AGENDA

Welcoming in-person attendees

1:00 – 2:00 pm BST

Refreshments & networking

Opening Keynote

2:00 – 2:05 pm BST

SPEAKER

Arron Browne – Director EMEA @ WeWork

Innovation at scale – Is startups and enterprise collab like Jazz?

2:05 – 2:45 pm BST

SPEAKER

Darren Adams, Managing Director @ Unilever Foundry, leads a global team of Innovation Scientists focused on collaborating with partners in the external innovation ecosystem to solve some of the biggest S&T challenges facing Unilever.

Over the last 25 years, prior to Unilever, Darren has held numerous leadership roles across the globe focused on Innovation, Startup Investment and Acceleration and Digital Transformation. Most recently he was with Philips where he established the Philips Ventures organization that led Investment and Collaboration with over 150 startups in Digital Health, deploying over $350M in capital.

In addition to working with large enterprise, Darren has also had success as a founder, creating multiple startups through to exit and raising over $100M in funding for startup ventures.

As an advisor and investor into multiple startups Darren is ingrained in the creation of new technology and businesses, across areas of Health, AI, Consumer Goods and Cybersecurity.

He lives in Boston with his wife and two children.

CHAIR

Corina Balaneanu is the Founder of IP, a high-touch membership organisation for board directors/C-suite, focused on curating innovation and leading change case studies as well as facilitating bespoke introductions for members.

She has led delegations to Silicon Valley and Tel Aviv, visiting emerging startups, venture capital firms, CVCs and corporate incubators/accelerators.

She has travelled to over 80 countries, loves fashion and soca music.

Why we’re getting sustainability wrong

2:50 – 3:30 pm BST

SPEAKER

Marian is the Global Head of Risk & Sustainability at Liberty Steel Group – a global steel manufacturer with an ambition to be carbon neutral by 2030.

Marian was previously Managing Director at Redington and, before that, led Deloitte’s Trustee Advisory business in London.

Marian is a Fellow of the Institute & Faculty of Actuaries and a member of the Global Association of Risk Professionals, with a certificate in Sustainability & Climate Risk Management.

She is also a Non-Executive Director on the Board of Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS Ltd), a c. $100bn institutional investor based in the UK.

SPEAKER

Simon Hodson has been in the residential and living sector for over 35 years and a director at JLL for past 20 where he led their land and development business, majoring on some of the Capitals largest land and regeneration transactions, as well setting up the firms later living and healthcare capital markets team.

In 2023 he became responsible for embedding sustainability into the advice and practices across Residential & Living Capital Markets in the UK, working with colleagues and clients to help shape the future of real estate for a better world.

Simon holds a Masters in Cities from London School of Economics.

SPEAKER

Sebastien Blanc has over 20 years of experience in the tech industry, having led and scaled multiple businesses across diverse sectors.

As CEO of Skimlinks, he drove year-on-year growth from 5% to over 100% within four years. His strength lies in guiding companies through the critical scale-up phase, particularly in redefining leadership as founders step into new roles.

Since 2020, Sebastien has also turned his focus to climate action, contributing as an operator, board member, and investor.

At Normative, he’s committed to building powerful products and a world-class customer experience that empower businesses to play a meaningful role in tackling the climate crisis.

CHAIR

Susan Hooper – NED @ UBER UK | MOONPIG PLC | Founding Director @ CHAPTER ZERO | Network Chair @ INNOVATION PARTNERSHIP

Diversity backlash – ditching DEI & social impact programmes

3:45 – 4:20 pm BST

SPEAKER

Mark McLane is Head of Diversity, Inclusion and Well-being for M&G PLC, an international savings and investments business with over 7 million customers across the UK, Europe, Asia and the Americas. He is responsible for architecting a firmwide diversity and inclusion strategy that will leverage organizational strengths, remain nimble in the every-changing global business climate and enable M&G to maintain their competitive advantage by driving innovation to its customers.

Prior to M&G, Mark held roles at Barclays PLC, Booz Allen Hamilton, Whirlpool Corporation. 

