Elite Business Live 2020

WHERE ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDS MEET Whatever your business growth challenge, the answer is at Elite Business Live

SHOW SPONSORS

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

Ambitious businesses need ambitious targets Make sustainability one of them Success has many factors. And there’s no doubt that being sustainable is one of them. Modern consumers expect more, so going green is no longer just about doing the right thing. It’s essential to the future growth of any business.

At SSE Business Energy we make it easy to scale up responsibly. As part of the SSE Group which has the largest renewable energy capacity in the UK and Ireland, we have sustainable solutions to suit every business. So, let us help you switch to green energy and become more energy efficient.

@SSEB2B

SSE Business Energy

Talk to us today about doing the right thing for your business and the world. ssebusinessenergy.co.uk/ebl 0800 389 4466

T ONLY PLATFORM OF RESOURCE FOR BUSINESS GROWTH.

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As well as the latest news, views and advice along with updates covering the best events straight into your inbox.

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CONTENTS

CONTENTS 9

48

WELCOME

PANELLIST SPEAKERS BIOGRAPHY

12 PLAN YOUR DAY

54

13

OUR SPONSORS

UPGRADE YOUR TICKET

17 ABOUT THE CONFERENCE

18 YOUR HOST OLI BARRETT

19 CO HOST ALANA SPENCER

55 OUR PARTNERS

20 DAY 1

CONFERENCE AGENDA

30 DAY 2

CONFERENCE AGENDA

56 FLOOR PLAN

57 THE VENUE

58 A-Z QUICK REFERENCE

40 NETWORKING WITH ALANA SPENCER

42 BREAKOUT SESSIONS

44 KEYNOTE SPEAKERS BIOGRAPHY ELITEBUSINESSLIVE | MARCH 2020

5

A new perspective can make all the difference

Vistage is the world’s leading executive coaching organisation for small and medium sized businesses.

For more than 60 years, we’ve been helping CEOs, business owners and senior executives solve their greatest challenges. Today, more than 24,000 members in 20 countries rely on Vistage.

Learn more at vistage.co.uk

Coface gives you the peace of mind to trade with confidence 80%

25%

100%

of companies have to

of bankruptcy filings

confidence against

deal with bad debt

are due to unpaid debt

bad debt with Coface

Focus on your core business not your clients’ solvency Protect your income Track your clients’ financial health Benefit from tailored solutions and unparalleled support

You’re in safe hands Industry leader with 70+ years of experience Over 50,000 customers Operating in 100 countries worldwide

“Coface’s expertise, as well as its local knowledge in the field, affords us the luxury of concentrating on our core business without having to worry about whether our clients are solvent or not.”

Wolfgang Bell, CFO, Miele, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia

Coface, protecting and supporting businesses worldwide since 1946. www.coface.uk / enquiries@cofaceuk.com

WELCOME Elite Business Live where entrepreneurial minds meet to tackle challenges head on

Scott English Brand Director

A

s entrepreneurs, there’s always something to keep us awake at night, be it a problem we can’t solve or an idea we can’t stop mulling over. From breaking through the startup barrier to successfully scaling – or even selling – our business, there are always new challenges to consider – just as there are new opportunities. This event is designed to create a peer-to-peer community, where entrepreneurial minds can meet and share their experiences, talk through their challenges, and be motivated to take the next step to drive success. Over two days, you’ll hear from entrepreneurs who have asked the same questions that you’re asking now and have gone on to develop their own innovative answers. With a mix of influential and inspiring speakers, practical breakout seminars and round table sessions, you’ll not only hear stories that relate to your business, but find a platform to truly address those issues hands-on. What parts of the event you experience are up to you: this is an agenda that’s made to be tailored, making sure that you get what you need. Maybe you want to take your business vision a step further. Maybe you’re looking for a practical way to bring exciting ideas to life. Or maybe you just want to address those niggling issues and fall back in love with your business. Elite Business Live is the place to do it.

ELITEBUSINESSLIVE | MARCH 2020

9

99% OF BUSINESS OWNERS ARE ALLERGIC TO THE WORD

*PURELY OUR OPINION

We’ve met a lot of business owners over the years.

And as different as they all are, they have one thing in common: they don’t give up easily.

If you run a business, we’re willing to bet you’re that way too. Because as you know better than most, there’s almost always a way past any challenge.

You’ve made your business into what it is today. And we think you deserve the same tenacity in return.

So when you talk to Funding Options about a business loan, you’ll find we don’t take the word “can’t” lightly. We’re Europe’s leading marketplace for business finance, and we help companies all over the UK and the Netherlands find the right funding every day – often when their bank has already turned them down.

If the right loan is out there, we’ll do our darnedest to find it.

Because we’re allergic to the word “can’t” too.

HELPING BUSINESSES WALK TALL FUNDINGOPTIONS.COM +44 20 3808 6959 FUNDINGOPTIONS.NL +31 85 888 0843

Standard call charges apply. © Funding Options Ltd · Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority · Reference Number 727867

PLAN YOUR DAY

YOUR DAY, YOUR WAY Elite Business Live is an event with a difference. Unlike other business conferences, you can create an itinerary that’s right for you. Want to hear how other entrepreneurs are navigating Brexit? Visit our International Growth seminar. Need more in-depth insight into accounting innovations?

Book your place at one of our focussed roundtables.

Here’s how it works...

1.

6.

BUY YOUR TICKET

ENJOY LUNCH

2.

5.

7.

BROWSE OUR FULL AGENDA

MAXIMISE YOUR TIME

NETWORK

Find the speakers, seminars and workshops that are most relevant to you

See only the speakers and seminars that you need

3.

4.

BOOK TO ATTEND SEMINARS

ATTEND THE EVENT

Create a bespoke itinerary (don’t delay: spaces are limited and strictly first come, first served)

12

ELITEBUSINESSLIVE | MARCH 2020

(and check your emails)

With the Elite Business community of entrepreneurs and business leaders

8.

GO BACK TO THE OFFICE With a head full of ideas and solutions

UPGRADE YOUR TICKET

WANT TO UPGRADE TO VIP? EXCLUSIVE OFFER FOR GENERAL ADMISSION TICKET HOLDERS Why upgrade? Well you’ll receive the following on top of your general admission; VIP Pass, (Both Days) • Fast-track registration and entry • VIP Breakfast networking with complimentary breakfast • Priority seating towards front of the conference • Access to submit questions to headline speakers on stage • Photo opportunity with headline speakers • Three course VIP complimentary lunch • 1-2-1 Q&A with headline speakers • Access to VIP evening networking with headline speakers and complimentary drinks, (Both Days) Don’t delay call the ticketing team today!

Call our team today on 020 3941 0305 and for an additional £99 until 6th March you can upgrade to VIP on both days, (this offer at time of print is subject to VIP ticket positions available) please quote SHOWMEVIP ELITEBUSINESSLIVE | MARCH 2020

13

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ABOUT THE CONFERENCE

ELITE BUSINESS LIVE 2020: WHERE ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDS MEET

T

his event is designed to create a peer-to-peer community, where entrepreneurial minds can meet and share their experiences, talk through their challenges, and be motivated to take the next step to drive success. Over two days, you’ll hear from entrepreneurs who have asked the same questions that you’re asking now and have gone on to develop their own innovative answers.

With a mix of influential and inspiring speakers, practical breakout seminars and roundtable sessions, you’ll not only hear stories that relate to your business, but find a platform to truly address those issues hands-on.

With a number of free-to-attend seminar sessions hosted by heads of industry and business leaders, you will feel motivated to take your business a step further, learn how to bring exciting ideas to life or perhaps fall back in love with your business. These are designed to inspire entrepreneurs and share the problems we all face in business.

Peer-to-peer networking and interactive Q&As are also an intrinsic part of Elite Business Live 2020, where you can identify pain points in your business, meet people just like yourself and develop strong professional relationships.

ELITEBUSINESSLIVE | MARCH 2020

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YOUR HOST

YOUR HOST

OLI BARRETT MBE Oli Barrett is a regular conference and awards host, for events across business, technology, education and entrepreneurship

I

n the past year, he has chaired events for the Great British Entrepreneur Awards, Tech London Advocates, The ScaleUp Institute, The Times Tech Summit and The StartUps Awards. He is on the advisory boards the New Entrepreneurs Foundation and Centre for Entrepreneurs, One Million Mentors and Troubadour Theatres, and is a Fellow of impact incubator and business builder Zinc.

As a serial founder, he co-created Tenner (the UK's largest schools enterprise challenge), Volunteer It Yourself (the social venture which has helped thousands of young people to fix their own youth clubs) and the TOTS (Turn on the Subtitles) campaign to improve children's literacy.

