The speakers
Emma Sky, OBE is Director of Yale World Fellows and a Senior Fellow at Yale University’s Jackson Institute, where she teaches Middle East politics. She is the author of The Unraveling: High Hopes and Missed Opportunities in Iraq.
Emma served as advisor to the Commanding General of US Forces in Iraq from 2007-2010; as advisor to the Commander of NATOs International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan in 2006; as advisor to the US Security co-ordinator for the Middle East Peace Process in 2005; and as Governorate co-ordinator of Kirkuk for the Coalition Provisional Authority, 2003-2004.
Emma Sky, OBE is Director of Yale World Fellows and a Senior Fellow at Yale University’s Jackson Institute, where she teaches Middle East politics. She is the author of The Unraveling: High Hopes and Missed Opportunities in Iraq.
Emma served as advisor to the Commanding General of US Forces in Iraq from 2007-2010; as advisor to the Commander of NATOs International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan in 2006; as advisor to the US Security co-ordinator for the Middle East Peace Process in 2005; and as Governorate co-ordinator of Kirkuk for the Coalition Provisional Authority, 2003-2004.
Ali Hepher’s story is one of being at the heart of a rugby revolution in the southwest of England. He is best known as Head Coach of The Exeter Chiefs Premiership rugby team who with Rob Baxter has masterminded their ascendancy from the Championship in 2010 to winning the Premiership in 2016-2017 and the Premiership and European Double in 2020.
Ali Hepher’s story is one of being at the heart of a rugby revolution in the southwest of England. He is best known as Head Coach of The Exeter Chiefs Premiership rugby team who with Rob Baxter has masterminded their ascendancy from the Championship in 2010 to winning the Premiership in 2016-2017 and the Premiership and European Double in 2020.
A former long serving British diplomat in Asia and extreme negotiator. Claire has played hard ball with governments, political institutions, and corporate bodies across the globe. She was part of the UK government delegation to negotiate the future of Hong Kong and played a key role negotiating with the Taliban to resolve the Ariana Afghan Airlines hijack in 2006. Expert in managing the complexities of global business practice and the Art of Negotiation. Claire now runs her own consultancy business, CH Smith Consulting, specialising in helping governments re-build capabilities after conflict and companies navigating turbulent times.
https://smithchsuk.com/about
A former long serving British diplomat in Asia and extreme negotiator. Claire has played hard ball with governments, political institutions, and corporate bodies across the globe. She was part of the UK government delegation to negotiate the future of Hong Kong and played a key role negotiating with the Taliban to resolve the Ariana Afghan Airlines hijack in 2006. Expert in managing the complexities of global business practice and the Art of Negotiation. Claire now runs her own consultancy business, CH Smith Consulting, specialising in helping governments re-build capabilities after conflict and companies navigating turbulent times.
https://smithchsuk.com/about
Celebrated author, adventurer, gold medal Olympian and popular TV chef;
JASON CLARKE IS NONE OF THESE THINGS.
He is, however, one of the most sought after creative minds in Australia.
In 2000 he founded Minds at Work, a loose band of professional thinkers-for-hire, offering creative and lateral thinking services for corporations struggling to understand and embrace innovation and since then he has been helping people to ‘think again’; working with clients in virtually every industry and government sector on issues ranging from creativity and troubleshooting to culture change and leadership.
Celebrated author, adventurer, gold medal Olympian and popular TV chef;
JASON CLARKE IS NONE OF THESE THINGS.
He is, however, one of the most sought after creative minds in Australia.
In 2000 he founded Minds at Work, a loose band of professional thinkers-for-hire, offering creative and lateral thinking services for corporations struggling to understand and embrace innovation and since then he has been helping people to ‘think again’; working with clients in virtually every industry and government sector on issues ranging from creativity and troubleshooting to culture change and leadership.
Ciara Eastell OBE believes in the power of libraries, arts and culture to transform lives and to benefit civic and community life.
For 10 years she was responsible for delivering libraries across Devon, most recently as chief executive of Libraries Unlimited, the charity which runs 54 libraries in South West England.
Ciara now runs her own independent consultancy providing advice and expertise on leadership and change across the cultural and social enterprise sectors. She is currently working with Tate on a largescale transformation and organisational development programme.
Ciara Eastell OBE believes in the power of libraries, arts and culture to transform lives and to benefit civic and community life.
