Appointed Lord Bilimoria of Chelsea in 2006, Karan is the first ever Zoroastrian Parsi to sit in the House of Lords. In 2008 he was awarded the Pravasi Bharti Samman by the President of India.

Karan Bilimoria is the founder of Cobra Beer, Chairman of the Cobra Beer Partnership Limited, a Joint Venture with Molson Coors, and Chairman of Molson Coors Cobra India.

He qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Ernst & Young and graduated in law from the University of Cambridge. He is also an alumnus through executive education at the Cranfield School of Management, the London Business School and Harvard Business School.

Karan was a former Senior Non Executive Director of Tesco plc. In June 2020, he was appointed President of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) for a two-year term, and was Vice President until June 2023.

Lord Bilimoria is the Founding Chairman of the UK India Business Council and a founding member of the Prime Minister of India’s Global Advisory Council. In July 2014, he was installed as the seventh Chancellor of the University of Birmingham, making him the first Indian-born Chancellor of a Russell Group University in Great Britain. He is the President of the UK Council for International Students Affairs (UKCISA) and one of the first two visiting entrepreneurs at the University of Cambridge.

He is an Honorary Fellow of Sidney Sussex College Cambridge, and was Chair of the Advisory Board of the Judge Business School, Cambridge University from 2015-2020 and subsequently appointed as an Honorary Ambassador.

Since 2017 Lord Bilimoria has been a Bynum Tudor Fellow at Kellogg College, University of Oxford In September 2020, he was appointed as a Visiting Fellow at the University of Oxford based at the Centre for Corporate Reputation.

Bina is the Chair of KPMG in the UK, and the first woman to hold the role in the company’s 150-year history. Prior to this, Bina spent 30 years working with businesses globally, advising through complex M&A transactions and cross-border restructurings.

She represents the Professional Services industry on the Government’s Strategic Trade Advisory Group. In January 2022, Bina was awarded an MBE in the New Year’s Honours list for services to trade and investment in the UK and for supporting female entrepreneurs.

Bina is vocal about the power of collective action to drive change across government, business, and community. She advocates for sustainable growth and equality, recognising the role of an inclusive organisational culture in achieving these. Under Bina’s leadership, KPMG is the first organisation to publish socio-economic background pay gaps and targets.

Bina has been recognised as Champion of the Year at the October 2022 UK Social Mobility Awards, and in the Top 10 of the 2022 Empower ‘100 Senior Executives’ list. She also won the Hammer Award at the GG2 Leadership & Diversity Awards 2022, awarded to an individual who has broken through the glass ceiling. Bina also holds a numerous board leadership roles.

She is a Council member of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, a member of The Professional Business Services Council, and chairs the KPMG Foundation, an independent charity dedicated to improving the lives of some of the UK's most vulnerable children.

Natalia is a Partner at KPMG. She joined KPMG after studying history at
University of York and qualified as a chartered accountant in 2010.

In her role at KPMG she has extensive experience of auditing large global listed groups as well as leading a department of over 120 people.

Currently alongside her client work, Natalia runs a women’s programme
aimed at developing young female talent at KPMG.

Chris is the founder of Christopher Saul Associates, an advisory firm
established in October 2016 to provide independent trusted advice to boards,
directors and other stakeholders in businesses at moments of difficulty,
change or transition.

Previously, he spent 39 years at Slaughter and May, the international law firm.

He was appointed a corporate partner in 1986 and was the firm’s Senior
Partner from 2008 until 2016, with central responsibility for developing the
firm’s strategy and managing its business as well as deepening client
relationships and developing new client opportunities.

Other current positions:
• Member of the UK Takeover Panel (Hearings Committee)
• Trustee at the Leverhulme Trust, a leading research funder
• Board member at the English National Ballet and Chair of the
Governance Committee
• Alternate arbitrator for disputes between the FIA and Formula 1 drivers

Sir Douglas assumed the role of Chairman with effect from 1 January 2019.

Douglas is also Chairman of IP Group plc, Non-Executive Director of the Centre
for Policy Studies and Member of the Global Advisory Council of Motive Partners.

Additionally, he is Chairman of the Just Finance Foundation, the Corporate Board of Cancer Research UK and Trustee of the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. In December 2017 he was appointed by the Chancellor as Special Envoy to China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

Previously, Sir Douglas served as Group Chairman of HSBC Holdings plc from 2010 to 2017.

For fifteen years prior to this he was
HSBC’s Group Finance Director, joining from KPMG where he was a Partner.

Between 2005 and 2011 he also served as a Non-Executive Director of BP plc.

Sir Simon is the founder and Managing Partner of Flint Global Ltd, a business advisory company.

Simon’s previous career was in diplomacy and government.

He served as Permanent Under Secretary at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Head of the UK Diplomatic Service from August 2010 to July 2015.

Prior to that Simon was Permanent Secretary at the UK Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. He has also served as Director General for Europe in the FCO and as chief of staff in Brussels to the European Trade Commissioner.

