Speakers

The Manufacturing Summit provides the opportunity for UK manufacturers to learn from key industry, government, politics and economics speakers, whose influence shapes the future of the manufacturing sector.

Speakers confirmed for this year's summit include:

Dr Mike Short FREng BA, President – Institution of Engineering and Technology

Mike’s career spans 37 years in Electronics and Telecommunications, with the last 24 years in Mobile Communications. After working for Philips, Landis and Gyr, and BT, he was appointed in 1989 as Director of Cellnet (now part of Telefonica and branded O2 UK ) dealing with major infra-structure investments and commercial agreements. In 1992 the focus moved to launching Cellnet’s GSM service and establishing Roaming Agreements. He also handled international business development and helped to win overseas mobile licenses and undertook some of the first mobile training in India.

Mike’s focus today is on European Public policy that relates to innovation, whether research, the responsible use of mobiles or new business development. This includes a focus on Advanced mobile services and data applications including Mobile Learning, Smart Metering, Transport Telematics and Connected Healthcare.

In the last 5 years Mike has also been appointed Visiting Professor at Surrey University, De Montfort, Lancaster, and Leeds Universities and to the Boards of Coventry University and Ravensbourne College. He was awarded an honorary Doctorate in 2008 for services to the Mobile Communications industry. He is a Fellow of IET/BCS/RGS/ Royal Academy and a Member of the Royal Television Society.

Mark Prisk MP, Minister for Business and Enterprise

Prisk was appointed as Minister for Business and Enterprise in the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills in May 2010.

Elected as the Member of Parliament for Hertford and Stortford in 2001, his interests include small business and enterprise, urban planning and regeneration, as well as defence and foreign affairs. He served on the Conservative front bench from 2002, covering Treasury and Business portfolios.

Born in Cornwall and educated at Truro School and Reading University, Prisk is a Chartered Surveyor. He worked in the property and economic development markets, and ran his own business for ten years before entering politics.

Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint

Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint is Minister of State for Trade and Investment. He took up his appointment in January 2011 after a 28-year career with HSBC which culminated in his appointment as Group Chairman of HSBC Holdings in 2006. He has been Chairman of the British Bankers’ Association and Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Business Council for Britain. He has also served as a trustee of The British Museum and an honorary trustee of Peking University.

Ali Sherwani, Head of Business Development - UK Export Finance

Ali Sherwani is the Head of Business Development at UK Export Finance (the new trading name of ECGD).

Ali’s role is to engage with UK exporters, project sponsors, overseas borrowers and banks to understand their requirements and to work with them so that they make effective use of UK Export Finance support.

Ali has held various positions within UK Export Finance including Treasury Management, Short and Medium Term Underwriting, Claims and Marketing.    

UK Export Finance is the UK’s official export credit agency.  Set-up in 1919 its role is to benefit the UK economy by helping exporters of UK goods and services win business, and UK firms to invest overseas, by providing guarantees and insurance against payment risk.

In the financial year 2010-11 ECGD provided nearly £3bn worth of support to UK exporters and UK investors undertaking business overseas.

Paul Calver BSc (Hons), MBA, GVC Specialist Advanced Engineering
- UK Trade and Investment

Paul started his career at BAe Systems, as a spacecraft control systems engineer and after periods in technical and project management, move to Cobham Plc as a project manager. Within Cobham’s Flight Refuelling and Aerospace Components divisions he ran international aerospace aircraft fuel systems, air to air refuelling systems and UAV’s projects before being appointed as Customer Support Director of FR-HiTEMP. During this period Paul was Chairman of the SBAC Customer Support Board. In 2001 he was appointed Managing Director of Cobham Fluid Systems that provided capital goods to the marine, military, aviation and oil and gas market sectors and Smart Chemicals Limited a company that had developed a nano-filtration technology for use in bio-ethanol production mainly for the Indian and Eastern European markets. When he left Cobham in 2004, he took a post as CEO of an R&D company involved in the development of novel fuel cell technology. Paul maintains his involvement in business both in India and China and is currently Chairman, and owner, of a Chinese manufacturing business that provides precision metal components for the marine, automotive, machine tool and airport markets.

Paul J. Ross, Global Market Director - Off Highway & CV

Paul has an extensive background in the Construction Equipment, Manufacturing and Industrial sectors on a global basis. He has over thirty years of international experience across a wide range of disciplines, is considered as an Industry expert, and has held main board positions with both private and listed businesses (including a Fortune 200 multinational).

