shadow Foreign Secretary and former Secretary of State for International Development and Food and Rural Affairs, Hilary has a wealth of experience in international relations, trade and the UK’s production economy.

Hilary was chair of the House of Commons Committee on the Future Relationship with the European Union which scrutinised the Government on Brexit negotiations and UK-EU trade.

Chair, Virgin Group and Co-convenor, UK Trade & Business Commission

Peter has chaired Virgin Group since 2009 and currently also acts as chair for Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Hotels as well as for Agilyx AS, a leading chemical recycling company.

He has over 40 years’ experience in business management and investment banking and brings knowledge and understanding of the international economy and impacts on business and international trade.

Global Head of Geopolitical Risk, HSBC

Helen previously held a variety of strategic roles with HSBC in Compliance and Risk in Asia and the Middle East. Helen holds a doctorate in international relations from the University of Oxford focussing on Russian foreign policy, and is a published author. Prior to joining HSBC, she spent a number of years working in public safety and security functions within the Government of Canada. Most recently, she was responsible for providing strategic analysis of Russia and Central Asia to the Canadian Prime Minister and the National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister at the Privy Council Office of Canada. Helen has also deployed to Afghanistan and has worked for the Canadian Embassy in Moscow.

Chief Global Strategist, Milken Institute

Kevin Klowden is the Chief Global Strategist for the Milken Institute, where he leads the Milken Institute’s global strategy in research expertise, subject matter focus and policy engagement. In this role is focused on issues of regional economic competitiveness, sustainability, technology-based development, and the modernization of trade and supply chains. Klowden holds graduate degrees from the University of Chicago and London School of Economics, where he studied global financial centers and foreign direct investment.

Public Policy Editor, Financial Times

Peter Foster is the public policy editor of the Financial Times and author of the FT's weekly Britain After Brexit newsletter.

His brief covers all aspects of UK policy, including the implementation of Brexit, the recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and the economic and the 'levelling up' agenda.

He joined the FT in April 2020 from the Telegraph Media Group where he had held the position of Europe editor since 2015, focusing on the Brexit negotiations. He was previously based in New Delhi (2004-2008) and Beijing (2008-2012) and Washington DC (2012-2015).

His book What Went Wrong with Brexit - and what we can do about it will be published by Canongate on September 7.

CEO, Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce

The GBCC exists to Connect, Support & Grow local businesses. It is a mid-sized not for profit business membership and support organisation that has been in business, for business, since 1813. It delivers support and services aimed at helping local firms go global.

Henrietta became CEO in 2021 at age 30, making her the youngest CEO in the organisation’s 210 year history. She is a vocal advocate for Greater Birmingham’s businesses, representing Chamber members’ interests through a range of regional and local stakeholder boards and groups.

Prior to becoming CEO, she was Director of Policy & Strategic Relationships leading the GBCC’s research, campaigns and support activity, including on preparing for, and the impact of, the end of the Brexit transition period. She is a governor and honorary fellow of University College Birmingham. She was named Birmingham Live’s Young Business Leader of the Year at their 2022 Business Awards and Young Leader of the Year at Business Desk’s West Midlands Leadership Awards 2023.

Former UK Ambassador to USA

Lord Darroch’s diplomatic career has spanned four decades where he has served as Head of the Cabinet Office European Secretariat and the Prime Ministers Advisor on European affairs from 2004-2007 and four years as British Permanent Representative to the European Union.

He was National Security Advisor from 2012-2015 before taking on the UK’s foremost diplomatic post as the British Ambassador to the USA from 2016 until 2019. He became Chairperson of internationalist campaign group Best for Britain in 2021.

Chief Economic Adviser and a board member at the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR).

She was previously Director General for Economics at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and Joint Head of the UK Government Economic Service. Before that she was Partner at the accounting and consulting firm KPMG after senior economic positions in banking and the oil sector.

She is Visiting Professor at BCU and King’s College, London, is a Fellow and Council member of the UK Academy for Social Sciences, a Fellow of the Society of Professional Economists and a Companion of the British Academy of Management.

