Growth Through People Conference 2024

Christopher Golby

Director & Co-Founder, Lumien

Christopher Golby, who works at the crossroads of technology and people-centric solutions, earned an original computer science degree and a digital people-focused Ph.D. from Warwick University.

Founder of Evolyst in 2012, Golby led transformative projects like 'SlowMo' with Kings College London, and featured on BBC's The One Show.

In 2019, he launched Lumien, a venture uniting technology and consultancy to seamlessly embed organisational culture data into boardrooms. Lumien's 'hybrid tech' model, employing AI and proprietary software, transforms organisational culture into a pivotal aspect of strategic discussions

Jon Gilchrist

Artistic Director and CEO, Birmingham Hippodrome

Jon is Artistic Director and CEO of Birmingham Hippodrome. The Hippodrome reaches over one million people a year through on and off-stage programmes of work, digital presence, and performances in Birmingham and beyond. Jon is Joint President of UK Theatre, the UK’s leading theatre and performing arts membership organisation.

Prior to this Jon was Executive Director of HOME in Manchester, the city’s centre for live performances and international contemporary art and film. He worked as Executive Director of the Bush Theatre between 2014 and 2018 and in this time he led on their major capital redevelopment and helped expand the organisation’s reach as a centre of excellence for diverse emerging talent. Before this he worked in marketing roles at theatres across the North West for ten years, including The Lowry in Salford, the Octagon Theatre Bolton, and the Dukes in Lancaster.

Satyen Fakey

Co-founder, Doji

An influential entrepreneur, building innovative solutions to real, global-scale problems.

As a Founder of scaling startups, making big plays in next-generation technologies, I am focussed on building solutions where AI offers enhanced utility with thoughtful governance. 

I founded a company from zero to £15m ARR with a team of 42 - completely bootstrapped. More recently I have co-founded Doji, a stock-exchange ai marketplace for renewed, sustainable tech. We have raised over $5m of funding and have a global team with our central hub based here in Birmingham.  
 

Awards include: Startup of the Year, SME business of the year and Entrepreneur of the year.  

Anne Clews

Head of People Solutions, Curium

Anne joined Curium Solutions as Head of People Solutions in 2018. She is an experienced leadership and people development consultant, group facilitator and coach.

David Morris

Regional Market Lead, PWC Midlands

David is the Regional Market Lead (RML) for PwC Midlands, overseeing the strategy and growth of the Birmingham, East Midlands and Milton Keynes practices, and is also a Mental Health Advocate. Prior to this, David held the role of UK Health Services Sector Team Leader, providing support to NHS and private sector health clients. 

As RML for the Midlands, David is committed to fostering the next generation of talent, encouraging skills development and growing productivity across the region. Through PwC Midlands' partnerships with organisations such as University of Birmingham and TechSheCan, as well as PwC's internal development programmes and culture, David has ambitions to drive skills in the region, particularly in sectors such as tech and ESG, to deliver sustained outcomes for our people, clients and communities. 

Kavita Parmar

Chief Commercial Officer , Word360

Kavita is the driving force behind innovation at Word360 as an award-winning 'Woman in Tech'.

Through a network of 9,500 linguists globally and an in-house team that has grown from 9 to 50 people in the last 3 years, Word360 has placed inclusivity and cultural diversity in healthcare at the centre of driving innovation and success.

Starting out as an optometrist, Kavita was exposed first-hand to the disadvantages caused by language and communication barriers for minority communities.

Using her 11 years’ experience in healthcare and passion for innovation, Kavita has overcome numerous personal and business challenges to build a global business that overcomes the challenges of communication for some of the most vulnerable members of our communities.

In 2016, with no previous software business experience, Kavita hired developers to build the Wordskii Saas platform and introduced 25,000 new users to the platform within 18 months.

Today, with an in-house tech team and several Wordskii-branded products launched, Word360 delivers over 500,000 interpreter sessions and over 1 million words translated per annum Predominantly focussed on the health and social care sector, Word360 have harnessed Ai to develop better communication channels for their customers. 