Simon is Deputy Chairman of the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House).

Vindi joined CD&R's London office in 2010 as Partner after a 33-year career at Unilever.

Vindi was previously Chairman of CD&R portfolio companies Kalle GmbH, Mauser GmbH and Diversey, Inc. He served on the Board of CD&R portfolio companies, High Ridge Brands and Diversey, Inc. Mr. Banga helped establish the Firm's joint venture in India, Kedaara Capital Advisers.

He is the former President, Foods, Home and Personal Care and member of the Executive Board at Unilever.

Previously, Mr. Banga served as President, Home and Personal Care Asia and as Chairman and Managing Director of Hindustan Unilever Ltd, Unilever's operating company in India.

Vindi was appointed Chairman of Marie Curie in January 2018. He is the Senior Independent NED on the Board of GlaxoSmithKline plc, and a NED on The Economist Group Board.

Mr. Banga holds a B.Tech. Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology and a M.B.A. from the Indian Institute of Management (Ahmedabad).

In his spare time Vindi enjoys a round of golf, the opera and spending time with his granddaughter.

Aedamar was elected Linklaters’ Senior Partner and Chair in May 2021 and is the first female Senior Partner in the Firm’s 183 year history. In the five years leading up to May 2021, Aedamar was the Global Head of Corporate, responsible for managing the Firm’s corporate practice around the world. She currently chairs the Partnership Board and, before that, was a member of the Firm’s Executive Committee for five years.

Aedamar is recognised as a leading public and private M&A lawyer; advising on some of the most significant and transformational deals in the market. She leads the Firm’s relationships with many FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 clients for whom she is a trusted board adviser.

Colleagues and clients alike admire Aedamar’s dynamism and ability to solve complex issues with good-humoured candour. Clients say "She is excellent in the quality of counsel she provides in a number of areas. She's commercial and savvy."

Aedamar is passionate about diversity and wants Linklaters to stand out as the law firm with the best minds in the business from truly diverse backgrounds, contributing different perspectives to solve the complex challenges facing business and society today. She is an active sponsor of Linklaters’ Women’s Leadership Programme and recognised by Financial News as one of the Fifty Most Influential Lawyers 2023 and amongst Europe’s Most Influential Female Lawyers 2023, City A.M.’s Power 100 Women List and as a Leading M&A lawyer in The Lawyer magazine Hot 100 ranking.

Aedamar is the Senior Independent Director of FTSE company James Fisher and Sons plc and chairs its remuneration committee. She is a member of the Shanghai International Financial Advisory Council (SIFAC).

Harry Matovu KC was called to the English Bar in 1988, took Silk in 2010 and
is a Bencher of the Inner Temple. He is a Barrister and King's Counsel with a
wide-ranging and high-profile domestic and international commercial practice,
including energy and natural resources, public and private international law,
cross-border disputes, civil fraud and asset recovery, finance and
insurance/reinsurance.

He has a substantial international arbitration practice,
acting both as leading counsel and as a top-ranked arbitrator.

Alongside his professional practice, Harry is a committed advocate of equality
of opportunity for talented professionals from minority groups. He is the
creator of the Black Talent Charter, whose signatories and supporters
include some of the biggest firms and names in the City.

He was named in The Lawyer ‘Hot 100’ List for 2021 and he was nominated
as Silk (KC) of the Year for International Arbitration in the Legal 500 Awards
2020. He was recognised in the Powerlist 2022 for the second year in
succession as one of the most influential Black professionals in the UK.

Shevaun became Director General of BCC at the end of April 2021. She joined BCC from the Cabinet Office where she led Business Partnerships. She joined the
Government in 2016 and also ran the Inclusive Economy Partnership for HMG.

Shevaun started her career in consultancy in London and New York. She then moved to the Walt Disney Company in strategic planning before joining Disneyland Paris, opening the second theme park.

Shevaun then joined the agency world, running global accounts for Millward Brown, Mindshare and WPP.

Following this, she became a partner in a start-up digital innovation agency and venture builder, Independents United, where she also became an Advisor for the Danson Foundation.

Most recently, Shevaun was the New Ventures Director for Avado, building new businesses in Edtech and founding the Academy of Digital Business Leaders.

Shevaun has a passion for business as a force for good. She is a social impact investor, sits on the Ventures Advisory Board of UnLtd, and is Trustee of Barefoot College International as well as a board member of Women of the World Foundation.

Surath is a strategic banking leader with vast and diverse experience in senior positions across the globe, most notably in India, Hong Kong, and the UK. Surath currently leads the Transaction Banking Products team in Lloyds CIB, covering a range of products in Payments, Cash Management, Trade Finance and Working Capital, with a focus on growth through innovation. Prior to this, Surath was on the global board of HSBC’s Trade and Receivables Finance business.

Surath is a board member of the International Chamber of Commerce UK, and the Vice-Chair of the International Chambers of Commerce, Global Banking Commission.

