Speakers

Leaders Forum

Nadine Dereza

Conference Chair and Non-Executive Director of WorldSkills London 2011

Nadine Dereza is an award-winning journalist and experienced business presenter. She has chaired and facilitated numerous conferences and live events for a diverse range of clients across many sectors globally.

Nadine has presented for CNN, Simply Money, BBC, Sky TV, SABC and Summit TV. Over the last 20 years, as well as interviewing chief executives and senior management teams on their company's performance and results, she has also presented reports on all the major business and financial stories. She was named ‘Financial Journalist of the Year’ whilst London Markets Correspondent for the Financial Times.

Morning Speakers

Nick Bradley

Group Director, City & Guilds

City & Guilds is the UK’s leading vocational awarding organisation, overseeing brand and customer experience development, marketing activation, digital strategy and strategic partnerships. Nick also sits on the board of the Institute of Leadership and Management. Nick has a strong commercial marketing and media background, having worked at director level for companies such as Getty Images, Murdoch Magazines (part of the News International group), EMAP and Bauer Media across brands including FHM, Men’s Health, Empire, Better Homes & Gardens, Smash Hits and Car. Since joining City & Guilds in 2009, Nick has led on the repositioning of the brand to enable the group to deliver its strategic vision of creating a more proficient and sustainable economy through education. Nick is passionate about building collaborations between City & Guilds customers, employers and learners. Nick is involved in a number of groups and associations and has a particular interest in emerging industries involved in sustainability and the green economy as well as skills development within entrepreneurship. .

Rt Hon Dr. Vince Cable

Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and President of the Board of Trade

Vince worked as Treasury Finance Officer for the Kenyan Government between 1966 and 1968. From 1968 to 1974 he lectured in Economics at Glasgow University. He worked as a First Secretary in the Diplomatic Service in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (1974-1976). He was then Deputy Director of the Overseas Development Institute, which included a period working as a Special Adviser to the then Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, John Smith MP. From 1983 to 1990, Vince worked as Special Adviser on Economic Affairs for the Commonwealth Secretary General, Sir Sonny Ramphal. From 1990, Vince Cable worked for Shell International and in 1995 became the company’s Chief Economist. He was appointed head of the economics programme at Chatham House and since becoming an MP in 1997, was appointed a fellow of Nuffield College, Oxford and was a visiting research fellow at the Centre for the Study of Global Governance at the London School of Economics. He joined the Liberal Democrat Shadow Cabinet in October 1999 as spokesman on Trade and Industry after a spell as a junior Treasury spokesman. Until he was appointed to the Coalition Government as Business Secretary in May 2010, he had been the Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor from November 2003 and from March 2006 Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats.

Martin Donnelly

Permanent Secretary for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS)

Martin Donnelly joined the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills as Permanent Secretary in October 2010. Prior to this, he was acting Permanent Secretary at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) from May to August 2010, guiding the department through the first months of the new government. At the end of 2009 he led the Cabinet Office review which produced the Smarter Government Report and in 2008-09 was on secondment to Ofcom as Senior International Partner. Martin has extensive economic and international experience. He joined the FCO Board in 2004 as Director General, Europe and Globalisation, where he was G8 foreign affairs sherpa. Between 1998 and 2003 he was the Deputy Head of the Cabinet Office European Secretariat, leading work on European economic reform for No.10. He has also been a member of the personal staff of Leon Brittan, then European Commission Vice President, and been on secondment to the French Finance Ministry. During his career, Martin has worked on policy across Whitehall and with key business stakeholders. He was Policy Director of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate at the Home Office and led the Treasury team controlling defence spending and managing European monetary issues.

Christine Gaskell

Member of Board, Personnel, Bentley Motors

Christine Gaskell has been a member of the board of Bentley Motors, with responsibility for personnel, since 1995. She has been involved with the motor industry for almost all of her working life. Christine moved to Bentley Motors in 1995 following a two-year period away from the automotive industry when she was Human Resources Manager, Manufacturing for Fisons Pharmaceuticals. Before that she spent 13 years with Leyland DAF. She joined the company as a personnel graduate trainee taking responsibility for the vehicle assembly plant in 1989 and truck and van product development in 1990. As Bentley’s Board Member for all personnel she is responsible for nearly 4,000 employees worldwide, including all recruitment, training, development, employee relations, internal communications, security, occupational health as well as health and safety. She is a champion for apprenticeships and acts as an Ambassador for the National Apprenticeship Service in the North West. Christine is actively involved in the company's community-based programmes and plays a key role in regional economic affairs having recently been appointed as Chairman of the Cheshire and Warrington Local Economic Partnership. She also sits on the board of Business Link North West. Furthermore, Christine is Chairman of the Trustees of the £650million Rolls-Royce and Bentley Motors Pension Fund, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (FCIPD), a member of the VW European and Global Works Council, the non-executive Chairman of Total People training company and an active member of BEN - The Motor & Allied Trades Benevolent Fund.