He co-founded StartUp Britain, which was launched by the British Prime Minister, leading to the creation of PitchUp Britain (with John Lewis and Sainsbury's) and PopUp Britain, with the opening of shops around the UK. He co-founded The Rainmakers (an innovation and incubation venture) and co-created eleven international trade missions including WebMission and the Clean and Cool Mission. Oli hosts The Lens podcast with Business in the Community, which pairs senior leaders with future leaders, to discuss the future of work. The Connector Unit, founded in 2016, forges valuable and creative connections across a range of sectors and industries.

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CO-HOSTS

CO-HOST

ALANA SPENCER Founder Ridiculously Rich by Alana

B

eginning as a self-taught chocolatier at the young age of 16 in her parents small country kitchen in Wales, the luxury handmade cake business now known as Ridiculously Rich by Alana was born. With Delicatessens and Food Festivals nationwide loving her delicious tray bakes, Alana went on in 2016 to win the BBC Apprentice.

Since then Alana has grown a team of over 50 Brand Ambassadors, selling her delicious handmade cakes at Food Festivals and shows, launched a range of premium Grab & Go Bars, and most recently seen a rise in demand from national retailers following from the launch of her Self-Serve Retail Units. In 2019, Alana also opened her own bakery in her home town of Aberystwyth to expand the Ridiculously Rich range.

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DAY 1 09.03.20

DAY 1 - CONFERENCE AGENDA

8:00am Registration opens 8:15am

11:25am

PANEL: TECHNOLOGY TO SUPPORT GROWTH

Networking Breakfast

12:05am

9:15am

INTERACTIVE BREAKOUT SESSION Digital Transformation

Opening remarks by the event host:

OLI BARRETT

3:05pm COFFEE BREAK

Sponsored by

Sponsored by

3:30pm Speed networking hosted by Alana Spencer

12:05am

3:30pm

TALENT AND REGULATIONS

OVERSEAS EXPANSION

SPEAKER (and Q&A)

SPEAKER (and Q&A)

Managing Director, CV Library

Vice President, Institute of Export & International Trade

9:30am

COMMERCIAL BUSINESS GROWTH SPEAKER (and Q&A):

MICHAEL HAYMAN

Co-founder, Seven Hills

10:00am

PANEL: FROM VISION TO REALITY How do you turn your business vision into a commercial growth strategy – and what are the biggest obstacles to getting to your goal?

10:30am

MATTHEW MOORE 12:35pm

PANEL: FIND TALENT AND KEEP IT

1:05pm Lunch (1hr) VIP - Please go to the upstairs restaurant 2:05pm

INTERACTIVE BREAKOUT SESSION Growing responsibly is good for business

4:00pm

PANEL: OVERSEAS EXPANSION

COFFEE BREAK

10:55am

ARNE MIELKEN

INTERACTIVE BREAKOUT SESSION Empowerment: Your Leadership Tipping Point

4:40pm HEADLINE SPEAKER AND Q&A

SIMON WOODROFFE OBE Founder, YO!Sushi

Sponsored by

Sponsored by

2:05pm 10:55am

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION SPEAKER (and Q&A)

JENNI YOUNG

Chief Marketing Officer, Tapit

INVESTMENTS & ASSETS SPEAKER (and Q&A)

DERI LLEWELLYN-DAVIES

5:20pm VIP networking

2:35pm

6:35pm

Founder, BGI Group

PANEL: FUNDING BUSINESS AMBITIONS

End of day

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www.export.org.uk

@ioexport

How we trade is about to change.

The Institute of Export & International Trade offers a wide range of training courses giving you the skills and expertise needed to keep up with change and gain a competitive advantage in the complex world of export, import and international trade.

Several of our courses can be fully funded by government grant funding that helps companies complete Customs Declarations - a key requirement for continued trade with Europe. Please be aware, the limited funding is being used up quickly and we strongly advise applying sooner rather than later. Feel free to contact the team for more details.

For more information please visit our website or contact us at: www.export.org.uk training@export.org.uk 01733404400

& INTERNATIONAL TRADE

DAY 1 - CONFERENCE AGENDA

HEADLINE SPEAKER

SIMON WOODROFFE OBE Founder, YO!Sushi

DAY 1, Monday 9th March 4:40pm

S

imon Woodroffe OBE is the creator of YO! Sushi, the conveyor belt sushi restaurant chain which opened in 1997 and now has over 100 sites around the world. He then launched YOTEL, the world’s most radical hotel in 2007, which now operates 12 hotels across 6 countries and 3 continents including 700 rooms each in New York City & Singapore. Other locations include: San Francisco and Istanbul.

Not content with resting after all that, Simon is now working on YO! Home, his re-invention of the city apartment and more YO! projects. Simon left school at the age of 16 and spent 30 years in the entertainment business designing and staging concerts for many artists including The Moody Blues, Madness, Rod Stewart, Stevie Wonder and George Michael before embarking on his YO! adventures in the mid-90’s.

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DAY 1 - CONFERENCE AGENDA

COMMERCIAL BUSINESS GROWTH Your challenge: Opening new opportunities and increasing sales

DAY 1, Monday 9th March 9:30am - 10:30am

KEYNOTE SPEAKER (and Q&A):

MICHAEL HAYMAN Co-founder, Seven Hills Full bio pg 46

PANELLISTS: PANEL: From vision to reality: How do you turn your business vision into a commercial growth strategy – and what are the biggest obstacles to getting to your goal?

Four entrepreneurs in the tech, digital and consumer space share their experiences in taking the ‘next step’ at various points in the business journey. Together, they bring a unique insight into the sales and marketing strategies that made their ideas for growth a tangible reality.

• Overcoming business challenges • Implementing and reviewing strategies for success • Dismantling the most common roadblocks • Using the right products and services to solve pain points • The ONE decision that has the most impact on growth

JAS BAGNIEWSKI Founder, Eve Sleep Full bio pg 49 JENNY KNIGHTING Founder, Nutcracker Full bio pg 49 MARK WRIGHT Founder & Director, Climb Online Full bio pg 50 DAMIAN COULTON Customer Services Director, SSE Full bio pg 48

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DAY 1 - CONFERENCE AGENDA

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION Your challenge: Investing in technology for long-term growth

DAY 1, Monday 9th March 10:55am - 11:55am

KEYNOTE SPEAKER (and Q&A):

JENNI YOUNG

Chief marketing officer, Tapit Full bio pg 45

PANELLISTS: PANEL: Technology to support growth Today, there’s no shortage of innovative technology available to scaling businesses but choosing the right solutions for your long-term growth isn’t easy, especially in such a rapidly changing market. A mix of digital innovators and early adopters look at the emerging technologies that are transforming the way we do business in Industry4.0, from apps to cybersecurity, AI to RPA. We ask how these solutions will impact your business, now and in the future, and how to spot the right opportunity for you.

• • • • •

Maximising technology to fuel growth Present and future innovations Data as a vital resource Making the right choice to deliver impact The KEY questions to ask before making an investment

CHRIS SOUTHWORTH Secretary General, ICC UK Full bio pg 48 DEVIKA WOOD Founder, Vida & I am Marla Full bio pg 49 MATT TUSON SVP & MP, Conga Full bio pg 51

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DAY 1 - CONFERENCE AGENDA

TALENT AND REGULATIONS Your challenge: Overcoming the skills shortage and regulatory challenges

DAY 1, Monday 9th March 12:05pm - 1:05pm

KEYNOTE SPEAKER (and Q&A):

MATTHEW MOORE

Managing Director, CV Library Full bio pg 46

PANELLISTS: PANEL: Find talent and keep it

Is talent still your biggest obstacle to growth?

You’re not alone. Real talent is hard to find, and even harder to keep. Yet invest in the right skills, and you can cultivate a culture of talent across the business, one that drives growth and productivity. In this session we explore the talent pool, it’s challenges and opportunities, and the core principles to finding and retaining valuable staff.

• • • • • •

The importance of diversity Engaging your workforce Communicating leadership values Wellbeing for better productivity HR’s shifting role in a modern workplace The impact of talent on your bottom line

ED REEVES Co-founder, Moneypenny Full bio pg 49 TIMO BOLDT Founder, Gousto Full bio pg 53 RACHEL CARRELL Founder, Koru Kids Full bio pg 52 CHRISS ABBASS Co-founder, Talentful Full bio pg 48

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DAY 1 - CONFERENCE AGENDA

INVESTMENTS & ASSETS Your challenge: Financial descisions that fit my business plan

DAY 1, Monday 9th March 2:05pm - 3:05pm PANEL: Funding business ambitions

KEYNOTE SPEAKER (and Q&A):

DERI LLEWELLYN-DAVIES Founder, BGI Group Full bio pg 44

Injecting cash into your organisation to fund expansion can be both exhilarating and unnerving. Will you get the finance you need?

