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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Managing Director, Seasonal Business in Travel

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Former Chief Executive, Siemens

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.

CEO, Best for Britain

Naomi has led Best for Britain since 2019 and formerly was Executive Director of Campaigns at the business lobby group London First. Prior to focusing on her campaigning work, Naomi spent 15 years working in finance and accounting with the likes of Arthur Andersen, Deloitte, and Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, as well as chairing voluntary groups.

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.

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.