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Speaker details:
Meet our speakers who will be presenting at our US Creative Industries and Tech Roadshow.
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Speaker |
Biography |
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Rosamund O’Niell
Rosamund is the Sector Director for Creative, Media & Sports Economy at the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), with a team across the US and Canada who support the UK's trade and investment objectives in these dynamic and diverse sectors. With over 20 years of experience in international business development, procurement, and public relations, facilitating market access, export opportunities, and global expansion for UK and US companies. Ros has worked across the fine arts space and and for the UK government in bilateral aid roles both in the UK and in Cambodia, Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania all before moving to the US in 2011. She studied in Vietnam. In the US she ran her own furniture and interior design firm before joining the UK government team in Los Angeles in 2019.
The Department for Business & Trade team that covers the creative industries, digital media and sports economy are specifically in the US and Canadia market to facilitate collaboration and leverage the UK's position as a world leader in creativity, innovation, and excellence in the fields of sports, gaming, AR/VR/MR, film, television, marketing and advertising, experience economy, digital media, and design and architecture. As a team we work closely with industry stakeholders, government agencies, and strategic partners to highlight the UK's talent, expertise, and potential, and to create mutually beneficial collaborations and partnerships for the benefit of the UK economy. Rosamund O’Neill | Sector Director – Creative, Media & Sport | North America
British Consulate-General Los Angeles E-mail: rosamund.oneill@businessandtrade.gov.uk |
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Hinun Crespin
Hinun has been working for the UK Department for Business & Trade in Los Angeles since January of 2023. He supports creative, media and sports companies investing in or exporting from the UK to Los Angeles and the Southwestern US. Hinun focuses on music, film/tv and all things LA28 Olympics and World Cup 2026. Some of his projects include the annual LA Sync Mission involving 50 UK record labels and the Frieze Art show.
Prior to joining DBT, Hinun worked as an M&A Consultant specializing in nextgen technology and graduated with a degree in Economics from Dartmouth College.
Hinun Crespin | Officer – Creative, Media & Sport | Southwest US British Consulate-General Los Angeles E-mail: hinun.crespin@businessandtrade.gov.uk |
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Lara Purser
Lara has been working for the UK Department for Business & Trade in Houston since January of 2020. She supports businesses in accessing export opportunities, exporting from the UK to the South-Central US and US companies expanding their global reach to the UK operating in the sectors of Sports, Gaming, AR/VR/MR, Film, Television, Marketing & Advertising, Experience Economy, Digital Media and Design & Architecture. Lara is DBT’s lead on the SXSW trade mission, helping UK companies expertly navigate the world-renowned conference.
Lara has a Master's in International Affairs from the Elliot School of International Affairs at George Washington University and a Dual Bachelors in English and Political Science at Boston University.
Lara Purser | Sr. Officer – Creative, Media & Sport | South-Central US British Consulate-General Houston E-mail: lara.purser@businessandtrade.gov.uk |
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Pete Chapman
Pete is an International Trade Adviser and Creative Industries Sector Specialist in the Midlands. With a background in the music industry and retail, which included 10+ years in Japan, Pete’s new role is to support Midlands based creative companies to export their goods or services. Pete attended SXSW, Texas in 2024 so knows the event well and is one of the joint leads for the Games Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco.
Pete Chapman | Creative Industries Sector Specialist | Midlands
Department for Business and Trade. E.mail: pete.chapman@businessandtrade.gov.uk |
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Alexis Svenson
Alexis joined the Department for Business and Trade in September 2022 and is based in the Chicago office, serving 14 states across the Midwest and Colorado. In these states, Alexis specializes in sport business, experiential design, and museums. Current projects for Alexis include the 2024 NFL UK games, 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2031/2033 Rugby World Cups.
Prior to joining DBT, Alexis worked within the U.S. sports economy at various levels including professional and collegiate sport. Leagues she has worked with include NFL, MLB, MLR, NBA, NWSL, and MLC. She holds a Masters of Science degree in Sport Management from the University of Georgia and a Bachelors of Science degree in Business from Colorado State University. Alexis Svenson | Sr. Officer – Creative, Media & Sport | Midwest and Colorado USA British Consulate-General Chicago E-mail: alexis.svenson@businessandtrade.gov.uk |
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Ameeta Virk MBE
As lead for Film/TV and Games, Ameeta works with key trade bodies, industry players and directly with business to drive the growth of the UK film/tv & games sector. Originally from California, she has created and led multiple initiatives and trade missions to the US. Ameeta has gained numerous accolades for her work in international trade including being named one of the top 100 ‘Most Influential’ people in UK-India relations, 2019; top inspirational businesswomen in the South West, 2020; and in 2022, Ameeta was awarded an MBE for services to the economy in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List. Ameeta Virk MBE | Sector Manager Film/TV, Department for Business and Trade
E-mail: ameeta.virk@businessandtrade.gov.uk |
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Rob Lawley
Rob is responsible for a team of ten International Trade Advisers covering Staffordshire & The Black Country and has a responsibility for the Skills & Services Sectors. The team works to support companies realise their international potential via a range of DBT Services. Prior to re-joining the Civil Service in 2022 Rob was the Director of Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce Department for International Trade. Here the team delivered the full range of DBT Services/ programmes, was an issuing body for export documentation and a customs broker. The team processed export documentation for companies with a combined invoice value in excess of £250m per annuum. Previously Rob was a Civil Servant where he began his career in 1995 working for the Employment Service and later the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. In 2005 Rob started to work for UKTI the predecessor of DBT and in 2012 he was promoted to Head of the International Trade Team where he led many Trade Missions all over the world. Rob Lawley | Adviser Team Manager | Staffordshire & The Black Country – UKTD Events & Sports | Midlands | Department for Business and Trade.
E.mail: Robert.lawley@businessandtrade.gov.uk |
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Andy Smith
Andy is an International Engagement Manager in the Overseas Network Engagement team for DBT Midlands. He leads on the Americas and Caribbean, Europe, Asia-Pacific and China and this year is developing campaigns with US, APAC and Hong Kong colleagues. He leverages DBT’s overseas network to benefit Midlands exporters by attracting DBT and external experts and buyers to the region and arranging programmes and events enabling them to meet Midlands firms. He also runs webinars and some outward missions. He has worked for DBT and its predecessors for 10 years. Prior to that he spent a short time in higher education and self-employed consultancy. His earlier career included 25 years in international and European work for UK local and regional authorities and stints in elder care in Germany, journalism in Jordan, tourism across western Europe. Andy Smith | International Engagement Manager | Midlands
Department for Business and Trade. E.mail: andy.smith@businessandtrade.gov.uk |
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| Midlands Engine |
Organised by:
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Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is the Government Department that helps UK based companies succeed in the global economy. We also help overseas companies bring their high-quality investment to the UK’s dynamic economy, acknowledged as Europe’s best place in which to succeed in global business.
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