How will it affect your control over the business?

What if you choose the wrong investment?

A panel of entrepreneurs and financiers come together to address these questions and explore some of the innovative funding resources available to businesses today – from crowdfunding to peer-to-peer finance – as well as the perks and drawbacks of traditional funding options.

• Crowdfunding, circles and alternative investments • External investment or asset finance?

• Managing cash flow for fast growth • The secret to making better financial decisions

PANELLISTS: RICHARD BEARMAN MD, British Business Bank Full bio pg 52 LEAH MOON Legal Director & Head of US Legal Operations, Seedrs Full bio pg 50 PAUL CONWAY Director of Channel Sales, Bottomline Full bio pg 52 SIMON CURETON CEO, Funding Options Full bio pg 53

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DAY 1 - CONFERENCE AGENDA

OVERSEAS EXPANSION Your challenge: Making my brand a success in a new market

DAY 1, Monday 9th March 3:30pm - 4:30pm PANEL: Overseas expansion

KEYNOTE SPEAKER (and Q&A):

ARNE MIELKEN

Vice President, Institute of Export & International Trade Full bio pg 44

A fast track to growth or a risky venture?

Overseas expansion can be daunting, but with several different routes to market open to businesses – and emerging opportunities across the globe – the rewards can far outweigh the risk. Business leaders who have successfully taken their brand across borders share their stories, from the challenges they faced to the successes they secured.

• Cross-border agility in an ever-changing economy • Distribution agreement or on the ground presence? The options available.

• Managing risk and reaping rewards • Cultural considerations • Marketing to new markets • Tips to accessing a brand-new audience

PANELLISTS: JAMES HYDE Co-founder & CEO, James & James Fulfilment Full bio pg 49 GREG SUTCH CEO, Intralink Full bio pg 49 SEAN BLAKELY CEO, British Chambers of Commerce Full bio pg 53

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notes

DAY 1 - NOTES

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DAY 2 10.03.20

DAY 2 - CONFERENCE AGENDA

8:00am Registration opens 8:15am

10:55am

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

Networking Breakfast

SPEAKER (and Q&A)

9:15am

Founder, #BeYourOwnBoss and Chairman, d&t

Opening remarks by:

OLI BARRETT

CARL READER 11:25am

PANEL: INNOVATING THROUGH TECH

3:30pm Speed networking hosted by Alana Spencer 3:30pm INTERACTIVE BREAKOUT SESSION Funding Options Business Growth Camp Sponsored by

9:30am

COMMERCIAL BUSINESS GROWTH

12:05am

3:30pm

SPEAKER (and Q&A):

TALENT AND REGULATIONS

OVERSEAS EXPANSION

ERIC PARTAKER

SPEAKER (and Q&A)

SPEAKER (and Q&A)

Founder & Chairman, The Supper Club

Co-founder, The Cheeky Panda

Co-founder, Chilango

10:00am

PANEL: OVERCOMING OBSTACLES TO GROWTH When you hit a bump in the road, how can you use your commercial strategies to get back on track to growth?

10:30am COFFEE BREAK

10:55am INTERACTIVE BREAKOUT SESSION Customer service is key to success Sponsored by

DUNCAN CHEATLE 12:35pm

PANEL: STEPPING OVER THE SKILLS GAP

1:05pm Lunch (1hr) VIP - Please go to the upstairs restaurant

CHRIS FORBES 4:00pm

PANEL: GOING GLOBAL: RISKS, REWARDS AND REGULATIONS

4:40pm HEADLINE SPEAKER AND Q&A

2:05pm

INVESTMENTS & ASSETS SPEAKER (and Q&A)

PHIL HOBDEN

Head of Education, Capitalise

2:35pm

PANEL: FLEXIBLE FINANCE FOR FAST GROWTH

3:05pm COFFEE BREAK Sponsored by

JO FAIRLEY Founder, Green & Blacks

5:35pm VIP networking 6:45pm End of day

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DAY 2 - CONFERENCE AGENDA

HEADLINE SPEAKER

JO FAIRLEY Founder, Green & Blacks DAY 2, 4:40pm

J

o Fairley set out on her entrepreneurial journey in 1991 when she co-founded Green & Black’s Chocolate, now approaching a £100 million a year brand – the world's first organic chocolate, helping to create a more conscious consumer while proving that you don't have to compromise on quality to live more sustainably.

The success of Green & Black's has enabled Jo to become a serial entrepreneur, via an award-winning organic and natural food store/bakery (Judges Bakery), The Wellington Centre (a boutique nine-room wellbeing centre) – both in her home town of Hastings – and most recently

The Perfume Society, which sets out to help individuals develop their sense of smell via exploration of fragrance and the scented world.

She also works as a marketing and branding consultant to many different brands, across the food, beauty and travel arenas. In recognition of her work, Jo has received many awards for her own enterprise, including WorldAware Award and many Soil Association Awards. She has also received an Honorary Doctorate in Business Studies from Kingston University, The Shackleton Medal for leadership and citizenship, from The Scottish Royal Geographical Society, and she featured as Lauren Laverne's castaway on Desert Island Discs, in 2019.

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DAY 2 - CONFERENCE AGENDA

COMMERCIAL BUSINESS GROWTH Your challenge: Creating sustainable strategies for fast growth

DAY 2, Tuesday 10th March 9:30am - 10:30am

KEYNOTE SPEAKER (and Q&A):

ERIC PARTAKER Co-founder, Chilango Full bio pg 45

PANELLISTS: PANEL: Overcoming obstacles to growth When you hit a bump in the road, how can you use your commercial strategies to get back on track to growth? A panel of entrepreneurs give a fresh perspective on commercial growth, discussing the business challenges that shaped their sales and marketing and took their business to the next level.

• • • • • •

Adapting commercial strategies Reactive marketing Testing strategies for success Overcoming the most common roadblocks Products and services that can solve pain points The biggest challenges and how to overcome them

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SAASHA CELESTIAL-ONE Founder, OLIO Full bio pg 52 JULIAN HEARN Founder, Huel Full bio pg 50

DAMIAN COULTON Customer Services Director, SSE Full bio pg 48

DAY 2 - CONFERENCE AGENDA

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION Your challenge: Realising your business goals through technology

DAY 2, Tuesday 10th March 10:55am - 11:55am

KEYNOTE SPEAKER (and Q&A):

CARL READER

Founder, #BeYourOwnBoss and Chairman, d&t Full bio pg 44

PANELLISTS: PANEL: Innovating through tech

Technology has the potential to transform your business, but it’s never a quick fix. To successfully innovate through tech, you need a clear vision of what you want it to achieve.

In this session, a panel of digital innovators share their insight into how technology can be used to realise your business goals, and how you can strategically implement the right solutions to grow your business.

• • • • •

Choosing the right tech Implementing an innovation strategy Getting the most out of your investment Driving decisions with data The ONE resource every technology needs

SAM GOSS Co-founder & CMO, Comma Group Full bio pg 52 MELISSA SNOVER Founder, Nourished Full bio pg 51 DAN MAUDHUB MD, The Wonderful Creative Agency Full bio pg 48 ANDREW ELLIS Founder, We Are Like Minds Full bio pg 48 ELITEBUSINESSLIVE | MARCH 2020

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DAY 2 - CONFERENCE AGENDA

TALENT AND REGULATIONS Your challenge: Making the right talent decisions

DAY 2, Tuesday 10th March 12:05pm - 1:05pm PANEL: Stepping over the skills gap

KEYNOTE SPEAKER (and Q&A):

DUNCAN CHEATLE

Founder & Chairman, The Supper Club, Founder/CEO of Learn Amp Full bio pg 45

Access to talent is still the leading the obstacle to growth for most scaling businesses, but solutions are out there. With a diverse talent pool available, the answers lie in understanding what skills to invest in and how to nurture unique talent in-house to increase productivity. Our panel explores how business leaders can navigate changing talent demands – including regulatory challenges – to drive business growth.

