Professor Jon Hall
Senior Academic
The Open University
Jon is an organisational problem solver whose research portfolio is in use at some of the world's largest organisations. He drives business support projects and national policy strategy groups in Digital Skills from the Open University, where he is a senior academic. He is a recognised leader in Digital, IT, Security and Education and writes a regular column on leadership for his Chartered Institute.
Emelia Quirst
Head of Policy Research
Federation of Small Businesses
Emelia is the Head of Policy Research at the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). FSB is a non-profit making, grassroots and non-party political business organisation. that represents members in every community across the UK. Emelia joined FSB in 2018 and oversees FSB's survey and research programme, including FSB's quarterly Small Business Index. Emelia has authored reports on a range of topics. Emelia's area of focus is on labour market, pensions and diversity policy.
Dr Suzanne Smith
Director S T Smith Safeguarding Consultants Ltd
Dr Suzanne Smith has specialised in safeguarding for 30 years. Most of her career has been with the NHS apart from 5 years at the University of Huddersfield where she completed her PhD focusing on child protection. In 2017 Suzanne joined the Disclosure and Barring Service where she worked as Executive Director of Barring and Safeguarding.
Keith Rosser
Director
Reed Screening
Keith is a Group Director of the world's largest family owned recruitment business, Reed, and is Director of Reed Screening, a large pre-employment vetting business within the group. Keith has been a Non-Executive Director for over 10 years and Chair of JobsAware since 2010. Keith was appointed Advisory Panel on UK Government's response to the Good Work Plan advised the Name Blind committee chaired by then Prime Minister, David Cameron, and received a Commendation Award from Home Office for services to the Labour Market in 2018. In 2023, Keith was awarded the Big Impact Award by the Recruiter for services to industry and was made an Honorary Fellow of Lancaster University.
Gary Franklin
HR Director
G7 Talent Solutions
Gary has been a professional HR interim manager and consultant on and off for over 25 years, helping organisations scale and build HR and Recruitment functions to meet the demands of business. He established G7 Talent Solutions Ltd to advise and lead companies through growth and change.
HR transformation, optimisation of processes and ways of working – taking costs and pain out of hiring, improving approach to inclusive hiring (ED&I)
Building TA strategies and rolling out TOMs – right-sizing the approach aligned to the business strategy, particularly important in PE-backed start-up or carve-out projects. Selection, service design and management of HR Operations, as well as RPO and MSP contracts.
Coaching senior managers and TA teams to get the best out of themselves.
Selecting and deploying ATS and HRIS platforms Notable clients have included Aviva, First Group, G4S, Wave Power, Carnival UK, Nationwide Building Society, The Co-operative Group, Kantar, Wargaming, Wellcome Trust, Technip Energies, Open Society Foundations, and most recently Aptia Group I am the Safeguarding and Welfare officer for The Mayfly Project UK, a charity that uses fly fishing as a catalyst to help kids in foster care.
Having worked and lived in a few countries, I currently live in Sussex, UK, with my wife. I am a keen fly-fisher (instructor). When not wading in rivers I listen to a lot of music from bands most people probably haven’t heard of.
Philip M.J. Graham
Digital Programme Director Blackpool Teaching Hospitals
Philip is a Digital Programme Director at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (BTH) and has held senior posts in healthcare technology for over twenty years including Chief Information Officer, or equivalent. He has also managed an operational Division of the Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust as an Associate Director of Operations, his responsibilities at that time included Accident and Emergency, Intensive Care, Pharmacy and Diagnostics.
Philip is currently working with NHSX on various commissions to BTH: One on Digital Child Health and electronic patient records and the other involving Digital Identity and Digital Passports (Wallets). He has been working closely with NHSX for over two years and his work involves wider government and industry groups. During the Covid 19 pandemic he has been working on an NHS Digital Staff Passport to enable the movement of staff using modern technologies that put the individual in control.
Alison McDowell
Co-Founder and Director
Beruku Advisory
Alison McDowell is a Co-Founder and Director at Beruku Advisory, providing end-to-end strategic advice on digital trust, identity and personal data. Most recently, Alison has been working with the U.K. government on the development of a digital identity ecosystem. She advises DCMS on market development, regulation, policy and attribute sharing. She also works with investors and commercial providers, helping them to understand the legal, regulatory and commercial landscape for identity solutions in the UK and internationally.
Before working with Beruku, Alison spent 20 years in financial services, as a consultant and in senior commercial leadership roles in both banking and insurance. She has also been an HR Director and led talent management, organisational capability and culture projects across a range of sectors. She has worked with firms around the globe, from impact investors and FinTechs in Southeast Asia and Africa to some of the largest global banks and pharmaceuticals in the US and Europe.
Billy Smith
Head of Resourcing
The Scottish Government
Before working as Head of Resourcing, Billy Smith worked at RBS/NatWest Group, as a Senior Resourcing Manager where he travelled to difference regions and gained great insight into the different challenges that organisations face.
Billy now works for The Scottish Government, leading resourcing delivery and successfully delivering national campaigns. Billy spent years building expertise in resourcing technology, in his various HR roles.
