Carl leads CIPD’s engagement with the UK government, working to inform policy and legislation that champions better work and working lives. He has led the CIPD’s engagement with the government’s Employment Rights Bill, ensuring the voice of the HR profession has been heard as it has passed through parliament. The CIPD has developed detailed policy to inform the bill, utilising the expertise of frontline HR professionals to understand the potential impact of the bill’s 28 measures on UK employers and workers.

Carl is an experienced policy and public affairs professional, with more than 15 years’ experience. He has advised large public and private sector organisations on strategy, policy and public affairs.

Laura Robinson is a deputy director in the Employment Rights Directorate at the Department for Business and Trade. She oversees the coordination of the Government’s ‘Plan to Make Work Pay’ programme, and delivery of the Employment Rights Bill. Laura has worked on employment law since 2018. She was previously Deputy Director for Retail and Professional Business Services.

Laurence Raeburn-Smith is the Policy Manager at the CBI leading on the government’s Plan to Make Work Pay reform package. His role covers a broad range of public policy areas related to employment, including individual and collective rights at work, pay and pensions.

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 also written research reports on innovation, Artificial Intelligence as well as education and skills. Prior to FSB, Chris worked in policy roles at different trade bodies and before that at a public affairs agency.

David has been with UKHospitality since its inception in April 2018. He has more than 20 years of experience working in government affairs for the hospitality and drinks sectors.

David has expertise in economic and tax policy, the broad scope of workforce issues and also leads on sustainability for the organisation. He coordinates our political engagement, including Westminster and the Mayoral Authorities, and supports colleagues at Holyrood and the Senedd.

David graduated from Leicester University with a degree in Economic and Social History and has also worked in local government.

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!

Deborah Garlick is the CEO and founder of Henpicked: Menopause in the Workplace, and director of Menopause Friendly Australia. She has overseen the delivery of training to over a thousand organisations across the public and private sector. She was instrumental in establishing Menopause Friendly, for organisations to receive accreditation of their menopause activity from an independent panel of experts. Deborah is a passionate advocate of all things menopause, appearing regularly in the press, on TV and radio.

Passionate about designing workplaces that work for everyone, Monica Stancu leads the Diversity and Inclusion work at Lloyd’s, the world’s biggest insurance and reassurance marketplace.

She has a strong background in driving D&I, wellbeing and employee experience across multiple sectors and countries, having previously held roles at the Royal Academy of Engineering, Sodexo and F. Hoffmann La Roche.

Under her leadership, Lloyd’s has been recognised as a Disability Confident leader, a Top 75 Social Mobility Employer, a Race Equality Matters Trailblazer, achieved the Clear Assured Gold Status and Edge – Gender accreditation, and surpassed its gender and ethnicity targets.

Her earlier career includes work in international affairs and human rights at the European Medicines Agency (EU agency) and the UN. She is the author of the book “Building Diversity and Inclusion: From Commitment to Action.”

She holds an MA in Women’s History from Sarah Lawrence College, USA and a D&I certificate from Cornell University, and was a visiting scholar at Columbia University.

Her accolades include being named a Global Champion for Women’s Economic Empowerment by UN Women, being listed as a Top D&I Insurance /Reinsurance Champion by Intelligent Insurer and as one of the top 75 Elite Women in Insurance and winning a WeAreTheCity Rising Stars award.

She is a One Young World Ambassador, and a mentor at Migrant Leaders.

Lucy heads Make UK’s Employment Law Knowledge Team, which provides technical support and expertise to our national team on employment law. She also represents the interests of Make UK’s member companies to Government on employment law issues. She is a qualified solicitor with more than 25 years’ experience.

Janet is Head of Corporate Governance and Collective Bargaining at the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and leads the TUC’s work on these areas. She is currently leading the TUC’s engagement on proposals on union recognition, access to workplaces and the Adult Social Care Fair Pay Agreement being implemented in the Employment Rights Bill and subsequent regulation.

Janet has written widely on collective bargaining, corporate governance, worker directors, executive pay, employee share ownership, shareholder engagement and collective bargaining, producing many TUC reports and submissions and other publications. She is also the founder and Chair of Trade Union Share Owners, an initiative that brings together trade union investors to collaborate on voting and engagement at company AGMs, and a trustee of the TUC Superannuation Society.

Janet has represented the TUC on a wide range of bodies and is a member of the Wates Private Sector Coalition Group; the Corporate Governance Committee of the ICAEW; the Cambridge University Centre for Business Research Advisory Board; and is a director of Aspire and the High Pay Centre.

Rachel Curley is Deputy General Secretary at Prospect trade union where she has responsibility for the National Organising Unit and for the union’s work in the Aviation and IT&Telecoms sectors. She has worked at a senior level in several UK trade unions for over 20 years, including as Assistant General Secretary of the University and College Union, and as Deputy General Secretary of the National Education Union.

Margaret Beels began her career in the Department of Energy. She then joined British Gas and Centrica, managing various businesses and delivering major change programmes. Margaret became Chair of the Gangmasters Licensing Authority in 2011, which, in 2016, became the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority. In 2020 Margaret was awarded an OBE for services to modern slavery and labour exploitation. In 2021, Margaret was appointed Director of Labour Market Enforcement, with statutory responsibility to prepare strategies to reduce labour exploitation. Margaret is now also working in support of the Government’s programme to create the Fair Work Agency.

Carl leads CIPD’s engagement with the UK government, working to inform policy and legislation that champions better work and working lives. He has led the CIPD’s engagement with the government’s Employment Rights Bill, ensuring the voice of the HR profession has been heard as it has passed through parliament. The CIPD has developed detailed policy to inform the bill, utilising the expertise of frontline HR professionals to understand the potential impact of the bill’s 28 measures on UK employers and workers.

Carl is an experienced policy and public affairs professional, with more than 15 years’ experience. He has advised large public and private sector organisations on strategy, policy and public affairs.