• • • • •

Promoting an engaged workforce Impactful leadership Culture and communication Recruitment vs training New ways of working and what they mean for your revenue

PANELLISTS: MATTHEW PHELAN Head of global happiness, The Happiness Index Full bio pg 51 SCOTT MULLINS CEO, Pimlico Plumbers Full bio pg 53

MERLIE CALVERT Founder, Farillio Full bio pg 51

MARKO ILINCIC Group Chairman, Vistage Full bio pg 51

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DAY 2 - CONFERENCE AGENDA

INVESTMENTS & ASSETS Your challenge: Flexible finance solutions that can grow with my business

DAY 2, Tuesday 10th March 2:05pm - 3:05pm PANEL: Flexible finance for fast growth Banking isn’t what it used to be – but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Yes, the days of sitting down with a local bank manager to secure a business loan may be over, but there are now exciting, flexible options available to businesses that give greater control and agility in all things finance. From virtual banking to digital invoice finance solutions, our panel discusses the banking solutions that can support growth.

• • • • • • •

Simplified banking Financial solutions that grow with you Access to financial advice Controlling your finances Understanding asset finance Managing cash flow Choosing the RIGHT bank for your business

KEYNOTE SPEAKER (and Q&A):

PHIL HOBDEN

Head of Education, Capitalise Full bio pg 46

PANELLISTS: SAM LEACH Founder & CEO, Samuel & Co Full bio pg 53 ADRIAN BLAIR CEO, Reciept Bank Full bio pg 48

LUCY MULLINS Co-founder, Stepladder Full bio pg 50

RANDY MCFARLANE Head of Strategic Partnerships and Alliances, Bottomline Full bio pg 52 ELITEBUSINESSLIVE | MARCH 2020

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DAY 2 - CONFERENCE AGENDA

OVERSEAS EXPANSION Your challenge: Making my brand a success in a new market

DAY 2, Tuesday 10th March 3:30pm - 4:30pm PANEL: Going global: risks, rewards and regulations For any growth-minded businesses, international expansion is an alluring prospect – yet grasping opportunities overseas is no easy feat. Exporting your brand requires an in-depth knowledge of your new market: its rewards, its risks and its regulatory challenges. Our panel of entrepreneurs and advisors give their insight into going global, outlining the steps that any brand needs to take to identify cross-border opportunities, mitigate threats and create an effective strategy to succeed in a new market.

• • • • •

Legal and regulatory challenges Due diligence: is this the right route for you?

Audience engagement and demand On the ground support Resourcing: what you need and how to get it

KEYNOTE SPEAKER (and Q&A):

CHRIS FORBES

Co-founder, The Cheeky Panda Full bio pg 44

PANELLISTS: JORDAN KENSINGTON President, Invincible Media Full bio pg 50 SARRA BEJAOUI Founder and Managing Director, SmartPA Full bio pg 53 MARCO FORGIONE Director General, Institute of Export & International Trade Full bio pg 50 MICHAEL ALTOM General Manager, Virtuo Full bio pg 51

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notes

DAY 2 - CONFERENCE AGENDA

ELITEBUSINESSLIVE | MARCH 2020

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NETWORKING

NETWORKING WITH

ALANA SPENCER If you want to make as many contacts in an hour as you normally would in a week, speed networking is the place for you

DAY 1, Monday 9th March 3:30pm DAY 2, Tuesday 10th March 3:30pm

H

osted by Alana Spencer, it’s a full-on, fast-paced, face-to-face way of introducing yourself to new people, opportunities and potential future relationships. You could be looking for customers, suppliers, or even joint venture partners.

Whatever your goal, make it snappy; you’ll have one minute to say your piece before the roles are reversed. Once that time’s up, it’s onto the next contact.

Make sure you come armed with plenty of cards and a well-honed pitch.

BOOKING REQUIRED Places are going quickly, don’t miss out!

Book on the website today.

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BREAKOUT SESSIONS

DAY 1 & 2 - BREAKOUT SESSIONS GROWING RESPONSIBLY IS GOOD FOR BUSINESS How to scale up your business sustainably and attract customers, investors and employees

STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD The power of sales and marketing aligns

DAY 1 - 9th March | 10:55am

DAY 1 - 9th March | 12:05am

SSE Business Energy is well positioned to help entrepreneurs by providing advice and the tools needed to scale up responsibly. With the broadest portfolio of renewable energy-generating assets in the UK and Ireland, sustainability is central to SSE’s strategy. They can offer advice on paying Fair Tax and the Real Living Wage, based on their own experience of doing so, alongside driving forward diversity and inclusion in business.

Being able to show your ethical credentials to those you supply can help you win business. Prove that your supply chain is green, and give climate-conscious companies the confidence to choose you as a supplier.

• • • •

Sponsored by

Marketing that will transform your business Build your brand, connect with your customers Unearth new leads Boost your revenue

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EMPOWERMENT: YOUR LEADERSHIP TIPPING POINT

CUSTOMER SERVICE IS KEY TO SUCCESS

The challenges in scaling a business whilst creating an empowered organisation

How to keep employees and customers satisfied as you scale up your business

DAY 1 - 9th March | 2:05pm

DAY 2 - 10th March | 10:55am

To say that Marko likes to help build things is an understatement! After all, he has spent the last 25 years doing that on behalf of the world’s most famous toy brand, LEGO®. He started his long career there as Marketing Assistant, rising through the ranks to serve on its global Executive Board and has held numerous commercial roles in the UK, across Europe, North America and Asia. Directly responsible for building businesses ranging in size from £35million to over £1billion in sales, he has first-hand knowledge of what it takes to truly embrace digitalisation, build a world class brand and globally scale a business that displaced Ferrari to become the world’s most powerful brand*.

In this 45-minute workshop you’ll discover ways to deliver excellent customer service to your expanding audience as your business grows, laying firm foundations for future success. Join SSE Business Energy’s Rob Short, Head of Continuous Improvement & Complaints to discuss how to train and incentivise employees to interact with customers in the way you would like as you scale up your business. Learn how building a business culture with customers at the heart can help you succeed and discuss how to handle complaints well.

Sponsored by

FUNDING OPTIONS BUSINESS GROWTH CAMP Designed and delivered by ex-Google executive David Keene, now CMO Funding Options

DAY 2 - 10th March | 3:30pm A cutting-edge, fast-paced, interactive workshop containing the latest thinking, freshest ideas and the best cloud technologies to support growth and innovation for independent and specialist UK business leaders.

This interactive breakout session is a fast paced interactive event where you, as an independent business leader, will be working with peers to identify growth and innovation strategies for your business, dealing with real challenges and complex problems. The event is broken into a series of short strategy techniques delivered as sharp Ted talk sessions followed by impactful peer coaching workshop sessions that offer the opportunity to network and support across and with other business leaders. The content is tuned specifically for smaller independent businesses that do not have deep pockets or large resources to call on. The methods and ideas explored will allow you to think differently about growth for your business.

Sponsored by

BOOK A SESSION TODAY All our breakout sessions require booking in advance, you can do this by visiting: elitebusinessevent.co.uk/what-s-on/interactive-breakout-sessions

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ELITEBUSINESSLIVE | MARCH 2020

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KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

ARNE MIELKEN Vice President, Institute of Export & International Trade Overseas Expansion - 3:30pm | DAY 1 - 9th March

CARL READER, Founder, #BeYourOwnBoss and Chairman, d&t Digital Transformation - 10:55am | DAY 2 - 10th March

Arne is an expert in Customs compliance. He works closely with customers to understand and address their complex and evolving customs, trade and supply chain needs, especially as regards automating trade compliance with Global Trade Content and end-to-end supply chain software. Previously, Arne was a Manager in Grant Thornton & Deloitte’s Customs Duties & Export Controls teams, assisting clients with the management of import and export procedures, customs regimes & duty to maximise cost-savings opportunities and enhance customs compliance. He also conducted customs process reviews together with developing and implementing internal compliance programmes focused on leading practice methodologies.

Carl is a school drop-out turned entrepreneur. Carl initially dropped out of school at the age of 15 and has since then grown an impressive empire! His story is incredibly inspiring and motivational. Carl is a business expert, qualified accountant and the founder of the #BeYourOwnBoss movement. He’s also chairman of an accountancy firm, d&t, which has over 2,500 clients in the UK, and director of 3 other businesses.

He’s a business author (written 2 business books with another in the pipeline), has advised thousands of businesses and even has his own business podcast (link in my signature) where he gives advice and guidance on how to start, grow and build a business. He has over 125k followers across social media platforms, and regularly keynotes on small business topics.

