Speaker

 Biography

Liz Villani, Founder & CEO, #BeYourselfAtWork

Liz Villani is the founder of #BeYourselfAtWork, a global movement dedicated to creating a new narrative about the way we work. Promoting work as an opportunity for self-discovery, the movement helps people to become their true selves in the workplace. Liz is the creative mind behind the BY@W product iAM, which helps people to define their character and to set out their personal values.

With the help of DBT in 2013, it took five months to clinch their first export sale in Australia. #BeYourselfAtWork then incorporated in the US and from these two locations, along with the UK they now cover all time zones, offering global clients iAM development in these countries but also within Europe, Asia and New Zealand.

Gerti Willis, Language and Culture Adviser, DBT Midlands

Gerti is a licensed trainer in one of the most effective methods for cross-cultural training: The Lewis Model of Culture/ Culture Active. She delivers International Cultural Communication training to companies of all sectors and sizes. Her years of experience negotiating contracts with language trainers from many countries and cultural backgrounds have given her in-depth knowledge of cultural diversity. She previously worked for a charitable organisation in Southern Germany where she was actively involved in setting up Fair-Trade Projects in Kenya, Sri Lanka and India.

Mark Bates, Digital Trade Adviser, DBT Midlands

Helping export-based businesses' navigate through their digital journey has become my daily objective. However, I remain a commercially aware and focused manager of multi-channel businesses. My hands on experience of pretty much every discipline of sales, sales marketing and website management allows me to confidently manage eCommerce and web administration teams as well as advise clients how they might optimise their own digital journey.

Stuart Perry, Creative Director & Head of Design, DRPG

With over 36 years' award-winning experience, Stuart has worked across pretty much every business sector. Whether working globally with luxury brands like Bentley Motors, Harley-Davidson Motorcycles and Numarine Luxury Yachts, to international banks, high street retailers, pharma, electric wholesalers, fast food and beverage brands, Stuart has applied his creative strategic acumen to help a myriad of businesses raise their profile, increase sales and grow market share.

Stuart is the ultimate hands-on creative. The wealth of experience he has in working above, below and through the line, enables him to see any project from end to end with clarity and vision backed by a deep understanding of branding and design.

Tommy Moore, Senior Creative Director & Strategic Lead, DRPG

Tommy's role is to understand Client's vision, and to apply his innovative mindset to turn strong conceptual ideas into tip of the spear campaigns. He leads planners, strategists and insights teams to create strategic brand campaigns that make a phenomenal difference to success, uptake, efficacy, advocacy and ROI.

As a Creative Director, he has worked extensively across a wide range of sectors, brinign the best of each discipline together. Within the financial sector, he is currently working at the highest levels across areas such as Retail Banking, Risk, Digital, Corporate, High Street and everywhere in-between. This is supplemented by his work in other core sectors, such as Technology, Automotive, Manufacturing, Energy, and Retail.

Guy McEvoy, Chief Executive, GuyKat Solutions Ltd

GuyKat are a multi-award winning eLearning agency based in Birmingham with a recently oepned sales office in Tampa (US). They work with some of the largest brands on the planet. At their heart they are a people-orientated professional services company. They use technology to help clients transform their learning, training and communication capabilities.

Founded in 2009, GuyKat began international projects in 2011. Since then, most of the comapny growth has come from overseas, with more than 70% of revenue now coming from outside the UK. Whilst this is predominantly form the US/ EU, in the last three years their training programmes have been deployed in more than 50 countries across five continents. GuyKat were winners of the Queen's Award for Enterprise for International Trade in 2021.

Elliott Underwood, Head of Sales & Founder, FilterFinder

Elliott is the Head of Sales and Founder of FilterFinder, a leading online platform dedicated to simplifying the process of finding and purchasing hydraulic, compressed air, and process filters online. With a database of over 600,000 cross-references, FilterFinder has made it easy for customers to find exactly what they need and receive their critical components in a matter of days.

Whilst pursuing a career as a WSOp in the RAF, Elliott joined the family business in 2019 becoming the third generation at Micro-Mesh Engineering. However, when his application to the RAF was put on hold due to COVID-19, Elliott began working for the business full time and moved his focus towards creating FilterFinder.

