IHR Live London 2025

Gavin Hastings is best known as an international rugby player. He won 61 caps for Scotland, 20 of them as Captain.

He captained the British Lions and scored 700 points in test rugby. As managing director of his own consultancy he handles sponsorship and corporate branding. Gavin offers audiences great insight into what it takes to be a great team player and leader.

He shows how we can apply the lessons learned on the rugby pitch to a business environment. He is also an excellent event host and entertaining after dinner speaker.

With his personable charisma, unflinching professionalism and steely determination, Mark Foster, once Britain’s fastest swimmer and now one of the best-loved sports commentary faces on TV, is a consummate and impeccable awards host and an awe-inspiring motivational speaker.

Mark’s award winning partnership with Clare Balding from the aquatics centre during the Olympics in 2012, made him a household name. Mark also co-hosted the BBC coverage of the World Swimming Championships from Barcelona with Gabby Logan.

In addition to his sporting portfolio, Mark is also known for his numerous TV appearances, such as ITV’s ‘Beat the Stars’ and as one of the ‘Superstars’ athletes. He regularly appears on BBC news and radio in his role of Ambassador of Pools 4 Schools, a programme to increase participation in swimming amongst primary school children. He also had appeared on Celebrity Juice on ITV2 for Sport Relief, and made an impact on a Paralympic special of the Channel 4 show The Million Pound Drop with Countdown Presenter Rachel Riley. They won £50,000 for charity

The only women ever to hold four major track titles concurrently – Olympic, World, European and Commonwealth – Sally Gunnell OBE is an inspirational figure in British athletics. Following her retirement from international athletics in 1997, Sally developed a new career as a television presenter and motivational speaker.

Today, her mission is to promote health and wellbeing for everybody in the UK. Her corporate work, helping companies to bring health and wellbeing into the workplace, confirm her formidable reputation as an influencer at the highest levels of business.

Starting a conversation about the perception of getting older and wellbeing later in life is the subject of her latest campaign, an initiative with her husband to encourage good health and habits. She is also taking part in a climb of Mount Kenya with her husband Jon for conservation charity Born Free.

Jason Fox served 20 years in the military, including with the elite Special Boat Service, leading high-risk missions in counter-terrorism, hostage rescue, and narcotics operations. He specialised as a combat swimmer, demolitions expert, dog handler, and jungle survival instructor. After leaving the forces in 2012, Jason moved into TV and film, using his experience to support crews in extreme environments. Notably, he helped discover Captain Kidd’s lost treasure off Madagascar.

He now stars in Channel 4’s SAS: Who Dares Wins and fronted the acclaimed series Meet The Drug Lords: Inside The Real Narcos. Dubbed "the narcos whisperer", Jason is a leading figure in documentary presenting. A Sunday Times bestselling author (Battle Scars, Life Under Fire), Jason also leads team-building events based on Special Forces training and is co-founder of Rock 2 Recovery and ambassador for Veterans 4 Wildlife.

Ollie Ollerton is a former UK Special Forces operative turned TV personality, entrepreneur, and bestselling author. A founding member of Channel 4’s SAS: Who Dares Wins, his charisma and experience have earned him a global following.

He joined the Royal Marines at 18, later passing the gruelling Special Forces Selection to serve with the Special Boat Service (SBS), where he completed high-risk missions in counter-terrorism, narcotics, and humanitarian aid. After leaving the SBS, Ollie founded BreakPoint, delivering mindset and performance training to individuals and businesses, helping people unlock their full potential.

In addition to fronting SAS Australia, Ollie is a sought-after motivational speaker, focusing on resilience, elite performance, and mental wellbeing.

Olivia is a documentary producer and the creator of the Instagram challenge: Run 5KM, donate £5 to the NHS and challenge 5 others to do the same. Since it began the not for profit has raised over £6.7 million which has completely overtaken her original target of £5,000. The simple, but effective, challenge inspired many people to get out and run and it has also improved their mental and physical health.

I am in recruitment industry professional with over 15 years experience as an agency recruiter, Recruitment manager, Internal Head of Talent, recruitment trainer, founder of award winning online recruiting platform WorkShape and now Editor and Community builder at Recruiting Brainfood - the best weekly newsletter in recruitment.

Katrina Collier is on a mission to end collaboration chaos that occurs between recruiters and hiring managers that leads to clunky recruitment processes and a poor candidate experience. She is one of 2 people globally delivering design-thinking workshops specifically for talent acquisition; workshops that can swiftly help companies fix the real issues preventing successful hiring, in as little as one day. She is also Author of The Robot-Proof Recruiter, a Mentor, and a global keynote speaker.