CHRIS FORBES, Co-founder, The Cheeky Panda

DERI LLEWELLYN-DAVIES, Founder, BGI Group

Overseas Expansion - 3:30pm | DAY 2 - 10th March

Investments & Assets - 2:05pm | DAY 1 - 9th March

Business Entrepreneur of the Year for 2017. Chris spent 20 years working in capital markets and management consultancy around the world at up to board level before taking his passion for sustainability and co-founding The Cheeky Panda a bamboo tissue business with his wife Julie Chen in 2016. The Cheeky Panda is a high impact green consumer goods company with a multi-million-pound turnover, selling in over 20 countries, with a market cap of over £25m. Chris does public speaking and regularly feature in the mainstream media.

Best-selling author and UK’s top expert on the high performance organisation and extreme performance. He has been redefining what’s possible for two decades, climbing six of the highest mountains in the world, completing the toughest footrace on the planet, building several multi-million pound businesses and advising over 300 boards.

He helps super achievers and organizations do the impossible, break barriers and create sustained high performance and momentum without burnout or sacrificing family life. He holds the coveted title of “Fellow” of the Professional Speakers Association and has spoken from Vancouver to Katmandu (literally!).

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KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

DUNCAN CHEATLE, Founder and Chairman, The Supper Club

ERIC PARTAKER, Co-founder, Chilango

Talent And Regulations - 12:05am | DAY 2 - 10th March

Commercial Business Growth - 9:30am | DAY 2 - 10th March

Duncan is the Founder of Learn Amp, a software-as-a-service, Employee Success Platform with a mission to ‘make work life, work better’. Learn Amp makes it easy to deliver a great employee experience -induction, onboarding and other learning pathways, managing risk, compliance and internal knowledge as well as performance management. It’s been named best Learning Experience Platform globally for the last two years and won best of use technology in the 2019 Employee Experience Awards.

Duncan has also spent nearly 20 years championing UK enterprise. He is Chairman of The Supper Club which he set up in 2003. The Club is now home to around 500 of Britain’s most innovative, high growth entrepreneurs and has hosted over 3,000 peer-to-peer learning events.

As a High Performance Expert, Eric Partaker helps CEOs, entrepreneurs, leadership teams and former U.S. Special Forces operatives scale-up themselves, their teams and their companies, while also improving their well-being. Within his approach he draws from his time advising Fortune 50 CEOs at McKinsey, his experience helping build up Skype’s multi-billion dollar success story, and his own entrepreneurial journey – together with behavioral science from Stanford University, as well as techniques from the worlds of elite sport and the military areas where optimal performance is key.

JENNI YOUNG, Chief marketing officer, Tapit

MATTHEW MOORE, Managing Director, CV Library

Digital Transformation - 10.55am | DAY 1 - 9th March

Talent And Regulations - 12:05pm | DAY 1 - 9th March

Jenni has worked with start ups, scale ups, corporates and not for profits worldwide, and has over 20 years’ experience in marketing, events, communications, operations and commercial development. She has worked across both B2C and B2B sectors and has won several high profile awards from PRCA and D&AD. She has extensive experience of working with live events, tech, media, lifestyle and innovation brands. Her previous roles include Marketing Director at Live Nation, Marketing & Centres Director at Digital Catapult and Managing Director of Upstream (a partnership between Imperial College London & Hammersmith & Fulham Council).

Matthew Moore is Managing Director of CV-Library, the UK’s leading independent job board. He has extensive experience in the HR and recruitment industry, having joined the company in 2013 and assuming the role of Finance & HR Director. In his newly appointed position, Matthew plays a leading part in the company’s strategy and continued expansion.

ELITEBUSINESSLIVE | MARCH 2020

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KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

MICHAEL HAYMAN, Co-founder, Seven Hills

PHIL HOBDEN, Head of Education, Capitalise

Commercial Business Growth - 9:30am | DAY 1 - 9th March

Investments & Assets - 2.05pm | DAY 2 - 10th March

Michael is an entrepreneur, broadcaster and author. He co-founded the campaigns firm Seven Hills & co-authored Mission (Penguin).He is chairman of entrepreneurs at the private bank and wealth manager Coutts. He also co-founded the national campaign for early stage enterprise, StartUp Britain.Michael hosts the TV show The Capital Conversation and is an experienced event host. He has interviewed leaders from business, sports, politics and entertainment.He is Honorary Professor of the Purpose Economy at the University of London where he also holds an Honorary Doctorate. He is also an Honorary Fellow in Entrepreneurship at the University of Cambridge Judge Business School.

Phil Hobden is Head of Education at innovative Fintech Capitalise.com. He has gained his experience working across both the accounting FinTech space & financial services at some of the UK’s largest and most innovative companies. A background in coaching, business development & management in financial services, Phil also ran his own successful media production business for nearly ten years.

In his role at Capitalise, Phil works with both accountants and business advisors across the UK, from niche firms to top 10 and beyond, empowering them to launch a funding service line in their practices and, ultimately, help their SME clients get better access to finance through both digital and onsite education.

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ELITEBUSINESSLIVE | MARCH 2020

“Being recognised by such a prestigious platform is a great honour” MNB PRECISION – Winner of The Lloyds Bank Small to Medium Sized Business of the Year Award

COULD 2020 BE YOUR YEAR? nationalbusinessawards.co.uk

GO FOR IT!

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PANELLISTS

ADRIAN BLAIR, CEO Receipt Bank

ANDREW ELLIS, Founder of We Are Like Minds

CHRIS ABBASS, Founder & CO-CEO Talentful

Investments & Assets 2:35pm | DAY 2 - 10th March

Digital Transformation 11:25am | DAY 2 - 10th March

Talent And Regulations 12:35pm | DAY 1 - 9th March

Adrian is the CEO of Receipt Bank, having formerly served as the COO of Just Eat from 2011 to 2018, where he was the only executive team member to serve throughout the company’s transformation from startup to FTSE 100. Before this, he led business development for Spotify in Europe and spent six years in senior commercial roles at Google in California and London.

He is a non-executive director at leading hybrid estate agency Purplebricks, and co-founder and Chair of Circl.org, a next-generation leadership development programme for students from deprived backgrounds.

Adrian was educated at Oxford University and Harvard Business School.

Andrew is a creative director, serial entrepreneur and experienced business development executive. After a BA Hons degree in Graphic Design at The University of the Arts in London, He started his career as a designer and photographer at the seminal creative partnership Hipgnosis. In 1982 he designed the world famous “Choose Life” range of slogan T-Shirts for Katharine Hamnett and co-authored the book ‘Album Cover Album Two’ with Roger Dean & Storm Thorgerson and collaborated on the second Hipgnosis book ‘The Goodbye Look’. In 1982 he founded Icon, an international creative agency based in London & LA specialising in design for the music industry.

Chris Abbass has more than a decade of expertise in leadership and recruitment for game-changing technology companies. He is the Co-CEO of Talentful, a global talent consultancy which he founded in 2015 with Phil Blaydes.

Chris has been instrumental in the growth and expansion of Talentful since its inception and now oversees Talentful’s US headquarters in San Francisco.

Chris is a member of the Forbes HR Council and offers his human-first philosophy and insights on the power of leadership, company culture, and redefining recruitment for the transformative age.

CHRIS SOUTHWORTH, Secretary General ICC UK

DAMIAN COULTON, Customer Services Director, SSE

Digital Transformation 11:25am | DAY 1 - 9th March

Commercial Business Growth 10:00am | DAY 1 - 9th March 10:00am | DAY 2 - 10th March

DAN MAUDHUB, Managing Director of The Wonderful Creative Agency

Chris Southworth is Secretary General at the ICC United Kingdom. Prior to joining ICC he was Executive Director for Global Partnerships, at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), Head of the International Chambers of Commerce Unit at UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) and a Senior Policy Advisor to Lord Heseltine for his independent review of UK competitiveness.

In 2011 he helped set up the mid-size business export programme at UKTI and was a Senior Policy Advisor for the 2011 Government Review of Mid-Size Businesses.

Former roles have encompassed deregulatory policy at Better Regulation Executive, social enterprise policy at the Department for Business and stints in a local strategic partnership and the charity sector.

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As Customer Service Director, Damian makes sure SSE Business Energy’s dedicated advisers have the right expertise and tools to help businesses with their individual energy needs.

Damian has been in the energy industry since the mid-1990s, managing sales, marketing and retail supply operations for large energy companies, and advising on commercial decisions as an independent consultant. He also worked at Energy Saving Trust, as Group Commercial Director.

This depth of experience means Damian is superbly placed to give insight into how to scale up your business responsibly, power your growth sustainably, and keep on delivering excellent customer service.

Digital Transformation 11:25am | DAY 2 - 10th March Dan is a serial entrepreneur with a passion for strategically lead, transformational business thinking.

He founded Wonderful in 2010 and has helped brands such as Pfizer, NHS, GE Healthcare, Hyundai & Tesco to transform their brand, marketing, and sales.

