Lord Karan Bilimoria CBE, DL is the founder of Cobra Beer, Chairman of the Cobra Beer Partnership Limited, a Joint Venture with Molson Coors, and Chairman of Molson Coors Cobra India. In the Monde Selection, one of the most prestigious quality awards in the world for beer, the Cobra range have collectively been awarded a total of 110 Gold medals since 2001, making it one of the most awarded beers in the world. 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. He is an honorary fellow of Sidney Sussex College Cambridge and Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Judge Business School, Cambridge University.  He qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Ernst & Young and graduated in law from the University of Cambridge. He is also an alumnus through executive education of the Cranfield School of Management, the London Business School and the Harvard Business School. 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, and he is the President of the UK Council for International Students Affairs (UKCISA). Since 2017 Lord Bilimoria has been a Bynum Tudor Fellow at Kellogg College, University of Oxford. Lord Bilimoria is an Honorary Group Captain in 601 Squadron Royal Air Force. In June 2020, he was appointed President of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).

Professor Sam Turner is the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of the High Value Manufacturing (HVM) Catapult. Sam works across the HVM Catapult centres and stakeholders, including government, to develop manufacturing strategy for the UK. He is part of the Made Smarter strategy implementation group led by Juergen Maier and was part of the review team. In this role Sam has chaired the D4I digital industry group, the Through Life Engineering Services (TES) Council and the IMechE Manufacturing Industries Division.

He joined the HVM Catapult team in 2017 from his role as CTO of the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing, where he worked on a range of projects and capabilities including the flagship digital facility Factory 2050, machining, casting and composites technology.  As a founding member of the AMRC, Sam led the growth of the AMRC’s Machining Group, with successes in delivering impact to UK industry, before moving into the CTO role. Sam has over 20 years experience in manufacturing working across the aerospace, steel, defence, automotive sectors.

Duncan is a Senior Manager in Deloitte’s supply chain practice with over 17 years of broad experience across consumer products supply chains. He is an expert in the development of supply chain operating models with a focus on planning, manufacturing, and logistics.

He is responsible for successful client delivery of our SupplyCycle production optimisation tool with a focus on helping our clients move from pilot to scaling across their manufacturing footprint.

I’m incredibly passionate about the world of manufacturing and raising the profile of, British Manufacturing, especially for the next generation – who are the future of manufacturing here in the UK. It’s an incredibly exciting time for British Manufacturing, a time of change, evolution and rejuvenation of the sector.

I was appointed Managing Director in August 2016 (after the sudden death of my husband who had been the Managing Director since 1992) and set out to build a strategy for growth.

In July 2017 I graduated from the Goldman Sachs 10KSBUK programme which has been pivotal in helping us on our growth trajectory.

Daletech was established in 1987 as an electronic manufacturing company focussing on high quality, diverse, niche products. My journey has opened the doors to the marvellous world of manufacturing! And my love of manufacturing has driven my passion to open the doors of manufacturing to the next generation.

I am Chair of the Leeds Manufacturing Alliance, and have been involved in the organisation of the Leeds Manufacturing Festival – an incredibly successful event that brought Manufacturing front and centre for students and influencers in the Region. This year will be a different format but nevertheless we will still reach out to bring manufacturing alive to young people.

I also work as an Enterprise Advisor for the LEP, have been supporting the #futuregoals campaign. I am a member of the Regional Advisory Board for Make UK.

At Daletech I strive to make sure our customers profit from our expertise and engagement with the sector as a whole and we aim to add value to our customers products.

Prior to joining Cambridge, Ian had 35 years of industry experience, working at senior levels in multinational companies such as Dell, Philips and Groupe Bull, as well as setting up and running small and mid-sized technology and consulting businesses in the USA and the UK.

He has a strong interest in Innovation and Change and works with Business Modelling and Innovation researchers at the IfM and the Centre helping and advising in the development of new models and tools. He has considerable experience in delivering business model, innovation and value analysis workshops to industry and other sectors.

Other responsibilities include the management of marketing and administrative activities, the recruitment and relationship management of new industry and academic partners and the development of international collaborations. He also has particular interest in the development of guides and tools for industry.

Maryam Qureshi is a 3D Application Engineer. Maryam works specifically with HP’s Multi Jet Fusion technology. Working directly with customers to assess their current manufacturing limitations, HP help find bespoke and cost-effective solutions to their problems. Maryam helps to implement the MJF solution into customers’ businesses by encouraging them to use the technology to innovate and design, specifically by designing for additive manufacturing.

Agata has recently joined a very ambitious business with a great market product and the team of remarkable people and currently holds the position of Head of Operations.

Since coming to the United Kingdom in 2005, Agata worked in manufacturing and held various positions mainly in the automotive industry. Throughout the career she often acted as a link between supply chain and operations, using her personal and professional experience to build strong relationships between management and all employees through empowerment and engagement strategies. She has lead and taken part in major business transformations.

Her goal has always been to be inspirational to those who work with her and leave a legacy for use going forward. According to Agata: ‘Find a solution’ attitude is a must in any leadership position and she strongly believes that the utilization of other people’s skills and knowledge is vital in this aspect.

She has a passion for adding value in the eyes of the customer by implementing Lean methodologies, which had developed when she was a part of a core team who lead her organisation to achieve Lean Model Site status.

