Agenda at a glance

08:30 | Arrival & Registration

09:05 | Opening Keynote

09:20 | Panel: Making M&A Work

09:55 | Keynote: CFO of TES

10:10 | Coffee Break

10:30 | Keynote: Director of YB Financial Advisory

10:50 | Panel: The rise of the fractional finance professional

11:10 | Implementing AI

11:30 | Tea/coffee & networking

11:45 | Panel: Tomorrow's Finance Leader Today - Creating Value Beyond the Numbers

12:20 | Panel: FD/PE Dynamic

12:40 | Keynote: CFO of Principles Agency

13:00 | Lunch

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Speakers

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The Finance Seat Podcast

The Finance Seat podcast brings together CFOs and FDs from across the UK for candid, practical conversations.Hosted by James Roach, Managing Director of Headstar, a specialist finance recruitment consultancy, this interview series shares real-world lessons from finance leaders who’ve been there and done it.You can find The Finance Seat podcast on Spotify or you can also watch video episodes on YouTube.

How to Build a World-Class Finance Team Guide

This free ‘How to Build a World-Class Finance Team’ guide from Headstar offers a step-by-step process to help you design, hire, and develop a high-performing finance function.Whether you’re a CFO, FD or business leader planning for growth, this guide covers everything from assessing your current team structure to positioning your business as a magnet for top finance talent.

Content Hub

Our primary sponsor, Headstar hosts a comprehensive Content Hub where finance professionals can access freely available resources.This includes:• Webinars: With industry experts speaking on themes such as changes to UK GAAP, unlocking private equity, choosing debt funding and recruiting on character.• Informative videos: Covering a wide range of topics, from defining what a good FD looks like to the best EDI practices.• Practical guides: For example, Your First 100 Days: The New Finance Director and CFO Checklist

Matt Swift, Head of AI and Automation, Headstar

Matt Swift is Headstar’s Head of AI and Automation and a finance recruiter. Working alongside Headstar’s finance leadership team, Matt has introduced a wide range of AI and automation solutions that are currently saving more than 120 hours every month across the business. His work has included automating credit control processes, improving management reporting, rebuilding forecasting tools, and creating automated dashboards that provide greater financial insight with less manual effort.Matt has completed the Claude Code in Action certification and regularly works with tools including Claude, ChatGPT Enterprise, Microsoft Copilot, n8n, Zapier and Microsoft Excel. Most importantly, Matt’s approach is grounded in real-world experience. All his solutions have been tested and implemented within a real business environment alongside qualified Finance Directors.

Ciara Allan, CFO, Principles Global

Ciara Allan is an award-winning Group Chief Financial Officer recognised for helping ambitious businesses scale internationally, transform operations and create long-term value.As CFO of Principle Global, she leads the organisation's global finance function whilst also overseeing governance, risk, technology and strategic business transformation across multiple international markets.Combining financial rigour with commercial acumen, Ciara is known for turning finance into a strategic growth driver rather than a reporting function. Her experience spans private equity-backed businesses, complex international operations, acquisitions, global tax structures and organisational transformation, enabling boards and leadership teams to make confident, data-driven decisions.Widely respected for her collaborative leadership style and ability to navigate complexity, she is a passionate advocate for modern finance leadership, championing the role of finance in driving innovation, operational excellence and sustainable growth in an increasingly global and digital world.

Kayleigh Wright, CFO, TES

Kayleigh Wright is Chief Financial Officer at Tes, the global education company. Since joining in 2019 as Group Financial Reporting Manager, she has progressed through every level of the finance function, serving as Group Financial Controller and Finance Director before being appointed CFO in 2024.Her career has been shaped by M&A, change and transformation, and she brings an international perspective on how finance can support growth and navigate periods of significant change.

