Meet the experts that will be at Medway Business and Skills Showcase
We have a range of panellists, presenters and keynote speakers at the first ever Medway Business and Skills Showcase.
These business and skills experts are some of the biggest names across Kent and Medway with significant achievements and standings within the business climate.
Take a look at who will be presenting and find out more about their success stories:
Compere: Roland Stanley
Roland Stanley is a fourth-generation business owner from Medway who regularly champions the town as an ideal location for business. Roland pursued culinary training and gained invaluable experience working in esteemed establishments across France and London, ultimately returning to Medway. Throughout his career, Roland has ventured into diverse business sectors, including hospitality, property development, and rentals. Currently, his focus is directed towards Dragon Coworking, a thriving serviced office and hotdesking community.
Gen Z workforce: How to enable young professionals to thrive
Patrick Cantellow: Knauf
Starting as a Gen Z apprentice himself in 2016, Patrick now finds himself managing them. Patrick can provide a view on the benefits and challenges a Gen Z team brings, whilst working in an industry where over 25% of the workforce is due to retire in the next 10 years, in addition to associated recruitment and retention challenges.
Alongside his role as a Digital Marketing Manager at Knauf, Patrick works with businesses of all sizes to empower them to take responsibility for improving the social mobility of the young UK workforce.
Karl Cowell: Build
Karl is the creative mind behind Build Agency, and an expert in digital marketing. As the Co-Founder, Karl is passionate about crafting strategies tailored to home improvement companies and tradespeople, ensuring they not only stand out but thrive in the online world. With his expertise, he turns clicks into conversions and browsers into loyal customers.
Harland Guscott: Guscott Heating
Guscott Heating Services is a leading gas, heating and renewables energy installer based in Rochester. Harland prides the company on delivering an excellent customer experience, supported by an unwavering commitment to helping homeowners in Kent and Medway save money on their heating energy bill whilst reducing their carbon footprint.
Notable achievements include being previously awarded the No.1 Boiler Installer in the South-East at the Energy Efficiency Awards. As a business, they’ve grown consistently at around 40% year on year and have begun switching their focus towards more renewable energy sources for our customers. They've also achieved a 150% increase in the installation of air source heat pumps in the last year alone, helping support Medway and the government's ambitious net zero targets.
Jemma Fairclough-Haynes: Orchard Employment
Jemma Fairclough-Haynes is a Public Speaker, employment law specialist and CEO of global award-winning business Orchard Employment Law. Former Federation of Small Business (FSB) Area Leader for Kent and Medway and a school governor at a local school.
She is often featured in the media and blogs as an expert in her field. Some of her most recent interviews have been on Sky News, BBC South East, ITV, BBC Radio Kent, Times Radio, KMTV, Raconteur, GBN and the Daily Mail. Jemma has over a decade of experience in employment law and she has represented businesses of various sizes in employment tribunals across the UK in many different types of claims. She is also the owner of Orchard Employment Law and HR consultancy which she founded in 2015.
Growing your business in Medway: A panel discussion
Featuring:
Tudor Price: Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce
Tudor Price is the Chief Executive at Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce which is the official Chamber for Kent and Medway and part of the British Chambers of Commerce network,
Tudor has worked for the Chamber of Commerce since 2011 having joined from a national role as Chief Operations Director within the recruitment and logistics sectors. He has also set up and sold several small businesses and continues to have commercial interests outside the Chamber. He took over as CEO in January this year and has been instrumental in the delivery of business support and economic development on behalf of the Chamber.
Adam Bryan: Medway Council
Adam joined Medway Council in August 2023, becoming the Director of Place, having been the Chief Executive at the South East Local Enterprise Partnership, overseeing significant regeneration projects across the region.
Adam has previous experience working in regional development and in Local Government, having held a number of roles at Essex County Council, including the Head of Place Partnership Integration.
Adam studied a degree in German at University of Nottingham, has a Masters in Management from the Nottingham Business School and is a committed Nottingham Forest fan. Adam also enjoys cricket and exploring the UK on family holidays with their dog.
As Director of Place, Adam Bryan has responsibility for Frontline Services, Culture and Community and Regeneration. Adam is also a Board Member for Locate in Kent, Visit Kent, Kent Chamber of Commerce and Medway Place Board.
Zoe Cairns: Medway for Business
Zoe's an international speaker on social media, teaching businesses how to increase their online presence, leads and profits. She's all about getting the strategy right - a step many miss initially. Her guidance benefits both big brands and smaller ventures, ensuring their online campaigns shine. Zoe's passionate about showing companies the power of social media, and she's spoken in over 14 countries, from Poland to Malaysia, to share her insights.
She's even shared her expertise on TV, like ITV's This Morning and BBC World News. Starting ZC Social Media 14 years ago, Zoe offers tailored social media management and training, drawing from her initial dive into social media while working in the mortgage industry.
Getting the most out of AI for your business
Featuring:
Kulbinder Dio: bionicGPT
Kulbinder spent 30 years delivering IT systems to some of the largest multinational organisations in the City of London before retraining as a computer science teacher. In 2023 he returned to the world of IT as co-founder and CEO of generative AI startup bionicGPT. bionicGPT are at the forefront of delivering systems that allow companies to make the most of generative AI while ensuring security and data governance are central to any solution.
