Our Speakers 2018
BJ developed his interest over the years in public order and event policing, as well as gaining policing experience across London in both uniform and plain clothes and gained an important understanding of the critical role of community policing, both in building community confidence as well as fighting crime. He later gained responsibility for the Secure Counter Terrorist Custody suite and qualified as an advanced public order commander and was awarded a Post Graduate Diploma in Police Leadership from Leicester University during this period.
In 2006 BJ was promoted to Superintendent where he led community and response policing and oversaw the implementation of Safer Neighbourhood Teams as well as the policing of Millwall Football club. He developed key multi agency partnerships and joint tasking across a range of issues including licensing, crime prevention and drug and alcohol intervention.
He also took over leading the Criminal Investigation Department alongside his operations function. This provided him with valuable insight into more complex crime investigations as the opportunity to integrate these often separate areas of work. It was also during this period that he graduated as part of the Cabinet Office LeadersUK senior public service leadership programme. He continued as a public order commander at events such as Notting Hill Carnival.
In 2012 BJ worked as one of the Silver commanders for the London Olympics and from there was seconded to the MPS One Met Model change team. In this role and working to the Deputy Assistant Commissioner in Specialist Crime and Operations where he led the development and change of Pan London Policing operations and Specialist Crime.
Throughout his senior career BJ has led some high profile and sensitive operations including Gold Commander for state visits, large scale public disorder and ceremonial events. He has an extensive operational background in both central and borough based roles. He maintains his role as Public Order Gold, Strategic Firearms and CT Commander.
During his career his direct contact with senior executives across many different sectors has helped him develop a comprehensive grasp of key messages and issues. He has the ability to translate often complex topics by using the power of storytelling to create both memorable and engaging communications. His focus is always on the core communication objectives – what do we want the audience to think, feel and do?
His ability to instil confidence and ensure high quality delivery despite really challenging situations has been honed in a number of key roles that he has held during his career. Perhaps the most challenging of these was the 10 year stint spent working for three different Prime Ministers when he was Director of Live Events at the UK Government’s marketing communications agency. His work at the very heart of Whitehall included running both G8 and G20 meetings, launching London’s successful bid for the 2012 Olympic Games and managing a series of historic regional Cabinet meetings for both Gordon Brown and David Cameron.
Apart from his regular client commitments, he has recently run a bespoke speaker training programme for R&D scientists from a global pharma brand in support of an international product launch, spoken at a number of events on behalf of the Business Visits and Events Partnership about the impact of BREXIT on the UK events sector (he serves as a Vice Chair of the BVEP) and helped facilitate roundtable meetings between government departments and key event industry representatives as part of his work for the Event Industry Board, established by the Government to advise on UK competitiveness in the global event marketplace.
Louise secured the role of Staff officer to the NPCC lead for events and sport in October 2017 and in that short period of time has built up vital working relationships with both police and industry nationally to ensure improved national consistency and ultimately the safety of the public and festivals and sporting events.
In 2011 he was given a project by the current Leicestershire Chief Constable Simon Cole to look at the customer experience of people attending the Download festival. This highlighted that we do not talk or share with our own police colleagues in the UK let alone internationally, So with several other likeminded police officers around the country Operation Gothic was created
As a result of all this work Kevin is now one of the UK’s intelligence leads within the National Events Intelligence Operations Unit (NEIU) which is based within the Force intelligence bureau at Leicestershire Police HQ. The NEIU is now funded with Kev and Helen seconded to the Project for the 3 years.
Helen played a key role in developing Operation Gothic, which ultimately led to the formation of the National Events Intelligence Unit (NEIU). Working with her colleague Kev Walker in the Unit, which is based at Leicestershire Police HQ, Helen is now seconded to this project for 3 years.
Throughout his career, Robin has been a champion of the events industry and developed strong working relationships with leading organisations and businesses. Robin is particularly engaged within the tourism and sporting events industries and as a result has close ties to the Scottish Tourism Alliance, the RICOH Women’s British Open and The Royal Military Edinburgh Tattoo, to name but a few.
Robin says the biggest achievement of his career was implementing a structured rental partnership to ensure vehicle hire for events, no matter how big or small, runs as smoothly as possible.
Fun fact: Robin is an identical twin!
Having started off his working life in Agriculture and Equestrianism, Chris moved into safety in 2004 and has been the Group Head of Safety and competent person for fire safety and lead fire risk assessor for the NEC Group in Birmingham and MD of his own event safety company (ESP) which merged with A.C.T. in 2018. Chris has had the opportunity to work on some amazing clients and events from local community events to international spectaculars both here in the U.K. and across the world.