For 10 years she was responsible for delivering libraries across Devon, most recently as chief executive of Libraries Unlimited, the charity which runs 54 libraries in South West England.
Ciara now runs her own independent consultancy providing advice and expertise on leadership and change across the cultural and social enterprise sectors. She is currently working with Tate on a largescale transformation and organisational development programme.
Alan Foster is a Partner at ghSMART, co-leading their UK office.
He serves leaders of high performing organizations across all sectors in the areas of management assessment, leadership coaching and organizational change initiatives and advises their boards, executives, and investors on their most important leadership challenges.
He co-authored a Wall Street Journal best-selling book Power Score – your formula for leadership success
Alan Foster is a Partner at ghSMART, co-leading their UK office.
He serves leaders of high performing organizations across all sectors in the areas of management assessment, leadership coaching and organizational change initiatives and advises their boards, executives, and investors on their most important leadership challenges.
He co-authored a Wall Street Journal best-selling book Power Score – your formula for leadership success
During 34 years in the armed forces Buster Howes commanded on operations at every rank and ultimately the Corps of Royal Marines. As a military diplomat, he managed the defence relationship between the US and UK during the Obama administrations grappling challenges from removing chemical weapons to co-ordinating international intervention to address the Ebola outbreak.
Buster has seen people at the very end of their tethers (including himself) and has thought hard about how to respond to stress, turbulence and failure, how to live with uncertainty, and how to figure out what really matters
During 34 years in the armed forces Buster Howes commanded on operations at every rank and ultimately the Corps of Royal Marines. As a military diplomat, he managed the defence relationship between the US and UK during the Obama administrations grappling challenges from removing chemical weapons to co-ordinating international intervention to address the Ebola outbreak.
Buster has seen people at the very end of their tethers (including himself) and has thought hard about how to respond to stress, turbulence and failure, how to live with uncertainty, and how to figure out what really matters
Dr Adrian Plunkett is a Consultant Paediatric Intensivist and Clinical Lead at Birmingham Children’s Hospital.
Adrian realised most of the care we deliver to patients is successful, and excellence in healthcare is highly prevalent. Preoccupation with avoiding error and harm in healthcare has resulted in the rise of rules and rigidity, which in turn has cultivated a culture of fear and stifled innovation. He founded Learning from Excellence in 2014 with the aim of studying excellence in healthcare to create new opportunities for learning whilst improving resilience and staff morale.
Dr Adrian Plunkett is a Consultant Paediatric Intensivist and Clinical Lead at Birmingham Children’s Hospital.
Adrian realised most of the care we deliver to patients is successful, and excellence in healthcare is highly prevalent. Preoccupation with avoiding error and harm in healthcare has resulted in the rise of rules and rigidity, which in turn has cultivated a culture of fear and stifled innovation. He founded Learning from Excellence in 2014 with the aim of studying excellence in healthcare to create new opportunities for learning whilst improving resilience and staff morale.
Dr Simon Timson is Manchester City Football Club’s Performance Director and a member of the Leadership Team responsible for driving the Club’s on-pitch performance to consistently challenge for major trophies. Simon is responsible for science, medicine and performance analyses across the men and women’s 1st Team and Academies. Simon was Director of Performance at UK Sport (2013 – 2016), leading the high performance system to unprecedented success at Rio 2016 where Great Britain became the first nation ever to be more successful in both the Olympic and Paralympic Games after hosting, finishing 2nd on both medal tables. In 2017, Simon co-authored the Amazon best selling book, the Talent Lab, which tells the story behind Britain’s Rio 2016 success, and how any team, business or individual can learn from it.
Dr Simon Timson is Manchester City Football Club’s Performance Director and a member of the Leadership Team responsible for driving the Club’s on-pitch performance to consistently challenge for major trophies. Simon is responsible for science, medicine and performance analyses across the men and women’s 1st Team and Academies. Simon was Director of Performance at UK Sport (2013 – 2016), leading the high performance system to unprecedented success at Rio 2016 where Great Britain became the first nation ever to be more successful in both the Olympic and Paralympic Games after hosting, finishing 2nd on both medal tables. In 2017, Simon co-authored the Amazon best selling book, the Talent Lab, which tells the story behind Britain’s Rio 2016 success, and how any team, business or individual can learn from it.
