Next Connections

NEXT CONNECTIONS OT GRADUATES & PROFESSIONALS NETWORKING EVENT MARCH 2026

NEXT CONNECTIONS

OT GRADUATES AND PROFESSIONALS NETWORKING EVENT

ADRIAN BALLARD

Director of the Tonbridge Society

Welcome to our inaugural OT Graduates & Professionals Networking Event. It is a pleasure to see so many Old Tonbridgians from such a wide range of industries and career stages here tonight.

For those early in their careers, this event offers the chance to gain insight, ask questions and seek advice. For more experienced OTs, it provides an opportunity to share experience, offer guidance and build new connections. Often, it is these informal conversations that lead to mentoring, career opportunities and pathways, and lasting professional connections.

The Tonbridge Society is proud to support and facilitate these connections. By bringing together OTs across professions and sectors, we aim to strengthen our OT network and help it continue to benefit both individuals and the wider Tonbridge community. This event marks the beginning of what we hope will become a regular programme of sector-based networking events each year.

There are no formal speeches this evening, beyond a brief welcome from Matt Chawner, who will share some thoughts on current recruitment trends and a brief update from me on the next steps in the programme. We have highlighted a number of Industry Experts in the programme, but we are fortunate to have many interesting OTs in the room, so I encourage you to speak to as many people as possible. You never know where a conversation might lead.

MARCH 2026 HIGHLIGHTS

To help you navigate this event with ease, please follow the colour guide for your chosen sector, as each industry is colour-coded in the brochure and will be matched on the corresponding tables at the event.

KEY NOTE SPEAKER

INSURANCE

SHIPBROKING

LAW

ENGINEERING & SUSTAINABILITY

NEXT CONNECTIONS

MARKETING, ENTREPRENEURSHIP MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS

PROPERTY

TECHNOLOGY & FINTECH

GLOBAL FUTURES

FINANCE

RECRUITMENT & HEADHUNTERS

KEY NOTE SPEAKER

MATT CHAWNER (HS 80-85) Co-Founder | Skillbridge Advisors Matt Chawner is an experienced sales and senior relationship professional with a strong track record across financial services, recruitment, project management, and consultancy. Over the course of his career, he has worked extensively with clients in the financial markets and government sectors, helping organisations solve complex challenges and build high-performing teams.

Matt is the co-founder of SkillBridge Advisors, a talent consultancy that specialises in helping companies build elite teams and individuals develop their careers. Under his leadership, SkillBridge has partnered with organisations across multiple industries to design and implement solutions that drive workforce excellence, foster a culture of continuous learning, and support employee growth and engagement.

After leaving Tonbridge, Matt read Chemistry at Imperial College London. Matt is passionate about developing talent, coaching and mentoring, and helping organisations adapt to the evolving business landscape. In his down time he likes to think that he still has it on a rugby pitch coaching the Old Alleynians Academy and selecting for London SouthEast England Under 18.

INSURANCE

“

The Tonbridge Society offers great networking opportunities and great exposure to a number of OTs across the generations.

JAMIE ROWE (PH 92-97) Executive Director North American Property | Howden Broking Jamie Rowe is an Executive Director at Howden Broking, based in London, specialising in North American property insurance.

He advises corporate and multinational clients on the design, placement and negotiation of complex property risk programmes, helping organisations secure tailored and competitive insurance solutions across a range of sectors.

After Tonbridge, Jamie studied Philosophy & Anthropology at Durham University.

SHIPBROKING

JIM DAVIS (MH 90-95) Director | Embiricos Shipbrokers Jim is a Director at Embiricos Shipbrokers, an in-house ship broking company which looks after oil tankers, bulk carriers and container ships.

He has over 20 years’ experience in the industry working in China and Germany, both for ship owners and as a competitive ship broker. Prior to working in shipping, he worked as a journalist as well as teaching English in Japan.

After leaving Tonbridge, he studied History at the University of Leeds.

ENGINEERING & SUSTAINABILITY

“

Tonbridge Society opened doors I didn’t even know existed.

