GUEST SPEAKER PROFILE

Matthew Wright

One of the most senior voices globally in Executive Search. As CEO of Russell Reynolds, he ran 1 of the most respected search & leadership advisory firms worldwide, with ~3,000 employees & 47 offices.

Matthew will be our guest speaker on topics including "How to negotiate compensation at senior levels"; "How to work effectively with Executive Search" and "How to land NED roles & build a portfolio career".

Matthew draws on a 20-year career at Russell Reynolds. Before being appointed CEO, he ran their global financial services sector and led the businesses in Europe and Asia Pacific.

Matthew is also an advisor to Manchester Square Partners, a non-executive director of Berry Bros & Rudd and Chair of Cripps Leadership Advisors. He has also chaired multiple charities.

GUEST SPEAKER PROFILE

Cornerlia Raportaru

CEO of Stuart, a leading last-mile logistics platform operating across Europe. Over the past 20 years, she has held senior leadership roles at TaskRabbit, Twitter, Vodafone, and Cadbury — spanning commercial strategy, partnerships, operations, and product. 

Cornelia has scaled businesses across multiple markets, led full P&Ls, and built high-performing, diverse teams in both tech scale-ups and large corporates. Her experience spans launching new ventures, expanding internationally, and navigating complex strategic and operational challenges.
Now leading Stuart through its next phase of growth, Cornelia brings a clear-eyed, personal perspective on what it takes to become (and succeed as) a CEO.

She will be our guest speaker on topics including “Path to the C-suite” and “The expected and unexpected realities of being a CEO.”

GUEST SPEAKER PROFILE

Beltrán Simo

Beltrán is a former McKinsey Partner with 20+ years of experience in strategy, M&A, and large-scale transformation. He has led growth and turnaround programmes across Latin America, Asia, and Africa, helping telecom and tech companies scale, restructure, and launch new ventures. 

Alongside his advisory work, he has coached and mentored more than 1,000 professionals, from analysts to CEOs, helping them think and operate at the highest level.

Beltrán will be our guest speaker on the topics "MBAs, Manager Years, and the Realities of Senior Consulting" and "The Best Time to Leave, Working for Yourself, and the Evolution of Consulting"

GUEST SPEAKER PROFILE

Rory Davidson

Rory started his career in consulting before spending ~12 years in corporate roles within the FMCG industry - ultimately as Sales & Marketing Director for a global beer brand. In 2025, he successfully moved jobs to become Country CEO for a new market for an internationally expanding agricultural-tech start-up.

Rory will be our guest speaker on topics including "Startup -  Pivoting your Career to Land & Succeed in a Senior Startup Role".

GUEST SPEAKER PROFILE

Richard Bartlett

Former Partner at McKinsey, where he led work across Healthcare, MedTech, and Private Equity. Richard progressed from Analyst to Partner over 15+ years, and brings first-hand insight into the realities of leaving MBB at senior levels.

 At McKinsey, Richard led multi-year transformations, complex growth strategy projects, and over 30 diligences and transactions for MedTech and healthcare clients. His work delivered results such as doubling share prices, margin gains, and successful market expansions.

Richard will be our guest speaker on topics including "What it’s like to leave consulting as a Partner".

GUEST SPEAKER PROFILE

Karen Hilton

Karen is a senior business leader with a blend of corporate, start-up, and scale-up experience. She’s led teams from 5 to 1200 people, taken businesses from pre-revenue to £20m+, and held leadership roles across sales, operations, marketing, and strategy.

She is currently Managing Director at BA Euroflyer, BA’s short-haul airline based out of London Gatwick. This follows three years as CEO of heycar UK, where she led the business through growth and transformation. Previous roles at Nested, carwow, and Volkswagen gave her hands-on experience building and leading commercial and growth teams in fast-paced settings.
Known for her commercial sharpness and energy, Karen offers a candid view on what it takes to lead authentically — whether scaling a disruptor or stepping back into the corporate world.
 

Karen will be our guest speaker on topics including “Careers in Leadership.”

