Your Summit Agenda


Our carefully curated agenda features intimate fireside chats, dynamic panel discussions and focused breakout sessions where successful founders and CEOs share their triumphs, setbacks and wisdom. 



Main stage
Focus session
Break
8:15 – 8:55
Registration & Networking
9:00 – 9:05
Opening remarks
Main Stage


Shaun Prime

CEO, Business Leader

9:05 – 9:35
Welcome address: State of the nation
Main Stage

Graham Ruddick, Sarah Vizard and guests discuss the state of play for business in the UK and look at the proposals and solutions to help turn more promising businesses into large companies

Graham Ruddick
Editor-in-chief, Business Leader
Sarah Vizard
Deputy editor-in-chief, Business Leader
Irene Graham
CEO, ScaleUp Institute
Rupert Soames
Chair, CBI

Andy Gray
Head of commercial mid market, NatWest
9:35 – 10:00
Lessons on scaling your business with Simon Arora
Main Stage

Simon Arora and his brothers bought the struggling discount retail chain, B&M, for £525,000 in 2004. Today, it is valued at more than £5bn and is part of the FTSE 100. In our first keynote, he will tell the story of how B&M went from an ailing medium-sized business in Blackpool to one of the biggest companies in the UK, what he learned along the way and his advice for leaders wanting to scale up.

Simon Arora
Former CEO, B&M Retail
10:00 – 10:30
Interview with shadow minister Andrew Griffith MP
Main Stage

Andrew Griffith MP, the shadow secretary of state for business and trade, interviewed by Hannah Guerin

10:30 – 11:00
Fireside chat: Building excellence in teams with Brentford FC's Ben Ryan
Main Stage

Your people are the most important part of your business, so getting them to work well together is critical. In this fireside chat, leadership and mindset expert Catherine Baker talks to Brentford football club’s Ben Ryan about how to build a team that excels and why performance is more than the sum of its parts.

Catherine Baker
Founder, Sport & Beyond
Ben Ryan
Performance director, Brentford FC
11:00 - 11:15
Morning networking refreshment break
11:15 – 11:45
Fireside chat: Tom Beahon, Castore
Main Stage

Tom Beahon is the founder and CEO of the sportswear brand Castore, which was recently valued at £1bn. In this interview, he'll talk about starting the company and his journey as an entrepreneur.

Tom Beahon
Co-founder and CEO, Castore
Graham Ruddick
Editor-in-chief, Business Leader
Morning focus sessions

Take a deeper dive into the topics impacting your business as you scale. Pre-book the session you would like to attend.

11:55 - 12:35
Track 1
Self-Leadership
Focus Room 1

Develop leadership skills to drive organisational success. Learn practical frameworks for self-awareness and emotional intelligence, enabling you to create meaningful impact across your organisation.

Jarmila Yu - Moderator
Founder, YUnique Marketing
Lucy Yeomans
Founder and CEO, Drest
Raina Summerson
CEO, Agincare
Richard Chambers
Founder and CEO, Get a Drip
11:55 - 12:35
Track 2
Funding landscape: Sponsored by BGF
Focus room 2

Gain expert insights from investors and business leaders on the best strategies for securing funding for your business. Navigate the ever-changing investment landscape, refine your negotiation tactics, and unlock the best terms to drive your organisation’s success.

Dougal Shaw - Moderator
Senior correspondent, Business Leader
Alex Snodgrass
Partner, BGF
Jamie Mitchell
Founder, Low6
Gurinder Dhillon
Founder, Otto Car
Joanna Jensen
Founder, Childs Farm
11:55 - 12:35
Track 3
Talent & recruitment: Sponsored by Vestd
Focus Room 3

The panel will explore key strategies mid-sized businesses can use to attract, retain, and develop skilled talent while scaling. The discussion will cover talent acquisition, employee engagement, leadership development, and adapting to workforce trends.

Ifty Nasir - Moderator
Founder, Vestd
Tessa Clarke
Founder, Olio
Richard North
Founder, Wow! Stuff
Sarah Daw
Founder, The Liberti Group
Daniel Dunn
Founder, Paperplanes
11:55 - 12:35
Track 4
10KSB UK: Putting SMEs at the heart of the growth agenda - Sponsored by Goldman Sachs
Focus Room 4

Panel by Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses UK

SMEs are vital to driving national economic growth. This panel will explore the solutions that leaders of high-growth businesses believe are key to enhancing the UK’s growth prospects. As the country’s engines of growth, it is crucial that they are given a seat at the table and a voice in the decisions that impact them.

