Meet the 2026 Speakers

Darren Sanderson-Williams has been General Manager with Specsavers since March 2024. He was previously the Global Head of Leasing for Impress where he led site selection, negotiation and legals to lease in all seven markets. Darren is the Founder of Williams Harding Consulting working with start-ups, expanding and distressed businesses, primarily in retail and hospitality, but also outside of these sectors. In addition, he is Non-Executive Chairman of men’s skincare company Scrubd and a Trustee at Action 4 Youth. Darren has formerly held senior roles in several retail and hospitality businesses, including Hotel Chocolat and Unilever. He currently holds two ambassadorial roles, including Schools Role Model for Stonewall, and fundraising and awareness for Target Ovarian Cancer. Williams Harding also partners with a Bulgarian dog rescue centre.

Jane Clifford is the People Director for Brewers Decorator Centre, the largest independently owned decorators’ merchants in the country. Brewers has been trading since 1904 and employs more than 1800 colleagues to provide a range of products and expert advice for both trade and retail customers. She has more than 25 years’ experience in HR, in a variety of sectors including professional services, construction, manufacturing and retail. Her current remit includes HR, recruitment, learning and payroll. Jane is passionate about inclusion, equality and creating a workplace in which colleagues can be happy. Jane is always striving to balance the commercial and compassionate drivers within HR, so the department is seen equally as adding value and caring about every colleague.

Nicky Bliss is a seasoned HR and people leader with extensive experience driving people strategy, transformation and organisational impact across consumer, retail and global businesses. A Chartered Fellow of the CIPD, she has held senior people leadership roles — including People & Engagement Director at Joules — and supported organisations through culture change, strategic growth and complex people challenges. Known for balancing commercial rigour with a collaborative leadership style, Nicky partners with executive teams to deliver sustainable people-first outcomes, build high-performing cultures and enhance employee experience across diverse environments. She is passionate about developing leaders, championing organisational effectiveness and elevating the role of people functions in shaping business success.

Stuart Lawrenson is leads the Shoosmiths’ Solent Employment Team and is also Head of the Solent Office. As an experienced, strategic, solutions focussed partner, he provides commercial, pragmatic advice to a range of national and international clients across a broad range of sectors on all aspects of employment law. He is known for his pragmatic, no-nonsense approach and for helping clients navigate employment law issues from complex disciplinary and grievance matters to and discrimination matters. Stuart has regularly appeared in  Tribunal, where he has secured successful outcomes for both employers and employees, including costs awards and high-value settlements. He has a particular interest in the Consumer and Retail sector and leads the sub-group having acted for numerous clients in the retail secor for a number of years including a number of high street names. This interest has resulted Stuart developing a specialism providing advice regarding national minimum wage queries and he has supported a number of clients through complex HMRC national minimum wage investigations. Stuart is a member of the Employment Lawyers Association.

Ebony Quow is a strategic people leader with a passion for creating workplaces where everyone can thrive. With extensive experience in talent and HR across the retail industry. She has a proven track record of driving impactful change in workplace environments. The main drive is to further pave the way for especially underrepresented groups, drive sustainable strategic outcomes, and help challenge the status quo. Ebony has spent time was in 2024 whilst appointed to the Diversity in Retail board, where they contributed to shaping diversity and inclusion strategies within the sector. Additionally, Ebony recently joined the Lancashire Cricket Club Foundation’s Inclusion Board, further expanding their influence by helping develop initiatives to make sport more inclusive, accessible, and equitable for all.

Rob Savin was the Marketing Director at Alpkit from 2019-2023, where he was a member of the Board with responsibility to develop and deliver the digital and marketing strategies, to grow Alpkit in the UK and internationally. Prior to Alpkit, he was Head of Digital Marketing at the Co-op for a year, where he led the Digital Marketing Team in delivering the digital trading of Co-op Funeralcare and Co-op Legal Services. Before that, Rob was Senior Manager Digital Channel at Yorkshire Building Society Group for nearly three years, where he led the eCommerce Team in delivering strong digital trading performance and online customer experience.