Katrina is an Ambassador for Hope for Justice charity, and you'll find her on LinkedIn and on Instagram & Twitter @KatrinaMCollier.

Cordelia Osewa-Ediae is a seasoned Leadership Development and Workplace Inclusion Consultant with over 15 years of experience in driving culture change and talent development across various sectors. 

She has developed bespoke leadership programs for the National Grid and London Metropolitan Police, led a DEI strategic review at NSPCC, and provided consulting services for organisations including Tesco, Clarks, and the Ministry of Justice. At BT Group, she played a key role in establishing comprehensive representation and inclusion goals, designing and leading the first ever group-wide reverse mentoring programme that engaged over 300 leaders, and producing the company's first ethnicity and disability pay gap reports. In recognition of her impact, she was awarded the 2024 BT Group ‘Race Equity’ award.

A Clore Social Fellow, Keynote speaker, Board member, and trained Coach, she has received several awards including the 2023 Baton 'Thought Leader of the Year' award, the Commonwealth Business Women Africa's 2024 'Community Champion' award; and 2024 Novi ‘Inspiring Mentor’ award.

Amelia Sordell is a Personal Brand Strategist, Entrepreneur and the Founder of Personal Branding Agency, Klowt. Starting her career in sales as a recruiter, Amelia quickly discovered that there was only one determining factor to her and the businesses success - the people. She started building her own personal brand in 2018 and since then has launched her Personal Branding Agency, Klowt and worked with leadership teams from the likes of SkyBet, Paddy Power, Alvarez and Marsal through to startup founders, Venture Capitalists and LinkedIn Top Voices. Now 33, Amelia has two children, an online community of over 250,000 people, and a $3 million personal branding agency, Klowt, all built on a 100% inbound business model, all off the back of her personal brand. She is a regular speaker, consultant and NED for businesses who want to drive real results by putting human beings at the heart of their brand. 

Marcell Edwards is a distinguished leader in talent acquisition, diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI), and organizational culture. With a career spanning over a decade, Marcell has been instrumental in shaping inclusive hiring practices and fostering equitable workplace environments. His strategic approach to talent management has not only enhanced recruitment processes but also cultivated cultures where diversity thrives. Recognized for his thought leadership, Marcell continues to influence the industry through innovative DEI initiatives and by championing inclusive organizational strategies.

Just Eat Takeaway.com is a leading online food delivery marketplace, connecting consumers and restaurants through its platform in 24 countries.

Headquartered in Amsterdam, the company was created in January 2020 by bringing together two of the world’s most successful food delivery firms: Takeaway.com (founded in 2000 in the Netherlands) and Just Eat (founded in 2001 in Denmark).

Both companies were started by ambitious entrepreneurs who grew their businesses to be the number one food delivery players in their home markets and many others around the world. Today, Just Eat Takeaway.com is the leading global online food delivery marketplace outside China.

We haven’t stopped there. Our mission is to be the best food delivery company on the planet. And of course, that wouldn’t be possible without our 17,000 employees from around the world.

While we’re a big company, we’re united by our shared values and our commitment to delivering the best for our customers. We encourage our people to take initiative, experiment with big ideas, and above all, support each other.

Want to join our global journey? Check out our current job openings to see if there’s a role that’s right for you.

Proud to work for one of the UK's leading construction and infrastructure companies. With a true commitment to the health, safety and well being of it's staff, a regional network of offices and sites across the UK, a strong order book to secure the future and a company that delivers a significant amount of positive social value for local communities, it's a good time to start your career with Kier!

Christina O’Connor is an experienced International Talent Acquisition leader specializing in sourcing and hiring high-performing talent across diverse regions including Europe, Middle East, Asia Pacific, and North America, particularly within hyper-growth organizations. With a robust corporate talent management background spanning over 15 years, she has demonstrated her leadership acumen in focusing on go-to-market customer talent and niche technical talent delivery on a global scale, with significant in region experience in the UK, UAE and Singapore.

In her current role at Amazon Web Services (AWS), Christina serves as the EMEA Sourcing Leader within the Central Sourcing Team, spearheading the establishment of a new offshore sourcing model and is also part of the Gen AI recruiting ambassador program.  Previously, as Head of Diversity Sourcing EMEA at AWS, Christina’s leadership was instrumental in driving initiatives to enhance diverse employee representation within EMEA. She orchestrated successful Diversity Sourcing campaigns across various sectors and played a pivotal role in building sourcing strategies for a number of new build businesses across AWS.