NICK MACAN (PS 94-99) VP of Procurement | Algoma Steel Nick is VP of Procurement & Logistics at Algoma Steel, an electric arc furnace steel producer based in Northern Ontario. Prior to joining Algoma, Nick held a series of senior procurement and strategy roles at Irish multinational CRH, spanning operations across Canada and the United States.

With more than 20 years of global experience in the mining and materials sectors, Nick is passionate about delivering supply chain solutions that are both scalable and sustainable. An Industrial Engineer by training, he holds a Master of Engineering in Logistics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Over the course of his career, Nick has worked at the forefront of complex industrial challenges, from West African oil projects and navigating Russian sanctions to concrete production and now Canadian steel manufacturing. After Tonbridge, he studied Engineering and Management at the University of Manchester.

FINANCE

PAUL SHEA (PH 87-92) Managing Partner | Beechbrook Capital Paul is the founder and Managing Partner of Beechbrook Capital, a fund manager focused on private markets in the UK, Europe and Australia. He established the business in 2008 and plays a leading role in shaping the firm’s strategy, overseeing investments, managing investor relationships and chairs Investment Committee.

With 30 years’ experience across credit, asset management and fund structuring, Paul has built a deep understanding of institutional investing. Prior to founding Beechbrook, he began his career in investment banking at Schroders before going on to senior roles at MetLife Investments and Mizuho, where he developed extensive expertise across global credit markets.

Paul read Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Brasenose College, Oxford. Outside of work, he enjoys golf and skiing, stood for Parliament in 2010 and 2015, follows a wide range of sports and is a keen advocate of pub walks and real ale. He lives with his wife and three children, who keep him busy beyond the world of finance.

“

These events remind me how powerful our Old Tonbridgian community is.

STEVE JOBBER (Sc 86–91) Head of cash equity trading EMEA | HSBC Steve is a senior member of HSBC’s equities trading business in London.

He joined the firm in late 2023 and plays a key role in delivering execution solutions for institutional clients, drawing on deep market expertise and long-standing client relationships.

Steve is an experienced leader with over 25 years working in financial services, holding senior roles at global investment banks and hedge funds.

Steve studied Economics at the University of Bristol after Tonbridge School.

LAW

ANNA MILLS (Current parent) Global Co-Chair | DLA Piper Anna is Global Co-Chair of DLA Piper’s International Arbitration practice and specialises in international construction and engineering disputes. She has over 20 years’ experience advising domestic and international clients across sectors including renewables (particularly wind), conventional power, infrastructure, oil and gas, transport and manufacturing. Her work focuses on large, complex, high-value, multiparty disputes, often with an international dimension.

Anna’s experience spans a wide range of dispute resolution forums, including international arbitration, litigation in the TCC, Commercial Court and QBD, adjudication, expert determination, mediation and other forms of ADR. She also advises clients on live projects and dispute avoidance strategies.

Anna read English Literature as an undergraduate before studying law and being called to the Bar in 2004. She has four children. Her eldest son is in his second year at Tonbridge in Whitworth.

RICHARD HOUGH (PH 79-84) M&A expert | Former Partner at A&O Shearman Richard is a highly experienced corporate lawyer with over 30 years’ experience advising UK and international clients on complex corporate and M&A transactions. He was a Partner at A&O Shearman, where he led the firm’s Public M&A Group. His practice encompassed public takeovers, private company acquisitions and disposals, joint ventures and capital raisings for FTSE‑listed companies and large multinational corporations, often on cross‑border mandates.

Earlier in his career he spent two years on secondment at the UK Takeover Panel as a senior member of the Panel Executive. Richard is consistently recognised for his deep technical expertise, strategic insight and trusted board‑level counsel in high‑value corporate matters.

After Tonbridge, Richard read Law at Durham. He is Chairman of the Old Tonbridgian Society.

WILLIAM HOOPER (SH 02–07) Barrister | Brick Court Chambers Will is a leading commercial barrister with a broad litigation and arbitration practice across a wide range of commercial matters. His work spans banking and finance, civil and commercial fraud, telecoms, shareholder disputes, cryptocurrencies, insurance and reinsurance, professional negligence, shipping and international trade, and competition law.