As a woman from a diverse background, Kavita is also an active advocate for equal opportunities and promoting women in business and entering the tech sector. She is a NED for Hype as well as a Director for the Fairfax Multi-Academy Trust.

Some of our recent Awards

•             Business of the Year – Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce Awards (2024)

•             NHS Innovation Award – NHS Excellence in Supply awards (2023)

•             2022 Woman in Tech – West Midlands Tech Awards

•             Best Global Translation & Interpretation Agency – Business Elite Awards (2022)

•             Contribution to the Community Award – Birmingham Business Awards (2020)

Lynsey Kitching, MRICS PCC

Director and Co-founder , CAPE Coaching & Development

Lynsey is an ICF accredited leadership coach passionate about supporting people to thrive at work. With over twenty years of commercial experience in leadership and management roles, she has first-hand experience of real business challenges. Lynsey works with leaders and people managers to develop high performing teams that deliver business results and are great places to work.

Anshu Williams

Assistant Director - Employer Engagement , South & City College Birmingham

Anshu Williams, an accomplished professional in the realm of education and career development, serves as the Assistant Director of Employer Engagement at South and City College Birmingham, within the further education sector. With a background in fostering strategic partnerships between educational institutions and industries, Anshu plays a pivotal role in bridging the gap between education and the workforce.

With a passion for empowering students and equipping them with the skills necessary for success in the ever-evolving job market, Anshu spearheads initiatives that promote experiential learning opportunities for residents of the region, while meeting employers' skills needs. Her dedication to nurturing strong relationships with employers ensures that students are not only equipped with theoretical knowledge but also practical experience that aligns precisely with industry demands.

Anshu's career journey spanning across both private and public sector has been marked by a commitment to innovation and collaboration. She continually seeks out new avenues for engagement, leveraging her expertise to create mutually beneficial partnerships that drive success and enhance employability of students.

With a keen understanding of the evolving demands of the modern workforce, Anshu Williams is a driving force behind initiatives that empower students to thrive in their chosen fields and contribute meaningfully to the industries they serve. Through her leadership, she embodies the transformative impact of effective employer engagement in further education at South and City College Birmingham.

Kareen Griffiths

CEO, Calmify

Kareen Griffiths is a Mindful Change Consultant, Speaker, and Mental Health Advocate with over 15 years of experience in change management and communications. Specialising in integrating mindfulness practices for leadership and wellbeing in the workplace, Kareen has been recognized as a finalist for the Lloyds Bank Launchpad, Women Who Inspire, and the Multicultural Business Community Champion Award. Her insights have been featured in notable publications including Stylist Magazine, Women's Health, and Huffington Post. As a Charity Trustee for the Mindfulness Initiative, she is dedicated to advancing mindfulness-based interventions in public health and the workplace. Kareen also serves as a Mindful DJ, using music and wellbeing events to promote mindfulness and increase access in under-represented communities.

Rami Labib

Senior Associate, Pinsent Masons

Rami has been recognised as a Rising Star in the Legal 500 for 3 consecutive years for his work in Higher Education.  His specialisms with the Higher Education sector are broad and include outsourcings, higher education regulation, commercial contracts and collaborative arrangements (including teaching and R&D), joint ventures, international projects and mergers.  

Rami is a consumer law specialist and has advised the sector on consumer law compliance issues for over 10 years (including most recently in relation to the disruption caused by Covid-19). Rami is a regular keynote speaker on consumer law, demonstrating his profile and expertise in this field.

Rami has a proven track record in supporting higher education providers register with the Office for Students (including Dyson who were the first new provider to successfully obtain its own degree awarding powers), demonstrating his ability to support new entrants navigate the regulatory framework.   Rami also has significant experience in advising upon online distance learning projects and has advised on some of the most significant partnerships in the sector in recent years, acting both online programme manager and university side.  

Finally, and as a supplement to his work in Higher Education, Rami leads on the firm's supply of labour work. Rami’s work focusses on the engagement of labour outside of the standard employment model and supporting clients as they look to implement flexible and agile workforce models. Working closely with the tax and employment teams, he has built a practice advising both end user clients and labour suppliers on the most efficient and low risk ways of engaging and supplying labour.