Greg Jackson is the founder of Octopus Energy Group, the global energy and technology company driving the affordable, green energy system of the future. Launched in 2016, the Group now serves 7.8 million customers across 18 countries, and operates a £7bn portfolio of renewable energy assets across Europe.
Octopus Energy Group businesses deliver cheaper, greener energy and cutting-edge tech to countries and customers worldwide. Kraken, Octopus’s proprietary green tech platform, is at the heart of the Group’s growth and is now contracted to serve over 54 million accounts across the globe. Kraken automates much of the energy supply chain, connecting everything from generation assets to electric vehicles and is licensed by some of the largest companies in the UK and abroad.
Greg's vision of using technology to disrupt the energy market has attracted over $2.3 billion worth of funding from international energy titans, large pension funds and global investors.
Greg is a serial tech entrepreneur and has built and sold a number of successful businesses before starting Octopus, including Consultant Connect, a telemedicine provider serving 40% of UK doctors, and e-commerce company C360 which built platforms for many large enterprises. He is an angel investor in a wide range of start-ups, including Xlinks, the company building the world’s largest subsea cable that will bring renewable energy from Morocco to the UK and Zopa, the world’s first peer to peer finance company, and is a key thought leader in the UK on issues related to energy transition, energy costs and innovation.

Saif Malik is the UK Chief Executive Officer and Head of Client
Coverage. In this role, he leads the UK and the management and
development of the corporate and financial institution client
relationships in the UK.
Saif joined Standard Chartered in 2006 and has held various
leadership roles across the client businesses including, Co-Head
of Wholesale Banking with Standard Chartered Nigeria, Head of
Corporate & Institutional Clients with Standard Chartered
Malaysia, Regional Co-Head of Global Banking for Africa & Middle
East, and Global Head our multinational corporate business
(Global Subsidiaries).
Before he joined Standard Chartered, Saif held roles with Barclays Bank Tanzania,
Barclays Bank Zambia, as well as a brief stint with the Central Bank of Zambia.
Saif is a passionate advocate for a sustainable, diverse and an inclusive global future. He
possesses a wealth of Banking and Finance experience in the areas of sales & business
development, marketing and corporate credit.
Saif holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a Master of Arts in International Business,
both from the University of Kentucky, USA.
External appointments
Saif is a Board Member of UK Finance, BritishAmerican Business INC and a member of the Leadership Council at IBDE.

Natalia is a partner at KPMG. She joined KPMG after studying history at
University of York and qualified as a chartered accountant in 2010.

In her role at KPMG she has extensive experience of auditing large global listed groups as well as leading a department of over 120 people.

Currently alongside her client work, Natalia runs a women’s programme
aimed at developing young female talent at KPMG.

Chris is the founder of Christopher Saul Associates, an advisory firm
established in October 2016 to provide independent trusted advice to boards,
directors and other stakeholders in businesses at moments of difficulty,
change or transition.

Previously, he spent 39 years at Slaughter and May, the international law firm.

He was appointed a corporate partner in 1986 and was the firm’s Senior
Partner from 2008 until 2016, with central responsibility for developing the
firm’s strategy and managing its business as well as deepening client
relationships and developing new client opportunities.

Other current positions:
• Member of the UK Takeover Panel (Hearings Committee)
• Trustee at the Leverhulme Trust, a leading research funder
• Board member at the English National Ballet and Chair of the
Governance Committee
• Alternate arbitrator for disputes between the FIA and Formula 1 drivers.

Chris Southworth is Secretary General at ICC United Kingdom and a regular voice for business in the international media. He is also co-founder of the UK Centre for Digital Trade and Innovation and acts as the ICC representative to The Commonwealth as well as Co-Chair of the B2B Cluster for the Commonwealth Connectivity Agenda. He is a member of the ICC World Council as well as the International Advisory Boards of the Digital Trade Network and Queen Mary-UNIDROIT Institute of Transnational Commercial Law.

Chris is a leading international expert on creating modern digital trade ecosystems, the founder of the ICC Digital Trade Roadmap, a member of the global team supporting the ICC Digital Standards Initiative, ICC G7 United Kingdom representative, a member of the ICC G7, G20, Digitisation and Ecommerce Working Groups. He is also a lead independent adviser to the UK government on the digitisation of trade on behalf of industry working with the Department for Business and Trade, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, Her Majesty’s Treasury and Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

Prior to joining ICC, Chris was Executive Director for Global Partnerships, at the British Chambers of Commerce, Head of the International Chambers of Commerce Unit at UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) and a Senior Policy Advisor to Lord Heseltine, former Deputy Prime Minister, for his independent review of UK competitiveness. In 2011 he was advisor to the Minister for Trade and Investment for the government review of mid-size businesses and consequent establishment of the mid-size business export programme. Former roles have encompassed deregulatory and social enterprise policy at the Department for Business.