PANELLISTS

DEVIKA WOOD, Founder Vida

ED REEVES, Co-founder Moneypenny

GREG SUTCH, CEO Intralink

Digital Transformation 11:25am | DAY 1 - 9th March

Talent And Regulations 12:35pm | DAY 1 - 9th March

Overseas Expansion 4:00pm | DAY 1 - 9th March

Devika has been in the entrepreneur ecosystem for 7 years, before Founding Vida in May 2016. Devika started her career at Google at 18, followed by becoming a cancer research scientist at Imperial and achieving a Masters in Public Health from Imperial University. Devika has worked on the development of two award-winning health tech start-up in the UK – Babylon and Medefer, which gave her the skills to found Vida.

Devika ran two incubators in a VC, Hambro Perks and inseminated 3 business ideas, that raised funds. Her passion to innovate and disrupt in the care industry, came from being a young carer for her grandmother for 12 years, which has seen her win industry recognised awards for Vida, and be featured on the Forbes 30 under 30 list in 2018, for healthcare and science.

Ed Reeves co-founded Moneypenny with his sister Rachel Clacher in 2000. The company is now the UK’s leading provider of telephone answering and outsourced switchboard services, handling more than 15 million calls and live chats a year and employing more than 750 members of staff in the UK and US. Ed remains responsible for the overall strategic direction, advancements in AI and technology and for ensuring the company maximises its opportunities whilst staying true to its core values. Prior to founding Moneypenny, Ed travelled the world competing in numerous water sport events which provided an ideal outlet for his competitive spirit and active nature. Returning to the UK, he quickly established a small graphics business, which as it grew gave him the need, and idea, for an outsourced PA service - and Moneypenny was born.

Greg was brought up in Japan and educated in the UK. After reading Japanese at the University of Sheffield, he worked in Japanese local government and then the airline industry before joining Intralink as its general manager in Tokyo in 1996. He spent 10 years working in the company’s Tokyo office, growing the team from two to ten and delivering work for clients across a broad range sectors. In 2001, he set up the company’s operation in Shanghai, followed by similar operations in South Korea and Taiwan. In 2005, he relocated to Shanghai and three years later to the UK. In 2010, he was appointed group CEO and in 2011 led a successful debt-financed management buy-out.

JAMES HYDE, Co-founder & CEO of James and James fulfilment

JAS BAGNIEWSKI, Founder Eve Sleep PLC

JENNY KNIGHTING, Founder, Nutcracker

Commercial Business Growth 10:00am | DAY 1 - 9th March

Commercial Business Growth 10:00am | DAY 1 - 9th March

Jas was the founder and CEO of Eve Sleep PLC, prior to which he was country head of Zalando UK and a member of the Senior Management Team at CityDeal/ Groupon UK.

Jenny has worked with a number of ambitious startup’s, leading commercial strategy and making bold business growth plans a reality. With a wealth of experience in media, manufacturing, services and events, Jenny brings a unique creativity and perspective to every launch, scale and strategy. As founder and CEO of Nutcracker Agency, Jenny has led her team to win multiple awards, including finalist in the Best New Business at The National Business Awards. Since launching Nutcracker in 2014, the business has grown 80% year on year, helping countless clients in a wide range of industries to fulfil their vision through targeted, exciting and results-driven digital marketing.

Overseas Expansion 4:00pm | DAY 1 - 9th March James Hyde is an engineering graduate from the University of Cambridge. After a spell as an angel investor’s apprentice, he spotted the chance to modernise eCommerce fulfilment, while working with an online honey seller. With friend and fellow Cambridge graduate, James Strachan, he founded James and James Fulfilment in 2010. The company provides outsourced fulfilment services to independent retailers, founded on its own unique technology and processes.

With a love of pondering problems and improving things, James has led the company to become one of the UK’s fastest-growing organisations.

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PANELLISTS

JORDAN KENSINGTON, President at Invincible Media Overseas Expansion 4:00pm | DAY 2 - 10th March Jordan Kensington is an entrepreneur, media personality and founder of the company Invincible, a media, advertising , real estate and events agency launched in 1999 with headquarters in the Virgin Islands and offices in six countries. The media part of the business publishes over 12 magazines including; Chelsea Monthly, The National Post, Brand Weekly, Teen Republic and UniDaily whilst the advertising agency looks after the media planning and buying for several brands spread across six countries including the USA, UK, Caribbean and China. The events company, invincible events produces some of the biggest global awards shows including; the National Reality Television Awards, Urban Music Awards, British Music Week and the International Football Awards.

LUCY MULLINS, Co-founder of Stepladder Investments & Assets 2:35pm | DAY 2 - 10th March Lucy is Co-Founder and COO of StepLadder, a fast growing and award-winning fintech company pioneering collaborative finance and revolutionising the home buying process. Through their collaborative lending circles StepLadder are supporting people to buy their first home faster, reach their financial goals, and championing financial wellbeing.

Lucy has spent her career motivating and supporting people to reach their goals, as an executive coach and sports psychologist. She is Co-Founder of #RideTheWave, a new coach training programme designed to help leaders and founders make an impact in the world.

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ELITEBUSINESSLIVE | MARCH 2020

JULIAN HEARN, Founder Huel Commercial Business Growth 10:00am | DAY 2 - 10th March Julian founded Huel in 2014 with the goal to create a brand that people would be proud to be associated with.

He wanted to create a business that did the right thing for the planet, for its staff, and most importantly for its customers. After bootstrapping Huel to £40m annual run rate, in just four years, Huel is now one of the fastest growing brands based in the UK with a £220m valuation in 2018. Huel now sells to over 80 countries and has rapidly expanded its team to over 100 employees across the globe.

LEAH MOON, Legal Director & Head of US Legal Operations, Seedrs Investments & Assets 2:35am | DAY 1 - 9th March Leah is the Legal Director at Seedrs, the leading online platform for investing in the equity of startups and other growth companies in Europe. She is a U.S. qualified lawyer who began her career at Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg LLP in Chicago working on contentious financial services matters. Prior to joining Seedrs, she worked at Hogan Lovells International LLP in London on contentious regulatory matters. Leah holds a BA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from the University of Pennsylvania and a JD from Chicago-Kent College of Law.

MARCO FORGIONE, Director General of Institute of Export & International Trade

MARK WRIGHT, Founder and director Climb Online

Overseas Expansion 4:00pm | DAY 2 - 10th March

Commercial Business Growth 10:00am | DAY 1 - 9th March

Following graduation from LSE with a degree in Geography, Marco’s first role was as parliamentary assistant to the then Shadow Minister of Environment and Urban Affairs. Whilst in this role he was appointed as the Secretary to the Enquiry into Urban Policy, City 2020.

On leaving Westminster he took a short break travelling in India and the US. On his return Marco was appointed to bring about commercial success and membership growth to the Landscape Institute, the Royal Chartered Institute for Landscape Designers. During Marco’s time with the Institute revenues increased by 300% through the development of new online and offline platforms, publications and events.

Mark Wright is an award-winning, influential entrepreneur and self-taught digital marketing specialist, renowned for his success in winning BBC’s The Apprentice.

In securing the winners title, Mark went on to find and develop one of the UK’s fastest growing digital marketing agencies, Climb Online, in partnership with Lord Sugar.

As the most successful business to have been founded by an Apprentice winner to date, Climb Online is renowned for its disruptive approach to digital marketing, working with household brands to generate profit and scale growth.

PANELLISTS

MARKO ILNICIC, Group Chairman of Vistage

MATT TUSON, SVP & MD of Conga

MATTHEW PHELAN, Head of global happiness The Happiness Index

Talent And Regulations 12:35am | DAY 2 - 10th March

Digital Transformation 11:25pm | DAY 1 - 9th March

To say that Marko likes to help build things is an understatement! After all, he has spent the last 25 years doing that on behalf of the world’s most famous toy brand, LEGO®. He started his long career there as Marketing Assistant, rising through the ranks to serve on its global Executive Board and has held numerous commercial roles in the UK, across Europe, North America and Asia.

Directly responsible for building businesses ranging in size from £35million to over £1billion in sales, he has first-hand knowledge of what it takes to truly embrace digitalisation, build a world class brand and globally scale a business that displaced Ferrari to become the world’s most powerful brand*. Marko puts his success down to a simple focus of always seeking to sustainably grow the business whilst developing its leaders of tomorrow.

