IHR Live Manchester 2025

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.

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.

With a management degree and background in social sciences and AI theories and marketing, I understand the intersection of business strategy, recruitment processes, and market positioning.

Over the last decade, I have focused on creating meaningful experiences through innovative employer branding. My fascination with technological advancements, AI, and the power of online media led me to specialize in talent acquisition, recruitment marketing, and employer branding.

Currently, I lead employer branding efforts for EMESA at Boston Consulting Group (BCG), driving strategic initiatives to attract top consulting talent across Europe, the Middle East, South America, and Africa.

Prior to BCG, I developed recruitment marketing and employer brand strategies for Amazon.com in the EMEA region, gaining valuable experience in scaling global talent initiatives.

Looking forward to sharing some of my experiences with you!

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.

Michael has spent the past five years at the University of Manchester in roles including Apprenticeships Manager, Business Transformation, and most recently, Talent Acquisition Partner, recruiting for academic, research, and professional services roles.

He has led various inclusive recruitment initiatives, most notably the University’s 200 for 200 Bicentenary program, which created over 200 paid opportunities for individuals from underrepresented backgrounds in Greater Manchester. Michael looks forward to sharing more about this at IHR Live Manchester 2025!

Michelle is a global Talent Leader with experience across FTSE 100 organisations in Banking, Consumer, Technology, Communications Advisory, and Professional Services. She excels in leading teams with vision and impact, elevating the employer value proposition, and fostering strong brand advocacy for recruitment and talent management. Her expertise spans board, strategic, and operational recruitment, with a deep understanding of financials and a keen ability to maximise commercial outcomes.

Adam is a results-driven Head of Talent Acquisition with 20 years of experience in building high-performing teams and connecting organisations with the right talent to drive business success. His expertise spans multiple industries, including Automotive, Retail, Construction, Engineering, IT, and Manufacturing.



Adam takes a data-driven, technology-enabled approach to recruitment, leveraging AI, ATS, and social sourcing to streamline hiring and enhance the candidate experience. A strong advocate for diversity and inclusion, he is committed to fostering innovative, high-performing teams and delivering exceptional talent strategies that align with business goals.

Sabrina has worked across different industries and regions and leverages this experience and strategic insights to build meaningful and authentic connections between people and employers. With over 18 years of experience in marketing and brand, Sabrina has worked for global brands such as Shell and Qatar Airways Group, with clients such as Campari Group, Vodafone, and PWC on the agency side.

As the Talent Acquisition AI Lead at HM Revenue & Customs, Siobhan leads an innovative team responsible for developing and deploying cutting-edge technology solutions, including AI and automation, within the talent acquisition process.

Her team also focuses on the human side of adoption, supporting the organisation in improving AI literacy across departments.

She has a strong background in HR management, coaching, and training, holding a CIPD Level 7 Advanced Diploma in Strategic People Management and a Level 5 Certificate in Effective Coaching and Mentoring. Currently, she is expanding her technical expertise, having completed courses in Python, User Research, and Agile, and is working towards a Level 7 Degree Apprenticeship in Artificial Intelligence (Data Specialist).

Stefanie is passionate about people and making a difference to the world we live in. A non-traditional HR professional, she is committed to freeing organisations from the shackles of rigid processes and outdated cultures. She focuses on positively disrupting traditional practices, placing engagement and employees at the heart of everything, and creating an environment where everyone has equality of opportunity.

As Group Talent Acquisition Manager at Operam Education Group, Leanne is leading the transformation programme for the business wide recruitment journey, ensuring employee and candidate experience is at the focus.

The OEG investment strategy encompasses people, technology and business processes to improve efficiencies and further develop service delivery, of which Talent Acquisition is central to adopting an approach of continuous improvement.

Experienced with both In-house and agency recruitment, Leanne’s industry experience extends across Education, Customer Experience, Sales & Marketing, Production and Distribution.

With over 12 years of experience in Talent Acquisition, she is currently working as a Talent Acquisition Business Partner at TalkTalk—operating as the Head of Talent Acquisition and reporting directly to the Chief People Officer.

She leads on defining and executing the organisation’s EVP, building an inclusive and agile recruitment framework, and driving strategies that enhance candidate experience, employer branding, and diversity in hiring.

From shaping scalable hiring processes to embedding a culture-focused talent strategy, she brings a hands-on, forward-thinking approach to attracting top talent and supporting organisational growth.

As the Principal of Clu Labs, Jeff leads the next phase of Clu’s research and innovation agenda, with a focus on expanding its professional services offering and fostering strategic collaborations with partners in academia, government, and industry. Clu is a purpose-driven B2B SaaS platform that helps organisations build resilient, future-ready workforces through skills intelligence. Its AI engine, TalentGPS™, powers strategic skills mapping, workforce planning, and optimization.

With over 11 years of experience as the Founder & CEO of Big Bear Partners, he empowers HR professionals and organizations to harness the transformative power of artificial intelligence (AI) within the HR technology landscape. He provides comprehensive guidance and support across three key areas: AI in HR Technology Software and Platforms, AI-driven HR Transformation, and AI-powered HR Analytics. His mission is to help HR leaders become strategically relevant to their executive boards as true internal consultants.