Will has been recognised as one of the UK’s top legal professionals, nominated for Commercial Litigation Junior of the Year at the Chambers UK Bar Awards 2022, listed in The Lawyer’s Hot 100 for 2022, and named The Lawyer’s Barrister of the Week in June 2021. He is ranked in the leading directories for commercial dispute resolution, civil fraud, banking and finance, and cryptocurrencies, reflecting his expertise and standing across multiple practice areas.

After Tonbridge, Will read History and English Literature at Oxford before completing his law studies at City Law School and BPP.

PROPERTY

TIM DENNY (PS 99–04) Executive Director – Head of Retail Occupier | CBRE UK Tim is Head of Retail Occupier at CBRE UK, a global leader in commercial real estate services. With over 16 years’ experience in the industry, he holds an MRICS and an MBA from Imperial Business School and has built a strong track record of delivering value across all asset classes and geographies.

Tim’s expertise spans portfolio strategy, transformation and delivery, M&A advisory, capital markets, and development. He has advised on over $10bn of M&A transactions, identifying and delivering more than £500m in value creation, as well as £1bn in asset work-out and development. He leads a team of analysts, agents and consultants focused on growth, rationalisation and cost optimisation for a wide range of clients, from FTSE and Nasdaq-listed corporations to new market entrants.

After Tonbridge, Tim read Geography at Newcastle University before completing his Real Estate MSc and has recently completed an MBA at Imperial Business School.

MATT LAING-WILLIAMS (WH 07-12) Director - National Industrial & Logistics Capital Markets | CBRE Matt is Director of National Industrial & Logistics Capital Markets at CBRE, a global leader in commercial real estate services. He specialises in advising investors and institutional clients on investment sales, acquisitions and disposals across the UK industrial and logistics property sector.

Matt has been with CBRE for nearly seven years. Prior to this, he spent three years at Grant Mills Wood, where he qualified as a Chartered Surveyor. After Tonbridge, Matt studied Geography and Planning at Newcastle University before completing an MSc in Real Estate at Henley Business School.

OLIVER KNIGHT (CH 97–02) Head of Workplace (Offices and B2B Real Estate) | Landsec Oliver Knight is responsible for Strategy, Product, Leasing, Investment Management, Asset Management, Flexible Offices and Marketing at Landsec, where he sits on the Workplace Board and Executive Committee. He leads the UK workplace and offices strategy, overseeing a team across London and major regional cities.

Oliver has delivered some of the UK market’s most significant office transactions, including major pre-lets with Deutsche Bank and Deloitte, and has led the creation and scale-up of Landsec’s flexible office brands, Myo and Created. His career spans investment and asset management, leasing, customer proposition and product development.

He was shortlisted for the British Council of Offices Rising Star Award and Property Week Young Personality of the Year (2018).

After Tonbridge, Oliver read Geography at the University of Nottingham before completing an MSc in Real Estate at the University of Reading.

MARKETING, MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS

RICHARD ARSCOTT (Sc 88-93) CEO | Revolt Richard is CEO of Revolt, a consultancy he has led for the past five years. Revolt works with companies, charities and NGOs to help them turn stated commitments on issues such as sustainability into practical action, bringing together marketing, innovation and corporate affairs teams to do so.

Before joining Revolt, Richard spent five years as Managing Director of AMV BBDO, the UK’s largest advertising agency. During this time, he focused on building a strong working culture and supporting creative work that delivered commercial results.

Under his leadership, AMV was repeatedly named in The Sunday Times Top 100 Places to Work, won UK Agency of the Year at all four major industry award shows, and experienced consistent growth. Richard led work for clients including Mars Inc., Sainsbury’s, Guinness, Eurostar and The Economist, and was responsible for winning and managing accounts such as Dixons Carphone, Camelot, Virgin Holidays, Heinz, Visa, Cancer Research UK and the Metropolitan Police.

After Tonbridge School Richard went on to study History and Politics at Durham University.

