Archives: Ambassadors

William leads the University of Surrey’s Technology Transfer Office: managing and growing the pipeline of University-wide commercialisation opportunities through development of policy frameworks, governance structures and communication plans; raising finance; ensuring intellectual property is protected; exploiting University research/expertise to generate income & impact via licensing technology and creating spin-out companies.

Previously, in 2014, with financial support from Innovate UK (the UK Government’s innovation agency) William created an R&D project called ‘systemsync’ which harnessed cloud technology to reduce costs associated with transfer of business data between organisations. This lead to the creation of a technology start-up known as pensionsync which pioneered the electronic transfer of financial data between payroll software and pension providers. In August 2019 pensionsync was acquired by Australian cloud payroll provider KeyPay.

William has a Ph.D and a 1st BSc (hons) in Computer Science from the University of Nottingham.
He is a member of the Money and Pensions Service ‘pensions dashboard’ Steering Group, and has a lifetime achievement award from the Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals.

Steve has managed the Secretariat of the UN Global Compact Network UK since 2008, connecting UK companies and other organisations in a global movement dedicated to driving corporate sustainability and the Sustainable Development Goals. He also Chairs UNGC’s Global Network Council and sits on the UN Global Compact Board.

He was previously a Programme Director at the International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF) leading projects across a wide range of responsible business issue areas. Prior to joining IBLF, Steve was the founder and Managing Director of a successful retail sports equipment business in Canada.

Steve has a B.Comm from the University of British Columbia and an MSc in Business & Environment from Imperial College London.

Steve has over thirty years’ experience working in the life insurance market in the UK, Europe and the Far East. A Chartered Insurer, he has been responsible for some of the more innovative developments within the protection market specifically wrapping around the customer. Originally trained as an underwriter, Steve has extensive experience of working in product development, distribution management and risk assessment. He is the current Chairman of ILAG and also an Advisory Director for LegaCare, the legal charity based in the North East of England, whose aim is to provide peace of mind, dignity and quality of life to people diagnosed with life limiting/life threatening illness.

Professor Hari Mann has over two decades of experience in academia and business. His main interests are in strategy, innovation and entrepreneurship. His research looks at how businesses develop the culture, environment, and infrastructure to foster innovation and entrepreneurship. Hari started his career at Goldman Sachs where he worked in the technology, media and telecommunications practice.  He then went to London School of Economics to undertake a variety of roles in consulting, research, teaching and the development of initiatives such as LSE-elab of which he was director. He is also the winner of the LSE Teaching prize.

He went on to become Director of Tomorrow’s Investor at the RSA where he published work around how to improve the UK’s financial system through new innovations to the pensions system. Alongside David Pitt-Watson, he has co-authored over five publications setting out how the pensions industry should look at adopting Collective DC solutions and greater cost transparency.  Since 2016, they have worked on the Purpose of Finance project which has brought together support from a wide range of institutions across the City and government.

In addition to his academic experience, Hari has been on the founding teams of a variety of start-ups involved in technology and renewable energy. He has sat on the executive boards of various national charities including the Citizenship foundation, Chance to Shine, St Olave’s and St Saviours foundation and Charity Trustee Networks.

Hari holds an MSc (with distinction) and a PhD from the London School of Economics where he was an EPSRC scholar.

Kevin Albertson BSc MCom PhD FRSA is Professor of Economics in the Department of Economics, Policy and International Business at Manchester Metropolitan University. He is a political economist with a background in public policy analysis, quantitative economics and the evaluation of criminal justice policy and social innovation. His recent past work has, amongst other things, considered the development of the social innovation market in the EU.

Kevin is widely published in the areas of marketisation and financialisation of public services particularly insofar as they relate to Outcomes Based Commissioning and Social Impact Bonds. His current research considers the impact on finance and the economy more widely of a period of zero-growth. For more information on Kevin’s research interests, and a list of publications, please go to https://www.mmu.ac.uk/business-school/about-us/our-staff/profile/index.php?id=882

Robin created The O’Grady Says Consultancy in 2018 to work with like minded individuals. He also assists IFA businesses with acquisitions and exit strategies through his introductory relationship with Phase 2 Consulting (More than just a Broker).

