Manchester
6th October 2023 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Event Speakers
Roger is an economist turned strategist. He began his career in the New Zealand Treasury, then moved into Airline Business Planning and teaching postgraduates all aspects of economics. He designed and ran the postgraduate diploma in Airline Management for British Airways before joining Henley Management College in 1987, where for 21 years he taught senior managers macroeconomics and strategy.
Roger is an independent teaching consultant. He has been external examiner to Bath University, worked with the Bank of England, three of the major UK clearing banks, advised a major London recording studio for 15 years, and regularly talks to SME owners in the UK and Europe about economic trends. He is a visiting fellow to Ashridge, Warwick and Henley business schools.
He speaks at conferences around the world on the economic outlook and its impact on business. His quarterly Economic Update is sent to 1,200 SMEs.
Roger Martin-Fagg
Vistage Speaker
Economic Update
Roger is a practical researcher. He focuses on how the economy really works and on the links between FT100 reward systems, the behaviour of banks and economic instability. He also researches his clients trading environment as a necessary component of his teaching.
Roger has 50 years of economic forecasting and explaining under his belt. His mantra is ‘Simplicity is the end point of understanding’. He has a reputation for accurate forecasts.
The session will give you a greater understanding of economics.
We will look at the basic drivers of economic activity and show what the indicators are telling us we should expect over the next 18 months.
Dr Stephanie Hare
Researcher, broadcaster, author
What we talk about, when we talk about AI
Former Director at Accenture Research, Stephanie Hare is a political risk analyst, historian and researcher in technology. Stephanie frequently writes editorials for the Financial Times and is a regular commentator on BBC World News, BBC World Service and Radio 4 analysing matters from China’s Huawei scandal, to cryptocurrencies, to the gender pay gap.
Stephanie has worked as an analyst at foreign policy advisory Oxford Analytica, where she conducted analysis into the euro crisis, which was covered by the BBC. She later worked as a strategist at the US software company Palantir, until she became Principal Director of Research at Accenture. Looking at technology through political and historical lenses, Stephanie’s research includes the effects of EU data protection on global companies, the ethical implications of data mining and AI, the challenges to policy making and the risks of a global technological revolution.
With an understanding of both the policy and the engineering sides of technology, in her talks Stephanie draws from a range of perspectives to cover the multilayered questions about the future. She covers everything from biometrics and AI in HR, digital footprints and the 'datafication' of children’s identity to consensus in policy-making, spending on cybersecurity and accountability. As in her book, Technology Is Not Neutral: A Short Guide to Technology Ethics, she also expertly provides a practical overview of how to create and use tools and technologies to maximize benefits and minimize harm.
Andrew Grill
Expert AI Speaker & Actionable Futurist
AI: What’s now and what’s next for your business with Q&A
Leading Technology Futurist Andrew Grill will look at the current trends in the field of AI and what’s just around the corner with a look at how enterprises might start deploying Enterprise GPT. He will look at how various industries are using AI today and what we might expect in 2024 and beyond. This closing session will provide you with practical and actionable advice on what you can do tomorrow and next week to get your company ready for the promise of AI.
Futurist Speaker and Technology Trends Expert Andrew Grill is a former IBM Global Managing Partner and a popular and sought-after keynote speaker and trusted board-level technology advisor. With 30+ years of experience leading technology companies, Andrew provides actionable advice to help any audience harness digital technologies to achieve their corporate goals with a near-term focus. Andrew is the host of “The Actionable Futurist Podcast” and has interviewed over 100 leading voices on the implications of current and future technologies on business and society.
With a broad career spanning over 30 years in large corporates such as IBM, British Aerospace and Telstra, as well as 12 years running technology start-ups, Andrew is a highly experienced authority on a wide range of topics related to technology trends and the digital world. Unlike traditional Futurists who paint a picture of the future in 10, 20 or even 50 years’ time, Andrew delivers practical and immediately actionable insights in every session.
A strong digital advocate and former Electronic Engineer, Andrew believes that “to get digital, you need to be digital”. His engaging keynotes provide actionable insights on how to harness digital technologies to achieve corporate goals on a global and long-lasting scale.