MATTHEW FIELD (CH 07-12) Senior Technology Reporter | The Telegraph Matthew is a Senior Technology Reporter at The Telegraph, where he covers social media, artificial intelligence, Big Tech, UK technology policy and online safety, alongside UK start-ups and venture capital.

He began his career as a freelance journalist covering local, regional and London mayoral elections, before joining Legal Business as a news reporter. He has spent the past nine years at The Telegraph, first reviewing consumer technology on the Technology Desk, and later reporting on major technology companies and technology businesses as part of the Technology Intelligence team and Business Desk.

His reporting spans TikTok, Meta, Apple, Google, artificial intelligence, cyber security, venture capital, the space sector, telecoms and smartphones.

After Tonbridge, Matthew read English at the University of Bristol and completed an MA in Newspaper Journalism at City, St George’s, University of London.

HUGO LAWRENCE (PH 88-93) Global Marketing Director | Smith & Nephew Hugo is a seasoned marketing leader with over 20 years of experience in the medical technology sector. He currently serves as Global Marketing Director at Smith & Nephew, a role he has held since 2019. He is responsible for setting the strategic brand direction, overseeing key marketing initiatives, including defining the new product development pipeline, all critical to driving global brand growth. Prior to this, he was Senior Global Marketing Manager at Smith & Nephew, where he led key campaigns and product launches across international markets.

Hugo’s expertise spans product management and market development, across multiple sectors of medical technology such as cardiology, bariatrics, and wound care having worked for some of the largest and most respected healthcare organisations. His career reflects a consistent track record of delivering commercial growth, strengthening global brands, and leading cross-functional teams in highly regulated healthcare environments.

Hugo has a BSc in Physiology from the University of Leeds.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

DAN WARNE (PH 96-01) CEO | Sessions and former MD at Deliveroo Dan Warne is a technology entrepreneur best known for his role as Managing Director of Deliveroo, where he helped scale one of the UK’s most disruptive food-tech platforms, fundamentally changing how millions of people order food at home. During his five-year tenure, Deliveroo expanded rapidly, partnering with thousands of restaurants and reshaping the takeaway landscape.

In late 2019, Dan left Deliveroo to pursue a new opportunity within the hospitality sector, identifying a growing demand for communal and collective dining experiences. He went on to found Shelter Hall, a 15,000 sq ft food hall on Brighton seafront, transforming a dilapidated Victorian building into a vibrant destination for independent food traders, which he later sold in 2025.

Alongside Shelter Hall, Dan also founded Sessions, a technology start-up designed to help scale loved food brands into national franchises. Sessions provides talented operators with the tech and data infrastructure and capital-light model needed to grow, helping preserve diversity and innovation within the food industry. Sessions has raised £20m from top tier investors, including Guinness Ventures and has scaled to more than £60m in annual sales, partnering with leading companies like Netflix to drive growth.

After leaving Tonbridge, Dan studied History at the University of Nottingham. His career spans leadership roles in both technology and hospitality, in both the US and UK, with a consistent focus on supporting independent talent and creating scalable, sustainable business models within the sector.

GLOBAL FUTURES

RUTH DAVIS Director of Global Futures | Tonbridge School

PORTIA KING

Careers Coordinator at Global Futures | Tonbridge School

The Global Futures Department at Tonbridge has a wealth of knowledge and expertise, led by Ruth Davis who, after graduating from the LSE went on to gain an MA in Career Guidance and has spent the last 25 years in the education sector, specialising in Higher Education and Careers.

Portia King is the Careers Coordinator and has worked at Tonbridge for many years alongside the Tonbridge Society and the network of parents and OTs, supporting current students in their career choices. Between them and the rest of the team they are able to help students and OTs connect with successful professionals across a range of industries and use the network to inspire current boys with talks, mentoring and work experience, as well as guiding them towards their university choices.

Their roles in school mean meeting and working closely with each and every student, and this connection remains after the boys move on to university and beyond.

