Building your 
future with our team

Let's Talk

Building your 
future with
our team

Let's Talk

1. The Role of Manufacturing in

     Economic Growth

A strong domestic manufacturing base is essential for regional economic development. Manufacturing provides a foundation for learning and the development of process skills, which are increasingly integrated with R&D in critical industries that shape the region’s economic future.

2. Challenges and Opportunities

     for Global Manufacturers

Global manufacturers face constant pressure to optimize their engineering and manufacturing value chains. Achieving this alignment reduces design cycle times, improves productivity, increases efficiency, lowers costs, and maximizes ROI—all while emphasizing operational excellence and continuous improvement.

The Role of Manufacturing

in Economic Growth

A strong domestic manufacturing base is essential for regional economic development. Manufacturing provides a foundation for learning and the development of process skills, which are increasingly integrated with R&D in critical industries that shape the region’s economic future.

Challenges and

Opportunities for 

Global 

Manufacturers

Global manufacturers face constant pressure to optimize their engineering and manufacturing value chains. Achieving this alignment reduces design cycle times, improves productivity, increases efficiency, lowers costs, and maximizes ROI—all while emphasizing operational excellence and continuous improvement.

Empowering the

Manufacturing

Community 

Through GMS

Global Manufacturing Strategies (GMS) is an international community supporting senior executives from major corporations to SMEs. GMS fosters knowledge sharing, benchmarking, and networking, focusing on areas such as Lean manufacturing, operational excellence, smart manufacturing, digital transformation, and the factory of the future. This community is supported by the GMS manufacturing hub, an exclusive platform for professional development, and live events such as ManuTalk, which bring together industrial leaders across sectors.

Commitment to

Sustainability and

Green Values

At GMS, sustainability and ESG values are fundamental to our mission. We are committed to supporting global Net Zero emission targets and inspiring members to embrace change and lead the way toward a greener, more sustainable future. Those who innovate today will shape the industrial world of tomorrow.

3. Empowering the Manufacturing

    Community Through GMS

Global Manufacturing Strategies (GMS) is an international community supporting senior executives from major corporations to SMEs. GMS fosters knowledge sharing, benchmarking, and networking, focusing on areas such as Lean manufacturing, operational excellence, smart manufacturing, digital transformation, and the factory of the future. This community is supported by the GMS manufacturing hub, an exclusive platform for professional development, and live events such as ManuTalk, which bring together industrial leaders across sectors.

4. Commitment to Sustainability

     and Green Values

At GMS, sustainability and ESG values are fundamental to our mission. We are committed to supporting global Net Zero emission targets and inspiring members to embrace change and lead the way toward a greener, more sustainable future. Those who innovate today will shape the industrial world of tomorrow.

Arash Ghazanfari
CxO Advisor, UK & Europe
Dell Technologies UK

 

A seasoned technology executive and former CTO of Dell Technologies UK, Arash Ghazanfari specialises in driving business growth and shaping strategic client engagements. As a CxO Advisor across the UK and Europe, he collaborates with Dell Technologies’ EMEA leadership to engage senior executives and line-of-business leaders from key customer organisations. His focus is on accelerating innovation, enabling growth, and delivering measurable outcomes that extend beyond traditional IT boundaries.

Paul Turner FREng CEng MIET
Chief Technology Officer
ThinkIQ

 