GUEST SPEAKER PROFILE

Bukki Adedapo

Bukki is a commercial and operational leader with a strong record of scaling marketplace, e-commerce, fintech and SaaS businesses. He is currently UK General Manager at Taskrabbit, leading cross-functional teams and multi-million-pound budgets to drive sustained revenue and profit growth.

Previously, Bukki held senior roles at Fiverr, including UK Country Manager and International Expansion Leader. He delivered over 100 percent year-on-year revenue growth, generated tens of millions in revenue through partnerships and product launches, and led international teams across marketing, data, product and operations.

He also helped scale Lightning Social Ventures from pre-revenue to a revenue-generating business, securing over £300,000 in grant funding and building core operations. As Founder of Gilaasi, he raised investment, gained recognition in the James Dyson Award, and developed partnerships with major retailers.

Bukki mentors and advises CEOs and founders, bringing a practical, data-driven approach to growth and operational excellence.

He is our guest speaker on the topic “Path to GM across Marketplace, Fintech and SaaS”

GUEST SPEAKER PROFILE

Jay Scanlan

Jay has spent over 15 years advising and operating in the private equity space, with a focus on media, telecoms, and tech. He’s led global practices at Accenture and Genpact, serving on the Global Leadership Committee at both. Before that, he spent over a decade at McKinsey, where he was a Partner and led the firm’s global Digital Strategy & Organisation service line.

Today, Jay works independently with PE investors and portfolio companies on growth and transformation initiatives. He brings a rare mix of strategic insight and hands-on operational experience. A must-watch for anyone exploring a move into private equity, commercial leadership, or independent advisory work.
 

Jay will be our guest speaker on topics including “From Consulting to PE and Independent Advisory.”

GUEST SPEAKER PROFILE

Mcklein Javeri 

A strategy leader turned multi-board director, Mcklein built his early career at Virgin, easyJet and Monitor Deloitte before pivoting into board work. He's held 7+ Non-Executive Director (NED) and board advisory roles across various industries — all before turning 35.

Mcklein will be our guest speaker on “How to Land a Board Role” — covering myths, tactics, and how to build a portfolio that boosts income, expands your network, and enhances your career beyond the day job.

GUEST SPEAKER PROFILE

Emma Kamel

A powerhouse operator and accomplished D2C leader, best known for leading Naked Wines through phases of rapid growth, stabilisation, and turnaround. She’s held senior roles across commercial, supply chain, and operations — most recently as UK General Manager with full P&L responsibility for a £125m business and a 100+ person team. 

Emma is known for her commercial sharpness, team-first mindset, and infectious energy. She brings a candid and inspiring perspective on what it takes to lead in fast-moving environments.

She will be our guest speaker on the topic: “Joining a scaling disruptor and growing into GM."

GUEST SPEAKER PROFILE

Dominic Rose

An experienced Chair, advisor and Non-Executive Director focused on growing and scaling brand-led, tech-enabled consumer businesses — particularly eCommerce brands and marketplace platforms with a strong sustainability focus.

He is currently Chair of Rise & Fall and SarahRaven.com, NED at Anansi, and Advisor to Fussy, Sous Chef and Hirestreet. He was previously a NED at Wolf & Badger (2021–2025).

His last executive role was as COO of Depop, the Gen Z resale platform, which he joined in 2018. There he led global scaling to a 400+ person team, grew revenues 250% in under two years, and played a key role in Depop’s $1.65B exit to Etsy — creating $1.5B in shareholder value since 2018.

Outside of work, Dominic founded Britain's Biggest Living Garden, an urban biodiversity initiative, and runs a local children’s gardening club.

Dominic will be our guest speaker on topics including “Building a Portfolio Career” and “From Consulting to NED: The Strategic Path Through In-House Roles.”

GUEST SPEAKER PROFILE

Adit Ruparel

Adit is a strategic operator who builds and scales high-growth businesses by turning strategy into motion. He specialises in designing operating systems, creating clarity of plan, and putting in place the tools, data, and structure that enable teams to deliver at pace without losing their edge.