She is a member of the newly reconstituted Economic Advisory Council of the British Chambers of Commerce , on the Advisory Group of the Betters Statistics CIC, and is co-founder of GoodCorporation, a company set up to advise on business ethics . Her books include: “Greekonomics: The Euro crisis and Why Politicians Don't Get It”; “It's the Economy, Stupid- Economics for Voters”, with Ross and Urwin; Redesigning Manufacturing”, with Nielsen and Beverland”; and “Women vs Capitalism”. Her latest co-authored book, “How to be a Successful Economist”, has just been published by Oxford University Press.

Political Commentator

Alex Andreou read law and studied economics. He spent a decade working for the market regulator, investigating anti-competitive practices. In 2010 he retrained as an actor and started a second career as a performer, writer, and broadcaster, acting in the West End and at the National Theatre, writing for several broadsheets and magazines, and hosting political podcasts.

UK Politics reporter for Bloomberg News

His brief covers the Treasury, levelling up, business and trade. Joe has reported extensively on the corporate impacts of Brexit and is a regular contributor on BBC News, LBC and Times Radio.

Joe won MHP’s 30 to Watch award for City & Business journalism in 2020. He holds an MA in Journalism & International Development from Sciences Po, Paris and is a former world champion of debating in French.

Director External affairs and government relations at Bosch UK.

She holds B.S and M.S. degrees in electrical and Medical engineering from the University of Paderborn/Ulm, Germany. She was responsible for business development for telehealth in UK and Ireland. She has more than 6 years of experience in Software and hardware engineering in automotive industry.

She is a board member at BBF (Buckingham Business First); Success Essex Partnership; and she sets on the advisory board for UK5G.

Director of Policy Solutions, WWF UK

Angela is Director of Policy Solutions at WWF-UK where she leads the teams working on climate, finance, economics, production, and consumption policy. She started as an accountant in the energy industry before moving into economics and policy development where she has been for the last 20 years.

She led on economics and strategy for the East of England Development Agency and worked on productivity, innovation, and low carbon growth in the UK and Europe for SQW. In 2012, she took those skills to the Caribbean where she was Regional Economist and Climate Attaché for the FCO.

Returning to the UK she found her home in environmental advocacy. She was Chief Economist for Green Alliance, where she led on industrial strategy, tech and the economic case for a low carbon and circular economy and then Chief Advisor, Economics and Economic Development at WWF, providing economic advice across the climate, food and nature programs as well as leading on green recovery, just transition and trade policy for sustainable agriculture.

She was a member of UCL’s Green Innovation Policy Commission and IPPR’s Environmental Justice Commission and currently sits on the CCC Economic Advisory Group for Climate Adaptation and Resilience. Her TEDtalk on the green economy has over 1.7million views.

Chief Executive Officer, Hydrogen UK

Clare is one of the leading voices in hydrogen in the UK. She launched the Hydrogen UK, the UK trade association for hydrogen, which is leading the national debate on the role of hydrogen in meeting net zero and working with industry leaders, Ministers and civil servants on the next steps required to scale hydrogen in the UK.

Clare has an extensive network across the hydrogen space, working with many organisations and companies to advise on how to capitalise on the opportunities presented by hydrogen.

Political Reporter, PoliticsHome

Nadine Batchelor-Hunt is a political reporter at PoliticsHome. She formerly worked at Yahoo News UK as a political correspondent, and regularly appears on television and radio to provide analysis on political stories.

Head of Trade Policy, British Chambers of Commerce

William has worked for the last 7 years with a range of companies, from global retailers to SMEs to innovative start-ups, advising on EU exit, the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland, and the UK’s new trade and investment policies.

Previously, William spent over ten years as an academic lawyer specialising in Constitutional and EU law, and 5 and a half years as an MP (Glasgow North East), including roles as Shadow Ministers for Defra, Transport and Scotland and membership of the Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee.

