International Trade Conference 2026 | Time to Trade: Taking UK Tech to the World in 2026

Sir Chris Bryant MP

Minister of State, Department for Business and Trade

Sir Chris Bryant was appointed Minister of State at the Department for Business and Trade on 6 September 2025.

He was previously Minister of State at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport between 8 July 2024 and 6 September 2025.

He was elected as the MP for Rhondda and Ogmore (previously Rhondda) on 7 June 2001.  

He studied English at Mansfield College, Oxford, and theology at (ISEDET) in Buenos Aires and at Ripon College, Cuddeson, Oxford.

---

Grace Almendras-Castillo

Founder & CEO , Gifftid Ltd

Grace Almendras-Castillo is Founder and CEO of Gifftid, a UK-based decision intelligence infrastructure company building Risk-Readiness-Resilience (R³) decision intelligence layer to make high-growth SMEs legible to capital and procurement markets. With over two decades of global experience in life sciences, digital health, and impact innovation, including a successful exit from Self Care Catalysts,  she focuses on building institutional-grade decision intelligence infrastructure that bridges capital, finance, technology, AI, commercialization and inclusive economic growth.

---

Demi Ariyo

Managing Director, Lendoe

Demi is the founder of Lendoe, focused on improving access to funding for underestimated entrepreneurs. He brings an investment-banking-informed perspective on capital pathways and is active in the UK ecosystem advancing more inclusive finance. 

---

Ed Bevan

Head of SME Engagement, techUK

Ed is Head of SME Engagement and is responsible for shaping techUK’s proposition to our SMEs across the country, ensuring our policy work, market access activity and services benefit the SME community.

Prior to working at techUK, Ed worked in the at the Department for International Trade, engaging with a variety of businesses, particularly SMEs, to understand the benefits of Free Trade Agreements and act as case studies in press and social media. Ed has also worked in policy and public affairs within the voluntary sector, namely the Alzheimer’s Society and the Men’s Health Forum.

Ed holds a MA in International Relations from Leiden University, and in his spare time enjoys spending time with his son, travelling, and visiting historical sites.

---

Jamie Broderick

Deputy Chair of the board and a Lead Expert, Impact Investing Institute

Jamie Broderick is Deputy Chair of the board and a Lead Expert at the Impact Investing Institute, an independent UK organisation dedicated to transforming capital markets toward equitable, sustainable outcomes. He previously led UBS Wealth Management in the UK and spent 19 years at J.P. Morgan Asset Management, including as CEO of its European operations, bringing deep experience in global finance and responsible investment. 

---

Amanda Brooks

Director General for Trade Policy, Implementation and Negotiations, Department for Business and Trade

Amanda Brooks has been Director General for Trade Policy, Implementation and Negotiations in the Department for Business and Trade since June 2021. Amanda leads teams: negotiating free trade agreements (FTAs) and leading the DBT contribution to the reset of the UK-EU relationship; implementing some trade agreements, including aspects of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement and Windsor Framework; providing policy leadership for work on market access, multilateral trade, and development of broader economic relationships; and developing related domestic regulatory policy to improve trade and domestic outcomes together.

Amanda joined the then Department for International Trade in 2016. Her prior roles include Director of Business Innovation, and Deputy High Commissioner and Director of Trade and Investment in Singapore. Amanda holds an MBA from Imperial College.

---

Sir Chris Bryant MP

Minister of State, Department for Business and Trade

Sir Chris Bryant was appointed Minister of State at the Department for Business and Trade on 6 September 2025.

He was previously Minister of State at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport between 8 July 2024 and 6 September 2025.

He was elected as the MP for Rhondda and Ogmore (previously Rhondda) on 7 June 2001.  

He studied English at Mansfield College, Oxford, and theology at (ISEDET) in Buenos Aires and at Ripon College, Cuddeson, Oxford.

---

Jose Luis Carvalho

Co-Founder of the Value, AI Institute

Jose Luis Carvalho is Co-Founder of the Value AI Institute and an executive leader with over 20 years of experience across consulting, technology and services having worked as a strategic leader at SAP. He focuses on responsible and human-centred AI, innovation strategy, and the adoption of technology to create business and societal value at scale.  