Jon Foster - Moderator
Deputy head, corporate - Goldman Sachs
James Uffindell
SB10k Graduate - Bright Network
Kavita Cooper
SB10k Graduate - Novo-K
Rosie Speight
SB10k Graduate - Equi London
12:35 – 13:35
Networking Lunch
13:45 - 14:15
How to fund a growing business - Sponsored by Investec
Main Stage

Navigate the evolving landscape of funding and investor relations in today's market. Master tactical approaches for successful negotiations, enabling you to secure optimal terms for your organisation.

Oliver Cardigan
Head of consumer M&A - Investec
Mark Pomroy
Private capital - Investec
Melissa Snover
Founder & CEO - Get Nourish3d
Peter Briffett
Co-founder & CEO - Wagestream
Bernhard Niesner
Co-founder - Busuu
14:15 – 14:45
Fireside chat with Will Shu, Deliveroo
Main Stage

Deliveroo's founder and CEO Will Shu, interviewed by Graham Ruddick

Graham Ruddick - Moderator
Editor-in-chief, Business Leader
Will Shu
Founder, Deliveroo
Afternoon focus sessions

Take a deeper dive into the topics impacting your business as you scale. Pre-book the session you would like to attend.

14:55 - 15:25
Track 1
Marketing through the founder lens
Focus Room 1

Master strategic marketing leadership for founders and CEOs. Learn to evaluate team performance, understand crucial growth metrics and align marketing investments with business objectives.

Jarmila Yu - Moderator
Founder, YUnique Marketing
Camilla Barnard
Founder, Rude Health
Ben Jeffries
Founder, Influencer.com
Dominic Ponniah
Founder, Cleanology
Jennifer Quigley-Jones
Founder, Digital Voices
14:55 - 15:25
Track 2
Team Leadership
Focus Room 2

Master the art of building and nurturing high-performing leadership teams. Learn proven methods for assessment, cohesion and executive development.

Kate Davis – Moderator
Executive coach
Lewis Blitz
Founder, Skinny Dip
Carol Shanahan
Founder, Synthetic Solutions
Natasha Frangos
Managing partner, HaysMac
Jordan Brompton
Founder, MyEnergi
14:55 - 15:25
Track 3
Your personal and business future perfect - Sponsored by Forvis Mazars
Focus Room 3

Join our expert panel from top 10 global accounting and advisory firm Forvis Mazars as they take us through the importance of always having a view on the long-term end goal, even if you are not looking to exit.

Sarah Vizard – Moderator
Deputy editor-in-chief, Business Leader
Adrian Gill
Head of client engagement for mid market (UK), Forvis Mazars
Dave Hilton
Partner & head of M&A , Forvis Mazars
Natalie Wright
Private client partner & head of UK family business, Forvis Mazars
14:55 - 15:25
Track 4
US Panel: Learning from our transatlantic neighbours  
Focus Room 4
Join us for a discussion with UK founders who have scaled into the US market. This panel explores the challenges and opportunities of transatlantic expansion, highlighting differences in business culture and strategies for success.

Jason Mahendran - Moderator
CEO, Growth Partner
Joanna Knight OBE
Former CEO, Moneypenny
John Stapleton
Founder, Covent Garden Soup
Morgan Fowles
Founder, T/ALA
Marcia Kilgore
Founder, Beauty Pie
15:35 - 15:55
Afternoon networking refreshment break
 16:00 - 16:20 
Interview with Multiverse's Euan Blair
Main Stage

Euan Blair co-founded the apprenticeships company Multiverse in 2016 and has built it into a company worth £1.4bn. In this session, he will discuss scaling his business in an interview with Business Leader's Sarah Vizard

Euan Blair
Founder, Multiverse
Sarah Vizard - Moderator
Deputy editor-in-chief, Business Leader
16:20 – 16:40
Richard Harpin's 9 steps to building a billion-pound business
Main Stage

Join Richard Harpin, founder of HomeServe, as he shares his journey from £50,000 start-up to £4.1bn sale. Drawing from his upcoming book, How to Make a Billion in 9 Steps, Richard will reveal the mindset, strategies, and critical decisions that separate high-growth companies from the rest.

Richard Harpin
Founder, HomeServe
16:40 – 16:45
Closing Remarks
Main Stage

Business Leader CEO Shaun Prime will give his closing remarks on the Summit

Shaun Prime
CEO, Business Leader
16:45 – 17:05
Spring Statement: Instant reaction
Main Stage

Live podcast with Business Leader's editor-in-chief Graham Ruddick and guests

   17:05 - 18:00             
Drinks reception