With a wealth of industry experience within the software technology sector, Tony Pottle has spent the last 25 years with Exel Computer Systems. Tony has worked with customers of all sizes and at every level in the manufacturing and distribution sectors.

Bringing an in depth understanding of customer needs both for ERP and Field Service solutions, Tony plays a key role in delivering consistent successful software implementations. Tony is an accomplished speaker and presenter of technical software solutions and regularly presents Exel’s products to large and small corporate audiences.

With a background in PR (20 years altogether), marketing and management and with a strong interest in sustainability and a passion to increase consumer awareness of the importance of recycling I feel that TerraCycle is a great place to use my skills and experience. TerraCycle is a social enterprise, the world’s foremost leader in the recycling industry for hard-to-recycle waste and one of the fastest growing eco-friendly companies in the world.

TerraCycle works with over one hundred major brands in 21 countries across the globe to collect used packaging and products (everything from biscuit wrappers, to pens, to air fresheners and even the likes of cigarette waste etc.) that would otherwise be destined for landfills. It repurposes that waste into new eco-friendly materials and products. The waste is collected through TerraCycle’s free sponsored waste recycling programmes, which are free fundraisers that pay charities and non-profit organisations for every piece of waste they collect and return.

I currently head up TerraCycle’s Communications function across Europe (where we operate in 12 markets) – my role encompasses strategy development and implementation for customer service, social media and public relations campaigns both client and customer facing.

Prior to this role I have also held the following positions within TerraCycle – Director of Client Service & Communications (Northern Europe), General Manager (UK & ROI), Country & Communications Manager (UK & ROI), PR Manager (UK & ROI

Joseph F. Paris Jr. is a recognized thought leader on operational excellence; an international entrepreneur; a prolific writer; and a sought-after strategist, consultant, and speaker with engagements around the world. His book, “State of Readiness” (May 2017) has been well received and endorsed by business leaders from highly respected companies – with operations around the world and across industries – and promises to be a definitive work on the field of Operational Excellence.

Duncan McFarlane is Professor of Industrial Information Engineering and Head of the Distributed Information & Automation Laboratory. He has been involved in the design and operation of industrial automation and information systems for over twenty years.

Duncan is the lead on the Digital Manufacturing on a Shoestring project which is investigating how low-cost, readily available digital technologies can be implemented to support growth and productivity in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The project addresses the common concern that many digital manufacturing solutions are designed for large companies. The research team is working with SME partners on a UK-wide and international project to identify common digital challenges in SME manufacturers and create inexpensive digital options.

Joseph F. Paris Jr. is a recognized thought leader on operational excellence; an international entrepreneur; a prolific writer; and a sought-after strategist, consultant, and speaker with engagements around the world. His book, “State of Readiness” (May 2017) has been well received and endorsed by business leaders from highly respected companies – with operations around the world and across industries – and promises to be a definitive work on the field of Operational Excellence.

Dr Steven Barr is a Chartered Engineer, advisor and company director specialising in making data and digital technologies work effectively for business growth. He co-leads EDGE Digital Manufacturing and is a member of the board of DRL-Tool.org, working with the UK’s leading institutions to boost adoption of data and digital technologies. He is the lead technical author of British Standards PAS 1040 guide to Digital Readiness. Steven spends most of his time shoulder-to-shoulder with manufacturing business leaders, helping them to take full advantage of data and digital technologies in dealing with business challenges and achieving growth ambitions. Steven is a former National Director of the Manufacturing Advisory Service, and 30 year veteran of working with over 50 design, technology and manufacturing companies large and small.

Innovation Lead with Manufacturing Made Smarter programme helping organisations collaborate to bring through the next generation of digital innovations and create a new future for UK Manufacturing.

Background: Innovation Champion, Operations Manager, Manufacturing Manager & Lean Improvement Leader, experienced in driving step-change into a wide variety of manufacturing sectors.

Specialties: Business Improvement, Supply Chain Solutions, Change Management, Value Stream Reviews, Lean & Six Sigma, Leadership Coaching, Manufacturing/Production Management, Low-to-High Volume environments, Hi-tech & Traditional Manufacture, Sectors from Sewing & Furniture to Automotive, Motorsport & Aerospace. Transition to digital manufacturing.

Peter De Strijker is an application engineer / industrial manufacturing for Autodesk, Inc. He is responsible for driving the Autodesk manufacturing sales channel in the Benelux region in Europe. Before joining Autodesk, Peter worked as mechanical design engineer at a Belgian marine engine and gearbox manufacturer. He is a graduated engineer with a degree in electro mechanics.

Rosa Wilkinson joined the High Value Manufacturing Catapult in 2017 as Director of Communications.

Previous roles included senior civil service posts at the Trade and Business Departments, as Director of Innovation at the Intellectual Property Office and as Director of Public Policy for Lloyds TSB.

Outside the Catapult, Rosa retains an involvement in her family’s industrial property business.   She is a non-executive with the MTA and a member of the Royal Academy of Engineering’s External Affairs Committee.

From March to the start of July 2020 she led communications for the VentilatorChallengeUK Consortium.