Dr. Paul Turner FREng, a Fellow of The Royal Academy of Engineering, is a globally recognized leader in the industrial application of artificial intelligence, with over three decades of experience driving innovation and digital transformation at scale. As a visionary strategist and technology pioneer, Dr. Turner has successfully bridged the gap between AI research and real-world implementation, delivering tangible impact across manufacturing, industrial automation, and enterprise AI solutions.
Currently serving as Chief Technology Officer at ThinkIQ and as a senior AI advisor to global consultancy firm AT Kearney, he helps C-level executives navigate the complexities of AI-driven decision-making, digital transformation, and Industry 4.0. His unparalleled expertise has positioned him as a sought-after advisor, speaker, and thought leader on the future of industrial AI.
Dr. Turner’s impact on global manufacturing extends to his tenure as Vice President of Industry 4.0 at Stanley Black & Decker, where he spearheaded the deployment of agent-based AI-powered productivity platforms across dozens of global factories. Under his leadership, these solutions drove multi-million-dollar productivity gains across the enterprise.
With a career that spans executive roles at EY, Wipro, and Aspen Technology, Dr. Turner has played a pivotal role in advancing AI adoption in Fortune 500 companies. His pioneering work in “cause and effect” AI and fully autonomous AI in closed-loop (i.e. no human in the loop) safety-critical control systems - backed by patents and over 60 publications - has transformed industrial process optimization, machine learning applications, and AI safety in mission-critical environments.
An accomplished physicist and AI researcher, Dr. Turner holds a PhD in Artificial Intelligence in Manufacturing, an MBA with distinction, and a first-class honours degree in Physics. In 2019 he was named one of The Manufacturer Magazine’s Top 100 leaders in industrial technology.

Sofia Karlen
Smart Factory Product Management Lead
Mars

 

Sofia is a digital transformation leader passionate about shaping the future of Smart Manufacturing. She has played key parts in transformation journeys for global companies like Novo Nordisk, AstraZeneca, and Mars, combining expertise in OT/IT Foundations, Agile Product Lifecycle Management, and AI/Advanced Analytics to help organisations scale innovation and unlock data-driven value.

Wil Schoenmakers
Global Head of Consumer Goods & Retail
Newton

 

Wil leads Newton’s Consumer Goods practice with a 30-year track record of delivering growth through innovation and operational excellence within consumer businesses, working with the likes of P&G, Unilever, Walmart, Tesco and Diageo among many others.

Strategic delivery partners invested in your success.
Newton is a strategic delivery consulting business that drives transformative change across world's most iconic consumer goods and retail organisations, turning complex strategic ambitions, into plans, which deliver measurable and meaningful impact. We thrive when tackling the most complex and entrenched challenges to unlock growth and performance across the entire value chain. As a true team with our clients, we test, iterate and create momentum across silos and beyond expectations. We are committed to delivering transformative outcomes, so much so, that we have redefined what it means to have ‘skin in the game’ putting 100% of their implementation fees at risk, 100% of the time.

Doug Lawson
Chief Executive Officer
ThinkIQ

 

Doug Lawson is the founder and CEO of several successful software companies serving the Industrial sector. The software products created by these companies are broadly recognized within the Industrial community and used at more than a million customer facilities.

Between startup acquisitions he held senior leadership positions at Wonderware and Rockwell Automation (Chief Software Strategist). He holds a BSc. Electrical Engineering (Witwatersrand University, South Africa) with continued study in nuclear engineering, business administration and computer science. He holds several patents and industry awards and is a recognized thought leader and speaker.

He has held Board of Director positions at several private companies and Governance Board positions, including at CESMII.

He is passionate about Smart Manufacturing and created ThinkIQ with the goal to revolutionize industrial supply chains for greater resilience, efficiency, and sustainability. The ThinkIQ platform is a significant component of the CESMII Smart Manufacturing Innovation platform.

Alfredo Ramos Plasencia
Investment Director
High Value Manufacturing Catapult

 

Alfredo Ramos is Investment Director at the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, where he leads the organization's investor engagement and investment strategy. Alfredo has forged his career in highly entrepreneurial settings, bringing deep tech investment expertise from both investor and entrepreneur perspectives. A multilingual senior executive with over 15 years of experience in business leadership, strategic planning, and consulting across diverse industries and geographies, he substantially contributed to the scale-up and exit of high-growth innovative technology companies as a key member of the executive leadership and established corporate venturing operations from the ground up.
In his most recent role, Alfredo served as President and CEO of Medallion Resources Ltd, a clean technology company focused on sourcing and refining high-value minerals and materials for the energy transition. Prior to that, he was part of CPI’s senior leadership with accountability for establishing the company’s corporate venturing and investor engagement arm and leading the company’s digital transformation. Earlier experience includes various leadership roles at Process Systems Enterprise, contributing to the company's expansion and acquisition by Siemens in 2019.
In addition to his professional roles, Alfredo is a member of the Board of Governors at Teesside University. He holds an MBA with Distinction from London Business School and an MSc in Mechanical Engineering from RWTH Aachen University.