Director of EU & International Affairs – Make UK

Fergus McReynolds represents Make UK, the UK manufacturers’ organisation in Brussels, leading engagement and liaising with European and International Stakeholders, including the European institutions on a wide range of European, Trade and International policies. Working through his extensive European and Global network and with the partner organisations, Fergus has represented manufacturers for over 10 years in Europe and internationally.

Fergus has a Masters in Chemistry from the University of Warwick and joined Make UK as a Senior Climate & Environment Policy Adviser. Before joining, he worked in the food industry providing guidance and analysis for dairy companies on environment, sustainability and climate change. Fergus has sat on various government and industry advisory panels in the UK and abroad and spent time on secondment in the UK Government.

Founder, Miribure

Suki Fuller is a competitive strategic advisor, author, analytical storyteller, acclaimed keynote speaker and Fellow of The Council of Competitive Intelligence Fellows. She is the Founder of Miribure, Co-Founder & Senior Vice President of DC Analytics and Storyteller for Group of Humans. She is a contributing author to A Practical Guide to Competitive Intelligence.

Suki is a fierce supporter of intelligence, ethical tech, #SafetyTech, Security, Privacy and Surveillance. Her eclectic 20-year career within strategic intelligence and technology has taken her from the US Department of Defense to teaching business students in China.

She currently resides in London, where she is an intrinsic part of the tech community as a Board Advisor for Tech London Advocates / Global Tech Advocates, which includes key positions as Co-Lead TLA Women in Tech, Vice-Chair for GTA Black Women in Tech and board member for TLA Young Entrepreneurs. Suki was recently named by the 5th Most Influential Woman in UK Tech by Computer Weekly 2022. Financial Times’ Top 100 Most Influential Black, Asian, Minority, Ethnic Leaders in UK; Black Powerlist Top 30 Titans of Tech; Tech Nation’s 50 Most Inspiring and influential Black voices in UK Tech; London Tech Week’s 30 Changemaker to watch.

Policy Director, Logistics UK

Kate joined Logistics UK as Policy Director in June 2022.

Kate started her career in the civil service, first in the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, including a posting to Beijing working on the handover of Hong Kong. She subsequently worked in the Cabinet Office on the Better Regulation agenda, leading the secretariat for a PM-chaired committee which challenged Government to ensure regulation minimised costs on business.

Kate worked in the Department for Transport from 1990 – 2020 leading on EU and international transport policy; airport policy, airspace and passenger rights; and rail strategy including the launch of the Williams Rail Review. Most recently her responsibilities included policy on rail devolution, investment, workforce, and freight in addition to engagement with industry clients including Network Rail and the Rail Delivery Group. From December 2019 to February 2020, Kate worked on the development of transport policy for EU exit. From 2020 – June 2022 Kate was Policy Director at the Railway Industry Association (RIA) – leading on coronavirus response, strategic engagement and diversity including the launch of the RIA Women in Rail Diversity and Inclusion Charter.

Partner and UK Head of Tax Policy, KPMG

Tim Sarson is a partner and UK head of tax policy at KPMG, and EMEA leader for Value Chain Management. He has worked in the field of international tax and trade for 25 years. Tim has a particular focus on geography and location, helping companies and governments adapt to changes in the global landscape of tax, labour, trading flows and geopolitics.

Tim acts as the face of the firm on policy matters in the print and broadcast media, as well as being the primary policy contact for HM Treasury and HMRC. He led the firm’s tax response to the UK exit from the EU, including helping a wide range of businesses prepare for a potential no-deal exit. Tim has responsibility for KPMG UK’s submissions on domestic and multilateral (e.g. OECD) consultations, and sits on the DIT practitioners group consulting on developments in the UK’s international trade relationships.

Trade Strategy and Brexit Leader, EY UK

Sally leads the EY Trade Strategy and Brexit team. She is a leading specialist in trade policy from both a global and UK/EU perspective.

She advises organizations across multiple industries including FTSE 100, Fortune 500, privately owned companies and trade associations. She also has frequent contact with the UK Government and the EU Commission.

