Speakers and programme

Andy Cave

Andy Cave is a world leading mountaineer, pioneering new routes in remote mountain ranges.

Starting out as a Yorkshire coalminer in his teens, Andy did his first rock climb aged 17. Just three years later, he succeeded on the infamous north face of the Eiger. 

As a professional mountain leader, he guides groups on expeditions around the globe in the Himalayas, Patagonia and Alaska, his teams succeeding where many others have failed. His teams rely not only on skill but also on mindset, collaboration and leadership. Trust is the bedrock of successful teams operating in difficult environments.

Now an accomplished speaker, PhD, an experienced coach to business leaders, and with two award-winning books to his name, Andy’s journey from pit bottom to the summit of some of the world's hardest, most remote mountains is both moving and inspiring. He is a facilitator and trusted advisor to teams, big and small, for the corporate, industry and public sectors, translating his mountaineering experience to help organisations build sustainable high-performance cultures.

Zelda Perkins

Co-Founder, Can’t Buy My Silence

Zelda Perkins was the first woman to break an NDA in 2017, signed decades earlier, with Harvey Weinstein. She brought the systematic abuse of NDAs to the attention of the British Government and international press, giving evidence at two parliamentary inquiries, which uncovered an epidemic of misuse, and pushed the Solicitors Regulatory Authority to take disciplinary action against the lawyer who created the NDA for Weinstein. Her actions have been inspiring others to come forward by her example.

She has been campaigning for legislative and regulatory reform in the UK since 2017 and launched the global campaign Can’t Buy My Silence with Canadian Co Founder, Professor Julie Macfarlane in September 2021. They are working with Government in the UK, the Republic of Ireland, Canada and Australia to change legislation and regulation around the misuse of NDAs. They have had legislative success in the UK, Ireland and Canada with the first laws of their kind banning NDAs being passed in all three countries, and a huge re-evaluation by the legal sector around ethical practise and confidentiality.

Zelda was named a Person of the Year by Time magazine in 2018, by the Guardian in 2020, and in 2023 was awarded for her Outstanding Contribution to Gender Equality by UN Women UK. Her character was portrayed by Samantha Morton in the Universal Pictures feature “She Said” documenting her part in the downfall of Weinstein.

Heather Urquhart

Founder and Director, AndAlso Improv

Heather originally trained in physical theatre and went on to study improvisation at Chicago’s I.O and Annoyance theatres. She is a founder and Director of AndAlso Improv, the largest improvisation school and training company in the South East. They teach weekly classes and courses for adults in Brighton, and run improvisation based training and events for organisations across the UK and beyond. Their sessions combine the unbridled joy and practical benefits of improvisation. 

When not facilitating, Heather improvises with the Olivier award-winning ‘Showstopper! The Improvised Musical’, The Maydays, Brighton's longest running improv company, and guests with many groups including the legendary Comedy Store Players. She was winner of the award for best female performer in the Brighton Fringe & of the Argus Angel Award for artistic excellence. She has been a vocalist with the Mercury music prize nominated Electric Soft Parade and improvised many a concept album with Fred Deakin of Lemon Jelly. She has improvised for audiences from eight to two thousand, from the West End of London to the National Theatre of Malawi and has performed in over 20 different countries. 

Lesley Woods

Head of PR Partnerships, Ministry of Defence

As a third-generation military leader and media strategist, Lesley has spent over 20 years crafting powerful narratives, shaping strategic campaigns, and leading crisis communications for the UK Ministry of Defence and the Royal Air Force.

Her career has taken her around the world, working with international partners to shine a light on the work of her military colleagues, from celebrating Christmas in Kandahar to delivering humanitarian aid to the Central African Republic. She has led global PR campaigns with Disney and James Bond, and high-profile projects at the intersection of strategy, storytelling, and leadership under fire.

As a current serving senior Royal Air Force Reserve officer, Lesley brings unique perspectives gained from her operational experience.

Joanna Howes

Leadership coach and Founder, The Change Creators

Joanna Howes is an award-winning international coach, host of The Courageous Leaders Podcast, and a number 1 bestselling author, specialising in leadership and team performance coaching.

Her focus is to help leaders and teams find their unique voice by leading as their true selves to take the action needed to become high performers and future fit leaders. Jo has worked with leaders at companies including Uncommon Studios, adamandeveDDB, Amazon, Monzo, 6 Nations and Cannes Lions.

Christian Hunt

Author, Founder of Human Risk, and host of Human Risk podcast

Christian is the founder of Human Risk, a Behavioural Science led Consulting and Training Firm, specialising in the fields of Ethics & Compliance. He was formerly MD at UBS where he was Head of Behavioural Science. Christian joined the Firm in Compliance & Operational Risk Control, leading the function globally for UBS Asset Management. Prior to joining UBS, he was COO of the UK Prudential Regulation Authority, a subsidiary of the Bank of England responsible for regulating financial services.

Christian speaks and writes regularly about Behavioural Science and human risk. He also hosts and produces the Human Risk podcast.

Hannah Williams

Hannah is founder of Scribble Inc. She transforms meetings and conferences, both in-person and virtually, into engaging visual experiences through Live Scribing.

Her illustrations bring strategies to life in real-time, making complex ideas easier to understand and more memorable. Working with global organisations, Hannah inspires creativity and help teams stay connected to their vision and prioritise impact. Many of her clients proudly display the artwork in their offices to inspire action and creativity!

scribbleinc.co.uk