Karen Betts OBE
Chief Executive
Food & Drink Federation

 

Karen joined FDF in December 2021. Prior to this, she was the Chief Executive of the Scotch Whisky Association for four years, representing the Scotch Whisky sector in the UK and export markets worldwide. Before joining the SWA, Karen was a diplomat in the Foreign & Commonwealth Office for 16 years, where she held a variety of posts in London and overseas, including as British Ambassador to Morocco and non-resident Ambassador to Mauritania, and Counsellor to the British Embassy in Washington. She was also posted to the UK's Permanent Representation to the EU in Brussels and the British Embassy in Baghdad. In London, she served in the Cabinet Office and on the staff of the Joint Intelligence Committee, as well as in several roles in the Foreign Office. Before joining government, Karen was a lawyer at Clifford Chance, working in London and Hong Kong. Karen was an Adviser to the UK Government’s Board of Trade from 2019 to 2024 and a Trustee of FareShare. She received an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2022 for services to international trade.

Max Goodall
Digital Lead – Operations
Sheffield Forgemasters

 

Max is the Digital Transformation Lead at Sheffield Forgemasters, where he leads the company’s strategic drive to modernise manufacturing operations, embed digital innovation, and harness emerging technologies across one of the UK’s most critical defence manufacturing organisations.

With a background in digital strategy, industrial automation, system and technology-enabled change, Max is influential in shaping Sheffield Forgemasters’ digital roadmap—integrating smart manufacturing, data analytics, and Industry 4.0 principles to enhance performance, efficiency, and resilience.

At the heart of Max’s work is a focus on aligning digital transformation with the company’s long-term vision for sustainable growth and global competitiveness. His leadership is helping shape a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement across the business.

Dr. Bala Ilangovan
Director of Digital Transformation
LMAC

 

Bala is a digital transformation leader with 10+ yrs experience specialising in turning productivity into profitability through digitalisation.​

He is an industry 4.0 strategy and execution advisor and has a broad range of experience managing large scale transformation programmes advising clients across various industry sectors in operational technology, industrial automation, PLM, MES, IoT and industry cloud solutions

Luke McCluskey
Group Managing Director
Circle

 

With over 15 years of experience in the talent and workforce solutions industry, Luke is the driving force behind Circle’s vision and growth. A recognised expert in talent strategy and project delivery, he launched Circle with a clear mission: to challenge outdated recruitment models and build a solution-led partner that delivers real, measurable outcomes.

Heading up our multinational talent solutions, Luke combines deep industry knowledge with a commercial edge. His understanding of sector demands — particularly across FMCG, Pharma, MedTech, and Supply Chain — enables Circle to stay ahead of market shifts and client needs.

Under his leadership, Circle has become a trusted partner for businesses delivering capital and digital transformation projects, known for its Projects, People, and Products model and its agile, insight-driven approach.

Luke continues to work closely with clients and the internal team, championing a partnership-first culture, and building a business that’s Powered by People. Built to Win.

Tahar Kerkeni
Lead, Next Generation Industrial Operating Systems
World Economic Forum

 

Tahar Kerkeni is a thought leader in industrial and digital transformation, currently leading the Lighthouse Operating System initiative at the World Economic Forum. With over 13 years of international experience, he has a proven track record of advising national industrial transformation agendas and shaping strategies that drive sustainable manufacturing, innovation ecosystems, digital competitiveness, and empower SMEs.

Tahar has worked with global leaders across sectors like automotive, pharma, and consumer goods, helping organizations leverage digital technologies to transform operations and scale impact. He has held leadership roles at Johnson & Johnson, Bosch, Cognite, and Rockwell Automation, where he led transformative initiatives to integrate digital, AI, and sustainability into manufacturing and supply chain processes.

Kayleigh Prowen
Commercial Director
Circle

 

Kayleigh is the driving force behind Circle’s partnership growth, leading strategic collaborations with some of the industry’s most respected consultancies. As Commercial Director, she plays a key role in shaping Circle’s client strategy and solution delivery across FMCG, Pharma, MedTech, and Supply Chain.