Charmaine Day, CFO, Alan Wood

Charmaine has built a successful career across professional services, manufacturing and regulated sectors, helping businesses scale sustainably with a focus on long-term value creation.She has worked closely with boards, leadership teams and stakeholders across commercial leadership, governance and strategic planning. Her finance career includes significant experience in both private equity-backed and AIM-listed environments, giving her a strong understanding of the differing expectations placed on finance leaders by investors, boards and public markets. In private equity-backed businesses, her experience spans governance, financial controls, management reporting, forecasting, working capital and strategic growth, alongside supporting acquisition and investment activity. Her AIM experience has also given her first-hand insight into the disciplines of operating in a listed environment, including rigorous financial reporting, transparency, governance and effective communication with a broad range of stakeholders.A Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (FCCA), Charmaine brings a practical, commercially focused perspective to finance leadership, shaped by experience across businesses with very different ownership structures and stakeholder expectations. She is passionate about the role finance can play not simply in reporting performance, but in helping businesses make better decisions, navigate change and create sustainable long-term value.

Johnny Sharp, Founder, Cerelo

Jonny Sharp is Director and Co-Founder of Cerelo, a specialist M&A boutique working with high growth businesses, advising on sell-side and buy-side M&A, capital raising and strategic options. Cerelo was founded in 2023 to provide sector focused advice to entrepreneurs working across services, technology and commerce markets.

James Roach, Managing Director, Headstar

James Roach is Managing Director of Headstar, leading the company’s strategic direction, growth and culture. After completing a management buyout in 2020, he led a rebrand of the business from FDYL to Headstar, transforming it into a specialist consultancy in finance recruitment and fractional CFO services. Drawing on his background as a qualified Finance Director, James oversees all commercial operations, strategy and innovation. He leads a 20-strong team, fostering a people-first culture built on flexibility, integrity and collaboration, while ensuring Headstar continues to deliver high-quality, ethical consultancy and recruitment solutions for clients nationwide.

Jenny McMillan, MD, Northern Bl°c

Jenny joined Northern Bl°c in 2021 as Head of Finance after a successful career with PwC, where she worked in the Business Recovery department before transitioning into Consulting. In this role, she advised high-growth SMEs through periods of transformation, operational change, and strategic development.At Northern Bl°c, Jenny has been central to the company’s rapid expansion. She oversaw the brand’s move into its purpose-built factory, supported the acquisition and integration of new brands, raised both debt and equity finance, and helped guide the company’s evolution from a start-up to a nationally recognised SME—achieving consistent double-digit annual growth. She also played a key role in developing the finance function, progressing into the Finance Director role, and supporting the sale of the business to Bidfood in May 2024.Following a successful transition into the Bidfood group and the departure of co-founder Dirk Mischendahl, Jenny was appointed Managing Director in July 2025. Under her leadership, Northern Bl°c has continued to accelerate, securing major listings with partners including Emirates, IKEA, and English Heritage, and strengthening its position as one of the most innovative and fast-growing brands in the ice cream category.

Joe Bainborough, Finance Director, Pure Pet Food

A commercially focused Finance Director with a track record in scaling hypergrowth consumer businesses. Currently leading across Finance, Insights, Procurement and HR at Pure Pet Food, a rapidly scaling DTC pet food brand and manufacturer.Brings experience in corporate finance and M&A from KPMG, with a track record of building finance teams, raising investment, and implementing scalable systems to support rapid growth. Now focused on improving capital efficiency, strengthening unit economics, and driving sustainable revenue growth as the business continues its growth trajectory.

Richard Pugmire, Chief Executive Officer, Answer Digital

Richard Pugmire is Chief Executive Officer of Answer Digital, an employee-owned technology consultancy specialising in complex, regulated and data-intensive environments.With more than 20 years of experience leading large-scale digital transformation, Richard brings a deep understanding of how organisations turn technology investment into operational capability. His background spans digital strategy, platform modernisation, integration, data and enterprise delivery, working at the intersection of executive decision-making, engineering and governance.As CEO, Richard has been instrumental in shaping Answer Digital’s approach to AI adoption, helping organisations move from early experimentation to scalable, responsible use of AI embedded within core operations. His focus is on ensuring AI initiatives are aligned to strategic objectives, grounded in trusted data, and delivered with the controls required for long-term resilience and confidence at board level.Richard is a strong advocate for disciplined execution, clear accountability and human-centred adoption. He works closely with executive teams to ensure AI supports financial resilience, operational agility and informed decision-making, particularly in environments where regulation, risk and complexity are central considerations.

