Speaker

 Biography

Ralph Aoun, Global Marketing Manager, Meta

Ralph Aoun is a Global Marketing Manager at Meta specializing in Performance, Commerce and Cross-Border Business. Throughout his career, he held different roles as an entrepreneur, agency head, trainer, and television host. Ralph also acted as a communication consultant for numerous public figures and holds a bachelor degree in Computer and Communication Engineering.

Mark Bates, Digital Trade Adviser, Department for Business and Trade

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.

Zoe Cairns, Director, ZC Social Media

Over the past 14 years, Zoe Cairns has built two thriving companies and spoken internationally across 14 countries, engaging a community of over 100,000 people. Her mission is to empower businesses to master social media, generate leads, and achieve tangible results, while also guiding speakers to gain confidence, secure paid gigs, and establish themselves as thought leaders. As the founder of ZC Social Media, Zoe leads a dynamic agency specialising in social media strategy, content creation, and lead generation. Through The Credibility Formula, she coaches speakers to elevate their presence and professional success.

Recognised as a Top Voice on LinkedIn, Zoe is a published author and a trusted media expert, with appearances on BBC, ITV, and BBC World News. Her engagements with organisations like NATO and proven outcomes reflect her global influence and unwavering commitment to empowering others.

Sarah Carroll, Author and Founder of Grow Global

Sarah Carroll is a world-leading expert on how to grow a business globally using digital strategies, specialising in international e-commerce and cross-border online sales. Sarah is author of ‘Grow Fast, Grow Global: 6 steps to unstoppable international growth in the digital age’, founder of Grow Global and Deserve Digital and an UN International E-commerce Expert. Over the last 15 years, she’s propelled over 12,000 companies in 20 countries on their international digital journey and helped them to achieve up to 10x growth by translating her depth of knowledge of digital trade into simple, clear actions to follow.

Gemma Cassin, Santander

Gemma is Head of User Interactions and Engagement for Santander’s international trade platform: Santander Navigator. The platform has a range of features designed to give businesses everything they need to take on the world – all in one place. This includes events and training, insights, ready to trade checklists and a community forum.

John Chacksfield, Founder, Sharpmonkeys

John is a seasoned marketing professional with over 30 years of experience and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing. As the founder of digital agency Sharpmonkeys, John has worked with a wide range of international and UK-based clients, delivering impactful digital strategies and branding solutions. He authored the book "How to Win at SEO" and regularly speaks on topics including digital innovation, AI marketing, and social media strategy. Currently, John delivers CIM courses in AI Marketing and serves as a marketing strategy consultant and trainer.

His expertise lies in driving competitive advantage through digital transformation and understanding customer cognitive behaviour. Sharpmonkeys is a Google Partner agency, known for its innovative approaches in the digital space. Despite his passion for cutting-edge technology, John remains proudly human, even if he’s a dedicated Wolverhampton Wanderers supporter.

Dave Colgate, CEO, Vertical Leap

Dave is head of SEO at Vertical Leap. He joined in 2010 as an SEO specialist and prior to that worked with international companies delivering successful search marketing campaigns. Dave works with many household names and global brands such as P&O Cruises and Harvester.

Outside of work, he previously spent many years providing charity work as a Sergeant under the Royal Air Force Reserves in the Air Cadets sharing his passion for aviation with young minds. He can often be found in the skies above the south coast enjoying his private pilot licence.

Matt Eustace, Head of Solutions Engineering, Aiimi

Matt Eustace is Head of Solutions Engineering for Aiimi, and one of its group of founders. He's also the DPO for Aiimi and has worked on privacy solutions both internally and with clients for the last five years. Matt has over 20 years' experience in tech, with a background in delivering compliance solutions to regulated industries and the public sector.

Trevor Ginn, Founder, VendLab

Trevor is the founder of VendLab, an eCommerce agency specialising in growing direct-to-consumer sales through multi-channel eCommerce. Trevor is also the author of 'How to Grow your eCommerce Business', runs a popular eCommerce YouTube channel (@growyourecommercebusiness) and has over 100000 students on Udemy. Unlike many consultants, Trevor has hands-on experience in eCommerce, having run his own eCommerce business, Hello Baby, which he sold in 2023.