With a deep understanding of the industry and its evolving challenges, Kayleigh brings a unique ability to translate business needs into practical, outcome-based talent strategies. Her vision and commercial acumen have helped position Circle as a go-to partner for organisations seeking agile, project-led workforce solutions.

Kayleigh’s approach blends insight with execution. She works closely with clients to build scalable models that deliver results, foster long-term collaboration, and unlock real value from talent strategy.

Her leadership continues to fuel Circle’s growth, reinforcing our commitment to partnership, performance, and progress.

Powered by People. Built to Win.

 

Matt Harwood
Commercial Manager
Signify Connected IoT Lighting Systems & Services

 

Matt has 15 years’ experience delivering turnkey LED lighting systems & services, specializing in the Industrial, Aerospace & Defence sectors.

Passionate about the latest Connected IoT lighting systems and “Value Beyond Illumination”  Matt is an ambassador for sustainable/circular lighting technologies.

This along with deep expertise & knowledge of innovative business/service models (Such as Light-as-a-Service), and how these new service models enable clients

to accelerate their journey towards a more sustainable and operationally efficient future

 

Robert Sprott
System Architect R&H/O&I
Signify

 

Robert has over 14 years experience working in lighting and lighting controls, focusing primarily on smart buildings and IOT integration.

Roberts has in depth Knowledge and practical experience in delivering sustainable solutions for intelligent building ecosystems.

 

 

Teodor Stanilov
Partner
Kearney

 

As a partner at Kearney, Teo helps clients achieve their end-to-end operations transformation goals. In today’s landscape where profitable growth, sustainability, and resilience have become the new nerve center of operational and organizational strategies, businesses need to think end-to-end to maximise their impact. Teo brings deep expertise and 12+ years of experience in guiding organisations through these complex transformations to deliver lasting value.

 

 

Antti Kautovaara
Partner & Global Head of Manufacturing
Kearney

 

Antti leads Kearney's global manufacturing team and has cross-industry experience in a wide range of manufacturing topics from operational excellence programs to footprint optimisation to bringing digital into the shop floor. With over 25 years’ experience in consulting, Antti has expertise in leading large scale end-to-end operations programmes, as well as multi-site 4-walls improvement programmes. Antti is passionate about finding collaborative ways to bring UK manufacturing to the next level.

 

 

Sean Robinson
Group Smart Factory Lead
Novotek

 

Sean helps manufacturers to define and deliver smart manufacturing programs that support key business strategies such as manufacturing agility, right-first-time programs, and sustainable manufacturing. Having begun his industrial IT career deploying finite scheduling systems for steel, paper and plastics firms, Sean brings over 30 years’ experience in a variety of client management, technology consulting, and technology implementation roles. Despite the occasional foray into different sectors, most of his career has centred on manufacturing execution systems, plant/ERP/SCM integration, IoT and industrial machine learning/AI.

 

 

Andrew Quinton
Technology Leader
BT

 

Andrew is a technology principal inside BT’s Innovation unit, focussing on developing 5G-enabled innovative products to help drive customers digital transformation. He has spent the past few years focussing on the value that AI, data, automation and advanced connectivity can bring to customers globally.
Andrew has over 25 years’ experience inside the technology industry, ranging from architecture through to senior leadership, strategy, and transformation. With an Executive MBA and as a Chartered Manager, he also supports future leaders as an Associate Lecturer with the University of Exeter, providing insights on emerging technologies and business digital transformation.

 

 

Simon Culshaw

Sales Director Manufacturing
Atos

 

Simon Culshaw is a member of the Manufacturing leadership team in Atos and is responsible for strategy and business development in UK&I. Simon has extensive experience in the delivery of IT and Smart Manufacturing services across a large number of different manufacturing customers. He is a thought leader and published strategist in the area of Smart Manufacturing. Prior to joining Atos, Simon worked as a management consultant at KPMG and in various IT roles at Sanofi.