Having joined the Board of Caterpillar (UK) Ltd in 2000 he held several positions within the business and throughout his ten years with Caterpillar, Paul became involved across various sectors including construction, rail, marine, defence and automotive amongst others. (Caterpillar Inc. has over 11,000 employees in the UK and has a global turnover in excess of $50 billion). More recently Paul has operated within the M&A arena and has successfully delivered a significant acquisition, in addition to his executive position within Ricardo plc, the strategic and technology engineering company.

Paul is a true supporter of Industry in UK and as such has been extremely active in representing the sector interests throughout his career to date. As such he is a recent past President of the Construction Equipment Association (covering all UK C.E. manufacturers), the current co-Chairman of the International Business Group and has sat on the Presidents Committee for European Construction equipment (CECE). In addition he holds Board positions on UKTI Advanced Engineering Sector Group and allied activities.

Ian Isaac, Managing Director - Lombard Business & Commercial (B&C) Division

Ian Isaac is Managing Director of Lombard’s Business & Commercial (B&C) division. Lombard is the UK’s leading provider of asset finance and as head of its B&C division, Ian is responsible for the development of Lombard’s presence in the small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) market, a sector in which he has over 20 years’ experience and to which Lombard continues to demonstrate its firm commitment.

Reporting directly to Alexander Baldock, Lombard’s Managing Director, Ian’s position on the company’s executive team reflects both the strength of his experience in the SME sector, and the wealth of knowledge that he has acquired from working across diverse functions within Lombard, from credit and risk to sales and strategy.

Ian joined Lombard 25 years ago as an account executive and has advanced through the business via a recent spell at Lombard’s parent company, The Royal Bank of Scotland Group, where he was Head of Strategy, Marketing and Communications for B&C Banking.
Showing an early commitment to a career in financial services, Ian qualified as an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Bankers in 1989, and the following year he succeeded in achieving a Finance and Leasing Higher Diploma, gaining the top student award.

Ian’s key focus is on raising awareness of the alternative forms of finance that are available to businesses in the UK. Asset finance, in particular, offers businesses a number of benefits to help them grow and to be competitive in a demanding economic environment.

Anthony Albutt, Partner - D Young & Co LLP

Anthony Albutt is a Partner at intellectual property specialist law firm D Young & Co LLP. A Chartered Patent Attorney, European Patent Attorney, European Design Attorney and Litigator, Anthony represents companies of all sizes both in the UK and internationally. Anthony’s clients range from FTSE companies to SMEs and Universities working in diverse technologies. Anthony has a background in Mechanical and Manufacturing engineering and served as an engineer in the UK’s nuclear industry before moving into intellectual property law. He is passionate that UK innovators proactively protect their technologies and products in today’s competitive international market.

Jeremy Tear, Co Founder - Government Grant and Tax Consultants Ltd

GGTC are a specialised tax consultancy who concentrate on supporting SME’s recover new product and manufacturing development costs that qualify through the Governments R&D Tax Scheme. GGTC were formed in 2006, although Jeremy has been involved with the R&D Tax Scheme since 2001.

A degree educated mathematician, sponsored by Thorn EMI, Jeremy has subsequently worked across an extensive range of industries, including, electronics, plastics, chemicals, facilities management, international own label and FMCG retail supply. He spent over 10 years with Sumitomo Corporation at senior level, involved in International subsidiary management global acquisition, merger and divestment work. He has extensive experience of SME start-up, turn round and re-structure. More recently he has been involved in developing Auto-stereoscopic 3D television in Asia and he is a Partner in ‘The Company’ a business set up to develop practical solutions to overcome SME problems.

Simon Griffiths, Director - Manufacturing Advisory Service

Simon was appointed to the role of Chief Executive at the Manufacturing Advisory Service – West Midlands in 2009 where he currently heads a team assisting Small & Medium Sized Manufacturing companies in the West Midlands to improve their business performance. From 1st January 2012, Simon will be one of the Directors responsible for delivering MAS across England in the new national service.

Prior to joining MAS-WM, he worked for 14 years at GKN in roles including Engineering Director and Programme Director within GKN AutoStructures. In 2000 he set up the Joint Venture between GKN & Dana to develop and produce chassis frames for the Range-Rover Sport & Discovery Vehicles where he was General Manager. More recently he has worked as Design & Development Director for GKN Wheels, and latterly as Global Technical Director for the GKN OffHighway Division.

Earlier in his career he worked for Adwest Johnson Controls & IHW Engineering, both SMEs based in Warwick. He initially worked for Land Rover in a range of Design & Development Engineering roles.

Simon is a graduate in Mechanical Engineering from Bath University, a Chartered Engineer and  a Fellow of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers. Simon is also a visiting Professor at Aston University’s School of Engineering & Applied Science.