Outside of the office Kevin enjoys spending time with his young family.
She became involved in the Resilience Sector by leading a 5-year programme to design and deliver multi-agency, simulation based, training exercises for Strategic Commanders in the Public Sector in 2007; and in 2011 launched Training 4 Resilience with her Business Partner Adrian Seward.
She has designed and delivered over 150 crisis management and emergency exercises since 2007 for a wide portfolio of clients including Premiership Football and Rugby Clubs; Music Festivals and Concerts; the NATO Summit; the Tour de France and all London 2012 Olympic Venues.
She has also put together numerous training programmes and events for teams to develop their crisis management and emergency response capabilities; as well as specific training courses such as Steward Training. In addition, she also manages volunteers steward teams for large events and festivals.
We Are The Fair work with festival and large-scale event clients that include Eastern Electrics, Mostly Jazz and Bournemouth 7s as well as Gottwood and Houghton Festival. We Are Placemaking support clients that include Hammerson, Boxpark, Grosvenor Estates, Baker St Quarter and many Local Government organisations across the UK.
Nick is a huge advocate of the events industry and often speaks on and facilitates discussion on topics that include managing growth, independent festivals, The Experience Economy, Government advocacy, Placemaking, Licensing and Health & Safety.
Voted ‘Production Manager of the Year’ in 2000, 2006, 2015 at the annual Total
Production International Awards – Managing Director Dick, seeks to ensure that EnTEEtainment Ltd employs some of the best Production staff in the business to maintain a reputation for quality, versatility and innovation at all levels of operation. In 2016, Dick was awarded the ‘Outstanding Contribution To Festivals Award’ at the UK Festival Awards.
Phil has been a health & safety professional for over 25 years and has gathered a wealth of experience through working in industry, at major events and as a risk consultant with one of the world’s largest insurance brokers.
He is passionate about delivering safe events, and enjoys being challenged by the creative influences in the industry. He has a proven track record of understanding the client’s problems and assisting them to implement practical solutions
As a keen sports enthusiast Phil loves the great outdoors, and when he is not helping clients he can be found walking in the Yorkshire Dales, supporting his local rugby club, listening to folk music or working (unsuccessfully) on improving his golf handicap.
He trains 6 days a week and this year his targets included an 88K foot race inside 12 hours and also completing 1,000 miles of running and 1,500 miles of biking – as well as climbing in the mountains of Bulgaria and hiking the Camino in Northern Spain.
A Race Director for the last thirty years and the proud Chairman of the Triangle Triathlon Club, he has been the organiser of the Irish Triathlon Championships, the Home Nations International Triathlon Championships, an Ironman Distance Race and a European Duathlon Cup Race, all on the scenic North Coast of Ireland.
British by birth, Irish by nature, Ulster by inclination, this dichotomy manifests itself in the diverse range of outdoor activities which consume his free time. Thankfully he has discovered the secret of being able to cope – there really are 25 hours in every day – and 8 days in every week!
Peter gets tetchy if he’s cooped up inside for too long and he needs to feel the influence and rhythm of the great outdoors on his soul to keep him spiritually alive. He is used to getting soaked on the bike, or on long runs, but thankfully he has discovered that his skin is water tight. There is no such thing as bad weather, just inappropriate clothing.
Confined to an office, he has revelled in the recent past of standing on top of Toubkal in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, Kinabalo in Borneo, Elbrus in Russia, Kilimanjaro in Africa and Kali Pathar in the Himalayas. He believes that climbing, hiking and walking are the best possible therapy and the government hasn’t taxed them yet!
Peter is looking forward to listening to lots of interesting speakers and asking some searching questions as he learns from the great array of guest speakers at the NOEA today
Before entering politics in 2015, James served as an officer in The Rifles regiment of the British Army including three combat tours to Iraq and Afghanistan. He is an enthusiastic sports fan and still plays a little rugby, tennis and golf. He is married with two young children and lives in Somerset.
Sophia is responsible for working in partnership with promoters, venues, organisers and all manner of large-scale events to design a solution that makes sure everything runs smoothly. This includes working with each type of event or type of customer to advise on areas such as the design of entry gates, establishing the right ratio of staff and recommending the best technology to use.
Sophia’s work has covered numerous engagement and outdoor mass participation events across the UK, Europe, South America and USA .