Shirine Khoury-Haq, CEO, The Co-operative Group
Shirine is Group CEO at Co-op and has been a Director on the Co-op Board since joining in 2019. Shirine joined the Co-op in August 2019 as Chief Financial Officer and later also became Chief Executive Officer Life Services, leading Co-op Funeralcare, Insurance and Legal Services.
Kate Ancketill, CEO and founder, GDR
Kate is a Business Futurist with a tech, consumer, retail and brand specialisation, making complex societal shifts and emerging technologies relatable for any audience. She has delivered the trends keynote for the world's largest retail conference, the NRF Big Show for the last eight years.
Rody Vonk, Global Trainer, Facilitator and Keynote Speaker on Innovation, Business Creativity and Design Thinking
Rody Vonk is an International Facilitator, Trainer, and Speaker specialising in innovation, design thinking, and business creativity.
Before joining the Co-op, Shirine was Chief Operating Officer for the Lloyd’s insurance market, which comprised of more than 50 leading insurance companies operating in over 200 countries. She also led the digital modernisation programme for the wider London insurance industry.
In addition to holding senior positions at IBM, McDonalds and insurer, Catlin Group, Shirine has worked in a number of regulated sectors in the UK and overseas including retail, IT, pharmaceuticals and consumer goods.
Shirine was previously a Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee at Persimmon Plc and a Non-Executive Director at the Post Office.
As CEO and founder of GDR, Kate is innovation partner to around 30 of the world's largest consumer brands, including Tesco, Sainsburys, Waitrose, Target, P&G, Costa Coffee, Coca-Cola, Clorox, Danone, Google, Microsoft, Jaguar Landrover and Lego.
With over 20 years of experience, Rody helps organisations break down barriers to creativity, drive strategic ideation, and turn ideas into action.
Through interactive workshops, he equips teams with practical tools to develop innovative products, services, and processes using design thinking, the lean startup methodology, and the FORTH innovation method.
Rody works across the Netherlands, Europe, and the Middle East, delivering sessions for organisations such as Google Academy, Deloitte, the Red Cross, and McDonald’s.
He is also a published author and TEDx speaker on innovation and creativity.
Beth Kume-Holland, Founder and CEO, Patchwork Hub
Beth Kume-Holland is an award-winning disability inclusion expert and the founder and CEO of Patchwork Hub, a disabled-led social enterprise providing an inclusive jobs board, alongside delivering training and consultancy services for employers.
Professor John Woodward, Pro Vice-Chancellor International, Northumbria University
As Pro Vice-Chancellor International, John works closely with the University Executive shaping and delivering the University’s Vision, Strategy and supporting plans.
Laura Bosworth, Founder & Chief Marketing Officer, LOCAL LIFE & REAL
Laura is dedicated to curating meaningful connections between students, their accommodation, and the wider community.
Named multiple times as one of the 100 most influential disabled people in the UK by Shaw Trust, Beth is a passionate advocate for disability inclusion, working across business, government and the third sector to drive change around work, health and disability.
She is a Harvard University Kennedy Scholar, co-founder of the Disabled Entrepreneurs Network and is a Commissioner on the UK’s Independent Commission for Healthier Working Lives.
Beth’s website: https://www.bethkh.com/
Patchwork Hub website: https://patchworkhub.org/
He is also Executive Lead for the North East Space Skills and Technology Centre (NESST).
John provides strategic leadership, vision and ambition in the development of the University’s International Strategy and profile. This includes:
Developing and maintaining strong relationships with key overseas stakeholders, particularly our transnational education partnerships.,
Supporting the Chief Marketing Officer to meet the University’s International Recruitment strategy, working to identify new international markets, partnerships, opportunities and initiatives.
Delivering an excellent international student experience to support student success.
Working closely with the PVC (Research and Knowledge Exchange) to deliver international strategic research partnerships in support of the university research strategy.
In 2022 John began work with Lockheed Martin Space UK and the UK Space Agency to develop NESST, a collaborative £50 million pound research and development facility that will transform the space economy of the northeast and the wider UK. His work in the space sector was acknowledged when he was awarded Business Person of the Year for Northumberland and Tyneside in 2024.
John was born and raised in the colliery villages of County Durham, attending Durham Johnston Comprehensive School. He obtained a BSc (Hons) in Geography at the University of Leeds and University of Liege, Belgium, an MSc at the University of Alberta, Canada and a PhD at the University of Leeds, graduating in 2000. After undertaking postdoctoral research at the University of Leeds, a Lectureship at Brunel University and a research post with the British Antarctic Survey, he joined Northumbria in 2003 as a lecturer. He was awarded a Professorship in 2012 and became Faculty Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research & Innovation) in 2013. In 2018 he became Faculty Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Engineering and Environment, before moving to his current role in 2024.