Influencing career education
Featuring:
John Yarham: The Careers and Enterprise Company
John Yarham has been Deputy CEO at The Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC) since April 2019, including a year-long stint as interim CEO. He has a 25-year background in careers, education, skills and economic growth, having spent his early career in schools and colleges and been CEO at the Futures Group prior to starting at the CEC. John is also chair of the Skills Committee at the University of Derby and has been a trustee / non-executive at primary and secondary schools, an awarding body and Careers England.
Boosting your workforce: A panel discussion
Featuring:
Daniel Ratcliff: Medway Council
Daniel has been championing skills work for more than 10 years. Since 2018 he has led all skills and employment related work for Medway Council, including wide ranging projects such as, apprenticeship grants, supported employment, careers hub and support for care leavers.
Since 2020, Daniel has also been responsible for Medway Adult Education, and all related adult learning, including schemes such as Multiply and the development of a new learning and skills hub. In 2023, Medway Adult Education received a 'Good' Ofsted grading, with apprenticeships deemed 'Outstanding'.
Elizabeth Halton: Forward2Employment
As Head of Forward2Employment, Elizabeth has work tirelessly to support young adults with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) across Medway and Kent into employment. She firmly believes that by raising aspirations and giving young people the helping hand they need, they have many rich and diverse skills to bring to the workplace.
Elizabeth is always seeking ways to improve the provision for the interns, either by working with the job coaches and the support they give to the young people or searching out new and innovative employers who are eager to partner with Forward2Employment to offer opportunities to the interns.
Tarnya Cregeen: Medway Council
Tarnya is the Post 16 Programme Lead for Medway Council, in post since November 2023.
Tarnya was a formal senior leader for a youth charity, who has roots in careers information, advice and guidance. Tarnya understands the significance in empowering young people to improve their life chances. Tarnya is dedicated to informing and developing post 16 options in Medway and firmly believes in the power of collaboration and shared goals, to create an inclusive and progressive workforce in Medway.
Matthew Peake: Kent and Medway Careers Hub
Matt is the Operational Hub Lead for the Kent & Medway Careers Hub which supports careers leaders in over 160 secondary schools, special schools and colleges across the county to help every young person find their best next step.
Before joining the Careers Hub, Matt worked for HSBC for over 20 years in a range of finance, strategy and risk roles in the UK and the Middle East. Matt has also trained as a personal development and wellbeing coach, and currently serves as a governor at New Line Learning Academy in Maidstone.
Jonathan Shaw: Kent Further Education
Jonathan is the Strategic Director for Kent Further Education (KFE) which comprises of the 3 Kent Further Education colleges: EKC Group, MidKent, and North Kent. Jonathan was previously Chief Executive of the think tank ‘Policy Connect’.
Jonathan's variable career has included being a farm worker, care assistant and social worker before being elected to Parliament as MP for Chatham and Aylesford between 1997 to 2010. During his time as an MP, he served as a Government Whip, Minister at DEFRA, DWP and also as Regional Minister for South-East England. Jonathan established and runs the Medway Leadership Programme and is Chair of the Blackthorn Trust, a mental health and well-being charity in Maidstone.
Mark Rose: Bemix
Mark is the Employer Engagement Lead at Bemix, a specialist post-16 education provider with charitable status delivering supported internships with businesses and organisations across Kent and Medway. He passionately promotes the value that these young people provide as a sustainable employment solution, by accessing a largely untapped market of people who are dedicated and loyal and importantly, really want to work.
With a rich background within various industry sectors, Mark is keen to engage with businesses that have the ‘vision to see value in everyone’ and to understand their specific employment needs. Providing great outcomes by job-matching and supporting the right person and business for the role throughout the year.
How to have fun at work
Featuring:
Lynne Parker: Funny Women
Lynne Parker founded Funny Women in 2002 in response to a comedy promoter who told her that 'women aren't funny'. She created the Funny Women Awards and the organisation is now an acclaimed not for profit community for women to build self-confidence and develop their own distinctive voice. Lynne describes it as her ‘life’s work’ providing a safe, diverse, creative platform that empowers women to perform, write and use humour in business and everyday life.
Lynne is also a renowned performance coach encouraging people in business and public life to 'Stand Up to Stand Out'. Borrowing techniques from the world of stand-up comedy, Lynne has developed workshops and runs events under ‘sister’ brand HERlarious.
A new approach to create outstanding leadership and workplace culture
Featuring:
Anwen Cooper and Dan Corpe
Anwen Cooper and Dan Corpe are on mission to get you and your people thriving at work and beyond.
Anwen brings experience from working with over 100 different organisations over 20+ years. She has worked at senior leadership level in-house and with agency as well as twice being a charity Trustee before founding a strategic marketing consultancy to grow business as a force for good.
Dan began his career in technology retail, progressing over two decades to lead large teams in flagship stores. He then applied his skills in recruitment before launching a relationship building consultancy, including work with a number of creative agencies. He is trained in counselling skills and served as Trustee for a national mental health charity.
Find out more
Visit the Medway Business and Skills Showcase page for more information.