Jonny Gifford is Principal Research Fellow at the Institute for Employment Studies (IES). He has been researching work and people management for over 20 years, with particular interests in job quality, drivers of performance and work-related wellbeing, and employee relations. The three main strands to his work are: evidence-based management and linking research insight and HR expertise; investigative research into organisational life; and evaluations of workplace interventions. He previously worked for 12 years at the CIPD, where he established its Applied Research Conference, the annual Good Work Index survey and its evidence-based HR programme, and latterly headed up its research team. Jonny was a visiting fellow at Westminster University Business School and is an Academic Member of the CIPD, a Fellow of the Center for Evidence-Based Management, Associate Editor at the Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance, and a PhD candidate at Tilburg University, Netherlands, where his thesis centres on work autonomy and managerial control.

I am a Partner in the Employment team at Lewis Silkin, which is ranked Band 1 by all of the major legal directories.  I provide practical and strategic advice to employers on UK and global employment law issues, with particular expertise in managing multi-jurisdictional transformation and restructuring projects and complex litigation.  My clients range from start-ups to global fintechs, advertising and marketing businesses to global manufacturers.  As a result, my ‘day to day’ is incredibly varied and no two days are the same!

As Chief People Officer, Christina, oversees both the People and Governance functions for the Catch22 group. Christina will play a leading role in supporting delivery of the business plan through the Catch22 People strategy, as well as fostering a culture of robust governance through the effective management of organisational compliance and mitigating risks.

Christina has over 10 years’ experience working in a variety of sectors delivering HR expertise. She joined Catch22 in September 2015. Prior to joining Catch22, Christina worked in the higher education and professional services sectors, operating as a strategic business partner, providing commercial HR advice to senior leadership teams.

Sarah Woolley is the General Secretary of the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union, which represents workers throughout the food industry and allied trades. She became a member of the union when she started work as a weekend assistant at Bakers Oven, which later became Greggs and though not initially active within the union, she became a shop steward shortly after Greggs took over and became more active not only in the BFAWU but the wider union movement.

She was elected as a full time office in 2016, sitting on the unions national executive as the Women’s representative before that and was elected as the first Female General Secretary the union has at the end of 2019 and took up the role in 2020.

I’m a partner in the firm’s Employment, Education and Pensions team, working with clients across a broad range of sectors including education, tech, finance, hospitality, transport and retail.

Adeife is the Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Director at Euromonitor. She works across all business areas and levels to help Euromonitor in their journey of creating an inclusive working environment for all.

Based in London, She has worked in HR/DEI for over 10 years with experience in working across several industries and sectors including the FSTE 350 and not-for profit to provide advisory expertise through workshops and talks. She helps business leaders in their inclusive leadership journey, create and implement strategies for inclusive practices and to and empowers employee resource groups and HR teams in fostering an inclusive culture.

She is a global DEI expert with an MSc from King College London on Human Resource Management and Organisational Analysis and a qualified chartered HR specialist and a sought after thought leader on DEI in business.
She can speak on a range of topics including: Employee Engagement and Employee Resource Groups, Inclusive Leadership and Recruitment Building and driving a Global DEI Culture Change, Data and Strategy

She is a wife, a mum, mentor, career coach, and a strong advocate for supporting working mothers in advancing their careers and mental wellness.

Annisha is a trailblazing advocate for Equality, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (EDIB), renowned for driving transformative change within some of the UK’s most influential and high-profile organisations. With a proven track record of embedding inclusive leadership and systemic equity, she has shaped cultures, policies and practices that create lasting impact at both organisational and industry levels.

As a respected advisor and thought leader, Annisha consistently challenges conventional norms and is the pioneering force behind initiatives that foster inclusive leadership, break down systemic obstacles and cultivate environments where both employees and audiences feel acknowledged, appreciated and empowered. Her efforts extend beyond mere policy, they create a lasting impact that alters how organisations perceive belonging. Driven, bold and steadfast in her mission, Annisha serves as a catalyst for genuine, measurable change in every space she touches.

Jen Lobley has been with Acas since 2014. Having previously worked on the helpline and individual conciliation, she now draws on that experience as a trainer and adviser specialising in diversity and inclusion.

Chris Russell is a Senior Policy Manager at the Federation of Small Businesses, where he leads their policy work related to employment and the labour market. While at FSB, he has authored several research reports, including on self-employment and skills. Prior to FSB, Chris worked in policy roles at different trade bodies and before that at a public affairs agency.

Tim Sharp is the Trades Union Congress’s Senior Employment Rights Officer. He leads the TUC’s activity on employment rights policy and legislation having previously overseen its pensions work. Tim is a trustee of the Good Business Foundation, which accredits businesses that meet minimum standards in areas such as pay and working hours. He is also a member of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation’s professional standards committee. Before joining the TUC in 2014, Tim was the London-based City Editor for Scotland’s Herald newspaper.

Jonny Gifford is Principal Research Fellow at the Institute for Employment Studies (IES). He has been researching work and people management for over 20 years, with particular interests in job quality, drivers of performance and work-related wellbeing, and employee relations. The three main strands to his work are: evidence-based management and linking research insight and HR expertise; investigative research into organisational life; and evaluations of workplace interventions. He previously worked for 12 years at the CIPD, where he established its Applied Research Conference, the annual Good Work Index survey and its evidence-based HR programme, and latterly headed up its research team. Jonny was a visiting fellow at Westminster University Business School and is an Academic Member of the CIPD, a Fellow of the Center for Evidence-Based Management, Associate Editor at the Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance, and a PhD candidate at Tilburg University, Netherlands, where his thesis centres on work autonomy and managerial control.