Since launching in December 2020, the platform has rapidly expanded serving thousands of customers both in the UK and 62 countries worldwide with notable companies such as Rolls Royce, Boeing, and David Brown Santasalo having utilised FilterFinder to meet their filtration needs.

Jack Brown, Head of Paid Media, Hallam

Hallam is an award-winning strategic digital agency with offices in Nottingham and London. Since 1999, they have partnered with clients to grow their revenue through integrated digital marketing that is sterred by strategy and long-term vision.

Hallam has worked with international clients for over 10 years, providing services to brands such as the UN in the USA, EU and Middle East. International clients have always been a part of their business, so their experience has grown over the years, as they have learned to adapt to new markets and help their clients better build brands across borders.

John Young, Owner, John Young Media

For more than thirty years, John Young presented and reported the TV news on the BBC.

Do you worry that your website looks a bit similar to all the other companies who do what you do? The words are the same as everyone else’s?  The photos show shiny offices and smiling staff that you’ve downloaded from the web? 

Your website may need the personal touch — a warm video message that greets the visitor, looks them in the eye, gives them a sense of your story, makes your company stand out, and immediately builds trust.  

You’re a bit camera shy?  We’ve got the answer.  John Young is a former BBC presenter and reporter, who will leave you with tips on recording a simple message with confidence … and for a fraction of what it would cost to get in a production crew … 
 

Dan Barlow, Chief Executive Officer, Kagool

Dan Barlow is CEO and founder of Kagool, a global SAP, AI & Analytics consultancy headquartered in the UK, with operations in the USA, UAE, Malaysia, India and Singapore.

Over the past 20 yeard Kagool has provided SAP, AI & Analytics solutions across a variety of industries such as Manufacturing, Logistics & Supply Chain, Retail, Financial Services, and Public Sector.

Kagool has grown significantly and worldwide under Dan, who himself started his career as a tech consultant. He and his team pride themselves on building an inclusive culture and diverse organisation.

As adoption of emerging technology trends pick up, Dan invests heavily to ensure Kagool is well positioned as a leader in their field.

Oli Hills, Chief Executive Officer, Nonsensical Agency

Oli is CEO of TikTok marketing agency & publisher, Nonsensical. Having left a corporate role in financial services in 2016, Oli has grown a number of start-ups in the tech and digital space over the past 6 years. Most recently Nonsensical which in 2 years has grown to a team of 15 and offers TikTok marketing services to B2C clients most notably, Go.Compare, The Works, eharmony and Young Driver. The agency has built its own TikTok communities, Birmingham Updates, Endless Pride and Endless Mythology to over 700,000 followers combined.

Dr Eve Davies, Director Communications, Protectapet Ltd

ProtectaPet is the international leader in cat fencing solutions and has been awarded the King's Award for Innovation. ProtectaPet are the first to design and sell a comprehensive range of cat fence barriers that can be capable of matchlessly fitting to all fence materials, heights, intervals and to garden features. It includes the unique 'no drill' cat balcony enclosure, specifically targeting European urban markets. The catalogue of patented cat proofing products in outstanding in providing solutions of all outdoor spaces - across cultures - from balconies to expansive rural gardens. ProtectaPet will be a global household name for cat owners and will offer the trusted solution designed by the experts for keeping your cat safe outdoors.

ProtectaPet sell both B2B & B2C, with European fulfilment from Rotterdam. Eve's top tip for exporters is 'to fully utilise the DBT support services and share the expertise of fellow businesses whatever their sector, to secure useful contacts and insights. Always keep things simple and steamline processes as dar as possible'.

Edwina Mullins, Director, Digital Marketing Strategist & Trainer, SocialB

For 20 years, Edwina has been delivering and executing impactful digital marketing campaigns, both in agency and in house marketing roles. Having worked across technology, engineering, agriculture, food and drink, and hospitality sectors, Edwina has a wealth of experience and focuses on delivering bespoke and tailored solutions for her clients. Edwina is the director of international digital agency SocialB where she leads their digital marketing team and client strategy, alongside delivering training, workshops and consultancy for ambitious growing businesses. Edwina delivers frequent masterclasses for the Guardian, alongside speaking at national and international conferences and events. 