John Hayes, MP

Minister of State for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning

John Hayes was made Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party, with responsibility for campaigning, in 1999; became Shadow Schools Minister in 2000; and - following the 2001 Election - Assistant Opposition Chief Whip. From 2002 to 2003 he was a member of the Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, having initially headed the political section of the Office of the Leader of the Opposition for whom he was also a speechwriter. From 2003 to 2005 he was Shadow Minister for Housing and Planning, and then Shadow Minister for Transport in 2005. David Cameron made John Shadow Minister for Vocational Education in 2005, and from 2007 to 2010 he added higher education to his portfolio, serving as Shadow Minister for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education. Joining the new Government in May 2010, John was appointed Minister of State for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. In addition, in July 2010 he became a Minister of State in the Department for Education with particular responsibility for apprenticeships, careers guidance and vocational education.

Christine Hodgson

Executive Chairman, Capgemini UK plc

Christine Hodgson is Executive Chairman of Capgemini UK plc and a member of the Group Management Committee. She has been with Capgemini for 13 years and was previously the Chief Executive Officer for Capgemini Technology Services, North West Europe. She also chairs the Capgemini UK Sustainability Board and leads the Capgemini Women’s Business Network. Prior to joining Capgemini, Christine qualified as a Chartered Accountant and specialised in Corporate Finance with Coopers and Lybrand before joining Ronson Plc as Corporate Development Director. Christine sits on the Board and Finance and Risk Committee of Business in the Community, a Prince of Wales charity. She is also a Board member and Audit Committee member for MacIntyre Care, a leading charity providing services for individuals with learning disabilities.

Steve Holliday

Chief Executive, National Grid

Steve joined National Grid in 2001. Following the merger between National Grid Group plc and Lattice Group plc in October 2002, he took responsibility for the Group's electricity and gas transmission businesses. He was then appointed Group Director responsible for UK Gas Distribution and Business Services in 2003. In 2006, Steve became Chief Executive for the group. Prior to joining National Grid he was on the Board of British Borneo Oil and Gas and was responsible for the successful development of its international businesses in Brazil, Australia and West Africa. Steve spent much of his early career with Exxon, where he held senior roles in the refining, shipping and logistics part of the business. This included managing the operation of Exxon’s largest refinery outside the US at Fawley. Between 1990 and 1994 he was assigned to the US, and in his last position at Exxon he was responsible for its international gas business throughout Asia and the Far East, when he led several projects associated with the development of new markets, including China. Steve volunteers his time to lead a number of skills, STEM and sustainable energy related activities for Business in the Community and chairs the UK Business Council for Sustainable Energy.

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Terry Morgan, CBE

Chairman, Crossrail

Crossrail is a £14.9bn project, sponsored by the DfT and TfL, to deliver a world class affordable railway that links Maidenhead and Heathrow west of London with the West End, the City and Canary Wharf, to Stratford and Shenfield north east of London and Woolwich and Abbey Wood to the south east. Prior to this, Terry was Chief Executive of Tube Lines, a PPP company that was contracted to maintain and upgrade the infrastructure of the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines. Terry’s employment record also includes: Group Managing Director, Operations, BAE Systems, Group HR Director, BAE Systems, Managing Director (Royal Ordnance), Managing Director (Land Rover), Rover Group, and Operations Director, Rover Group. Terry is a Non-Executive Director of the Board of Gateway to London, The London Skills and Employment Board, MITIE Group plc and is a member of the CBI London Regional Council. 2010 saw Terry take up positions on the Board of the Manufacturing Technology Centre in Coventry, the National Skills Academy for Railway Engineering and Presidency of the Chartered Management Institute.