Cheryl Hayden, Partner Manager, Government and Nonprofits team, Meta

With over 10 years of experience at Meta, Cheryl has established herself as a seasoned expert in driving business growth through technology. As a Partner Manager on the Meta for Government and Nonprofits team, she is dedicated to educating governments and nonprofits on best practices for leveraging Meta's technologies.

Her extensive experience spans both local and global markets, providing her with a unique understanding of the diverse needs of partners worldwide.

Salman Khan, Head of International Sales at Monster Group

My name is Salman, Head of International Sales at Monster Group, where I've proudly contributed for nearly a decade. My mission has been to expand our presence in international markets, leveraging digital and online platforms to drive growth. Over the years, I've collaborated closely with the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), building invaluable knowledge and networks across global markets.

At Monster Group, we offer an extensive range of over 2,000 products, spanning multiple categories. We also incorporate ChatGPT into almost every aspect of our business, enhancing efficiency and innovation across our operations. 

Jack Lawton, Principal AI Solutions Architect, Aiimi

Jack Lawton is Principal AI Solutions Architect at Aiimi and currently focused on implementing the latest advances in AI for the Aiimi Insight Engine. Jack’s data science career began at Aiimi, starting as a consultant and exploring unique new methods in graph theory and NLP. He has since become technical lead and mentor for various Aiimi customers.

Paul Maker, Chief Technology Officer, Aiimi

Paul Maker joined Aiimi 10 years ago and is Chief Technology Officer, heading up Aiimi’s Research & Development team, with a particular focus on AI and the capabilities of new and emerging technologies. Having worked in senior technical positions for companies such as Opentext and British Telecoms, he is now one of the key people behind the Aiimi Insight Engine.

Ben Muir, CEO, Unsociable

Unsociable, led by CEO Ben Muir, is a recognised leader in TikTok Shop expertise, showcasing the platform's potential as a powerful sales channel for brands and retailers. The company has successfully propelled TikTok Shop UK’s biggest merchants from zero to seven-figure revenues in less than four months and was recognised with the Partner Live Streaming Award.

As one of the few partners acknowledged by TikTok for expertise in live shopping and creator/affiliate marketing, Unsociable stands out as a brand amplifier rather than a traditional agency. With a focus on collaboration and tailored strategies, Unsociable is passionate about helping brands thrive and stand out in today's competitive landscape.

Sam Rathling, International Speaker, Author & Entrepreneur

Sam is a leading expert on all things LinkedIn® and Social Selling. She is the Author of best-selling books "Linked Inbound" and "Linked Outbound". An international speaker and entrepreneur, Sam has been building her brand on the LinkedIn platform since 2005.

She is an expert in helping Business Owners and Salespeople to stand out, build their personal brand, and create B2B opportunities.

Derek Scanlon, Digital Trade Adviser, Department for Business and Trade

Digital Trade Advisor, Programme Manager and Digital Transformation Specialist. An expert in managing business & technology change for SMEs. Previous roles include Head of UX for BBC Technology, Managing Consultant for Media at Siemens, Digital Product Manager for Innovate UK, and CTO for a number of Digital Start-ups.

Ali Shariat, Director, Coconut Merchant

Ali Shariat is the Director of Coconut Merchant, a pioneering company transforming the natural foods sector through the power of online marketplaces and cutting-edge technology. By leveraging Amazon and other global e-commerce platforms, Coconut Merchant has scaled its business rapidly, bringing ethically sourced, high-quality products all the major supermarkets in the UK as well as consumers worldwide. He then co-founded This Way Up, a company that helps brands launch, grow and succeed on online marketplaces like Amazon, TikTok, eBay, Etsy, Waifair, Walmart and Alibaba.

His diverse global background includes experience as a barrister, contributions to the United Nations, and the successful management of a growing business that thrives at the intersection of technology, commerce, and ethics.

Gerti Willis, Language and Culture Adviser, Department for Business and Trade

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.

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.