Having completed a Teaching & Learning PCAPL qualification in 2004 John is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA). He is also a Member of the International Glaciological Society (IGS) and a Core Panel Member of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Peer Review College.
John is a glaciologist with expertise in near-surface geophysics and has attracted £36 million of research and capital funding through his career. His interest in ice/sediment/water interactions in glacial environments has led to NERC funded projects to study Subglacial Lake Ellsworth, Antarctica, the history and dynamics of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet and his current project on ice sheet instability as part of the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration, funded by NERC and the National Science Foundation (NSF). He has conducted cryospheric research projects in Arctic Canada, Iceland, Greenland, Svalbard and Scandinavia and has spent over a year in Antarctica during seven successful science expeditions.
With nearly two decades in the student accommodation sector and a background in place marketing, she understands how to break down barriers between property and place - transforming spaces into thriving, connected hubs.
As the founder of Local Life, Laura champions the visibility of small independent businesses, ensuring they become an integral part of the student experience.
She works closely with universities, accommodation providers, and local communities to bridge the gap between student living and the cities they call home - helping to create a sticky campus that keeps students engaged with their surroundings.
Known for her fresh perspective on property and place marketing, Laura continuously challenges the status quo, inspiring others to rethink the role of community both on and off campus.
Michael Griffel, PhD, Associate Vice President for Student Services and Enrollment Management, University of Oregon
Michael Griffel has spent his career developing student environments that foster academic success and personal development. On his campus, he currently oversees a wide range of responsibilities, including residential academic initiatives, accommodations, dining, capital projects, business operations, and more.
Fiona Ellison, Director, Unite Foundation
Fiona is the Director of the Unite Foundation, joining at the start of 2021. Supported by a small team, the Unite Foundation, founded by Unite Students in 2012, delivers a unique university accommodation scholarship for care leavers and estranged students across the UK.
James Ellerby, Senior Consultant, Russell Partnership Collection
James is an experienced hospitality practitioner and consultant, with over 20 years’ experience in the industry. After graduating with a degree in Hospitality Business Management, James developed a management career within food and beverage and has worked for, and with, a variety of hotels, restaurants, and bars.
Michael has been active in ACUHO-I (Association of College and University Housing Officers-International).
During his years of ACUHO-I involvement, Michael has served two previous terms on the Executive Board as the Workforce Development Director and the Finance and Corporate Records Officer, and is currently serves as Vice President.
In addition, he has chaired the annual conference program committee and been a faculty member for James C. Grimm National Housing Training Institute and the Roelf Visser Student Housing Training Institute in South Africa.
Her career has focused mainly on the youth and charitable sectors. Previously Fiona was Director of Partnerships and Operations for Step Up To Serve which included a 2 year secondment at the National Lottery Community Fund where she led the development of a £70million fund to support youth social action. In addition Fiona is the Chair of the Longleigh Foundation, a charitable foundation that supports social housing residents.
Prior to joining Russell Partnership Collection, James established his own consultancy business, working with a variety of independent and national hospitality, education, and care organisations to review their operations and processes and successfully supporting business improvements across a range of functions.
Since joining the Partnership, James has worked closely with leading universities, the NHS, local government, hotels, and independent food businesses, to review and develop catering strategies, develop new food concepts, and manage new outlet design projects. James has also written, developed, and delivered training programmes for leading international hotel, travel, and leisure operators.
Qualified to master’s level in Organisation Development and Consultancy, James is currently furthering his education through studying a part-time PhD exploring success and failure in new restaurants. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Hospitality, Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and is an experienced university lecturer in hospitality management.
Carl Hutchinson, Comedian
Geordie comic Carl Hutchinson is a powerhouse comedian on the circuit, known for his brilliant characterisations and expert timing. Watch Till the End, Carl’s 2023/24 tour sees him travelling across the UK over 75 dates including 2 sold out hometown shows at the 1,100 capacity Newcastle Tyne Theatre.
Peter Moore, Lolly Founder & CEO.
My mission is to take state-of-the-art tech into the hospitality and education sector and to make it both accessible and productive.
Carl regularly opens for Chris Ramsey on his nationwide tours and has supported other acts including Russell Howard. His relentless live work has led him to be named ‘One to watch’ by Chortle.
In 2020 he made his debut hosting BBC1’s flagship show The One Show, and has been seen on ITV2’s The Stand Up Sketch Show and Stand Up Central(Comedy Central). He has been heard on BBC Radio 4’s Fred at the Stand and BBC Radio Scotland’s The Good The Bad and The Unexpected.
In 2023 Carl began his solo podcast, The Carl Hutchinson Podcast, sharing a hilarious weekly story praised for its simplicity and relatability, ‘like getting voice notes from your funniest mate’.
Spent many years in senior roles at several tech companies, Vineyard owner, and lover of English wine!