Juergen Maier is Chair of the Digital Catapult, co-Chairs Made Smarter and serves on the Industrial Strategy Council which advises Government on Industrial Strategy. Juergen argues strongly for the modern re-industrialisation of the North of England and is a board member of both the Greater Manchester LEP and the Northern Powerhouse Partnership.

Juergen is 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. This included Managing Director of Industrial activities for the UK and Manufacturing Director of the award-winning Drives factory in Congleton (where he started his career as a Production Engineer)

Juergen joined Siemens in 1986 with a BSc in production engineering from Nottingham Trent University, on a Siemens-sponsored graduate programme. He was made an honorary professor of Engineering at the University of Manchester in March 2014 and became a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in September 2017. Juergen has also received honorary doctorates for his services to UK Science and Engineering from the Universities of Lincoln, Nottingham Trent, Salford Manchester, Cranfield, Sheffield and Manchester Metropolitan. Juergen was awarded a CBE in the New Years honours list 2019.

Juergen is a passionate advocate of rebalancing the UK economy and has supported many UK-wide initiatives championing manufacturing and engineering skills. In 2017 he was asked by the Government to lead a review into how to increase the digitalization of the UK manufacturing sector. The subsequent report led to the creation of the joint industry/government ‘Made Smarter’ Commission, which Juergen co-chairs with the BEIS Business Secretary.

I believe everything begins with great design. When it’s done right, it leads to exciting new products and businesses that create value for both the companies that make them and the people they employ.

We need more great design in the world, and can only achieve it by thinking beyond productivity, whilst embracing design and manufacturing as a single discipline. At Autodesk, I lead a collaborative initiative focused on enabling the design and manufacturing industry to succeed in a world that’s becoming increasingly connected, where we have to do more with less.

There’s a lot of hype, jargon and boundaries that need to be challenged along the way, so it’s important to have a clear vision of the future, a clear path to it and the courage to work together and make it easy for the industry to engage.

My favourite quote by no one famous “None of us is as smart as all of us”

Rosa Wilkinson joined the High Value Manufacturing Catapult in 2017 as Director of Communications.

Previous roles included senior civil service posts at the Trade and Business Departments, as Director of Innovation at the Intellectual Property Office and as Director of Public Policy for Lloyds TSB.

Outside the Catapult, Rosa retains an involvement in her family’s industrial property business.   She is a non-executive with the MTA and a member of the Royal Academy of Engineering’s External Affairs Committee.

From March to the start of July 2020 she led communications for the VentilatorChallengeUK Consortium.

Dan joined JAM Recruitment in October 2003 as a Trainee Recruitment Consultant and within 12 months was the Account Manager for the largest company account. He was promoted to Senior Account Manager in 2006, Principal Account Manager in December 2007, Team Leader – Major Accounts in March 2008, Business Unit Manager in January 2009, Accounts Director in January 2011, Client Services Director in January 2012 where he held responsibility for business development throughout JAM (both new and old clients), the integration of new clients into JAM and subsequent client satisfaction including added value offerings. Most recently, in April 2018, he was promoted to a Group Director with responsibility across all group companies but mainly within JAM and its sister company, Hunter. He’s currently focusing on the development of Hunter as a standalone business to JAM (but one that does also help JAM provide a more rounded service to our clients) – this involves new business development, development of the company offering and customer success within current clients.

Before joining JAM Recruitment Dan completed a BA in Economics specialising in Finance followed by an MSc in Social Research Methods and Statistics, both at the University of Manchester. Prior to this he attended Ampleforth College in North Yorkshire and did A-Levels in Maths, Economics, Ancient Greek and Christian Theology.

Professor Sam Turner is the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of the High Value Manufacturing (HVM) Catapult. Sam works across the HVM Catapult centres and stakeholders, including government, to develop manufacturing strategy for the UK. He is part of the Made Smarter strategy implementation group led by Juergen Maier and was part of the review team. In this role Sam has chaired the D4I digital industry group, the Through Life Engineering Services (TES) Council and the IMechE Manufacturing Industries Division.

He joined the HVM Catapult team in 2017 from his role as CTO of the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing, where he worked on a range of projects and capabilities including the flagship digital facility Factory 2050, machining, casting and composites technology.  As a founding member of the AMRC, Sam led the growth of the AMRC’s Machining Group, with successes in delivering impact to UK industry, before moving into the CTO role. Sam has over 20 years experience in manufacturing working across the aerospace, steel, defence, automotive sectors.

Dr Watson has a MEng in Mechanical Engineering (University of Hull, 2005) and a PhD in Chemical Engineering (University of Leeds, 2010). From 2010 to 2014 he was a Post-Doctoral Research Assistant in the School of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Leeds. His research there was performed in the Food Physics Research Group and was funded by Innovate UK, BBSRC and via numerous industrial collaborators. In 2013 Dr Watson became a chartered engineer and he is a member of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers and an Associated Member of the Institute of Chemical Engineers. In 2013 he was also one of the founding directors of the start-up company Albion Crystallisation Ltd, who specialise in developing energy efficient food processing technology. In 2014 he was appointed as an Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Nottingham. In 2015 he became a fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Dr Watson is a member of the Food, Water, Waste (FWW) Research Group.

Fiona joined Exeter Business School in May 2019 after working for eight years at Cranfield University as a Senior Lecturer in Circular Innovation. Fiona has a background in Industrial Design and has established herself as a thought leader in the Circular Economy, working at the interfaces of Design, Innovation and Manufacture.