Andrew will be releasing his first book in 2024 to be published by Wiley, titled “Digitally Curious®” which will focus on providing actionable insights and ideas for the near-term future on all things related to technology and its use in society.
Sponsors
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Sponsored Breakout Sessions
12.05 - 13.00
Securing the future of your business: Reducing risk and maximising value with AI, your people and yourself.
Presenters: Graham Thompson, Faye Bargery, Charlotte Rees-Johnson and Christine Thornley
This panel session will discuss the below 3 topics discussing how you can reduce risk and maximise value in your business with AI, your people and yourself.
1. AI - Navigating AI's impact on security, privacy, compliance, and ethics in the ESG Era
2. Your people – How to create ‘workforce flexibility’ that works for you. Getting ahead of poor employee performance and why it’s important to have the right employee documentation.
3. Yourself – How you should be protecting and maximising your own wealth in your business.
12.05 - 13.00
The KPIs that really matter - looking at your business through an investor's eyes
Presenter: Andrew Denny
There’s a lot of focus on KPIs and performance metrics in business. But do you know which KPIs will really move the needle when the time comes to realise some or all of the value in your company? In this enlightening, informative session, M&A advisor BCMS will discuss how you can start to shape your company for growth capital investment or a business sale, whether that’s three, five or even 10 years down the line. We’ll cover topics including buyer motivation, the risk/reward ratio, competitor benchmarking, financial reporting and how to take the first steps to drive shareholder value.
12.05 - 13.00
The AI age: Dare to embrace or face extinction
Presenter: Somayeh Aghnia
Do you dare not to embrace the AI age? Join our interactive session hosted by Somayeh Aghnia, the CEO of Geeks, an award winning UK-based emerging technology and AI integration specialist for medium and large businesses . This session will cover real-life business challenges from various sectors; exploring potential versus the actual AI integration solutions delivered and their success. Somayeh will also discuss why AI integration is crucial right now and going forward for companies; its realistic capabilities, and the potential growth and future opportunities it can unlock. She will also address the risks businesses face if they fail to invest and continually plan for technology and AI integration in their short, medium, and long-term business roadmaps. Somayeh and her team hope that participants will leave the session with valuable insights to apply to their businesses and make informed decisions about embracing AI and technology for their long-term success.
12.05 - 13.00
Get what you want from your business
Presenters: Alice Jordan & Andrew Stevens
The secret sauce to getting what you want from your business is having a peer group, a coach and an operating system. As a Vistage Member you already have a peer group and a coach, but what about an operating system? Introducing EOS, (The Entrepreneurial Operating System), a set of simple, real world, practical tools that helps you manage the human energy in your business. In this discussion, with Certified EOS Implementers, you will hear from Vistage Members who have implemented EOS in their business. You will gain insight and understanding from the panel about; What the heck is EOS - How EOS complements being a Vistage Member - How EOS has impacted their business and life - What’s it like to implement EOS. Join us for a lively and informative breakout session.
12.05 - 13.00
Retaining Brilliant People
Presenter: Debra Lee
In an increasingly competitive market for talent, keeping your best people is a key priority for business leaders. We’ll separate the myths from the reality in this interactive session and help you uncover what really works to make your teams want to stay and contribute to your company’s future success.
12.05 - 13.00
Transferring business wealth to personal wealth – why pre-sale planning is important
Presenter: Ann-Marie Atkins
At Evelyn Partners, one of their key aims is to help “transfer business wealth to personal wealth”. As part of this, there are certain possibilities and pitfalls to consider in the run up to the sale of, or investment in, a business. This session will look at real-life case studies where pre-sale planning has made big differences to the personal outcomes of stakeholders, including:
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Should you consider transferring a % of wealth pre binding contract of sale or indeed altering your company structure based on objectives and cashflow?
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The benefits of structures such as trusts and family/personal investment companies
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Opportunities provided by HMRC initiatives such as Business Asset Disposal Relief and Investors Relief
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Whether or not to de-merge a holding company prior to sale – mathematics made simple
By considering which strategies may work in advance of the sale process, the individuals involved will have a holistic view of how to transfer business wealth to personal wealth.