TECHNOLOGY & FINTECH

JAMES BAMFORD (FH 85-90) Business Developer | EIG Digital James Bamford is a technology evangelist with a track record of scaling startups and driving innovation across Europe and beyond. He began his career as the eighth employee at Multimap, the online mapping company, where over nearly eight years he was instrumental in its growth from a startup to a £12 million+ business, leading to its acquisition by Microsoft in 2008. Following the acquisition, James joined Microsoft’s Bing Maps team, where he focused on taking the platform to market at scale across EMEA and its integration into the wider Microsoft stack, including SharePoint, Azure, and SQL Azure.

James later moved into another startup as a founding team member at ubiCabs, a London Business School-born venture in the taxi booking app space. Most recently, James has been working with EIT Digital, a EU Horizon 2020 body focused on accelerating Europe’s best Digital scaleups by scouting deep tech startup specialising in areas like Smart Energy Systems, Cyber Security, and Fintech and helps them refine their customer focus, develop business strategy, and connect with Series A investors and partners to scale across Europe.

“

I left feeling supported, inspired, and motivated.

JAMIE TYM (MH 04–09) Deployment Strategist | Peregrine Jamie began his career in consultancy before joining the UK Civil Service in 2016, where he spent seven years in a range of senior policy and delivery roles. He held positions including Brexit negotiations adviser and team leader, Head of Office to a senior minister, and Head of Regulatory Reform at Defra. He was part of the Prime Minister’s Covid-19 Task Force and was Deputy Principal Private Secretary at the Cabinet Office.

Following this, Jamie took a deliberate career leap to complete an MBA at Stanford Graduate School of Business. He has since moved into the technology and AI sector, leading the expansion of Peregrine Technologies into the UK market.

After Tonbridge, Jamie studied PPE at Durham before completing his MSc in Comparative Politics at LSE.

RECUITMENT & HEAD HUNTERS

RUPERT MATTHIEU (Sc 80-85) Managing Partner | Sainty Hird & Partners Rupert evaluates, recruits and coaches at both Board and Executive Committee level. He works across all industry sectors and particularly enjoys helping companies in a state of flux. In addition, he coaches proven and aspirant executive leaders, non-executive directors and anyone looking for fresh perspective. He started in executive search in 1999, having previously spent eight years at JP Morgan in London, New York and Tokyo.

Rupert Mathieu has an MA in Classics from Pembroke College, Cambridge; an MSc in Viticulture from UC, Davis; the WSET Diploma; a PG Cert in Coaching for Behavioural Change at Henley Business School; has completed the Executive Leadership Programme at Saïd Business School, Oxford; is a member of the International Coaching Federation; and is certified in Hogan’s Assessments and the Leadership Versatility Index.

Rupert’s son also attended Tonbridge School.

“

Every event expands my circle in meaningful ways.

MARK PETTMAN (WW 81-85) Managing Director | Natural Search & Selection Mark has nearly 30 years’ experience in recruitment, working across Leveraged Finance, Private Debt, Corporate Coverage and Capital Markets. His experience spans banks, advisory firms, CLO managers and buy-side investment management businesses.

Mark founded Natural Search & Selection in 2008. The firm is an executive search specialist focused on the financial services sector, with particular expertise in Debt and Structured Finance and Operations and Infrastructure.

Prior to founding Natural Search & Selection, Mark was responsible for establishing the Ares business in London in 2006 and went on to build its market-leading Private Debt team in 2007. A recognised industry expert, Mark has appeared in print and has been interviewed

by BBC News, BBC Radio, CNBC and Bloomberg, commenting on compensation, recruitment and employment trends within financial services.

Alongside his professional work, Mark is deeply committed to mentoring both junior and senior professionals, helping them navigate career decisions and long-term development, an aspect of his work he particularly enjoys.

Mark’s two sons both attended Tonbridge School.

FROM ONLINE TO FACE-TO-FACE As an Old Tonbridgian, you are part of a global network of 15,000+ alumni across 80+ countries. Tonbridge Connect is your private online platform where you can: · Reconnect with friends and discover new contacts · Join professional groups and industry networks · Find a mentor or offer guidance to others · Promote your business and explore opportunities · Get tailored support from the Tonbridge Society team Events are great for meeting in person, but Tonbridge Connect gives you access to the full OT community, anytime, anywhere.

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