---

Sabina Ciofu

International Policy and Strategy Lead, techUK

Sabina Ciofu is International Policy and Strategy Lead at techUK, where she oversees the organisation’s global policy, strategy, and trade work. She leads the International Policy and Trade Programme, shaping techUK’s international engagement across the EU, US, Canada, Asia-Pacific, and the Gulf region.

Based in Brussels, Sabina drives strategic initiatives on digital trade at both bilateral and multilateral levels, regulatory cooperation, and the creation of new international commercial opportunities for UK technology companies - from startups to global players. Her remit also includes long-term strategic positioning, ensuring UK tech’s voice is heard in global policy debates and that members can navigate and influence the world’s digital economy.

Prior to joining techUK, Sabina spent nearly a decade as Policy Advisor to a Member of the European Parliament, specialising in tech regulation, international trade, and EU-US relations.

She is passionate about building communities and fostering connection. For 10 years, she co-organised Young Professionals in Digital Policy, growing the network to over 800 members, and now runs Old Professionals in Digital Policy - more experience, better wine, and slightly earlier bedtimes. She is also the founder of the Gentlewomen’s Club, a community of 500+ women committed to supporting each other with kindness and authenticity. In the past, she led civic engagement and gender equality initiatives through the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Community.

Sabina serves on the Advisory Board of the UCL European Institute, Café Transatlantique (a network of women in transatlantic tech policy), and The Nine, Brussels’ first women’s members club. She has been recognised as one of the most influential women in UK tech by ComputerWeekly and regularly speaks on tech regulatory cooperation, digital trade, and diversity, equity and inclusion.

She holds an MA in War Studies from King’s College London and a BA in Classics from the University of Cambridge. When not working, Sabina enjoys travelling (mostly for work - but she squeezes in fun when she can!) and running marathons around the world.

---

Julian David OBE

CEO, techUK

Julian David is the CEO of techUK, the leading technology trade association that aims to realise the positive outcomes that digital technology can achieve for People, Society, the Economy and the Planet.

He leads techUK’s 100+ strong team representing 1,100+ British based tech companies, comprising global and national champions and more than 600 SMEs and ScaleUP companies. techUK is the voice of the tech industry in the UK with 21 member led programmes covering all of tech from ‘Chips to Clicks’ and addressing 11 market sectors from Defence and Central Government, through to Health, Consumer Electronics and Financial Services.

In 2021 techUK launched TechSkills, the employer-led accreditation organisation that aims to improve the flow of talent into the digital workforce and open up access for all to high value tech jobs.

Julian represents techUK on a number of external bodies including the Digital Economy Council, the National Cyber Security Advisory Council and the Department of Business and Trade’s Strategic Trade Advisory Group. He is member of the NTA Advisory Board of DIGITALEUROPE and is a member of the Board of the Health Innovation Network the South London Academic Health Science Network.

Julian has over thirty years of experience in the technology industry. Prior to joining techUK, he had a series of leadership roles at IBM including Vice President for Small and Medium Business and Public Sector. After leaving IBM he worked as a consultant helping tech SMEs establish successful operations in the U.K. His personal interests include Football (West Ham, Balham FC and Real Madrid) and Art.

---

Harry Dhillon

Head of Partnerships, EMEA, GoGlobal

As Head of Partnerships, EMEA at GoGlobal, Harry drives strategic alliances to promote GoGlobal’s full suite of global expansion solutions. He collaborates with partners around the world to support companies as they establish, scale and manage their international operations with confidence and compliance. Harry’s deep expertise in global workforce strategies enables him to connect businesses with the right solutions—no matter the market or challenge.

 

Prior to joining GoGlobal, Harry was the Head of Partnerships for Lano, a European Employer of Record (EOR) platform and previously held the role of Sales Manager for People 2.0, the world’s largest EOR and agent of record (AOR) platform for three years. He also has several years of experience working for an international executive search firm focusing on the technology sector.

---

Mark Everett

Senior Sales Manager, GoGlobal

Mark is a Senior Sales Manager at GoGlobal with experience driving growth across the EMEA region in the technology, payroll and insurance sectors. He brings a consultative, relationship-led approach to international expansion, with a strong track record of tailoring solutions to diverse stakeholders and evolving market dynamics.