Frances O'Grady

Deputy General Secretary, Trade Union Congress (TUC)

Frances became TUC Deputy General Secretary in January 2003, the first woman ever to hold this post. Frances has lead responsibility for a wide range of key areas of policy development across the TUC's work including organising, inter-union relations, learning and skills, pay and the environment. Frances was appointed to the Low Pay Commission in April 2007 and, more recently, to the High Pay Commission and the Commission on Living Standards. She is a member of the Green Economy Council, the Apprenticeship Ambassadors’ Network and the Skills Funding Agency. Frances also contributes to a number of policy groups, including those of the Institute for Public Policy Research and British Academy.

Sir Peter Rogers

Mayoral Advisor, Regeneration, Growth & Entreprise, Greater London Authority, Mayor's Office

Peter has worked for the last 15 years in the public sector, formerly as CEO of Westminster City Council and for the last three years as CEO of the London Development Agency. Prior to that Peter worked in the private sector as a senior executive in one of the leading national transport operators. Although originally an accountant, he has extensive experience of Industrial Relations and logistics and has initiated major changes throughout his career in business planning and performance management.

Sir Robin Wales

Mayor of Newham

Robin was a Councillor from 1982-86 and 1992 to May 2002, when he became Newham’s first directly elected Mayor. He was awarded a Knighthood in 2000 in recognition of his service to local government. Before becoming Mayor he was employed by BT where he was responsible for developing credit and fraud management systems. Robin has been instrumental in leading the Council to become a centre of excellence; his vision focuses on aspiration and getting people into sustainable employment. Robin is a board member on the London Organising Committee of the Olympics Games (LOCOG). He also serves on the board of the Olympic Park Legacy Company.

Afternoon Speakers

Chris Boardman

Managing Director - Military Air & Information, BAE Systems

Chris joined British Aerospace in 1979 and completed his apprenticeship and a degree in Business Studies in 1983. Since then he has held many roles within the company including Project Director for the Tornado aircraft and Managing Director for the Typhoon aircraft. In June 2011 Chris was appointed Managing Director of the Military Air and Information unit of BAE Systems. This business which has over 15,000 employees and customers world-wide, has expertise in the design and build of fixed wing military aircraft and provides military support services including training.

Don Carlson

Director of Education Europe, Middle East, Africa (EMEA), Autodesk

Don Carlson is Director of Education EMEA at Autodesk, a global leader in 2D and 3D design technology. In this post, his key objective is to use Autodesk’s innovative programs, communication and scalable delivery methods to help improve the awareness and increase the appreciation of the value of design, as well as use of digital design technology by students and educators in Europe, the Middle-East and Africa (EMEA). He aims to support the Autodesk vision to inspire and prepare more students to imagine, design, and create a better world with Autodesk technology in design, engineering, and entertainment. Prior to joining Autodesk, Carlson was Western Europe education manager Microsoft EMEA. In this role, he was responsible for Microsoft’s education business in Western Europe and provided leadership to Microsoft subsidiaries in the sub-region. In addition, he supported the subsidiary education teams in their efforts to build relationships with national governments, local authorities and exemplar schools and universities. Previous to this, Carlson was the Microsoft Central and Eastern Europe education manager and the Microsoft education manager in Australia. Carlson also brings to his current post at Autodesk experience and expertise gained at the education frontline as a secondary school teacher in Canada and Australia, as a lecturer in economics and accounting, and as a trainer working for corporate training companies. He was awarded a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Alberta and a Master of Education degree from the University of Sydney.

Thomas A. Flohn

President of Europe, Middle East and Africa, Lincoln Electric

Thomas A. Flohn has been President of Lincoln Electric EMEA since July 2010. Headquartered in Barcelona, Spain, he is responsible for the Company’s activities in its EMEA region, which includes Europe, Africa, Russia and the Middle East. Mr. Flohn began his career with Lincoln as a Sales Trainee in 1983. After completing the Company’s training program, he held the position of Technical Sales Engineer in the Chicago and Los Angeles district offices. From 1988 to 1992 he was Manager of the Company’s San Diego Sub-office, where he was also instrumental in the expansion of Lincoln’s presence in the nine Pacific states of Mexico. He served as District Manager for the Company’s Denver and San Francisco district office before being appointed in 1999 as Vice President, Sales and Marketing for Lincoln Electric Asia Pacific based in Singapore. He was promoted to Regional President of the Company’s Asia Pacific region in January of 2005, which included Australia, Greater China, India, Southeast Asia, Japan and Korea. Mr. Flohn earned a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Fenn College of Engineering of Cleveland State University. He is also a graduate of the International Business Development Program administrated by John Carroll University on behalf of Lincoln Electric.