Fiona is an investigator on a number of research grants including the EPSRC funded projects ‘Circular4.0: Data-Driven Intelligence for a Circular Economy’, ‘Small is Beautiful’ and ‘Manufacturing Immortality’. Fiona also successfully led the EPSRC funded Network in Re-Distributed Maufacturing, Big Data and Consumer Goods (RECODE) and is a member of the management group for the Connected Everything Network Plus.

Fiona has extensive experience of working with organisations from across sectors to identify new approaches to design, innovation, manufacture and business modelling to transform resource use and value creation. She has also led multiple education and executive training programmes to support future leaders in developing the skills and capabilities necessary to transform our industrial system from linear to circular. In 2018 Fiona was recognised as one of the Top 50 Women in Engineering by the Women’s Engineering Society and the Telegraph for her contribution to Circular Economy research and education.

Qualifications:

BA Industrial Design (Loughborough), MSc by Research (Cranfield), PhD Whole System Design (Cranfield)

Duncan is a Senior Manager in Deloitte’s supply chain practice with over 17 years of broad experience across consumer products supply chains. He is an expert in the development of supply chain operating models with a focus on planning, manufacturing, and logistics.

He is responsible for successful client delivery of our SupplyCycle production optimisation tool with a focus on helping our clients move from pilot to scaling across their manufacturing footprint.

I’m incredibly passionate about the world of manufacturing and raising the profile of, British Manufacturing, especially for the next generation – who are the future of manufacturing here in the UK. It’s an incredibly exciting time for British Manufacturing, a time of change, evolution and rejuvenation of the sector.

I was appointed Managing Director in August 2016 (after the sudden death of my husband who had been the Managing Director since 1992) and set out to build a strategy for growth.

In July 2017 I graduated from the Goldman Sachs 10KSBUK programme which has been pivotal in helping us on our growth trajectory.

Daletech was established in 1987 as an electronic manufacturing company focussing on high quality, diverse, niche products. My journey has opened the doors to the marvellous world of manufacturing! And my love of manufacturing has driven my passion to open the doors of manufacturing to the next generation.

I am Chair of the Leeds Manufacturing Alliance, and have been involved in the organisation of the Leeds Manufacturing Festival – an incredibly successful event that brought Manufacturing front and centre for students and influencers in the Region. This year will be a different format but nevertheless we will still reach out to bring manufacturing alive to young people.

I also work as an Enterprise Advisor for the LEP, have been supporting the #futuregoals campaign. I am a member of the Regional Advisory Board for Make UK.

At Daletech I strive to make sure our customers profit from our expertise and engagement with the sector as a whole and we aim to add value to our customers products.

Maryam Qureshi is a 3D Application Engineer. Maryam works specifically with HP’s Multi Jet Fusion technology. Working directly with customers to assess their current manufacturing limitations, HP help find bespoke and cost-effective solutions to their problems. Maryam helps to implement the MJF solution into customers’ businesses by encouraging them to use the technology to innovate and design, specifically by designing for additive manufacturing.

Agata has recently joined a very ambitious business with a great market product and the team of remarkable people and currently holds the position of Head of Operations.

Since coming to the United Kingdom in 2005, Agata worked in manufacturing and held various positions mainly in the automotive industry. Throughout the career she often acted as a link between supply chain and operations, using her personal and professional experience to build strong relationships between management and all employees through empowerment and engagement strategies. She has lead and taken part in major business transformations.

Her goal has always been to be inspirational to those who work with her and leave a legacy for use going forward. According to Agata: ‘Find a solution’ attitude is a must in any leadership position and she strongly believes that the utilization of other people’s skills and knowledge is vital in this aspect.

She has a passion for adding value in the eyes of the customer by implementing Lean methodologies, which had developed when she was a part of a core team who lead her organisation to achieve Lean Model Site status.

With a wealth of industry experience within the software technology sector, Tony Pottle has spent the last 25 years with Exel Computer Systems. Tony has worked with customers of all sizes and at every level in the manufacturing and distribution sectors.

Bringing an in depth understanding of customer needs both for ERP and Field Service solutions, Tony plays a key role in delivering consistent successful software implementations. Tony is an accomplished speaker and presenter of technical software solutions and regularly presents Exel’s products to large and small corporate audiences.

Dr. Peter Colman is a Partner and shareholder at Simon-Kucher. Peter joined Simon-Kucher in 2008, and divides his time between his base in the North of England and the London office. He leads the consultancy’s Technology & Industrials practice for the UK and Ireland.

Peter has generated strong profit enhancement results throughout his 20 years in consulting and industry. He specialises in Commercial Excellence programmes to address strategy, sales & marketing, pricing and product management topics. He has worked for corporate clients, private equity-backed companies and venture capital-backed start-ups across Europe and North America.

Peter has written over 25 articles for publications such as Institute of Sales Management, Sales Initiative Magazine, Chartered Institute of Marketing, Professional Pricing Society and The Manufacturer.  He is a regular speaker / panellist at conferences, a Manufacturing Excellence Awards judge and a Member of Institute of Sales Management, Chartered Institute of Marketing and Institute of Directors.