Mark is passionate about helping organizations navigate international expansion, build meaningful partnerships, and unlock sustainable commercial growth. Drawing on cross-industry experience, he shares practical insights on modern sales strategy, stakeholder engagement and delivering value in competitive markets. 

---

Sandy Feriz

SME CFO and Strategic Finance Advisor,

Sandy Feriz is a strategic finance leader and CFO with extensive experience driving value creation, finance transformation, fundraising strategy, and M&A across tech and growth-stage companies. Known for helping organisations strengthen financial infrastructure, capital readiness, and investor engagement, Sandy’s insights blend operational rigor with forward-looking growth strategy. 

---

Marco Forgione MCIEx

Director General, Chartered Institute of Export & International Trade

As director general of the Chartered Institute of Export & International Trade since January 2020, Marco Forgione MCIEx has become a leading authority and commentator on global trade, empowering businesses to grow internationally through educational programmes and digital trade solutions.  
 
He is a key intermediator between governments and businesses domestically and overseas, sitting on the Economic Security and Resilient Growth Business Group in the UK and on the multilateral B20 Taskforce for Trade and Investment. He is a visiting professor at Aston University and regularly comments on trade and supply chain matters in the international media, including the BBC, Sky News, CNN, Al Jazeera and Bloomberg, among others. 
 
Under his leadership, the Chartered Institute has grown from a team of 12 to now over 170 trade and customs experts, seeing membership more than double, culminating in it being awarded a Royal Charter in 2024. The charity has become a trusted partner to the UK government in the delivery of trade facilitation solutions such as the Trader Support Service (TSS). This digital portal has enabled the continuation of goods movements between Great Britain and Northern Ireland under the Windsor Framework.  
 
Forgione is also a passionate advocate for trade as a force for good in the world, regularly commenting in the media that it is a driver of economic prosperity and that it can serve to bring communities closer together. He has led the Chartered Institute into partnerships with the World Trade Organization and International Trade Centre that have built trade capacity among MSMEs and female entrepreneurs. He also entered the Chartered Institute into the TLIP Institute – a global collaboration to develop a new digital infrastructure for trade – alongside the World Economic Forum, the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, the IOTA Foundation, TradeMark Africa and the Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation.  
 
Before joining the Chartered Institute, Marco led trade bodies in the arts, antiques and creative sectors, navigating the British Antiques Dealers’ Association through digital transformation between 2015 and 2020, and leading creative bodies EVCOM and the International Visual Communication Association between 2008 and 2015. He also previously had director level roles at Canterbury College and the Landscape Institute. 
 
 

---

Paul Goodman

Chair of the Board, Goodman Corporate Consultancy

Paul Goodman is Chair of the Board at Goodman Corporate Consultancy with more than three decades of strategic leadership experience in commercial finance. Paul has deep expertise in  SME finance enterprises and building relationships between government, financial markets and growing businesses as as an industry leader in credit brokerage.

---

Ani Kaprekar

UK Advisor to InsourceIndia, Co-founder Tech India Advocates, InsourceIndia

A Manchester-based, Mumbai-born polymath whose career spans technology, entrepreneurship, and the performing arts.

Ani is Co-founder of not-for-profit Tech India Advocates that champions “New India” on a global stage. He is also on the boards of Opera North and Rifco Theatre Company, and advises the Diversity Economics Institute, an AI-powered think tank in London.

A recognised voice in the UK–India corridor, he works at the intersection of tech, culture, and creativity to spark meaningful, cross-sector change.

---

Rob Lankey

Co-Founder, Seedar Finance

Rob Lankey is Co-Founder of Seedar Finance and a leading specialist in credit, risk, and SME lending, with deep expertise in serving underserved and asset-light businesses. A lender entrepreneur and experienced Non-Executive Director, Rob has held senior leadership roles including Chief Commercial Officer at GB Bank, CEO of the NACFB (now the National Association of Commercial Finance Brokers), and was a founding executive at Aldermore and Shawbrook, helping build some of the UK’s most successful specialist banks.

---

Sam Lowe

Partner, Flint Global

Sam heads Flint’s trade and market access practice. He advises clients on global trade policy, with a focus on removing barriers to trade, customs, economic security, and managing supply chain risk.

