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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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Steven Robinson
Steven has been with the Department for Business & Trade since November 2021 and is based in the British Consulate in Houston, Texas. While working in the Technology Sector, he is responsible for emerging tech in the states of Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma and New Mexico. Steven has covered the Healthcare Life Sciences, Advanced Engineering and Manufacturing sectors prior to his current role in Technology. He currently focuses on driving growth of US & UK tech businesses while showcasing the opportunities the South Central or ‘Third Coast’ region of the US has to offer. Steven graduated from McNeese State University in 2019 with a degree in Marketing.
Steven Robinson | Sr. Trade & Investment Officer, Technology | South Central US British Consulate General Houston Email: steven.robinson@businessandtrade.gov.uk |
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Valentina Baccianella
Valentina has been working for Department for Business & Trade in Los Angeles since April of 2020. In her role, she supports US companies investing into the UK and UK companies exporting their goods and services into the US market all within the creative, media and sports industries covering a patch of the Southwest US and Hawaii. Music, film/tv and all things LA28 Olympics and World Cup 2026 are her areas of expertise. Prior to joining DBT, she worked briefly in university fundraising and graduated with a degree in International Relations from Loyola Marymount University in 2019.
Valentina Baccianella | Sr. Officer – Creative, Media & Sport | Southwest US
British Consulate-General Los Angeles E-mail: valentina.baccianella@businessandtrade.gov.uk |
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Tom Woodley
Tom joined the Department for Business & Trade in March 2022 and is based out of the Atlanta office, serving North & South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi & Florida. In these states Tom specialises in Sport Business, Film, Esports, & Virtual Production, with major sports cities like Atlanta & Miami, and film hubs like the state of Georgia. Prior to joining, Tom led the business development office for ‘Leaders in Sport’ in Charlotte, NC, serving executives in sport through industry leading conferences & events. Tom graduated from Kingston University in 2008 with a joint BA in Human Geography & History, and grew up in the UK before moving to the US 8 years ago.
Tom Woodley | Sr. Officer – Creative, Media & Sport | Southeast US
British Consulate-General, Atlanta E-mail: Tom.Woodley@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 will be attending SXSW, Texas and then travelling to San Francisco for the Games Developers Conference (GDC) in March 2024.
Pete Chapman | Creative Industries Sector Specialist | Midlands
Department for Business and Trade. E.mail: pete.chapman@businessandtrade.gov.uk |
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Matt Young
Matt boasts a wealth of international sales experience, specialising in cutting-edge technologies within the construction and waste management sectors. His expertise extends to global deployment of 5G and IoT solutions, as well as SAAS platforms that allowed businesses and municipalities to use data for smarter and safer decision making. Having worked extensively with startups and SMEs, he possesses a deep understanding of crafting innovative strategies to captivate a worldwide audience.
In his role as an International Trade Advisor, he equips businesses with the essential skills, knowledge, and expertise required for successful international strategy development. Matt also sits on the UK Telecoms Innovation Network, where his primary focus revolves around bridging the skills gap in the telecoms sector.
Matt Young | International Trade Advisor – Midlands Tech Lead | Midlands
Domestic & International Markets & Exports E-mail: matt.young@businessandtrade.gov.uk |
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Kathryn M Borg
Kathryn is a generalist ITA who has been a global sports specialist for 11 years. She works with a variety of companies in the Peak District and surrounding areas. She has also lived in Libya, Malta, Germany, the Netherlands and Dubai, so is knowledgeable regarding trading with different cultures. She is a Magistrate and a volunteer Racemaker at Silverstone, where she works during the Formula 1, MotoGP and other sporting events. Kathryn was asked to be a board director when the Malta Sports Council was first set up on the island, to formalise sports for everyone.
Kathryn M Borg (LLB Hons) | International Trade Adviser | Midlands
Department for Business and Trade E-mail: kathryn.borg@businessandtrade.gov.uk |
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Nick Toon – Consultant to West Midlands Growth Company & Create Central
Nick is a freelance consultant specialising in public policy, corporate communications, and regional cluster development in the creative industries. Prior to establishing his independent consultancy Nick was Vice President of Public Policy at Warner Media. He is also a former Director of Corporate Affairs at Channel 4 and Controller of Public Affairs at ITV. He is currently working as an advisor to the West Midlands Growth Company and Create Central on the development of the West Midlands’ creative cluster.
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Tendai Chetse | Head of Creative Industries
Tendai is Head of Creative Industries at the Department for Business and Trade, responsible for enabling exports, boosting investment and being a voice across Government for the UK's creative economy.
He previously worked in Corporate Strategy at the BBC and, before that, at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS), serving on the DCMS Shadow Executive Board while delivering major programmes in the Strategy and Major Sporting Events Units. A strategic foresight practitioner, Tendai led the development of Futures and horizon scanning at DCMS. He is a Trustee of the Design Council and is passionate about designing futures and places with people, not just for them. Earlier in his career, Tendai had a consultancy background across multiple sectors including media, local government, social enterprise and charity. This includes a 5-year term as the youngest Trustee on the Board of ODILS Learning Foundation, a charity which operates an OFSTED-assessed English Language and teacher training school enabling the effective integration of refugees, asylum seekers, and minority groups into UK life.
In 2020, Tendai obtained his MBA, specialising in Strategy & Entrepreneurship. He is currently exploring a passion project to uncover indigenous urban design which drives sustainable development across Sub-Saharan Africa. |
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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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