Sally holds a BSc in Astronomy and Astrophysics from University College London.

Director (Leeds and Birmingham)

Rob is Bruntwood’s regional lead for Yorkshire and the West Midlands – supporting the development of thriving cities including Leeds and Birmingham.

Drawing on more than 20 years’ experience within Bruntwood, Rob specialises in facilitating collaborative partnerships between the private sector, local authorities, research institutions and universities to create world-class innovation districts and drive strategic growth.

Founder, 3P innovation Ltd

Dr Dave Seaward is a founder of the now employee owned SME, 3P innovation Ltd. 3P innovation develops new processes and high-quality automation systems for a range of sectors including pharmaceuticals and medical devices.

3P are recent winners of two Queen’s awards for Enterprise and a Princess Royal award for training. Dave is a chartered engineer with a first degree in electrical and mechanical engineering and a control theory PhD.

His career in industry now spans over 4 decades primarily associated with the development of custom automation for a wide range of industries. He developed the way the pyramid teabag is filled with tea and is a named inventor on Unilever’s associated patent; as a result, he is mentioned in the UK Patent Office book “Inventing the 20th Century”. Dave is named inventor on more than 20 other patents.

Policy Officer, Trades Union Congress

Rosa Crawford is policy lead on international trade and Brexit at the Trades Union Congress. She sits on a number of government advisory groups on trade including those monitoring the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement as well as non-EU trade deals. She is a board member of the Centre for Inclusive Trade Policy and the Trade Justice Movement.

She represents the TUC in the European Trade Union Confederation’s trade committee. She has provided evidence on a number of occasions to the House of Commons international trade committee and gave evidence on the Trade (Australia and New Zealand) bill committee in October.

She studied Political Science at University College London.

Senior Manager, Financial Services Regulatory Insights

Anirvan is a Senior Manager in PwC’s Financial Services Regulatory Insights team and advises clients on regulatory matters. Anirvan authors PwC’s market facing publications on insurance regulatory developments and how these developments could impact business models, governance arrangements and risk management frameworks of financial services clients.

Before joining PwC, Anirvan worked at the Prudential Regulation Authority for more than 7 years. Anirvan has presented at multiple industry events on the impact of regulatory changes. He is a qualified accountant and holds an MBA from the University of Oxford.

Managing Director, Westaway Sausages

Charles is the Managing Director of Westaway Sausages which has grown from a start up 25 years ago to being awarded 2023 UK Meat manufacturer of the Year.

An experienced exporter, he is an entrepreneur that likes to set up and organise companies that have the potential to be disruptive and innovative in their sector. Key strengths are forming and implementing strategy. He has global experience in many roles and interests in social enterprise and sustainability.

Chief Executive, Scottish Fishermen’s Federation

Elspeth joined the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation as Chief Executive in August 2019, following a career in the public sector. Before joining SFF, Elspeth spent four years as deputy Chief Executive at Food Standards Scotland, where she led its work on Scotland’s strategy and policy for food safety and standards, having spent the preceding 14 years in a range of roles with the UK’s Food Standards Agency in Scotland and London. Elspeth is a science graduate of Stirling and Aberdeen universities and started her working life at what is now the Marine Scotland Science laboratory in Aberdeen.

Director, European Centre for International Political Economy

David is the UK Director at the European Centre for International Political Economy (ECIPE) and a leading expert and writer on Brexit negotiations and the trade policy issues arising from Brexit.

He worked on trade and investment issues for the UK Government for a number of years, including on TTIP throughout the three and a half years of negotiations. After the EU referendum vote he helped establish the new Department for International Trade, engaging in many of the UK’s first working groups with non-EU countries, and setting out options for engagement with the US.

Specialist Partner, Flint Global

Stephen practised as an EU competition lawyer, mostly in Brussels, including as Managing Partner of the Brussels office of Herbert Smith and global head of the antitrust practice at Sidley Austin.

He is deputy chair of the anti death penalty organisation Reprieve and founder of the campaigning groups Clean Up The Internet and Law For Change.