Prior to joining Simon-Kucher, Peter worked for digital marketing and technology consultancies focusing on eCommerce and Customer Relationship Management transformation programmes.

Peter holds a PhD in Electronics from the University of Cambridge and a First Class degree in Physics from the University of Nottingham.

Xi Bing is a Senior Director based in the London office of Simon-Kucher & Partners, having previously also worked in the New York office covering the North American market. He specialises in go-to-market strategy and pricing projects for both industrials as well as B2B technology/software and services clients. His main topics of work include growth strategy formulation, pricing strategy design, revenue model innovations and sales incentives scheme design.

Xi Bing has 13 years of strategy consulting experience; prior to joining Simon-Kucher, he worked in strategic planning, growth strategy and large-scale transformation for multinational clients across technology, industrial, oil & gas and chemicals sectors. He also has a uniquely international business and cultural perspective having lived and led projects in various global hubs including London, New York, Dubai, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta.

Xi Bing earned his M.B.A. from Columbia University and holds a First Class Bachelors degree in electronic and communications engineering from the University of Bristol.

With a background in PR (20 years altogether), marketing and management and with a strong interest in sustainability and a passion to increase consumer awareness of the importance of recycling I feel that TerraCycle is a great place to use my skills and experience. TerraCycle is a social enterprise, the world’s foremost leader in the recycling industry for hard-to-recycle waste and one of the fastest growing eco-friendly companies in the world.

TerraCycle works with over one hundred major brands in 21 countries across the globe to collect used packaging and products (everything from biscuit wrappers, to pens, to air fresheners and even the likes of cigarette waste etc.) that would otherwise be destined for landfills. It repurposes that waste into new eco-friendly materials and products. The waste is collected through TerraCycle’s free sponsored waste recycling programmes, which are free fundraisers that pay charities and non-profit organisations for every piece of waste they collect and return.

I currently head up TerraCycle’s Communications function across Europe (where we operate in 12 markets) – my role encompasses strategy development and implementation for customer service, social media and public relations campaigns both client and customer facing.

Prior to this role I have also held the following positions within TerraCycle – Director of Client Service & Communications (Northern Europe), General Manager (UK & ROI), Country & Communications Manager (UK & ROI), PR Manager (UK & ROI

Duncan McFarlane is Professor of Industrial Information Engineering and Head of the Distributed Information & Automation Laboratory. He has been involved in the design and operation of industrial automation and information systems for over twenty years.

Duncan is the lead on the Digital Manufacturing on a Shoestring project which is investigating how low-cost, readily available digital technologies can be implemented to support growth and productivity in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The project addresses the common concern that many digital manufacturing solutions are designed for large companies. The research team is working with SME partners on a UK-wide and international project to identify common digital challenges in SME manufacturers and create inexpensive digital options.

Lee is Deputy Director for Research Partnerships at the ERC, and is responsible for project managing and delivering the flow of research commissioned by partners on small businesses and entrepreneurship. Lee’s career has focused on understanding business performance and the impact of policy on decision-making and outcomes, she was previously Chief Economist at EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation (now Make UK).

Dr Steven Barr is a Chartered Engineer, advisor and company director specialising in making data and digital technologies work effectively for business growth. He co-leads EDGE Digital Manufacturing and is a member of the board of DRL-Tool.org, working with the UK’s leading institutions to boost adoption of data and digital technologies. He is the lead technical author of British Standards PAS 1040 guide to Digital Readiness. Steven spends most of his time shoulder-to-shoulder with manufacturing business leaders, helping them to take full advantage of data and digital technologies in dealing with business challenges and achieving growth ambitions. Steven is a former National Director of the Manufacturing Advisory Service, and 30 year veteran of working with over 50 design, technology and manufacturing companies large and small.

Innovation Lead with Manufacturing Made Smarter programme helping organisations collaborate to bring through the next generation of digital innovations and create a new future for UK Manufacturing.

Background: Innovation Champion, Operations Manager, Manufacturing Manager & Lean Improvement Leader, experienced in driving step-change into a wide variety of manufacturing sectors.

Specialties: Business Improvement, Supply Chain Solutions, Change Management, Value Stream Reviews, Lean & Six Sigma, Leadership Coaching, Manufacturing/Production Management, Low-to-High Volume environments, Hi-tech & Traditional Manufacture, Sectors from Sewing & Furniture to Automotive, Motorsport & Aerospace. Transition to digital manufacturing.

Peter De Strijker is an application engineer / industrial manufacturing for Autodesk, Inc. He is responsible for driving the Autodesk manufacturing sales channel in the Benelux region in Europe. Before joining Autodesk, Peter worked as mechanical design engineer at a Belgian marine engine and gearbox manufacturer. He is a graduated engineer with a degree in electro mechanics.

Dr Alicia Greated is the Chief Executive Officer for KTN. KTN exists to connect innovators with new partners and new to accelerate ideas into real-world solutions.

Previously Alicia was Global Director, Research Engagement at Heriot-Watt University and prior to that, led the Newton Fund (a £735 million research and innovation fund to enhance the UK’s engagement with global emerging economies) delivery team at the UK’s Department of Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

In 2008, Alicia moved to Delhi, India where she was founder and Director of Research Council UK (RCUK) India at the British High Commission. After four years in India, she moved to Beijing to become Director RCUK China at the British Embassy in Beijing.