He is currently Chief Operating Officer at MARCHON, the UK’s leading performance-lifestyle ecosystem spanning online training, certified supplements, premium gyms, and apparel. His remit is to unify the group’s verticals into a single operating model, strengthen the economics of the business, and prepare the company for its next phase of scale.

Before MARCHON, Adit spent several years at GoCardless in senior strategy and operating roles, including Director of Corporate & Commercial Strategy and Chief of Staff. He helped steer the company from c.$50m to $250m+ revenue, led international expansion and commercial turnarounds, partnered with the CEO and board on growth and capital allocation, and built the operating rhythm that supported the company’s move to profitability.

Earlier in his career, he held strategy and operations roles across fintech, property technology, and fitness, working with founders through moments of rapid scale and organisational complexity.

Adit will join us as a guest speaker on the topic: “Path to COO in High-Growth Scale-Ups.”

GUEST SPEAKER PROFILE

Victoria Crawley-Wise

Victoria is an accomplished business leader and learning strategist, most recently Managing Director at Duke Corporate Education, where she led teams across Europe and worked with global clients to develop leaders for what’s next.
Before Duke CE, she spent nearly a decade at KPMG, designing and delivering large-scale leadership programmes for both UK Government and international blue-chip clients, reaching over a million learners worldwide.

Victoria brings a rare perspective from both consulting and senior executive roles.

She will be our guest speaker on the topic “From Consulting to Managing Director”, exploring what it takes to thrive in senior leadership. 

GUEST SPEAKER PROFILE

Matt Kummell

An entrepreneurial business leader with deep experience across fintech, venture capital, private equity, and hedge funds. He brings a rare mix of strategy, operations, and technology expertise from both traditional and decentralised financial markets.

Most recently, Matt was a senior leader at Digital Currency Group (DCG), where he led value creation efforts across a multibillion-dollar portfolio. He advised and served on the boards of Foundry, Grayscale, and Luno, and led operational improvements across trading, custody, and reporting businesses.

Earlier in his career, Matt held leadership roles at Citi, Citadel, Balyasny, and SAC Capital (now Point72), with a focus on investment strategy and performance improvement. He began his career at Bain & Company and has taught at Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business.

He will be our guest speaker on the topic: “From Bain to Blockchain: Lessons from a Career Across Hedge Funds, PE, and Emerging Asset Classes.”

GUEST SPEAKER PROFILE

Kate Van Akin

Works with high-achievers who are at a crossroads in their careers—those who have built impressive professional lives but now find themselves questioning what comes next and feeling stuck despite their success. 

As a Senior Expert at McKinsey & Company, Kate worked with multinational companies on their transformation journeys, supporting individuals and teams through complex change—not just the external changes, but the inner shifts that make lasting change possible. She left because she was tired of seeing intelligent, passionate people burn out climbing the ladder when they were clearly longing for something different.
Since McKinsey, Kate has developed her career transitions coaching practice, supporting leaders through the inner journey of change—creating space, dreaming big, addressing barriers, and getting practical. Her approach focuses on the deeper work that creates lasting transformation rather than surface-level career advice. She also works as a leadership facilitator and team coach, continuing to support leaders in developing their capacity to navigate complexity.
Kate holds a J.D. from Harvard Law School and has been an expat for 20 years, currently based in London.

Kate will be our guest speaker on topics including "The Inner Journey of Career Transitions".

GUEST SPEAKER PROFILE

Nick Patterson

Nick started his career at McKinsey & Company. Subsequently, he has spent the last 15 years scaling Movemeon. As CEO and co-founder of Movemeon, he has supported 5,000+ organisations to hire (ex)consultants. Nick regularly analyses Movemeon's unique data to understand the latest market trends.

Nick will be our guest speaker on topics including "Market Trends", "Demand & Supply in the (ex)Consulting Jobs Market".

GUEST SPEAKER PROFILE

Joe Siantonas

Joe's career has always focused on Private Equity. As an Executive Search Director at Movemeon, he advises many of the world's leading large-cap and mid-cap funds when it comes to their talent strategy, both for the fund and within portfolio companies.

Joe will be our guest speaker on topics including "Private Equity; Careers & Trends" and "Freelance as a career - how to get started".