A highly experienced sales & marketing professional, he was actively involved in the IFA sector for 39 years. As Head of Business Development, he was a champion of DFM and managed sales teams at Christows/Williams de Broë, Saltus and Hawksmoor during his successful Sales career.

Robin began his career in financial services in 1975 when he joined Schroder Life’s Head Office in Portsmouth. 4 years in and too exciting to be an accountant, he was offered a sales role as Broker Consultant in their successful Broker Division and never looked back. An excellent man-manager, with strong inter-personal skills, he recruited & developed highly successful individuals & sales teams on a number of occasions.

Qualified at Diploma 4 Level, Robin also acted as an Examiner for the Chartered Insurance Institute’s Financial Planning examinations.

Professional appointments included; Chairman of the Life Insurance Association (LIA) Hants & Dorset Region in 2003 & 2004, Member Director of the Personal Finance Society (PFS) 2006/08 and Vice-President of the PFS 2007/08.

Robin is a keen sportsman, with a love for football, cricket & golf. He is a Pompey season ticket holder, Acting Chairman & Treasurer of Burridge Cricket Club and an Ambassador for the Lashings World Cricket XI. When Covid allows, he enjoys travelling to sunny places, real ales, wine, socialising & achieving the best in life.

 

Laura graduated from the University of Warwick in 2013 with a 2.1 Honours degree in German with French. During her time at Warwick she was awarded the Warwick Skills Portfolio Award, completed the Warwick Leadership Scheme and lived/worked in France and Germany. Whilst working as a teaching assistant at a German school, she set up a pen pal scheme with an English school and ran an English language club for German pupils.

After graduate jobs in Human Resources and general administration, Laura now specialises in Health & Safety Risk Management and has undertaken a variety of Health & Safety roles over the last 6 years. She is currently working as a Health & Safety Advisor for Bureau Veritas, a world leader in testing, inspections and certifications, and is a Technical Member of the Institute of Occupational Safety & Health (IOSH) and an Associate Member of the International Institute of Risk & Safety Management (IIRSM).

Laura was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA) in January 2019 and linked up with the Transparency Task Force via the RSA, as she strongly believes in the proactive approach the TTF is taking towards changing the current system that lets down victims of pension scams, and the implementation of all-important safeguards that prevent scams from happening in the first place.

Roger is one of the founders of recently launched think tank www.TheBottomLine.scot which produces economic analysis related to the constitutional question in Scotland. He is also chair of the humanitarian organisation REVIVE Campaign CIC which campaigns on behalf of the victims of landmines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and which provides support to two APPGs at Westminster.

Roger is a former member of parliament for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath. During his period as an MP, Roger was a treasury spokesperson and led a range of parliamentary campaigns for greater transparency and ethics in the financial system.  He succeeded in moving the UK government to hold an inquiry and make some all too modest changes to Scottish Limited Partnerships which continue to be a vehicle for international criminality and money laundering. His parliamentary campaigning on SLPs is discussed in Oliver Bullough’s book “Butler To The World”. He continues the fight.

Roger has written on the need to tackle the culture of financial institutions including banks, addressing in particular failings in ethics.  He has written on such matters for the likes of International Banker , The Herald and The National.

Roger is also an Honorary Professor at the University of Stirling, where he has lectured on ethical finance as part of the university’s MSc in Strategic Sustainable Business.  He has also taught Applied Decision Theory and related ethical questions on a range of post graduate programmes. He is a former chair of the university’s joint departmental research ethics committee in which capacity he undertook ethical reviews of research proposals.

Roger is an experienced conference and after dinner speaker. He is happy to engage in discussion and can be contacted by email at roger.mullin2@email.com