Barry Tong, Managing Director, Stephensons Online Limited

Stephensons Online (solretail) is one of the top health and beauty Amazon sellers worldwide. They partner with some of the top brands in health and beauty, pet, and homeware to deliver their global strategy.

They work with brands across all aspects of Amazon including Creative, Brand Protection and Digital Marketing. They are not an agency. They partner with brands, buy stock nd manage the brands global marketplace strategy.

Stephensons Online began exporting into Germany back in 2012. They now export to over 16 countries including EU, Australia, the USA and Japan, with international trade accounting for 35% of their annual turnover.

Suzanne Stokes, Managing Director, TUM TUM

This family business was established in 2012 in Buxton in the beautiful Peak District. With a background in cutlery design and frustrated at the lack of functionally well-designed cutlery for their daughters, Suzanne and her husband Andrew set about designing their own and launched in under the brand TUM TUM. Over the years the range has expanded to include a wide range of multi award winning baby weaning and toddler products, developed with feeding and speech therapists for normal oral development. Since commencing their export journey in 2012, TUM TUM now export to over 15 different countries.

John Chacksfield, Owner, Sharpmonkeys

John is an experienced marketing professional with a career spanning more than 25 years and a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing. John has a wide experience of marketing, design and branding from running his own digital agency (Sharpmonkeys) and working for several blue chip companies throughout his career.

John brings expert experience in brand, digital and strategic campaigns, is an experienced speaker, digital business mentor and trainer. John's expertise digital marketing strategy and planning, innovation, & digital disruption plus social media strategy.

Sam Rathling, Chief Revenue Officer, Pipeline 44

Sam Rathling is the UK's leading expert in Sales Navigator, LinkedIn & Social Selling. With over £168m in new business generated by her clients, she was named by Yahoo! Finance as as top 10 global LinkedIn expert to follow. Author of best-selling book, 'Linked Inbound' and 'Linked Outbound', she helps business owners and sales teams to build pipeline, and generate opportunities.

Rupert Cross, CEO, CDO & Co-Founder, 5874 Commerce

Rupert is CEO and co-founder of leading Commerce Agency. Working in eCommerce for over 20 years both as a retailer and an agency leader, he knows how to get the most out of a retail business and what it takes to get there.

Chris Woods - Founder and CEO of CyberQ Group

Chris Woods is the Founder and CEO of CyberQ Group, an award-winning cyber security services provider with a global presence in the UK, USA, and APAC regions.

With over two decades of experience, Chris leads a team of expert cyber and risk professionals, guiding clients in selecting the ideal IT security solutions for enhanced cyber resilience.

Sara Hutchinson - Managing Director, RISA (UK) Ltd

Sara is a recognised industry expert with over 37 years’ experience working in International Trade. She has travelled extensively overseas and owned her multi award winning freight forwarding company, RISA (UK) Limited, for 21 years.

Through her work as a freight forwarder and consultant Sara has helped hundreds of business owners and over the last few years has worked with her clients to manage the Brexit transition, navigate the complexities of trading with Europe and the world and get goods to market on time.

Nicholas Van der Walle - Founder & Chairman, Astute Graphics Ltd

Astute Graphics are leading innovative experts in designing imaginative tools for vector designers that significantly save time, boost creativity and achieve refined results. They lead the way with cutting-edge design software — they bring back the fun to drawing whilst making it far easier to meet tight deadlines and make on the fly changes.

The founder, Nicholas van der Walle’s, passion is in nurturing an extremely strong and cohesive group of passionate individuals. All colleagues are encouraged to display initiative to make amazing things happen every day.

Being an internet-based software developer and retailer, the very first sale in 2006 was an export win. Over the past 15 years, exports have typically accounted for 90% of Astute Graphics’ revenue, covering nearly every country around the world. The USA has always been a key market for Astute Graphics, but with the assistance of the DBT, planning and actions are taking place to boost sales to other countries such as Japan. 

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.