Prior to her tenure at AWS, Christina held key positions at Rapid7, Symantec, Intel Security and McAfee, where she honed her skills in international talent acquisition, business partnering, and organizational effectiveness. Notable achievements include implementing hiring analytics, diversity hiring strategies, and agile hiring transformations, as well as overseeing the successful implementation of Workday as a new ATS.

Christina holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and History from the University of Portsmouth and is known for her process-driven approach, innovative mindset, and commitment to driving change to center the talent agenda. As a seasoned D&I advocate and change agent, she thrives in scaling agile programs and enhancing organizational effectiveness within hyper-growth environments.

Paul Bhangoo is currently the Global Head of Employer Brand & Talent Attraction for BT Group. The area supports a global, multi-branded organisation with engagement and attraction of colleagues across the skills spectrum from frontline colleagues working in retail/call centres for EE to digital strategists for BT Group in India – and everything in-between – whilst ensuring that the customer & candidate experience has brand symmetry.

Paul has over 30 years of recruitment/recruitment marketing experience gained in publishing, advertising agencies and within global organisations. In addition to delivering global EVP’s segmented by skills, career stage & geographic localisations, Paul has extensive experience of supporting DEI initiatives within organisations and improving the relationship diverse talent has with global brands.

Katie is a Recruiting Lead within the Experienced Hire Recruitment Team at Accenture. She's been with Accenture close to 11 years and have worked across a range of specialisms including HR, Digital, Sales, Consulting and Technology recruitment. Beyond her professional life, she is married with 2 young children and has 15 years’ worth of experience in the recruitment field.

In her current role, she manages a recruitment team overseeing a range of practices within Accenture Technology. She supports her team in creating robust partnerships with our stakeholders, aiming to significantly enhance the candidate experience. She is a firm believer in maintaining transparent communication with her hiring managers, striving to achieve excellence and mutual satisfaction across stakeholders, recruiters and candidates.

Puja Kumar is a seasoned Talent and Resourcing professional with a strong track record in strategic talent acquisition and HR transformation. Currently serving as the Senior Assessment Manager at Sky Group, Puja leads global assessment and selection practices, ensuring they are robust, fair, and inclusive. With extensive experience at leading firms like Vodafone UK, LV=, and Santander UK, she has driven significant change initiatives, implemented innovative recruitment technologies, and championed diversity and inclusion. Her collaborative approach, strong business acumen, and ethical practices have earned her respect and recognition in the industry. Puja holds an MBA from the University of Delhi and an MSc in Human Resource Management from Monash University, Melbourne.

Mark Kunaseelan is the Head of Resourcing at the University of the Arts London (UAL), a world-class university shaping the creative industries worldwide. UAL is home to a diverse community with over 6,000 staff and 22,000 students from 130 countries. Mark has spent more than a decade in Resourcing and has a significant amount of experience working in the public sector at two councils and Parliament prior to his current role. 

I am a Prince 2 Qualified, Resourcing Transformation, Employer Brand, TA Leader with a focus on inclusion and culture, I have over 14 years global experience at Unilever, Mckinsey and Company , BP, Primark & Ferrero SA.

Specific experience in creating EVP, Employer Brand, recruitment marketing strategies globally. Deep expertise in deploying technology, social media & embedding recruiting capability globally.

Head of Resourcing with a demonstrated history of working in both the public and private sector including industries such as banking, Law, IT and E-commerce. Skilled in Graduate Recruitment, Management, Interviewing, Recruiting, and Human Resources.

I am an established Talent Acquisition Leader and advisory consultant with over 20 years of leading talent, recruitment and TA functions for diverse, global organizations across Technology, Retail, Consulting, Energy and Consumer industries.

I partner with the C-Suite and Leadership teams of major brands, building and establishing global talent functions through periods of hyper-growth, M&A and centralisation projects. I am passionate about talent, and I thrive on delivering effective and innovative solutions that make a real difference to the businesses and people I work alongside.

Lee holds an MBA from The Open University and 15 years+ leadership, sales and customer success experience, working in identity, fraud and background screening. Lee is an advocate of digital identity services for screening and has consulted with some of the largest employers and governing bodies to support digital adoption.

I love supporting people to do amazing things.

My background is within;

* Recruiting at all levels up to and including Professional Search

* Business partnership & stakeholder management

* Inclusion & Diversity

* Team leadership

* Managing volume hiring projects

* Recruitment technology implementation

Harpreet Pannum is the Recruitment Manager for Tech CoE and Executive Search at EY.

An multi award-winning business psychologist, Jamie has designed or overseen the design of embedded end-to-end selection processes in over a third of the UK’s top 100 employers across varied sectors, winning numerous industry awards for improving validity, candidate experience, and EDI outcomes.

Robin is the Vice President of Sales, EMEA at Appcast. In this role, Robin leverages his extensive industry experience, deep understanding of programmatic technologies and pay-for-performance products to help enterprise companies find quality hires, maximise their talent acquisition budgets, and demonstrate clear recruitment ROI.

Prior to joining Appcast, Robin served as Senior Director, Head of UK for ZipRecruiter UK, where he oversaw the strategic direction and expansion of the UK business and transformed a start-up into a market leader. Robin has been driving revenue growth and sales excellence within the TA industry for over 16 years, in which time he has developed influential relationships across a wide portfolio of the world’s largest enterprise companies.

Becca joined AssessFirst with a first-class MEng in Engineering and a diverse professional background in Operations, Project Management & HR across the retail, engineering, and finance sectors. Her hands-on experience with assessment tools has shown her the transformative impact they can have in reducing bias, strengthening alignment with company culture, and increasing efficiency in both recruitment and L&D.

Driven by a commitment to building inclusive workplaces, Becca is enthusiastic about using her expertise to champion impactful initiatives within the AssessFirst client community, helping organisations maximise their ROI while fostering cultures of diversity and belonging.

Siobhan is an experienced public speaker who specialises in creating greater awareness for apprenticeships. Having worked the majority of her career supporting young people within education.

Siobhan has developed a real passion for the Early Careers landscape and the unique skills and opportunities it can develop for an individual. Now working for UCAS, she uses her position to advocate for apprenticeships.

Siobhan engages with a range of stakeholders within Early Careers, both with raising awareness in barriers that the UCAS audience face in accessing apprenticeships and in assisting organisations to have meaningful engagement with potential applicants across the country.

Siobhan is dedicated to assisting UCAS with creating stronger parity between traditional HE routes and apprenticeships, so that the public can make more informed decisions about future pathways.

Jackie has over 15 years’ experience in future talent and early careers marketing, possessing a deep understanding of both the future talent market, and the challenges faced by employers when it comes to apprentice and graduate recruitment.

Since joining SMRS in 2019, Jackie has worked with a diverse range of national and global employers across a wide portfolio of projects providing insight and consultancy, using her skills and expertise in future talent attraction marketing to support organisations with their strategic approach to emerging talent.

Richard is an experienced software and technology leader who has successfully led and developed direct and partnership strategies across a wide range of organizations, from startups and scale-ups to established software companies and global technology giants. Currently, he serves as the Vice President, EMEA at Paradox, a leading agentic conversational AI platform for talent acquisition. In this role, he is responsible for driving growth and go-to-market initiatives, building brand presence, and ensuring client success while shaping the future of hiring technology in the region. With a passion for leveraging automation and AI, he is dedicated to making recruiting more efficient and enhancing the experience for candidates, hiring managers, and talent acquisition teams

James is Chief Legal Officer at YOONO, bringing his experience with advising on multiple aspects of data law to help YOONO deliver a fully-compliant service for customers. A specialist in demystifying complex areas of data law, including data protection legislation, artificial intelligence application, human rights and cyber security, James has previously worked within global law firm DLA Piper, focussing on multiple international projects in the UK, Brussels and Washington, D.C. He also speaks and writes about data protection for a number of known publications, and is the co-editor of the Data Protection Laws of the World website.

Stylianos Taxidis is a data and analytics expert, specialising in data science and product management to drive sustainability and social impact. With almost a decade of experience leading data-driven projects, he helps CV-Library customers unlock value through innovative solutions. He is co-founder of the AI Leaders community.

With over seven years’ experience in Talent Attraction and Employer Branding, Charlotte partners with clients to deliver Employer Brand projects from initial concept to activation. She is an expert in campaign planning and activation, media management and content curation, and works closely with a range of high profile clients such as the LEGO Group, Pandora, IHG and Yodel on their Employer Brand and attraction campaigns, on the creation and deployment of their employer brand attraction campaigns for both high volume and niche skills.

Charles is the Founder and CEO of Oleeo, a company he guided to a successful flotation on the London Stock Exchange within five years. His expertise lies in enabling organisations of any scale, from emerging startups to established corporations, to undergo significant change by leveraging AI-powered talent acquisition technology.

Outside of the office, his happy place is definitely in the water — whether enjoying a relaxing dip in the pool or an adventurous open-water swim.