CEO & Founder of Fashion Roundtable

Tamara has 20 years experience working in the fashion industry, as a fashion editor and brand consultant, as well as uniquely working in Parliament.

As secretariat for the All Party Parliamentary Group for Ethics and Sustainability in Fashion, she is the bridge between fashion and policy.

Founder and Chief Executive, Downtown in Business

Frank McKenna is the founder and chief executive of Downtown in Business. Before establishing the Downtown brand Frank was a full time politician, serving as the leader of the North West Regional Assembly, deputy leader of Lancashire County Council and a Parliamentary Assistant.

Since entering the world of business, Frank has served on the Merseyside Entrepreneurship Commission; Liverpool Vision’s Strategic Planning board; and advisory boards on both the Lancashire and Liverpool Local Enterprise Partnership’s. From 2008- 2013 he was a Non Executive Director of a hospital trust board.

Deputy Director of Innovation Ecosystem Strategy, Innovate UK

As Innovate UK’s Deputy Director for Innovation Ecosystem Strategy, Geeta’s key responsibility is to look across the innovation ecosystem to join up the key players to ensure Innovate UK and its partners are maximizing impact. She leads on design and designing innovation systems.

Until recently Geeta was Innovate UK’s Head of Economics and Insights leading on evaluation and impact, strategic data insights as well as research. Geeta sat on several boards including:the Productivity Institute advisory board; LSE’s Programme on Innovation and diffusion; BEIS’s COVID 19 Evaluation Board; Warwick University’s Global Research Priority Board; Innovation Caucus, Enterprise Research Centre; NESTA’s Innovation Growth Laboratory.

Before joining Innovate UK, Geeta spent 5 years at the Construction Industry Training Board as their Head of Economic insights, lead the of reforming its funding strategy programme and levy strategy. She has also spent 6 years as a sell side economist in a leading Asian brokerage covering emerging markets.

Geeta Started her career as fast stream economist in at the Foreign Commonwealth office covering Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Founder, 4160Tuesdays

Sarah McCartney is the founder of 4160Tuesdays, a micro business that handmakes and sells perfume to specialist retailers and direct to customers. She set up her company in 2011 after working in branding and copywriting for over 20 years, and teaching herself how to make perfume. She received an 2019 EU award for contributing to the circular economy, won the Blue Patch Sustainability Award for Women in Business 2021, and ÇaFleurebon’s Best of Scent 2022.

Professor of Economics, University of Sussex

Alan is Professor of Economics and a Fellow and Founding Director of the UK Trade Policy Observatory in the University of Sussex. From 2008 to 2011, Alan was Chief Economist at the Department for International Development, and from 2004 to 2007 Director of the Development Research Group of the World Bank.

He was editor of The World Trade Review (2008-2020). Alan’s current work is almost wholly devoted to research and policy analysis on the trade policy implications of Brexit.

UK Head, Plastics Europe

Geoff is also a Trustee of Lantra, SCI and the Association for Science Education. He currently advises and consults to a wide range of organisational strategic and tactical groups covering the private, public and third sectors in arenas including sustainability, science, environment and further education. For over 20 years Geoff worked within BASF, the world’s largest chemical company including a decade on the plc board, with roles including communications, EHS, sustainability and corporate affairs.

Managing Director, Winterwood Farms

Stephen is the Managing Director of Winterwood Farms. Stephen started farming in the UK in 1978 on just 1 ha of ground. Today, Stephen and related Group companies farm 17 farms in 4 countries, with blueberries being the primary crop.

Stephen is one of the founder members of the International Blueberry Organisation which represents over 90% of the world’s fresh blueberry growers, and is a current Director, holding the position of Secretary.

Co-director, Unchecked UK

Phoebe is co-director of Unchecked UK - a non-partisan network of over 70 organisations making the case for strong social and environmental protections, and for the public bodies which enforce them.