As Group Human Resources Director, Jo Regan-Iles is leading the global HR function at Kwalee, where her role is to work with the senior leadership teams to deliver commercially aligned strategic people plans – creating a ‘great place to work culture’. This is being achieved through developing and implementing comprehensive people strategies – to enhance attracting and retaining colleagues – and championing career development initiatives and corporate social responsibility programmes, in order to foster employee engagement. Jo is extremely passionate about wellbeing, DEI and belonging strategies. Her past roles have included Chief People Officer at AT Management, Chief People Officer at Ventrica, Global Chief People Officer at The Sigma Connected Group and Executive Director Human Capital & Talent Aquisition EMEA and India at TTEC.

Emma Cater‑Elliot is an experienced HR leader with over a decade of people partnering expertise across well‑known brands including Gymshark, RBS, Barclays and now the Watches of Switzerland Group. Passionate about building high‑performing cultures and strengthening leadership capability, she specialises in aligning people strategy with commercial priorities to drive organisational success.
Drawn to the Watches of Switzerland Group for its rich heritage and ambitious future, Emma knew from her very first conversation that it was a place where she could add real value and continue to grow her career. Today, she leads strategic people partnering across the groups support functions, driving initiatives in organisational design, leadership capability, talent development, and data‑driven HR practice.
CIPD Level 5 qualified and currently completing her Level 7 Strategic People Professional accreditation, Emma is committed to continuous learning and ensuring modern, ethical and forward‑thinking HR practices.

Liz Jewitt-Cross is the Founder of Future HR and Advisory Partner to the internationally acclaimed and award winning The Coaching Solution. Through her multi-industry career, she has supported over 40 of the UK’s best loved brands, including Sainsbury’s, American Express, National Lottery, Mosaic/Aurora Fashions, Joules, Jaeger, New Look, Pets at Home, Co-Op Lincolnshire, McArthurGlen, as well as Banking, Health, Tech and Private Equity ventures. An expert in navigating high-impact change, Liz is best known for her work and successes as an Interim Chief People Officer and Executive Coach, leading businesses, leaders, and people and change teams through rapid growth, digital transformations, new operating models, M&A’s and critical business turnarounds and restructuring. Through Future HR, and as an Advisory Partner for The Coaching Solution, Liz also champions and supports the next generation of People leaders and is part of a pioneering new mentoring program for first-time Chief People Officers, People Directors, and future talent, which is receiving high interest and exceptional initial feedback for its transformative impact.

Jade is a People & Culture Business Partner at Bravissimo, where she supports leaders across retail, warehouse, and customer operations teams to shape a positive, people‑centred culture and ultimately to give Bravissimo customers an uplifting experience, always. With four years’ experience in people and culture moving from Co-Ordinator, to ER Advisor and now Business Partner,  she has played a key role in supporting organisational development, strategic workforce planning, and leadership capability across the company. With a strong operational background in customer services and in hospitality, Jade brings a deep understanding of frontline experience, service culture, and the realities of fast‑paced, customer‑focused environments. This grounding underpins her direct, people‑first approach and strengthens her ability to partner effectively with stakeholders operational areas. Jade specialises in leadership development, talent growth, culture and engagement, contributing to a number of key business programmes including customer operations strategy days, retail leadership development and the design of innovative, engaging learning experiences. Her work reflects a commitment to enabling people to thrive, encouraging collaboration, and driving continuous improvement across the employee experience.

Thom Smith worked in recruitment and talent for seven years. Having been both agency side and an in-house recruiter, over the last seven years, he has recruited for a variety of different sectors and roles. His first role in recruitment gave him an incredible chance to cut his teeth and learn everything he could about recruiting, employment and candidate management. Since then, he has worked as Senior Talent Acquisition Manager for Lounge and during one of its busiest periods of growth – their talent team still only consists of two! Alongside Lounge’s incredible people team, they have recruited over 250 staff across Head Office and their six retail stores, with recruitment both here in the UK and also at their first international store in Germany.