Alicia has worked as acting Director of Research for the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). She also spent five years at the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) where she was Head of Engineering.

Alicia has a PhD in Molecular Genetics. She is a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology and a representative on the UK Government’s Jet Zero Council. Alicia is a member of various advisory groups including Scottish Funding Council’s Research and Knowledge Exchange Committee, the Una Europa External Advisory Board and will join the Royal Society’s Science, Industry and Translation Committee from 2021.

Lee is Deputy Director for Research Partnerships at the ERC, and is responsible for project managing and delivering the flow of research commissioned by partners on small businesses and entrepreneurship. Lee’s career has focused on understanding business performance and the impact of policy on decision-making and outcomes, she was previously Chief Economist at EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation (now Make UK).

Marlini is the Managing Director Challs International Limited, who manufactures household cleaning products for the FMCG sector. They supply their branded products, including, Buster, Bin Buddy & Alkimi globally, operating in the UK, USA, Singapore & Australia.

Both the manufacturing and the chemical industry is still very male dominated and Marlini is keen to empower more women to champion in these areas. It starts with the current workforce, she invests and supports people around her, making sure there is a solid base and the company’s ethos of “building for the future” is incorporated in her hiring decisions. The same applies with championing change and new methods of work. Marlini has developed links with schools and now takes on work experience students, most of whom are female. The Suffolk Business Women’s Board is an important group for Marlini. She is an active member attending meetings and speaking at multiple events for them. Her passion is people, and one of her great pleasures is to see people around her flourish.

Thang Vo-Ta co-founded Callaly with leading UK gynaecologist Dr Alex Hooi, who invented the company’s first product, the Tampliner®, after decades listening to women talk about their frustration with the choice of period care products available.

He has helped secure global patents for Callaly’s various innovations and leads the Callaly team and its strategic direction. Thang manages Callaly’s commitment to the environment, people and communities as a certified B-Corp.  Thang is a former private equity professional in the New York and London offices of Goldman Sachs, where he helped manage the firm’s venture capital investments.  In 2019, he was named a Sunday Times Maserati Top 100 entrepreneur and The Manufacturer’s Top 100 manufacturing leader. He has a Bachelor of Science degree from MIT.

Simon Reid is Head of Advanced Manufacturing at Growth Platform – the Liverpool City Region Growth Company. Growth Platform has been set up by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to act as a single body responsible for inward investment, business growth, skills and education initiatives and destination marketing www.growthplatform.org

After graduating from London Metropolitan University in 1989 Simon returned to Liverpool to deliver Government funded training programs to the long term unemployed before starting a career at engineering and manufacturing recruitment company Kinetic plc in 1993.

For the next 13 years Simon played a pivotal role in the company’s growth which was predicated on delivering on site provision to manufacturers in the automotive, aerospace, pharmaceutical, FMCG and food and drink sectors. Simon held the role of Service Director with a portfolio of OEM and large Tier 1 companies throughout the UK including Airbus, Kimberley Clark, Arla Foods and Ford. Simon set up a new permanent recruitment wing of the business specialising in senior and executive positions in manufacturing before joining rival Beresford Blake Thomas in 2008 to set up their engineering divisions in Manchester and Liverpool.

Simon joined The Mersey Partnership (TMP) in 2010 as an Investor Development Manager working with foreign owned companies in the Liverpool City Region helping them to attract additional investment and internationally mobile projects. Following a stint as SuperPORT manager for TMP Simon then joined Peel Ports as the Commercial Manager for bulk liquid products for the Port of Liverpool and Manchester Ship Canal, account managing international companies like Shell, Cargill, Ineos and Essar. In 2014 Simon joined the LEP to head up Advanced Manufacturing and working with the Making It Board to deliver economic growth in this critical sector before making the transition to Growth Platform in November 2019.

Simon was instrumental in devising, developing and implementing “LCR 4.0” – a European funded program to deliver Industry 4.0 technologies to 300 SMEs across the Liverpool City Region  – www.lcr4.uk Simon also sits on the Made Smarter NW Pilot Steering Group.

Growth Platform, in collaboration with the University of Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores University, STFC Hartree Centre and Sensor City launched LCR4 START in October 2019 to help SME companies in the Liverpool City Region to develop a digital roadmap.

Rosa Wilkinson joined the High Value Manufacturing Catapult in 2017 as Director of Communications.

Previous roles included senior civil service posts at the Trade and Business Departments, as Director of Innovation at the Intellectual Property Office and as Director of Public Policy for Lloyds TSB.

Outside the Catapult, Rosa retains an involvement in her family’s industrial property business.   She is a non-executive with the MTA and a member of the Royal Academy of Engineering’s External Affairs Committee.

From March to the start of July 2020 she led communications for the VentilatorChallengeUK Consortium.

Ruth is an award-winning Engineer and Inventor. In 2006 she was Young Engineer for Britain with her GCSE product ‘The StairSteady’ which is now sold internationally and for which Ruth holds a number of patents. Ruth started her first business when she was 16 and was the youngest person to be listed on ‘Management Todays 35 under 35’. Ruth is passionate about STEAM careers (particularly encouraging women into STEAM).  She co-founded Kids Invent Stuff with Shawn Brown aimed at inspiring young people into STEAM. Ruth is a keen welder and maker and co-founded #GirlsWithDrills with Kisha Bradley and works with Lincoln Electric on a programme to get more women into welding.