 

 

Jonathan Newton

General Manager Europe at OFS

 

Jonathan Newton is General Manager Europe at OFS, a global leader in operations performance software helping manufacturers maximize efficiency and output for 19 years. With the launch of Mayvn AI - OFS’s game-changing AI technology - Jonathan is at the forefront of driving smarter, data-driven decisions that enable manufacturers to produce more with less. Jonathan brings over 25 years of international experience in commercial roles within the manufacturing and packaging sectors, having worked for renowned global companies including Amcor, VISY and International Paper. Throughout his career, Jonathan has partnered with some of the world’s leading manufacturers such as Nestlé, Coca-Cola, P&G, Pfizer, GSK, AB Foods, and HP. His deep expertise in sales, operations, and strategic leadership positions him as a trusted advisor to manufacturers looking to accelerate performance and stay ahead in an increasingly competitive market.

 

 

Matthew Byrom

Head of Business Excellence & Quality Management, Siemens GB&I

 

As the Business Excellence & Quality Management Lead for Siemens Great Britain & Ireland, Matthew leads initiatives that leverage AI and digitalization to transform industry practices and enhance operational efficiency. Business Excellence at Siemens is all about competitiveness – creating the conditions for growth, and a relentless approach to enhancing productivity.

Since starting in 2005 as a temporary production employee in the Siemens Congleton factory, Matthew developed a passion for manufacturing and business improvement. Over the years, he has progressed through a diverse range of roles including Graduate Program, Manufacturing Leadership, Business Excellence, and Sales.

His time with Siemens has largely focused on driving productivity through process improvement and employee engagement. As Head of Business Excellence, his skills encompass operational excellence, manufacturing leadership, and strategy deployment. Matthew is a contributing author of the EFQM Excellence model and played a key role in the Ventilator Challenge UK.

 

 

Mark Feathers

Principal Product Marketing Manager
Epicor Software

 

Mark is a highly experienced product marketer who has worked for a variety of manufacturing software providers over the last two decades. He has experience across EMEA, APAC & North America and holds ASCM CPIM & CSCP accreditations. Mark is committed to helping manufacturing organisations improve their operational effectiveness.

 

 

Jan Hemper 

OT Enterprise Architecture and Control Systems

 

Jan is a co-founder of InControl Systems and Konektio (formally InVMA)

Jan is an experienced industrial controls engineer and systems architect with 20 years' experience of building distributed control, monitoring and business systems in Oil and Gas, Heavy Industries, Mining and FMCG.

Jan has designed and architected multiple large scale geo-distributed data acquisition, process control, information and reporting systems that enhance manufacturing efficiency and facilitate enterprise asset management. He is recognised by his peers in the industry as an outstanding control engineer with expert knowledge of OT Enterprise Architecture, proprietary and open protocols and control approaches.

 

 

Dr. Seamus Nevin

Chief Economist, Make UK

Dr. Seamus Nevin is Chief Economist for Make UK. He is currently an Academic Visitor at the University of Oxford. Previously, Seamus served as a member of the National Living Wage advisory group under Chancellor George Osborne; and as a researcher and advisor to two Leaders of the Labour Party. Seamus is a regular commentator across radio, print, online and television media.

 

 

Nigel Pearce

Director, Collaborative Product Realisation Limited

 

Nigel has worked in manufacturing for 35 years since graduating with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.  In 33 of those years with Rolls-Royce plc, Nigel gained a huge breadth of experience delivering manufacturing technology projects, significant factory and supply chain improvements, many product introductions and reactivations, fast make components and two benchmark new factories.  Nigel held the role of Digital Manufacturing Director for Rolls-Royce working closely with both the IT and the Manufacturing organisations and delivering significant digital traction.  At this time, Nigel led the Rolls-Royce effort for the ventilator challenge during the first Covid lockdown.  Most recently, Nigel has built a supply chain in a start-up.  Nigel has now set-up his own business to offer his expertise to those who are equally passionate about UK manufacturing and want to drive towards zero defects through excellent, collaborative product realisation.

 

 

Henry Anson

Managing Director
Hennik Research

 

Managing Director at Hennik Research, a division of Nineteen Group and Publisher of The Manufacturer, the board level resource for UK manufacturing.

Passionate about manufacturing and its role for the future. Sick of the negativity and misconceptions surrounding the sector ('we don’t do manufacturing, not a suitable career, boring, dirty, not well paid etc etc' ) and determined to do something about it.