In 2022 Mr. McLane was recognized by HR Magazine as one of the most influential HR executives, 2024 Financial News top 20 out executives in London, 2014, 15, 16 ,19 and 20 recognized on the UK LGBT power list, the LGBT Great top 100 global allies, the Financial Times 100 LGBT business leaders in London and named to the top 50 global Diversity Executives by the Economist. 

SPEAKER

Rob Pierre is an investor, advisor, and one of the UK’s most successful media leaders. Rob co-founded digital marketing business Jellyfish in 2005 and as CEO, he grew the business to over 2000 employees, working across 28 global offices on clients including Google and Netflix.

Committed to supporting businesses that have a wider societal impact, Rob co-owns the Inside Out Project, the UK’s first clothing brand created, designed and hand produced by young ex-offenders and is a founding member of Impact X, a venture capital company, founded to support underrepresented entrepreneurs across Europe.

Rob is also the co-founder of technology company Infinity, an advisor and investor at ufurnish.com and the owner of Mber, a fine bar and restaurant in the City of London.

Rob featured in the Powerlist 2022, 2023 and 2024, a listing of the UK’s 100 most powerful black Britons.

SPEAKER

After 18 years working in communications leadership roles, Richard Donovan now leads Experian’s Social Innovation programme, which has reached over 100 million people since 2013. He oversees Corporate Responsibility in the UK&I, focusing on social impact, and co-leads the global United for Financial Health charity partnership programme.

Outside Experian, Richard is a Fellow of the Institute of Internal Communications, represents Experian on the Nottingham Growth Board, and serves as vice chair for both the Nottingham Roosevelt Travelling Scholarship and Archway Academy Trust.

CHAIR

Isabel Kelly is a NED at TPXimpact, an AIM-listed digital transformation company, where she Chairs the ESG Committee.

She is also the Social Impact Board Advisor at Simply Business, SME insurance provider. Both companies are BCorps.

She is an impact careers advisor for MBAs at the Said Business School Oxford, and a Trustee at Big Give, the UK’s largest match funding charity.

From 2002 to 2014 she was International Director of the Salesforce Foundation, and before that worked for 11 years at Amnesty International on the East Asia desk.

Her first job was at Oxfam.

It’s never just tech – Success requires getting the culture right

4:25 – 5:05 pm BST

SPEAKER

Karolina Lewandowska is a seasoned learning & development professional with over 15 years of experience driving organizational change and business transformation across diverse industries worldwide.

Leveraging Google technology, she empowers organizations to achieve impactful cultural and business shifts. Currently based in London as a member of Google’s people development team, Karolina brings a global perspective and a deep understanding of international business, complemented by her postgraduate studies in Business International Relations and Sinology.

SPEAKER

Amanda Bridger joined Anglian Water in January 2021 after working for Bridge Partnership (a global leadership consultancy) as their Global Head of People and Organisation. Prior to this Amanda worked for BT Group and Openreach in several HR and change related roles including Head of leadership, learning and talent.

Since joining Anglian Water, Amanda led a change delivery team to support the effective delivery of several strategic change programmes and the cross-business transformation office.

Amanda then moved into the role of HR Operations Director before moving into the Group People Director role for Anglian Water in January 2024.

Amanda is a strategic and dynamic leader and qualified ICF coach with global experience in both HR and change and transformation roles across multiple industries and cultures.

Amanda is passionate about values-based cultures, people development and strategic change and transformation.

SPEAKER

I am an entrepreneur & CEO of THE LOOK, one of the UK’s leading film and TV post production companies.

The Look has delivered some of the world’s most prestigious TV series including titles such as Fleabag, Top Boy, Sex Education, The Gold, Rivals & Day Of The Jackal.

I am an experienced business leader and media industry expert who galvanises employees through internal and external training and mentoring. Myself and the team at The Look also engage in community outreach and masterclasses with local colleges and universities.

I have built close relationships with senior leaders across industry, from technology manufacturers to broadcasters such as Netflix and Amazon.

I am also involved in two other creative start-ups.

SPEAKER

Suzanne Millership-Liddle – MD, Global Innovation & Productivity @ EXPERIAN

Drinks reception & networking

5:05 – 7:00 pm BST

Join us for some ‘decent’ wine/prosecco/beer/soft drinks/kombucha 🙂