As SVP and Managing Director of EMEA, Matt is responsible for leading Conga’s expansion across Europe and helping customers in their digital transformation (DX) journey. He is an experienced business leader, having held the role of vice president at Salesforce, where he headed the service cloud market strategy across EMEA, as well as NewVoiceMedia, where he lead its global sales distribution plan and execution. He specialises in cloud computing, CRM, software, transformation and brand value. With extensive board level experience, he has been the driving force behind business strategies and solutions across the globe.

MELISSA SNOVER, Founder of Nourished

MERLIE CALVERT, CEO & Founder Farillio

MICHAEL ALTOM, General Manager of Virtuo

Digital Transformation 11:25pm | DAY 2 - 10th March

Talent And Regulations 12:35pm | DAY 2 - 10th March

Overseas Expansion 4:00pm | DAY 2 - 10th March

Melissa Snover (aka Melissa Burton) is an entrepreneur, visionary, and a trendsetter in the world of food technology and 3D printing. She is passionate about developing innovations which offer solutions to her customers, challenge her competitors, and disrupt current market offerings. She is currently the founder and CEO of REM3DY Group which pioneers personalised health solutions across nutrition and medicine under the brands NOURISH3D and SCRIPT3D. Nourished is the world’s first truly customised nutrition product which uses patented 3D printing technology and a vegan encapsulation formula to combine 7 different active ingredients into one personalised nutrition gummy stack. Scripted is set to be the first 3D printed personalised medicine dispensary and combination solution to the market.

In April 2018, Merlie Calvert launched Farillio, the business and legaltech startup. Farillio provides comprehensive, everyday business recipes, complete with all the tools and ingredients you’ll need, in a digital, subscription-based platform, that everyone can afford.

Farillio’s been engineered to smash the unacceptable barriers to the vital information and materials that every business needs to grow and thrive, with an overriding mission to ensure that small businesses, (whether they’re freelancers, startups or have been going for a little while), do not struggle or fail because they can’t get, or afford, what they really need.

Michael Altom is the General Manager UK, France and Belgium at Virtuo. He graduated from Ecole Polytechnique (Paris) with a degree in Engineering and holds a Master of Science from Columbia University (New York).

He worked as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company for 7 years, serving High tech clients in Europe and North America on 25+ growth-related projects (go-to-market strategy, pricing, offer design and sales & marketing transformation). He was promoted to Jr Partner in 2016 and was one of the leaders of the East Coast Software practice at McKinsey. In 2017, Michael joined Adore Me, a fast-growing e-commerce start-up in New York, as Head of Growth. He was leading growth initiatives there, starting with marketing and customer acquisition, analytics and the launch of new businesses.

Talent And Regulations 12:35pm | DAY 2 - 10th March His passion is to understand how people experience happiness and his vision is to use data to visualise culture in a similar way to how Google Maps visualises the world.

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PANELLISTS

PAUL CONWAY, Director of Channel Sales, Bottomline Investments & Assets 2:35pm | DAY 1 - 9th March Paul Conway is leading the new business transformation in Bottomline, an engaging and innovative business leader with proven success in transforming enterprises at an executive level, he has experience accomplishing global strategies by empowering teams with a shared vision across numerous payments and technology industries throughout the UK, Europe and APAC.

RACHEL CARRELL, CEO & Founder Koru Kids Talent And Regulations 12:35pm | DAY 1 - 9th March Rachel Carrell is the founder and CEO of Koru Kids, a fast-growing tech company dedicated to building the world’s best childcare service. Originally from New Zealand, Rachel holds a masters and doctorate from the University of Oxford, where she was a Rhodes Scholar.

She has received numerous awards including ‘Inspirational Mother’ and ‘Best Businesswoman in Tech’, and was elected a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in recognition of her work. Rachel is also the mother of two young children. She was CEO of a multinational healthcare company when she had her first baby, experienced first hand how difficult and expensive it was to arrange childcare, and decided to found Koru Kids

RANDY MCFARLANE, Head of Strategic Partnerships and Alliances at Bottomline Investments & Assets 2:35pm | DAY 2 - 10th March Randy has over 25 years’ experience across sales, product, client strategy and the building out of successful partnerships to improve distribution models and delivering increased value to customers. An evangelist re the power of collaboration; Randy is passionate regarding the opportunities for growth, transformation and genuine business benefit that the Financial Technology landscape offers businesses today. Randy is currently responsible for building and executing the growth and go-to-market strategy for Strategic Partnerships and Alliances at Bottomline Technologies. Prior to Bottomline Randy was at IE Digital for 4 years leading their Strategic Alliances team, he also has an extensive background with positions at American Express, Visa, Rank Xerox and Compaq.

RICHARD BEARMAN, MD British Business Bank

SAASHA CELESTIAL-ONE, Founder of OLIO

SAM GOSS, Co-Founder and CMO Comma Group

Investments & Assets 2:35pm | DAY 1 - 9th March

Commercial Business Growth 10:00am | DAY 2 - 10th March

Digital Transformation 11:25am | DAY 2 - 10th March

Randy has over 25 years’ experience across sales, product, client strategy and the building out of successful partnerships to improve distribution models and delivering increased value to customers. An evangelist re the power of collaboration; Randy is passionate regarding the opportunities for growth, transformation and genuine business benefit that the Financial Technology landscape offers businesses today. Randy is currently responsible for building and executing the growth and go-to-market strategy for Strategic Partnerships and Alliances at Bottomline Technologies. Prior to Bottomline Randy was at IE Digital for 4 years leading their Strategic Alliances team, he also has an extensive background with positions at American Express, Visa, Rank Xerox and Compaq.

Saasha Celestial-One is Co-Founder & COO of OLIO, a free app harnessing the power of mobile technology and the sharing economy to provide a revolutionary solution to the problem of food waste, which is the 3rd largest contributor to the climate crisis. OLIO is growing quickly, empowered by 50k+ volunteers. Since 2016, 1.8m users have successfully shared over 3.2m portions of food in 49 countries. Before OLIO, Saasha spent 13yrs at Morgan Stanley, McKinsey & American Express. Saasha has an MBA from Stanford, is mum to 7-year-old Nolan, and the proud daughter of hippy entrepreneurs.

Rachel Carrell is the founder and CEO of Koru Kids, a fast-growing tech company dedicated to building the world’s best childcare service. Originally from New Zealand, Rachel holds a masters and doctorate from the University of Oxford, where she was a Rhodes Scholar.

She has received numerous awards including ‘Inspirational Mother’ and ‘Best Businesswoman in Tech’, and was elected a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in recognition of her work. Rachel is also the mother of two young children. She was CEO of a multinational healthcare company when she had her first baby, experienced first hand how difficult and expensive it was to arrange childcare, and decided to found Koru Kids

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PANELLISTS

SAMUEL LEACH, Founder and CEO Samuel and Co Investments & Assets 2:35pm | DAY 2 - 10th March Watford-based fintech entrepreneur Samuel Leach launched his FX Trading training business, Samuel and Co. Trading, where he also trains people on how to trade stocks and foreign currencies, in 2012.

He has a hugely inspiring rags to riches story. As a teenager he lived in a tiny bedsit with his father and brother in Watford. He was educated at Watford College and gained a £2,000 bursary. Whilst studying at the University of Hertfordshire, Sam started to trade the markets and went on to earn £170,000 in less than 12 months using his bursary. After enrolling on a very poor quality FX trading course, he decided to launch Samuel and Co. (in 2012) whilst still at university, to offer a premium training service so others could benefit where he was let down.

SEAN BLAKELY, CEO of British Chambers of Commerce Overseas Expansion 4:00pm | DAY 2 - 10th March Sean Blakeley is the Chief Executive Officer of the British Chamber of Commerce in Korea (BCCK). For the past eight years, he has helped to promote British business in the country and supported multiple western firms to enter into the Korean market and supported their entrance into other Asian markets as well. A 13-year resident of Korea, Sean was the director of business development with a Korean publishing company and was managing director of a British consulting company prior to joining the Chamber in 2015. Sean has worked with British companies across a broad range of sectors including electronics, retail, consumer goods, and F&B.

SARRA BEJAOUI, Founder and Managing Director of SmartPA Overseas Expansion 4:00pm | DAY 2 - 10th March

SCOTT MULLINS, CEO of Pimlico Plumbers Talent and Regulations 12:35pm | DAY 2 - 10th March

As Founder and Managing Director, Sarra Bejaoui leads SmartPA in its quest to challenge the perception and experience of the PA and business support sector and transform the lives of individual SmartPAs, their clients and businesses.

An experienced global business leader, Sarra is passionate about company culture, people and how they perform. Sarra is a working mother and a strong advocate of female empowerment as well as finding a healthy balance between work and life.