 

 

Dianne Eldridge

MBA, B. Eng, B. Comm 
Worldwide Business Development Leader for Industrial AI/Generative AI, Amazon Web Services (AWS)

 

Dianne Eldridge is a trail blazer at the forefront of AI integration in the industrial sector. As the Worldwide Business Development Leader for Industrial AI/Generative AI at Amazon Web Services (AWS), she drives the creation, launch, and scaling of revolutionary AI services. Leveraging a customer-centric approach, Dianne and her team craft strategies that align with client needs, embodying AWS's commitment to transforming groundbreaking ideas into global, multi-billion dollar enterprises. 

 

With over two decades of experience in the industrial sector, Dianne's expertise spans critical areas including AI implementation, P&L, strategic business development, and global operations. Prior to her role at AWS, she served as Executive Director of Strategic Business Unit at Emerson, a Fortune 200 engineering and manufacturing powerhouse. There, she led a multi-hundred-million-dollar manufacturing portfolio with operations across the United States, China, Malaysia, and Italy. 

 

Recognized as a 2024 finalist for 50 Women to Watch For Boards by 50/50 Women On Boards, Dianne is a highly sought-after speaker and thought leader in the field of industrial AI and women in technology. Her insights have been shared through TEDx talk and as speaker and panelist at prestigious events such as AWS re:Invent, World Bank AI Insight Round Table, AI&Automation Conference by A3, and the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) National Conference. Dianne's leadership extends to her roles as Advisory Board Chair for the Women's Energy Network (WEN) Houston and board member for the AI Technology Strategy Board at the Association for Advancing Automation (A3). 

 

*Dianne is fluent in English and Mandarin Chinese 

Arash Ghazanfari

Chief Technology Officer (UK)
Dell Technologies


A highly experienced technology executive, Arash is focused on driving sales, business growth and supporting Dell Technologies’ go-to-market strategy. He is currently serving as a Chief Technology Officer, supporting the UK leadership and sales team members with strategic client engagements, involving executive stakeholders and partners. Arash helps drive the overall go-to-market strategy across the full breadth of the Dell Technologies ecosystem and its extended strategic partnerships in the United Kingdom. 

Joss Colchester

Founder
Systems Innovation Network


Joss Colchester is the founder of the Systems Innovation Network, a global community of some twenty-seven thousand members learning and applying the ideas and methods of systems thinking toward addressing wicked challenges in diverse areas. 

With a background in design, he has spent the last ten years researching and teaching systems thinking and complexity theory to millions of people via the video lessons and countless live sessions presented on the Si platform. 

A thought leader and community builder, Joss is on a mission to make the ideas of systems thinking more accessible to more people and to create spaces where we can work together on addressing the most critical and complex challenges of today. 

 

Dr. Paul Turner

Managing Director, AI Insights Consulting

 

Dr. Paul Turner is a globally recognized leader in the industrial application of artificial intelligence, with over three decades of experience driving innovation and digital transformation at scale. As a visionary strategist and technology pioneer, Dr. Turner has successfully bridged the gap between AI research and real-world implementation, delivering tangible impact across manufacturing, industrial automation, and enterprise AI solutions. 

Dr. Turner holds a PhD in Artificial Intelligence in Manufacturing, an MBA with distinction, and a first-class honours degree in Physics. He has been named one of The Manufacturer’s Top 100 technology leaders in manufacturing and is nominated for Fellowship at the Royal Academy of Engineering for his contributions to AI in manufacturing. 

Currently serving as Managing Director of AI Insights Consulting Limited, Dr. Turner is a senior AI advisor to global consultancy firm Kearney, helping C-level executives navigate the complexities of AI-driven decision-making, digital transformation, and Industry 4.0. His unparalleled expertise has positioned him as a sought-after advisor, speaker, and thought leader on the future of industrial AI. 

Previously, as President and COO of Raven.ai, Dr. Turner led the company through a transformative growth phase during which the company secured over $12 million in funding and achieved record-breaking revenue milestones. He was instrumental in redefining the company’s corporate strategy, optimizing operational efficiencies, and expanding strategic partnerships with EY, BCG, and other global leaders. His leadership enabled Raven.ai to double its monthly revenue despite economic headwinds while significantly reducing operational costs. 