Prior to joining Cambridge, Ian had 35 years of industry experience, working at senior levels in multinational companies such as Dell, Philips and Groupe Bull, as well as setting up and running small and mid-sized technology and consulting businesses in the USA and the UK.

He has a strong interest in Innovation and Change and works with Business Modelling and Innovation researchers at the IfM and the Centre helping and advising in the development of new models and tools. He has considerable experience in delivering business model, innovation and value analysis workshops to industry and other sectors.

Other responsibilities include the management of marketing and administrative activities, the recruitment and relationship management of new industry and academic partners and the development of international collaborations. He also has particular interest in the development of guides and tools for industry.

Jessica Leigh Jones MBE is a multi-award-winning Engineer and Astrophysicist. She is Co-Founder and CEO of iungo, a CareerTech Company democratising access to excellent careers for everyone. Jessica is a Non-Executive Director of Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) and Vice Chair of Wales’ largest exam board, WJEC. She is the Womenspire 2020 Board Member of the Year. Jessica has received the Freedom of the City of London and represents the fastest progression to the rank of Liveryman at the Worshipful Company of Scientific Instrument Makers. She was 2017’s Woman of the Future for Technology & Digital, featured in the 2020 Who’s Who list of influential British people and appeared as one of the youngest in the Forbes 30 under 30 Europe List 2018.

Brenna Sniderman leads the Center for Integrated Research, where she oversees cross-industry research for Deloitte. In this capacity, Brenna leads a team of researchers focused on global shifts in technology, mobility, climate, and workforce; in other words, how organizations can operate and strategize in an age of digital, cultural, environmental, and workplace transformation. Her own research focuses on connected digital and physical technologies and their impact on how companies operate – specifically additive and advanced manufacturing, Industry 4.0, Digital Supply Networks, and the Future of the Enterprise. She works with other thought leaders to deliver insights into the strategic, organizational, and human implications of these technological changes.

Mike Wilson has over 35 years of experience in the application of automation to manufacturing across a broad range of industry sectors and is widely recognised as one of the leading authorities on the application of industrial robot systems in the UK.

Mike is Chief Automation Officer at the Manufacturing Technology Centre, leading the drive to increase the adoption of automation in UK manufacturing. He is also Chairman of the British Automation and Robot Association and has previously been Chairman of the International Federation of Robotics. His book “Implementation of Robot Systems” was published in 2014.

Agata has recently joined a very ambitious business with a great market product and the team of remarkable people and currently holds the position of Head of Operations.

Since coming to the United Kingdom in 2005, Agata worked in manufacturing and held various positions mainly in the automotive industry. Throughout the career she often acted as a link between supply chain and operations, using her personal and professional experience to build strong relationships between management and all employees through empowerment and engagement strategies. She has lead and taken part in major business transformations.

Her goal has always been to be inspirational to those who work with her and leave a legacy for use going forward. According to Agata: ‘Find a solution’ attitude is a must in any leadership position and she strongly believes that the utilization of other people’s skills and knowledge is vital in this aspect.

She has a passion for adding value in the eyes of the customer by implementing Lean methodologies, which had developed when she was a part of a core team who lead her organisation to achieve Lean Model Site status.

Mark is the Executive Director of the Augmented Reality for Enterprise Alliance (AREA). The AREA is a membership funded alliance, helping to accelerate the adoption of Augmented Reality (AR) through a comprehensive ecosystem.

With a focus on creating value and ROI for its members, his goal is to develop a robust and active ecosystem for AR. His background includes a strong interest in mobile, AR, VR, and IoT and he is excited to work with enterprises, providers and research organizations to the benefit and growth of the AR within the enterprise.

– Deutsche Bank, Head of Resources, equities / investment management, resources and energy storage technology focus.
– PwC, Operational reviews and strategic assessments – mining, minerals processing, and infrastructure in Australia, North America and Europe;seconded to BHPB and Rio Tinto.

As a member of the IfM ECS team Liz works with companies of all shapes and sizes to help them develop their business strategies and build the operational capabilities they need to create sustainable step changes in business performance and profitability. She leads the IfM ECS participation in the Government-funded Sharing in Growth activity, a £110m programme of intensive supplier development in the  UK aerospace and nuclear industries.

Liz also works closely with the IfM’s Distributed Information and Automation Laboratory research group in developing and applying approaches for advanced factory design and automation. Projects have been completed with a range of companies, including Foxconn, Laing O’Rourke and Jaguar Land Rover.

Before joining IfM ECS in 2010, Liz had more than 15 years’ experience in manufacturing, with senior roles in operations management and manufacturing engineering. She initially built her career in the electronics industry, in an environment of highly configurable, build-to-order, complex electronic products on short lead times. She also worked extensively as a management consultant and project manager for a range of manufacturing companies. As a project manager, Liz has led projects in lead time reduction, delivery performance improvement, product transfers, cost reduction, resource planning, new product introduction and strategic reviews.

Liz has a Masters Degree in Manufacturing Engineering from Cambridge University.