Sam is also an associate fellow at Chatham House, a visiting senior research fellow at the Policy Institute, Kings College London, and provides advanced training on issues such as rules of origin, trade and sustainability, and trade and development for Government officials. He is regularly asked to comment on trade issues by global media publications such as The Financial Times, The Economist, and The Wall Street Journal.

Before joining Flint, Sam was a senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform. He has held positions as a member of the UK government’s Strategic Trade Advisory Group (2019-2020), a senior adviser to the Blakeney Group, and the trade lead for a prominent environmental charity. In his early career, he worked on issues relating to the rights of small-scale gemstone miners in Greenland and forced land acquisition in Uganda.

---

Sarah Ovenden

Procurement and Transformation professional,

Sarah is a procurement and transformation professional with experience at Jaguar Land Rover, spanning strategy, delivery, and material cost transformation. She is also an MBA scholar at Alliance Manchester Business School, focused on building broader commercial and international leadership capabilities.  

---

Jishnu Podwal

Head of Business, InsourceIndia

He brings a pragmatic approach to market entry, localisation, partnerships, and long-term growth.
 
Having spent his career guiding foreign organisations through India’s complexity, he believes the country can truly transform a business only when its roots and its cracks are equally understood. Raised across India’s diverse cultural landscapes, this lived perspective now shapes how he represents and delivers InsourceIndia’s strategies to companies aspiring to be in India.
 

---

Susana Ponce Froment

Global Head of Financial & Credit Risk, Tide

Susana is Global Head of Financial & Credit Risk at Tide, with deep expertise spanning bank-grade credit, risk governance, and fintech innovation. She is a frequent industry voice on how better data (including open banking) can improve SME lending decisions and speed access to finance. 

---

Cliff Prior CBE

Senior Advisor, Impact Investing Institute

Cliff Prior CBE is Senior Advisor at Impact Investing Institute and former CEO of GSG Impact, where he helped catalyse global social impact investment. Previously he led Big Society Capital (now Better Society Capital) he UK’s wholesale impact investor and has decades of experience driving social entrepreneurship, market development, and systemic change across civil society.   

---

Nashwa (Joy) Saleh

Finance and Technology Executive ,

Nashwa Joy Saleh is a seasoned finance and technology executive with more than 25 years’ global experience across emerging markets, particularly in the EMEA region, and is a Chartered Director with the UK Institute of Directors. Her work spans strategic leadership in fintech, digital transformation, and inclusive technology solutions that broaden economic access and financial participation. 

---

Adam Stevens

Deputy Director, Department for Business and Trade

Adam is Deputy Director for exports performance in the Department for Business and Trade. Working with businesses of all shapes and sizes to ensure they get the most from the export support services the UK government provides. 

---

Cindy van Niekerk

CEO, Umazi

Cindy has  over 10 years experience on the front lines of large-scale IT-regulatory projects with global financial institutions. Such as JP Morgan, HSBC, Barclays, Deutsche Bank, Lloyds, RBS, Scotiabank, Merrill Lynch, Northern Trust, NatWest and BNP Paribas.

Cindy transitioned to the Fintech world in 2018, working with Marco Polo / TradeIX and Finteum.

Cindy recently obtained her Oxford Blockchain Strategy Certification by Said Business School and received the Corda Developer Certification.   She also holds a ICA KYC Compliance Certification.

---

Scott Young

Director, Strategic Initiatives, Eurasia Group

Scott Young is a senior analyst with Eurasia Group's geo-technology practice, where he focuses on the intersection of emerging technologies and geopolitics. Scott brings a wealth of expertise to the team. He regularly advises Eurasia Group clients on data governance and localization efforts, tech supply chains, tech policy and regulatory developments, and emerging tech innovations. 

Scott also co-leads the firm's new critical minerals working group, looking at the upstream, midstream, and downstream ramifications of these essential inputs for the global clean energy transition. Scott is an associate with the Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue and a juror for the Balsillie Prize for Public Policy with the Writers' Trust of Canada. He is the former director of ideas and insights at the Institute for Canadian Citizenship. Scott has been a BMW Foundation Responsible Leader since 2018 and advises the BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt on its Nordics strategy. He holds degrees from Simon Fraser, Warwick (where he studied as a Chevening scholar), and Oxford universities.
 

---