Meet The 2022 Speakers

Darren Williams 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. He is also the Executive Chairman of a men’s skincare company Scrubd and a Trustee at Action 4 Youth. Darren has formally held senior roles in several businesses in retail and hospitality, including Hotel Chocolat and Unilever. He currently holds two ambassadorial roles, being a Schools Role Model for Stonewall, and fundraising and awareness for Target Ovarian Cancer, Williams Harding also partners with a Bulgarian dog rescue centre.

As the CEO and founder of GDR Creative Intelligence, Kate has accrued more than 21 years of experience in trends affecting business sectors and consumer behaviour, sharing her visionary insights around the world. She is the innovation partner to around 30 of the world's largest consumer brands, supplying market leading consultancy and professional speaking to P&G, Tesco, Waitrose, Target, Sephora, Microsoft and Google.
Kate is a business futurist, adept at making complex societal shifts and emerging technologies relatable for any audience. She also advises on the future of customer experience, how marketing is evolving, and how the best of the best are using tech to adapt to new customer behaviour.

Graham Johnston is the Senior Director for Omnichannel Customer Support & Transformation at Asda and formally headed up omnichannel transformation for Three UK. For the past 10 years, Graham has led large-scale transformations in customer interactions, focussed on innovation to bridge the gap between physical and digital. Graham also hosts his own podcast series “Think Omnichannel" where he speaks to fellow Omnichannel experts about the use of digital innovation to create better customer experiences.

Russell has spent the majority of his career working in brands across the globe, specifically in marketing, innovation and strategy roles. Brands include Tesco, YUM Brands, KFC, P&O Cruises, Cunard & UK pub groups Greene King & Punch Pubs & Co. Becoming famous for challenging the 'status quo' and delivering big change in big business. Russell is acknowledged as having an ability to predict human behaviour and in particular how technology is impacting the way we interact with the world and the subsequent changes on big business. His unique ability to see what is on the horizon and translate this for business, coupled with his ability to build structure and strategy has built him the reputation as the man who knows the 'art of the possible' and led to the creation of the Future Factory London (FFLDN) in 2017. Russell now leads the charge as the Marketing & Strategy Director at Punch Pubs & Co where he is been in role since 2018.

A product innovator and a highly entrepreneurial CEO, Ken began selling when he was at school where he set up various business enterprises. It was also there that Ken became passionate about keeping fit and was a key member of the rowing team. The trend continued at Exeter University, where Ken juggled his studies in Electronic Engineering with part-time sales jobs and gaining a black belt in judo.

After becoming JML’s fourth full-time staff member in 1994, Ken found his ‘passion’, moving away from a career in electronics to make JML one of Britain’s most respected companies. In 2011, he was appointed CEO.

Outside of business, Ken enjoys playing the piano and practising judo. He lives in West London with his wife and two children.

Guy Bosworth has worked in the retail and F&B space for over 12 years, working with some industry heavy weights such as Pret A Manger, KFC, Aldi and Boots. Now as Head of Store Operations for Ole & Steen, he is leading the stores on an adventurous growth journey to build on the 30 year history the business has in its home country (Denmark). His passion has and always will be the people that work for him, developing them to be the greatest that they can be - he has a rather strange mantra - “to create a team that no longer needs him”. Developing a strategy that enables his team to deliver the standards and experience that every customer deserves, therefore creating raving fans.