Dr. Turner’s impact on global manufacturing extends to his tenure as Vice President of Industry 4.0 at Stanley Black & Decker, where he spearheaded the deployment of AI-powered productivity platforms across dozens of global factories. Under his leadership, these solutions drove multi-million-dollar productivity gains across the enterprise. 

With a career that spans executive roles at EY, Wipro, and Aspen Technology, Dr. Turner has played a pivotal role in advancing AI adoption in Fortune 500 companies. His pioneering work in “cause and effect” AI - backed by patents and over 50 publications - has transformed industrial process optimization, machine learning applications, and AI safety in mission-critical environments. 

 

Richard Milnes

Chief Executive Officer
Zaptic

 

Richard Milnes is the founder and CEO of Zaptic, a leader in AI-driven connected work. With expertise in connected worker platforms, compliance, and operational transformation, Richard explores how AI is revolutionising how organizations manage knowledge, embed process change and drive continuous improvement.

 

Richard Porter 

Global Director
Smart Factory Strategy
GE Vernova

 

Richard Porter is the Global Director, Smart Factory Strategy for Manufacturing & Digital Plant at GE Vernova. In this role, Richard is part of the team responsible for leading the commercial & product strategy to support Smart Factory digital transformations globally. 

With 30 years of experience in the manufacturing IT arena, in roles ranging from software development, project management, product management, consulting and sales leadership; Richard has developed extensive skills for leading manufacturing software implementation strategies and successfully combining the technical, cultural, and commercial aspects of those projects. He feels strongly that the use of digital technologies offers huge opportunities for business transformation; whether focused on costs, efficiencies, quality, sustainability, or more likely a combination of all!

Today, Richard’s ambition is to continue working with customers to drive such transformations harnessing the benefits of Industry 4.0 in the current era of digitization.

Based in the UK, Richard graduated from Warwick University with an MSc in Information Technology for Manufacture, and from Durham University with a BSc (Hons) in Engineering.

 

Nicholas Leeder

Founder of Nick Leeder & Co
BEng (Hons), Ceng, MIET

 

Helping manufacturers unlock operational value through digital transformation - beyond the buzzwords.
With over 25 years at the intersection of engineering, operations, and digital technology, Nick Leeder is a recognised authority on industrial transformation. He has led and advised on global initiatives that apply smart, connected technologies to improve manufacturing performance, not through hype, but by delivering real-world outcomes in operating margin and revenue growth.
Nick’s career spans senior leadership roles at PTC, SKF, Dyson, Deloitte, and Accenture. Today, he is the founder of Nick Leeder & Co, an award-winning advisory firm that acts as a co-pilot to operational and business leaders navigating transformation in complex environments.
A Chartered Engineer and a member of the IET, Nick has been acknowledged by the World Economic Forum as a global expert in advanced manufacturing and digital transformation. He is a regular keynote speaker, published author, and trusted advisor to both industry boards and innovation councils.

Ed Koch

Chief Solutions Officer
Competitive Capabilities International

 

Ed Koch is the Chief Solutions Officer at Competitive Capabilities International (CCi), a global tech-enabled consulting firm that helps leading manufacturers and supply chains drive and sustain operational excellence.

Ed has 30-years’ experience in operations management and implementing global improvement programmes in multinationals including Unilever, SABMiller, and ABInBev. Ed's areas of expertise include harnessing digital solutions and traditional lean operational excellence for supply chain value, organisation design, supply chain integration, and asset care.

Ed holds an MSc in Lean Operations Management, BSc in Mechanical Engineering and is a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in the UK.

Christopher Hamlin

Co-Founder and Lead Advisor
FREng FIChemE CEng

 

Chris is the co-founder and lead advisor at HancockHamlin, a freelance research, advisory, education and coaching company working at the intersection of the fields of digital transformation, sustainability and non-linear complex systems. He is a Fellow of the IChemE and was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng) in 2019 in recognition of his contribution to industrial automation and digital transformation. He is also a qualified Co-Active Coach, Cognitive Edge Practitioner and Viable Systems Model Coach, providing a unique blend of technical, organisational and behavioural expertise that equips him to support organisations, teams and individuals through complex transformation journeys.