Before joining the Unchecked UK, she was Deputy Director of the Institute for Public Policy Research, the UK’s leading progressive think tank. In addition to her work as a communicator, researcher, policy expert and campaigner, she has worked in philanthropy and academia.

Farmer, Director of Winfrey Farms

James Winfrey was a new entrant to farming in 2014. He started from scratch 9 years ago on a 19 hectare farm. Now farming 270 hectares, and 1000 breeding ewes, James and his wife Sarah together produce around 1700 lambs a year for the domestic and export market.

James and Sarah farm with a very limited amount of government subsidies. This means that they are somewhat insulated from the phase-out of direct payments for all farmers that will take place over the next few years - but they do have a perspective on the contemporary issues facing UK farming and those working in the sector.

Head of Public Affairs, ScaleUp institute

Josh Robson is Head of Public Affairs and External Relations at the the Scale Up Institute, a private sector, not-for-profit company focused on making the UK the best place in the world to scale up a business.

Josh is a public policy specialist, working with policy makers to identify opportunities that will support scale up businesses and keep scaleups at the top of the UK political and business agenda. Josh has previously held strategic and public affairs roles at Energy UK, UK Business Council for Sustainable Energy, and Knauf Insulation Northern Europe.

Owner, The Good Life

Shelley opened the Manchester site of The Good Life in 2019 in response to the climate crisis, to enable her community to shop more sustainably. The Good Life stocks a range of ethical fresh produce, beauty products and ethical gifts. Shelley’s aim with The Good Life is to bring ethics into the gifting market which is heavily saturated with unethical products. She loves the busy nature of her role, and the fact that it enables her to meet new people. She constantly changes and adapts her businesses to ensure it continues to succeed.

Chief Executive, British Poultry Council

Richard has been with the British Poultry Council for eighteen years, first as Policy Director.

and latterly as Chief Executive. Richard is a specialist in policy and legislative issues and strategic reputation management. With extensive experience in promoting positive public perception, Richard creates innovative visions that inspire changing opinions on subjects crucial for a sustainable future.

At the BPC Richard is responsible for helping member businesses navigate the huge challenges of recent years, including the effects of Brexit, the impacts of covid, and the threat posed by avian influenza. The BPC covers a variety of issues including food security, employment and skills, animal welfare, and antibiotic stewardship.

ITE Ltd

Lesley Batchelor CBE is a champion of UK exporters, with a powerful track record in enhancing the international performance of hundreds of businesses. Known as a force of nature within the industry she has changed many businesses fortunes in terms of exporting and helped to promote the need for to professionalise the approach the UK takes to trading globally.  

Lesley currently runs International Trade Experts Ltd (ITE Ltd) which has newly launched Export- Angels.com a brand new approach offering an intelligent exporting service for manufacturers, and producers, which helps them find, and succeed in new, or to excel in existing markets, using our talented team’s truly holistic approach to establish the best market, marketing intelligence, financial planning, which includes funding for any eligible business no matter the size.

ITE Ltd also runs Exportbootcamps.com an ICC and ILM accredited training company with a real difference.

She also acts as a board advisor to Smart & Savvy Women Ltd, Open Borders Direct and the International Trade Institute in Dublin. With invaluable expertise in intellectual property, global licensing and marketing Lesley has been awarded CBI Real Business First Woman in Business Services and CEO of the year from Trade Association Congress. She was honoured with the Order of the British Empire by the Queen in her birthday honours list in 2014 now promoted to a Commander of the British Empire in New Year’s Honours list 2023.

Chief Executive, Independent Society of Musicians

Deborah is the Chief Executive of the Independent Society of Musicians (ISM) and has held the role since 2008. The ISM is the UK’s professional body for musicians and has existed since 1882, supporting over 11,000 members across the UK and Ireland. The ISM has a strong policy and research function and since 2016 it has published many reports on the impact of Brexit on the music sector. The ISM has also made available for free a ground breaking guide to the EU visa and work permit requirements for all those UK creatives seeking to work in the EU. It is widely regarded as one of the best in the sector.