Ben Priestley, CFO, Mansfield Pollard

Ben Priestley is Chief Financial Officer of leading Bradford-based manufacturer Mansfield Pollard. With an extensive background in leading strategic direction and transformation for owner-managed and private equity-backed mid-market businesses, Ben has played a key role in Mansfield Pollard’s rapid growth since its 2020 management buy-out.Ben’s influence extends well beyond the traditional boundaries of finance with his work acting as a strategic catalyst for transformative change, impacting areas including sustainability and the implementation of machine technology and AI solutions.

Ben Priestley, CFO, Mansfield Pollard

Ben Priestley is Chief Financial Officer of leading Bradford-based manufacturer Mansfield Pollard. With an extensive background in leading strategic direction and transformation for owner-managed and private equity-backed mid-market businesses, Ben has played a key role in Mansfield Pollard’s rapid growth since its 2020 management buy-out.Ben’s influence extends well beyond the traditional boundaries of finance with his work acting as a strategic catalyst for transformative change, impacting areas including sustainability and the implementation of machine technology and AI solutions.

Jonathan Healey, Group Technology Director, IDHL

Jonathan Healey is Group Technology Director at IDHL, leading technology strategy and AI innovation across the business. With over 25 years’ experience in software development, IT infrastructure, and digital delivery, he has delivered more than 300 websites and pioneered AI adoption for two decades, beginning with early neural‑network experimentation.Jonathan previously drove major growth at NetConstruct and unified IDHL’s Web Division. He regularly speaks at industry events and contributes to European CMS expert groups. Outside work, Jonathan enjoys gardening, optimisation projects, and expanding his book collection.

Andrew McPhillips, Chief Economist, Northern Powerhouse Partnership

Andrew is the Chief Economist at the Northern Powerhouse Partnership (NPP) where he is responsible for the organisation’s research and analysis. This has included research on differences in educational attainment across the country, the potential for fiscal devolution in England and understanding the differences in productivity both between and within regions.Prior to joining NPP, Andrew worked as an economist at Yorkshire Building Society where he provided economic advice to the Board and senior management team. He has also worked in the public sector in the Departments for Education, Work and Pensions, and Transport. Andrew is also a Senior Independent Director at the West Riding County FA and the former President of Leeds Credit Union.

Brendan McManus, CEO, PIB Group

After a 30 year career in larger corporate insurance organisations, Brendan has taken PIB Group from a start up in 2015 to one of Europe’s fastest growing insurance distributors. Now established in 10 countries across Europe , with over 3800 colleagues , PIB has completed over 100 acquisitions since start up, and has revenues in excess of £0.5bn.

Simon Hartley, CEO & Founder, Be World Class

Simon is an elite sport psychology consultant and world class performance coach. For almost 30 years, he has helped athletes win medals and teams win trophies – most recently with teams such as Fiji rugby 7s and FC Bayern Munich. He applies the same approaches within business and has published 12 books, including Hire Great People.

Mark Goldstone, Policy Manager - UK Competitiveness, CBI

Mark leads the CBI’s policy team covering UK Competitiveness, focusing on the levers that can unlock economic growth across English regions including planning reform, infrastructure delivery,
industrial strategy and devolution. Mark has over 18 years’ experience working on economic policy.

Sarah Ashby, CFO, Mamas and Papas

Sarah is currently the CFO of Mamas and Papas, the leading nursery brand in the UK, with her role covering finance, operations, procurement, property and legal.Sarah is ICAEW qualified but unusually studied and trained “in industry” during her first role out of university at P&G. Sarah has spent much of her career in global consumer goods businesses in a variety of finance roles (P&G, Heinz and Pladis).Latterly, she spent 4 years at Asda as a senior finance director for George Clothing and non food, plus a role leading M&A and cash management for the business. Sarah also is a charity trustee and a passionate mentor of women in business.