Prior to founding his own company, Chris worked for Emerson as the EMEA consulting business leader with global domain leadership for production optimisation and sustainability. His most recent full-time role was as the Capability Development Leader for Seeq Corporation, responsible for developing and delivering a variety of strategic programs that underpinned on-going, long-term expansion. The early part of his career comprised nearly 20 years in various roles in petrochemicals and plastics manufacturing, working for companies including ICI, Huntsman and Sabic.

Chris sits on the RAEng’s Regional Talent Engine Steering Group and chairs that activity in the North-East of England, providing pre-seed funding, training and coaching to technology-based start-ups. He is vice-chair of the IChemE’s Process Management and Control SIG with responsibility for organising the Advances in the Digitalisation of the Process Industries conference series and was a co-opted member of the Partnership for Automation and Control Teaching (PACT) which he chaired for several years.

Chris’ first degrees are in chemical engineering from Cambridge, and he also has an MBA from Durham Business School where he fostered a research interest in the application of complexity theory to innovation and the behaviour of economic systems as a Visiting Fellow. He is currently a Visting Professor at Huddersfield University where he teaches complex systems and provides one-to-one coaching and mentoring support to postgraduate students.

He lives in Northumberland, close to Hadrian’s Wall, with his wife, Penny, and son Seth where he enjoys road and gravel cycling and watching rugby.

Alastair Crawford

Manufacturing Transformation Leader
Industry 4.0 Expert
Change Practitioner

 

Alastair Crawford is passionate about helping manufacturing businesses become more competitive and sustainable. As Managing Director of LMAC, he leverages over 25 years of international experience with world-class lean organizations, including Toyota, to guide companies on their journey to becoming high-performing, digitally enabled enterprises.

A certified SIRI (Industry 4.0) assessor and change management practitioner, Alastair works closely with businesses to develop strategic plans that drive the adoption of Industry 4.0 principles, delivering transformational change across manufacturing value chains. His common-sense, down-to-earth approach ensures quick, sustainable results aligned with both current and future challenges.

Through LMAC’s pragmatic, bespoke support, Alastair curates tailored solutions that deliver sustainable, tangible outcomes. His expertise spans operational strategy, world-class manufacturing (Lean, Six Sigma, Theory of Constraints), digital manufacturing value stream design, and executive coaching.

Ben Davies

Psychological Skills Mentor
Chimp Management

Ben has worked for Chimp Management for 9 years. Whether in the areas of business, sport, education, emergency services or individual self-development, he specialises in working with individuals and teams, to establish their own unique targets and goals, and collaborate in the understanding and management of their own unique mind in order to increase their chances of success and happiness.

Julian Bolton

IT Director

Princes Food

Adam Spunberg

Global Head of Operations, 100+ Accelerator Sustainability

AB InBev

John Robinson

Founder
Managing Director
The Quorum Principle™

John is a globally respected Industry 4.0 thought leader. His unique insights and disruptive thinking are the result of a thirty-year career that has included senior roles at Kearney, SAP, EY, Atos and Schneider Electric as well as over decade in manufacturing. He has worked with many of the world’s largest manufacturing brands across all industry sectors and his skill set includes strategy, IT, OT, Operational Excellence and Industry 4.0.  

Raimund Klein

Founder, Chief Executive Officer, and Head of the Board of Directors

International Centre for Industrial Transformation (INCIT)

Raimund Klein is a highly skilled individual with experience in manufacturing design and global supply digitisation across Europe and Asia. He excels at identifying opportunities to
improve, enhance and optimise processes through data analysis. His strong business acumen, solid education and progressive executive management experience enable him to build highly
efficient teams in multinational organisations that work collaboratively to meet organisational goals efficiently. 

Key areas of expertise and achievements: Business transformation, business growth models, commercial strategy, corporate communications, stakeholder engagement,
product management, digital services, process changes, strategic sales planning, factory management, industrial marketing, regulatory development, key performance
indicators, global team building, staff education programmes.