Richard Green, CEO - Ubisense

Richard is passionate about innovation and leading teams to turn disruptive ideas into market leading products and is currently the CEO of award winning Ubisense the world leader in location solutions, providing enterprise business automation by tracking people and assets with unmatched accuracy, and enabling visibility and control of previously intractable business challenges. With over 500 customers in 25 countries, Ubisense is revolutionising industries today, visit: www.ubisense.net He was a founder of Smallworld, a mapping software company which listed on Nasdaq in 1996 and was acquired in a trade sale by GE in 2000. Richard is a Chartered Engineer, an Entrepreneur in Residence at Cambridge Judge Business School, Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning and is Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2010 Science and Technology Winner.

Colin Brown, Director of Engineering - Institution of Mechanical Engineers

Colin Brown, Director of Engineering at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, has spent 25 years in engineering industry since graduating with a PhD on the fatigue behaviour of titanium alloys. During that time he has worked for Rolls-Royce, BP and T&N in a range of business roles. He also has experience in SME and spin-out companies of generating value from engineering excellence. Importantly he also has worked abroad in North America, Europe and the Far East as well as here in the UK.

In 2005 he joined the Institution of Mechanical Engineers to support their work in promoting the value of engineering. He has a strong belief in the ability of engineers to add value and to improve living standards especially through sharing best practice and by displaying professional competence. He is a Chartered Engineer and a Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining as well as the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

Sir Alan Rudge CBE, Chairman - ERA Foundation

Sir Alan Rudge is Chairman of the ERA Foundation, the Senior Independent Director on the Board of Experian Group Limited and Chairman of the Board of Management of the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851.

He is a past Chairman of ERA Technology Ltd and until December 2007 was a Pro-Chancellor of the University of Surrey. He was Deputy Chief Executive of BT until 1997 and was subsequently Chairman of WS Atkins until 2001, Chief Executive and then President of Celtel International BV and Special Adviser to General Atlantic Partners until 2004.

Sir Alan is a former Chairman of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, a past President of the Institution of Electrical Engineers and Chairman of the Engineering Council. He has served on a number of national committees including the Government's Advisory Committee on Science and Technology.

Dr Steve Evans

Director of Research, Institute for Manufacturing, University of Cambridge Director of the EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Industrial Sustainability Steve Evans spent 12 years in industry, finally as Engineering Systems Manager at Martin-Baker Engineering, the world leading manufacturer of ejection seats. He has been Professor of Life Cycle Engineering at Cranfield University since 1998 and has recently joined University of Cambridge. He is Director of the national EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Industrial Sustainability. His research seeks a deep understanding of how industry brings environmental and social sustainability concerns into its design and manufacturing practices, with a duel emphasis on urgent & practical change now and system level change that offers hope for a sustainable future. Steve works with organisations to develop solutions that move us towards a sustainable future. His work includes sustainable factories, food systems for people with reduced access to food, sustainable city re-generation design, and cars with water for exhaust that do 280mpg (equivalent). Steve has acted as Specialist Adviser to the House of Lords on Waste Reduction, is Board Member of the Centre for Sustainable Engineering and is a Partner in two cleantech start-ups.

Carol Burke, Managing Director - Unipart Manufacturing Group

Carol Burke graduated from Liverpool University in 1990 undertaking various placements within British Steel during her studies. On graduation she joined GKN Axles Ltd progressing through roles as foreman, Production Manager, Works Manager and Business Manager, and finally implementing a new factory making axles for the Vauxhall Frontera. Carol’s fast-track GKN career led to her recruitment in 1994 by one of Unipart’s manufacturing companies, Premier Exhaust Systems Ltd, to introduce and refine Japanese manufacturing methods. In response to automotive industry globalisation. John Neill set up the UEES Joint Venture and appointed Carol to grow the company and its people, and to support the Unipart Group. She used the breathing space afforded by the Phoenix survival years to re-engineer the company by extending Toyota’s ‘lean’ system and the ‘Unipart Way’ to encompass manufacturing engineering, design, end-to-end customer service and human resource management.

In 2006 Carol extended her responsibilities. Unipart Manufacturing was established to grow the core fuel tank and exhaust system manufacturing businesses, realise the potential of selling the Unipart Way to clients and develop talent for the Unipart Group. As a core part of this, she developed the UEES ‘Teaching Factory’ - simultaneously a training facility where people learn about the techniques of lean manufacturing and the Unipart Way.

Burke has been a member of the National Skills Academy Board, Coventry & Warwickshire Learning and Skills Council and the Board of CBI West Midlands. She was voted Midlands Business Women of the Year in 2005 and CBI Women of the Year for Manufacturing by CBI in 2006. She received the RAEng Nuffield medal for achievement in manufacturing in 2008 and in 2010 elected as a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering.