Manufacturers' Alliance Annual Conference

In this thought-provoking session, Jamie invites attendees to reflect on the broader dimensions of their lives beyond just their professional roles.

With the perspective that "every day should be a school day," Jamie will explore how we all have opportunities to learn from the people around us — whether it's colleagues, friends, or family. But it doesn’t stop there.

He will also emphasise the power of sharing knowledge and positively influencing others in both personal and professional settings. By recognising that experiences from one area of our lives can be applied to others, Jamie will highlight how learning, growth, and connection can have a real benefit elsewhere.

Originally from Bangalore, India, Ashwini moved to the UK at the age of 21 to pursue a master’s degree in Engineering Project Management. Now married and a mother to a 3-year-old, Ashwini is a Design Lead at Witt Group UK.

Transitioning from Design Engineer to Team Leader hasn't been an easy journey. Reflecting on how she has overcome the challenges of acceptance, conflict management, and overcoming judgment, Ashwini will highlight how she has evolved into the strong leader she is today. 

With over 30 years of leadership experience across both blue-chip companies and SMEs, Jim has built a reputation for driving cultural transformation and business growth. For the past 16 years, he’s led the remarkable turnaround of Howorth Air Tech, transforming it from a struggling business into one of Greater Manchester’s most respected organisations.

What if the key to transforming your business lies in just three simple ingredients? Jim will explore how you can turn a demotivated workforce into a motivated team, replace blame culture with positivity, and shift a business from failure to success.

In today’s UK manufacturing sector, attracting and nurturing young talent is more crucial than ever. June will explore how purpose-driven leadership can transform the way businesses approach the next generation of leaders.

Drawing on the importance of investing in young talent and creating a culture that embraces new ideas, she will share insights on how businesses can mentor young professionals in key skills such as communication and networking.

By fostering confidence and creating supportive workplaces, June will highlight how we can attract, develop, and retain the next generation of industry leaders.

As a third-generation leader in a family business, Sarah’s career journey spans across the creative arts and education, including roles as a secondary teacher and leadership team member. She now leads the operations of the manufacturing division of the family business in the UK.

Sarah will share the story of her journey in creating a forward-thinking culture within the family business, highlighting the challenges she has had to overcome along the way. She will explore how being brave, letting go of traditional baggage, and embracing new ways of thinking have played a pivotal role in the business’s evolution.

She will also delve into the critical importance of digital transformation and continuous improvement and how they have helped shape a more dynamic, innovative environment.

Sarah was thrust into the role of managing director 6 years ago when her father, the Managing Director of Salt Separation was tragically killed in a car accident. She had to learn all of the necessary skills to become a leader virtually overnight. Sarah joined the manufacturers alliance in 2021 to help her develop into her full potential and to use the peer groups for support and guidance. Now she is driving her business forward into the best year they’ve ever had!

Sarah will be sharing her unique journey into leadership and exploring how remaining positive in a difficult and ever-changing environment can shape both you as a leader and the success of your business.

She will also delve into the importance of understanding your own emotional intelligence and how this plays a key role in leadership.

Tabasum (Tabs) Khojani is an experienced robotics business development manager and innovation consultant with over a decade of experience supporting SMEs and high-growth businesses particularly in the manufacturing, digital and technology sectors.

At the North of England Robotics Innovation Centre (NERIC), Tabs helps manufacturers identify opportunities for automation, guiding them from idea to implementation.

Passionate about taking complex technology into real-world value, she works closely with companies to future-proof their operations and gain a competitive advantage through innovation.

Tabs will delve into the transformative world of robotics and automation in manufacturing, taking a closer look at the 5 D’s; tasks that are dull, dirty, dangerous, difficult, or dear and how they can be addressed through automation.

Mindahi Bastida is a distinguished member of the Otomi-Toltec Peoples, born in San Pedro Tultepec, Lerma, Mexico. He serves as a traditional authority of the Grand Council of the Eagle and the Condor, working to implement Earth Mandates across 52 major bioregions globally. As the General Coordinator of the Otomi-Toltec Regional Council, Mindahi has been an Otomi-Toltec Ceremonial Officer since 1988 and a consultant to UNESCO on Sacred Sites and Biocultural protection since 2012.

Mindahi will be sharing the 7 original principles of the original nations from across the world and how we should follow the law of nature and the universe. He will provide insights from his own life and experiences of how our lack of respect for nature has affected the planet, and how we may find a way forward together via the Earth Elders movement.

Jennifer is Principal Policy Analyst at IfM Engage, University of Cambridge, with 20 years' experience in policy and economic analysis. She specialises in development economics, innovation policy, gender mainstreaming, and the future of work, and chairs the Policy and Research Group for Women in Manufacturing UK.

UK manufacturing continues to face challenges in attracting and retaining women, particularly those from non-White backgrounds. Drawing on her experience working with governments and international organisations on industrial innovation policy, Jennifer will share a framework for building a more inclusive manufacturing sector, one that offers equal opportunities for all.

She will highlight how the Women in Manufacturing initiative is working on developing resources to help manufacturers of all sizes foster more inclusive workplaces. As lead author of the upcoming 2025 Women in Manufacturing report, set to launch in October, Jennifer invites you to take part by completing and sharing a short survey on inclusive leadership—taking just 10 minutes to complete.