Director of Policy & Public Affairs, Road Haulage Association

Declan Pang is Director of Policy & Public Affairs at the Road Haulage Association – the leading trade association representing road haulage, coach and van operators across the UK who are critical in keeping our supply chains moving.

Producer/CEO, Good Gate Media

John Giwa-Amu runs production and gaming company Good Gate Media Ltd and sister company Red and Black Films. John’s first produced feature film, Little White Lies, won two BAFTA Cymru Awards.

John has won the BBC talent Award, a Screen Award, a BIFA, has been honoured as a Breakthrough Brit and a Future Leader by Screen International. He sat on the board of Film Cymru Wales as a director for 7 years and advised Welsh Government’s Media Investment Fund. He has graduated from the internationally acclaimed film/media business initiative, Inside Pictures and C4/Ingenious/BBC/Barclays sponsored Indielab.

Professor of Productivity Studies at the Alliance Manchester Business School (AMBS) at the University of Manchester

Bart van Ark is a Professor of Productivity Studies at the Alliance Manchester Business School (AMBS) at the University of Manchester. He is also Managing Director and Principal Investigator of The Productivity Institute, a UK-wide organisation which aims to lay the foundations for an era of sustained and inclusive productivity growth by bringing together academic research, policy studies and business engagement.

Van Ark is an internationally acclaimed economist in the field of international comparative productivity measurement and analysis, innovation and technology, and digital transformation, and his research has cut across the areas of economic growth, development economics, economic history and international economics and business. From 2008 to 2020, van Ark was Chief Economist and Head of the Economy, Strategy and Finance Centre at The Conference Board, a global business research think tank headquartered in New York, where he oversaw the production of widely watched economic indicators and growth forecasts around the globe.

Director of Research and Economics, McKinsey

Tera Allas is Director of Research and Economics in McKinsey’s United Kingdom and Ireland office, working closely with the McKinsey Global Institute. She leads McKinsey’s research on the macroeconomic outlook, growth, and productivity, bringing together deep expertise and more than three decades of experience in strategy, corporate finance, economics, and public policy.

Allas is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences and a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce. From 2004 to 2014, Allas worked as chief economist in the UK’s energy, transport, and business departments and as deputy head of the UK Government Economic Service. In 2018, Allas was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to economic policy.

Research Fellow, Enterprise Research Centre, University of Warwick, and The Productivity Institute

Halima Jibril is a Research Fellow at the Enterprise Research Centre, University of Warwick, and The Productivity Institute. Her research examines the links between innovation and performance in small businesses, including the roles of innovation networks, exporting, leadership styles and supply chain collaborations. Halima also has expertise in conducting evaluations of policy support measures, working with institutions such as Cavendish Enterprise and Innovation Growth Lab, Nesta. Jibril’s research is strongly quantitative and reflects her diverse econometrics background.

At The Productivity Institute, Halima’s research has examined the potential productivity effects of the UK Government’s Covid-19 business support measures. She is currently working on understanding the temporal links between exporting, innovation and firm performance.

Deputy Pro Vice Chancellor for regional engagement, Warwick University and Professor of International Business, Warwick Business School.

Professor Nigel Driffield is Deputy Pro Vice Chancellor for regional engagement at Warwick University and Professor of International Business at Warwick Business School, having held a similar post at Aston Business School for 10 years which included a spell as the dean of the business school. He has a PhD from Reading University and has published some 80 academic papers across a range of disciplines including international business, regional science, finance, and economics. Nigel leads the Midlands Regional Productivity Forum and is research theme lead for The Productivity Institute’s organisational capital theme.

Managing Director, Business Support and Business Finance, The Growth Company, Manchester

She leads the delivery of the NW Made Smarter Adoption Programme to improve the competitiveness and productivity of North West manufacturers. She is committed to driving the adoption of industrial digital technology by facilitating access to skills, funding, and expertise. Donna has over 20 years’ experience of working in business support, workforce development, access to finance and innovation services across the North West, delivering services to meet the strategic priorities of those areas, and ultimately drive economic growth.