Scott Mullins is the eldest of Charlie Mullins OBE four children, Scott has been actively involved in the business from the young age of seven, seeing the business in its founding steps, to becoming an integral part in the growth of the business and securing its position as the UK’s largest independent plumbing and Service Company.

Scott is very much leading the everyday operations at Pimlico, making the control centre into the seamlessly tight world class operation that it is now and ensuring that the renowned Pimlico standards never slip across the business.

SIMON CURETON, CEO, Funding Options

TIMO BOLDT, CEO and Founder Gousto

Investments & Assets 2:35pm | DAY 1 - 9th March

Talent and Regulations 12:35pm | DAY 1 - 9th March

If Simon added agent of alt-fi to his LinkedIn bio, it wouldn’t be out of place. Before becoming a founding member of Esme Loans, Simon was a graduate of investment banking, holding senior posts globally at Barclays, Deutsche Bank and Morgan Stanley. His travels have taken him as far as Hong Kong and Australia, where he now has dual citizenship having spent eight years ‘Down Under’ working in finance, most notably at CBA where he started his fintech journey. His international pedigree leaves him well placed to captain Funding Options through the changing tides of digital finance. An enthusiast of Open Banking and its limitless potential, Simon is keen to leave the idea of brokering at the bottom of the sea.

Timo Boldt is the CEO and Founder of Gousto, the recipe box company on a mission to become the UK’s most loved way to eat dinner.. Since exchanging his life in the finance world to follow his passion for food at the age of 26, Timo’s sheer determination has taken him (and Gousto) on an incredible journey. Seven years later, Gousto is the leading recipe box company in the UK and one of the UK’s fastest-growing businesses with £100m funding secured, delivering over 2.5 million meals each month with plans to more than double its workforce in the next three years.

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SPONSORS

SPONSORS

SSE BUSINESS ENERGY is supporting Elite Business Live as one of the headline sponsors, an event dedicated to helping entrepreneurs develop sustainable growth strategies. This aligns with our goal to provide sustainable energy solutions that meet the specific needs and ambitions of businesses of all sizes. All customers are assisted by UK based service teams, providing support tailored to each business’s scale and scope. Currently, SSE Business Energy supplies around 500,000 business sites with electricity and gas, offering a wide range of energy solutions including 100% renewable energy contracts. ssebusinessenergy.co.uk

FUNDING OPTIONS is the leading marketplace for business finance, helping businesses across the UK and Netherlands find the right funding for their situation.

With 200 lender partners, Funding Options is delivering tens of millions of pounds in vital finance to thousands of businesses every year. Whether you’re looking to grow, finance new assets or pay a tax bill - Their award-winning technology searches the market to find the right funding options for your situation. It takes minutes, there’s no obligation, and it’s easy to use. A dedicated team of experienced Business Finance Specialists are there to take on the legwork, ensuring that you can focus on what matters most - running your business. fundingoptions.com

VISTAGE is the world’s largest CEO coaching and peer advisory organisation for small and midsize businesses. For more than 60 years, we’ve been helping CEOs, business owners and key executives solve their greatest challenges.

Today, more than 23,000 members in 20 countries rely on Vistage.

High-performing CEOs join Vistage because they want to connect with other likeminded CEOs through a trusted, proven and life-long leadership experience that delivers results both personally and professionally. vistage.co.uk

BOTTOMLINE TECHNOLOGIES, an innovator in business payment automation technology for nearly 30 years, helps businesses of all sizes to pay and get paid with its cloud-based payment software.

The proof of our success lies in the fact that Bottomline’s solutions are being used by thousands of companies in 92 countries to simplify and streamline payments, improve cashflow and wave goodbye to late payments. That’s billions of transactions processing trillions of pounds of payments every single year. bottomline.com

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

RingCentral, Inc. (NYSE: RNG) is a leading provider of global enterprise cloud communications, collaboration, and contact centre solutions. More flexible and cost-effective than legacy on-premises systems, the RingCentral platform empowers employees to work better together, from any location, on any device, and via any mode to serve customers, improving business efficiency and customer satisfaction.

That is the promise of Work as One tm. The company provides unified voice, video meetings, team messaging, digital customer engagement, and integrated contact centre solutions for enterprises globally. ringcentral.co.uk

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A good marketing strategy is more than a makeover. It’s about amplifying what’s great about your business, adjusting what isn’t and identifying the areas you need to change for the better. It’s about going beneath the surface to underpin your business vision. Nutcracker digs much deeper to develop a logical, effective plan that will lead your business to success. Where are your audience? What do you need to tell them? What will get you to your business goal? We’ll find the answers. Whether you’re ready to scale up, need to overcome a business challenge, or are just looking for a fresh take on your marketing, we’ll look at the bigger picture, connect the dots and bring a new lease of life to your marketing. nutcrackeragency.com

PARTNERS

PARTNERS

The Academy of Executive Coaching (AoEC) aoec.com

BGI

Boardroom Advisors

British Chambers of Commerce

BusinessesForSale.com

bgistrategy.com

BoardroomAdvisors.co.uk

bccexport.co.uk

uk.businessesforsale.com

Department for International Trade exportingisgreat.gov.uk

Growing Business Awards growingbusinessawards.co.uk

Institute of Export & International Trade export.org.uk

Like Minds

Daltons Business daltonsbusiness.com

wearelikeminds.com

Open to Export

Scale or Fail

opentoexport.com

scaleorfail.co.uk

Lloyds Bank National Business Awards nationalbusinessawards.co.uk

London Chamber of Commerce & Industry londonchamber.co.uk

LondonlovesBusiness londonlovesbusiness.com

Start Up Donut

Telegraph Events

startupdonut.co.uk

telegraphevents.co.uk

The Business Excellence Forum and Awards actioncoach.co.uk

The Pitch

The Supper Club

Women in Business Expo

thepitch.uk

preludegroup.co.uk

wibexponorth.co.uk

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In partnership with

FLOOR PLAN

FLOOR PLAN

VIP REGISTRATION POINT

EXECUTIVE REGISTRATION POINT

ENTRANCE

Brand and Sponsors wall

CAFÉ

BAR

LOBBY

FOYER Entrance to main conference area

Up to

RESTAURANT and

VIP SPEAKERS GREEN ROOM

STAGE

VIP AREA

BREAK OUT SESSIONS

(Greenwich Room)

MAIN CONFERENCE AREA

VIP seating Executive seating

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THE VENUE

THE VENUE

47 Lillie Road Earl’s Court London SW6 1UD Surrounded by Fulham, Chelsea, Kensington, Hammersmith and 10 minutes away from Olympia, the ILEC Conference Centre is a perfect base for business travellers.

Sitting at the edge of zone 1, West Brompton and Earls Court stations are within walking distance.

Tube trains generally run between 5am and midnight, Monday to Saturday, with reduced operating hours on Sunday. Timetables depend on the station and the line, so it’s worth checking the Transport for London website.

ILEC is a quarter of a mile from the A4, providing easy access to the M4, M5 and M40. And there is a car park in the basement of the hotel with 140 parking bays.

If you are flying in to the capital, the following transfer times apply: Heathrow (LHR): 21 km Approximately 30 minutes in light traffic. You can also reach the airport directly by London Underground, on the Piccadilly line.

Gatwick (LGW): 45 Km Approximately an hour in light traffic. It is 40 minutes by train from West Brompton station via Clapham Junction. Direct shuttle available with Easy Bus. London City (LCY): 21 km Approximately 45 minutes in light traffic.

For further details, see https:// www.ilecconferencecentre.co.uk/ location-sights/

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A-Z SPEAKERS

A-Z A

Adrian Blair Alana Spencer Andrew Ellis Arne Mielken

C

Carl Reader Chris Forbes Chriss Abbass Chris Southworth

D

Damian Coulton Dan Maudhub Deri Llewellyn-Davies Devika Wood Duncan Cheatle

Ed Reeves Eric Partaker

G

Greg Sutch

J

James Hyde Jas Bagniewski Jenni Young Jenny Knighting Jo Fairley Jordan Kensington Julian Hearn

Leah Moon Lucy Mullins

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Marco Forgione Mark Wright Marko Ilincic Matthew Moore Matthew Phelan Matt Tuson Melissa Snover Merlie Calvert Michael Altom Michael Hayman MBE DL

P

Paul Conway Phil Hobden

R

Rachel Carrell Randy McFarlane Richard Bearman

E

L

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M

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Saasha Celestial-One Sam Goss Sam Leach Sarra Bejaoui Scott Mullins Sean Blakely Simon Cureton Simon Woodroffe OBE

T

Timo Boldt

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