John Hayes, MP

Minister of State for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning

Rafael Lucchesi

Director General, SENAI (Brazil)

He has a degree in Economics from the Federal University of Bahia and is Professor of Economics at State University of Feira de Santana, in Bahia, Brazil. At present, Mr. Lucchesi is Director of Education and Technology of the Brazilian National Confederation of Industry (CNI) and Director General of SENAI (National Industrial Training Service) in Brazil. He has held the post of Director of Operations of CNI between 2007 and 2010 and is the former Secretary of Science, Technology and Innovation of the State Government of Bahia (2003-2006). He presided the National Council of Secretaries of Science and Technology (CONSECTI) between 2005 and 2006, and from 1996 to 2002, he was the Superintendent of Instituto Euvaldo Lodi - IEL in Bahia. As Director General of SENAI, Mr. Lucchesi has been appointed as the Official Delegate of Brazil to the WorldSkills International and should attend WorldSkills Competition London 2011 in this function and is a Member of Board of Trustees for WorldSkills Foundation, and President of WorldSkills Americas.

Robert Schwartz

Professor, Harvard Graduate School of Education

Robert Schwartz has since 1996 been a faculty member at Harvard Graduate School of Education, where he currently serves as the Francis Keppel Professor of Practice in Educational Policy and Administration. From 1997-2002 he also served as president of Achieve, Inc, a national non-profit established by governors and corporate leaders to help states strengthen academic performance. He previously served in a variety of roles in education and government, including high school teacher in California and principal in Oregon; education advisor to Boston Mayor Kevin White and Massachusetts governor Michael Dukakis; executive director of The Boston Compact; and education program director at The Pew Charitable Trusts. He currently co-chairs The Aspen Institute’s Education Program and serves on the boards of The Education Trust, The Noyce Foundation, and The Rennie Center for Education Research and Policy.

Michael Stevenson

Vice President, Global Education, Cisco Systems, Inc.

Michael Stevenson is Vice President for Cisco Global Education. The Global Education team is actively engaged in the work of transforming education systems to meet the needs of 21st century learners, educators, and organizations through an innovative and dynamic approach to thought leadership, country education engagements, and global programs. Michael is responsible for developing Cisco’s education strategy and leading implementation in countries around the world. Michael has built his expertise in education technology through roles in government and the media. Until September 2006 he was Chief Information Officer and Director of Technology at the Department for Education and Skills in England, driving the use of ICT in schools, colleges and universities. Before that he was DFES Director of Strategy. From 2000 to 2003, he founded and led the BBC’s Factual and Learning Directorate, responsible for factual programmes and content across television, radio and online and spearheading an innovative education strategy that created an online curriculum for children at school and at home. After studying Classics at Oxford, he joined the BBC as a graduate trainee. As a programme maker he specialised in politics and religion, going on to found and edit the flagship political programme On the Record. He then went into management, initially as BBC Secretary for the years leading up to the successful 1996 Charter Renewal. In 1996 he became Deputy Director of Nations and Regions, leading BBC Scotland and BBC Wales through the period of political devolution.

Simon Waugh

Chief Executive, National Apprenticeship Service, UK

Simon joined American Express from school initially working as a temp and then full-time as a customer service advisor. He subsequently worked in the planning, finance, operations, sales and marketing functions. After ten years with the company he was appointed to the role of Sales and Marketing Director for the UK business. In 1990 he joined Lloyds Bank Insurance Services, initially as Commercial Director and subsequently was promoted to the role of Deputy Managing Director. In 1993 he joined SAGA as a main Board Director in his capacity as Managing Director of SAGA Services, running the non-travel related parts of the SAGA Group. In 1997 Simon joined Centrica Plc, a FTSE 25 Company, as Group Sales and Marketing Director - a role he maintained throughout his seven years with the Company. For a period of three years he was also Managing Director of Centrica Financial Services (incorporating AA and Goldfish finance businesses) and for a subsequent two year period, Deputy Managing Director of British Gas. He was also on the board of Centrica’s North America Business. In September 2005 Simon joined AWD Chase De Vere in the role of CEO for the UK and moved to be non-executive Chairman in March 2007. In February 2009 Simon was appointed to the role of Chief Executive of the newly formed National Apprenticeship Service, reporting directly to the Secretary for Education and the Secretary of State for Business Innovation and Skills. Simon is also a non-executive Chairman of CMC Markets Plc, Chairman of SPARKS children's charity and is a life fellow of both the Marketing Society and the Institute of Direct Marketing.