Find out all about our expert speakers for the Summit on Stress Awareness Day 6 November, when there will be something for everyone with an interest in stress management, mental health, wellbeing and workplace performance.
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Alastair is an accomplished event host, master of ceremonies and moderator. He’s hosted conferences, charity auctions, dinners and award ceremonies in the UK and Europe. He’s delighted to return as MC for his fifth ISMAUK Summit. Alastair has over 25 years’ experience presenting on television, video, radio and stage. He is a communications expert, specialising in generational communication and, with his company, Present Yourself, he helps individuals and organisations communicate more confidently and effectively. He leads insightful and interactive workshops on communication skills for clients looking to develop their presentation skills online, on camera, or on stage. As a TV presenter, Alastair has worked extensively on television in the UK and USA, appearing in documentaries, corporate videos and commercials. He has also interviewed over 500 business leaders for Business Reporter, where he is currently the senior journalist.
Amy is globally recognised as a highly experienced consultant in strategic health, mental health and wellbeing who has truly unique experience in her field. Amy has been working within health, mental health and wellbeing for almost 20 years and has a very distinctive skill set. She combines a clinical background - specialising in psychology – with expertise in mental health, occupational health, health analytics, and health insurance.
Amy’s background in running a digital mental health business, leading health and mental health internally at EY and, in recent years, being an external consultant, means not only that she has the ability to design strategic programmes, but that she also has the practical ability and experience to implement them effectively. Amy has attracted clients including Burberry, EU Parliament, Samsung and other well-known global organisations.
Carole’s credibility is rooted in twenty years’ success as CEO of a leading UK stress management consultancy, working with equal success both in the UK and the Gulf. She is a well-respected authority on building resilience and communication skills, a BBC guest broadcaster and bestselling author of Show Stress Who’s Boss! Carole is Chair of the International Stress Management AssociationUK. On their behalf, she founded Stress Awareness Day in 1998 and established International Stress Awareness Week in 2018 to recognise its 20th anniversary. Carole is CEO of Carole Spiers Group and an international motivational speaker who is regularly called upon by the national press and media for comment. She was also past President of the London Chapter of the Professional Speaking Association.
As Group Health and Safety Director, Carole drives Pernod Ricard’s strategic roadmap to achieve best-in-class standards. She recently expanded her role as Group Social Sustainability Lead, encompassing health, safety, and human rights. Her previous experience in consulting has honed her technical expertise, leadership, and influence, enabling her to make impactful contributions to the organisation’s sustainability goals.
Professor Cooper is a founding President of the British Academy of Management, Immediate Past President of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), and President of the Institute of Welfare. Professor Sir Cary has been an advisor to the World Health Organisation in the field of occupational health and wellbeing and is Chair of the National Forum for Health & Wellbeing at Work. He is the author/editor of over 250 books on occupational health psychology, workplace wellbeing, women at work, and occupational stress.
Charlotte is the Futures Alchemist, a futurist keynote speaker who works with organisations to co-create preferred futures. She is a Past President of the Professional Speakers Association of Southern Africa (PSASA), maintains membership of the Association of Professional Futurists (APF) and is the immediate Past President of the Global Speakers Federation (GSF). In Charlotte’s work she focusses on how people think about the future. Anticipation can bring either inspiration and excitement or fear and anxiety, and anxiety-driven people cannot create positive scenarios for better futures. If we can be more intentional and more conscious about our future, then we can experience a better today.
Fiona has studied and taught leadership for several years at Alliance Manchester Business School, has worked at director level in the police and local government, and is the Founding Director of Oak Tree Personal Development. She has previously worked on the design and delivery of the National Police Wellbeing Service and was Course Director for the Police Strategic Command Course in 2021 and 2022. Fiona has Master’s degrees from the University of Cambridge and Manchester Metropolitan University, and a PhD from the University of Manchester, which explored compassionate leadership in the context of policing. She is a member of the Institute of Directors, a Fellow of the CMI and an Associate of the CIPD. She is the author of the Compassion at Work Toolkit, which she wrote on behalf of the National Forum for Health and Wellbeing at Work.
Janet joined the Timpson Group back in 2004 as a Finance Manager. At the start of 2018 she had the luxury of being appointed as Director of Happiness. This role within the Timpson Group enables her to deal with all aspects of wellbeing across the whole group. It means ensuring that, as a business, we are doing everything we can to retain and support Superstars, using the culture of upside-down management and giving people the freedom and autonomy to thrive, in order to be the best they can possibly be.
Julie is an AI expert, inventor and tech founder with over 25 years’ experience leading enterprise technology. As an award-winning speaker, Julie captivates audiences with her wicked smarts, cheeky humour and cool apps. Julie guides executives on AI strategy, equips leaders with tech-ready teams, and shows sales pros smarter selling with AI - not just talking tech, but making it relatable, practical, and downright exciting. Her mission is to help organisations simplify and apply AI to business, and she has designed and delivered tech tools that are helping businesses grow their brands in over 60 countries. AI might feel like a freight train – you’ve either got to hop on board or be left behind. Julie will make sure you’re on the train, and ready to drive it. And yes, you can blow the whistle!
Kay Allen OBE, as the Campaign Director for Age Irrelevance, is on a mission to reshape the UK's narrative on age inclusion, broadening life's possibilities in the era of longevity. She is passionate about creating responsible business practices and diversity and inclusion strategies, conducting thorough research to reveal the true barriers and facilitators within companies.
Kris is a mental health and stress reduction expert, public speaker and campaigner, working to tackle mental health stigma in the hospitality sector. In 2019, after 12 years’ working in hospitality and experiencing mental illness, Kris became Founder and CEO of The Burnt Chef Project, a not-for-profit company dedicated to people-focussed sustainability and tackling the stigma of mental health within hospitality. The Project provides free-to-access 24/7 support services and therapy as well as training in emotional health, stress reduction, leadership, and wellbeing across the globe. In just four years, the Project has supported individuals in 78 countries, trained students in 110 colleges in stress reduction techniques, and provided free mental health services to over 10,000 individuals.
Laura is the Global RESH (Risk, Environment, Safety, Health & Wellbeing) Vice-President at Essity, a hygiene and health company. She is an industrial engineer, a specialist who has an MSc. in Occupational Safety & Health and Environmental Management. Laura has proven experience with multinational companies at global scale, leading on occupational and process safety, health, environment, quality and security in chemical, mining, construction, energy, and manufacturing industries.