Dan Rossek is the UK Marketing Manager for Omron Electronics, a global supplier of automation and robotics solutions. Passionate about technology and innovation, he has spent his entire working career in the field of automation within the manufacturing sector.
Since graduating with a degree in Manufacturing Systems Engineering, he has worked in a number of roles from technical support, application engineering, product management and marketing.

Rab is accountable for the delivery of the AMRC’s Chapter 2 Digital Transformation and ensures a digital thread is woven throughout everything the AMRC delivers. Starting at the AMRC in 2001 when just a handful of engineers occupied a single building, Rab has progressed from his original role as lead on Virtual Reality and Simulation to now be Professor of Industrial Digitalisation at the University of Sheffield.

Alongside his work at the AMRC, Rab is also a Visiting Professor in the Department of Design, Manufacturing Engineering Management at the University of Strathclyde; Honorary Research Fellow of the University of Exeter Business School; IET Spokesperson for Virtual Reality and a member of their Digital Panel; Deputy Chair of the Immerse UK Advisory Board; Member of the UK 5G Manufacturing Working Group; Member of the BSI IST/31 Standards Committee; and Operational Chair of the HVMC Digital Strategy Team.

With his wealth of experience Rab is a thought leader in digital for UK manufacturing and makes sure the ground-breaking digital work the AMRC does alongside its partners is adopted both internally and externally.

Steve has vast experience in digital transformation having worked across the world for Consultancy and Software firms as well as a number of blue chip organisations. He has published many articles and blogs on Industrial Automation and Digital Twins. “Digital transformation has been happening for a while. What was merely buzz words is now reality and organisations need support, insight, education and help in identifying truly transformative digital products and services to help them in their Industrial Automation journey – and I aim to do just that!”

With over 15 years of experience within the automation industry Oliver utilises his skills to drive strategic transformation of companies through uptake of automation. The majority of this has been with FANUC, a market leader in automation solutions including robotics, CNC, plastic injection moulding, wire EDM and vertical machining. Oliver promotes the use of modern IoT technology and manufacturing strategy to ensure businesses can run more efficiently, with less risk, whilst maintaining profitably.

Dr. Peter Colman is a Partner and shareholder at Simon-Kucher. Peter joined Simon-Kucher in 2008, and divides his time between his base in the North of England and the London office. He leads the consultancy’s Technology & Industrials practice for the UK and Ireland.

Peter has generated strong profit enhancement results throughout his 20 years in consulting and industry. He specialises in Commercial Excellence programmes to address strategy, sales & marketing, pricing and product management topics. He has worked for corporate clients, private equity-backed companies and venture capital-backed start-ups across Europe and North America.

Peter has written over 25 articles for publications such as Institute of Sales Management, Sales Initiative Magazine, Chartered Institute of Marketing, Professional Pricing Society and The Manufacturer.  He is a regular speaker / panellist at conferences, a Manufacturing Excellence Awards judge and a Member of Institute of Sales Management, Chartered Institute of Marketing and Institute of Directors.

Prior to joining Simon-Kucher, Peter worked for digital marketing and technology consultancies focusing on eCommerce and Customer Relationship Management transformation programmes.

Peter holds a PhD in Electronics from the University of Cambridge and a First Class degree in Physics from the University of Nottingham.

Joseph F. Paris Jr. is a recognized thought leader on operational excellence; an international entrepreneur; a prolific writer; and a sought-after strategist, consultant, and speaker with engagements around the world. His book, “State of Readiness” (May 2017) has been well received and endorsed by business leaders from highly respected companies – with operations around the world and across industries – and promises to be a definitive work on the field of Operational Excellence.

Nigel Haigh has worked at the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC), part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, since 2018. He is the Supply Chain Manager for the Digital Manufacturing Accelerator (DMA) programme in Liverpool. The DMA is developing a Digital Manufacturing ecosystem which will include a Rapidly Reconfigurable Factory Environment (RRFE) and Digital Factory Environment (DFE). This ecosystem, along with the development of the local supply chain, will help organisations accelerate the development and implementation of digital manufacturing system solutions.

Nigel is a successful operational leader with extensive industrial experience and a strong track record of delivering significant business success. Prior to joining the MTC he was a member of the European leadership team for a top 3 global pharmaceutical company, managing global programmes & supply chain transformation.

Nigel also has 19 years professional consulting experience with medium size privately owned companies and global organisations, implementing Supply Chain Strategy, Lean Manufacturing, Operational Excellence and Cost Reduction.

Mark has extensive experience in the manufacturing sector and has 30 years working in the field of plant and factory automation. Focused on transforming clients sustainability and optimisation strategies in the manufacturing sector through digital transformation.

Dr Steven Barr is a Chartered Engineer, advisor and company director specialising in making data and digital technologies work effectively for business growth. He co-leads EDGE Digital Manufacturing and is a member of the board of DRL-Tool.org, working with the UK’s leading institutions to boost adoption of data and digital technologies. He is the lead technical author of British Standards PAS 1040 guide to Digital Readiness. Steven spends most of his time shoulder-to-shoulder with manufacturing business leaders, helping them to take full advantage of data and digital technologies in dealing with business challenges and achieving growth ambitions. Steven is a former National Director of the Manufacturing Advisory Service, and 30 year veteran of working with over 50 design, technology and manufacturing companies large and small.