Gemma Davies is a Head of HR Business Partnering at Card Factory, bringing over five years’ experience partnering senior leaders to drive commercial performance through people‑led strategy. A trusted and influential leader, she specialises in navigating complexity and change, aligning people, culture and capability with business priorities. She is known for her pragmatic, commercially focused approach to leadership – challenging thinking, building high‑performing teams and ensuring HR delivers real‑world impact. Prior to Card Factory, Gemma spent time in senior operational leadership roles, shaping her strong commercial mindset. Her expertise spans leadership development, talent and succession planning, organisational design, engagement and coaching.

Carrie Westwell is a recent addition to Bensons for Beds as Head of HR. Under her leadership, Carrie’s team has consistently pushed the boundaries of traditional HR practices, focusing on fostering a culture of inclusivity, growth, and continuous improvement. Her efforts have not only enhanced colleague satisfaction and productivity but have also propelled her to be recognised multiple times as a ‘Best Companies’ and ‘Business Culture Awards’ Winner, a testament to the positive and impactful work environment she has cultivated. With a career spanning over 20 years across a variety of industries including FMCG, retail and property, she holds an MA in Psychology and is MCIPD qualified, showcasing her deep commitment to understanding the intricate dynamics of workplace behaviour and employee engagement. Carrie’s approach to HR is rooted in a belief that understanding and nurturing the psychological well-being of colleagues is key to unlocking their full potential.

Sarah Wheatley has led ProCook’s HR and ESG agenda for more than eight years, bringing deep expertise in HR strategy and sustainability to shape an ethical, people‑centred culture. By integrating talent management, employee engagement, and responsible business practices, she has built a team that embeds sustainability principles throughout day‑to‑day operations. Guided by her commitment to doing the right thing, Sarah ensures ProCook’s environmental and social responsibilities are reflected in strategic decisions, governance, and community impact. Her approach connects HR excellence with meaningful ESG outcomes, helping the business operate in line with its core values. Sarah began her HR career at Tesco in 1998 as a Personnel Manager, laying the foundation for her long-standing dedication to creating positive, sustainable workplaces.

Laura Mannick is a key part of the team behind bringing employee benefits to life at Popeyes, with a focus on creating engaging, inclusive experiences for a diverse workforce. She plays a central role in shaping how benefits fit into the wider reward and wellbeing strategy, ensuring they’re relevant, accessible and genuinely valued by employees. Laura is passionate about challenging the norm and finding new ways to connect benefits with employee experience.

Simon Wells has over 40 years’ experience in the retail sector, including more than 26 years in senior Human Resources roles, supported by a strong operational background. He has worked across a wide range of ownership models, from employee-owned and family-owned businesses to publicly listed and multinational organisations, with some experience across other European markets. Simon began his career in operational roles with the John Lewis Partnership, later moving into HR. He has since held senior HR leadership positions with Budgens, Londis as part of the Musgrave Group, McColl’s, Asda, and more recently six years as HR Director with Poundland & Dealz, then part of the Pepco Group. His experience spans field operations, distribution, manufacturing and central head office functions. More recently, he has been closely involved in large-scale transformation programmes, including system implementations, organisational change and mergers and acquisitions. Simon brings a commercial mindset to HR and has extensive experience working with senior leadership teams and boards. His focus areas include talent development, colleague engagement, coaching, team performance and building a strong employee value proposition. He is a CIPD Level 7 member, qualified in a range of leadership development & assessment tools, and is a qualified coach.

Phil Gillespie is Head of Commercial Partnerships at Tusker, where he’s spent the past decade helping organisations unlock the full potential of salary sacrifice car schemes. He works closely with employee benefit providers and major partners, including Lloyds Banking Group, to create joined-up, impactful solutions for employers and their people. With a strong focus on collaboration and real-world outcomes, Phil brings a practical, insight-led perspective on how schemes can deliver value for both businesses and employees.