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.

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.

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.

Experienced Business Development Manager with a demonstrated history of working in the staffing and recruiting industry. Skilled in Graduate Recruitment, Interviewing, Business Development, Recruiting, and Training. Contact me to discuss implementing HR Technology to enhance your current processes!

After spending 14 years working for a FTSE 250 recruitment business, my passion to work in partnership with businesses and organisations, who want to provide the best possible candidate experience to their applicants, has brought me to an innovative HR Tech business, who prioritise people and product over profit!

Tribepad have been in the Talent Acquisition tech world for the last 12 years, we are providing talent acquisition technology for clients based in 127 different countries and we process 1 million job applications per month. We are an independent organisation that strives to produce the best possible experience for all involved in the whole recruitment cycle.

Claire Mitchell is Sova’s IO Solutions Lead and has been with Sova for 2 years. Claire is a Chartered Occupational Psychologist with 18 years of experience in the talent assessment industry. She leads Sova’s IO solutions for our clients and tries to balance business practicalities with science and return on investment.

Robert Newry, Co-Founder of Arctic Shores, is a passionate advocate for social mobility and skills-based hiring. He has spoken on psychometrics, HR tech, and AI, appearing on BBC and being quoted in outlets like The Times and The Guardian. As host of the TA Disruptors Podcast, he writes for leading HR media and campaigns for CV-less hiring to promote social mobility and inclusion.

Deeply passionate about digital transformation, data, and implementing enterprise software to help customers drive step-changes in efficiency, speed, and pace of innovation.

Dominic is a LinkedIn TopVoice 2024 in Careers and Job Search Strategy, with over 10 years of experience in recruitment and people projects. He has worked globally across agency, RPO, and in-house roles, specialising in transformation, automation, and process improvement within fintech, banking, and e-commerce sectors.

An expert content creator, Dominic’s work has been featured in LinkedIn News, BBC News, Financial Times, and the Daily Mail. He is a sought-after speaker and panelist, having contributed to major events like LinkedIn Talent Connect UK, RecFest, and HR Grapevine.

Andy is a customer focused leader with experience across the biggest companies in the world and exciting startups. He enjoys solving problems for customers and leading teams of great people.

Chris Bryce is Chief Executive of Freelancers & Contractors Services Association. Chris joined FCSA in January 2022 with an accomplished record of delivering excellence, growth, cultural change, and influence across a range of complex businesses and non-profits. His overall aim is to ensure all parties in the supply chain – especially workers served by FCSA members – can expect the highest levels of compliance, transparency, and reliability and to raise standards of compliance across the industry. Chris has worked in the world of contracting and consultancy at several financial institutions, delivering multiple global-scale change programmes as a consultant Programme Director.

As Head of Client Partnerships at Adzuna, Gordon brings a unique perspective from both sides of the hiring equation. With a decade of hands-on experience as a recruiter before transitioning into HR technology, he understands the daily challenges talent acquisition professionals face. Passionate about leveraging technology to streamline recruitment, Gordon helps employers optimise their hiring strategies while always maintaining focus on candidate experience.  

With extensive experience in leading Talent Acquisition functions across both the private and public sectors, Tom is passionate about ensuring that recruitment processes are fair and equitable. He works to ensure that the design places the candidate at the heart of the process, enabling them to showcase their whole self and the value they can bring to the role and organisation.

Having been immersed in the world of recruitment and talent acquisition for almost 20 years, Matt has assisted hundreds of organisations in developing robust hiring programs to help mitigate the compliance, reputational and financial risk of a bad hire.

Matt is responsible for driving growth at First Advantage in the EMEA market, overseeing sales strategy, collaborating closely with hiring organisations to understand their background screening and identity needs and creating tailored solutions to build trusted environments for employees, customers and partners around the world.

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

Julie is known for unearthing the true insights and harsh realities, that are the foundation of our employer brand work. With over 25 years’ experience as a strategic communications expert, Julie has worked with brands such as BT, Workday, American Airlines, GE, Google, and Aldi. 

She led the strategy work on our multi-award-winning employer brand and careers website project for GVC, the world’s biggest sports gaming company. She is a knowledgeable and captivating speaker, always insightful and inspiring.

Caroline is a passionate, adaptable, and innovative Partnerships and Engagement professional with experience working with third sector organisations and within the higher education sector. She currently manages corporate partnerships with national and international brands to support talent attraction, increase brand awareness, and engage students aged 11–18.

Previously, she worked with higher education students to develop their employability skills and create social enterprises. She also has experience working overseas with an international development organisation, as well as in the management, recruitment, and coordination of family activities within the leisure industry.

In the last ten years, Danny has gained a wealth of experience supporting a wide range of clients with their employer branding and talent attraction strategies — helping them connect with the people they need most. He is passionate about ensuring organisations truly understand their audience, using innovative data analysis to unlock insights and make every pound of their budget work harder. Combined with cutting-edge media strategy, his focus is on delivering smart, effective solutions that drive real ROI.

With over a decade working on the creative side of employer branding, Liam has had the pleasure of creating work that solves tough challenges and delivers outstanding results for organisations of all shapes and sizes — from technology giants changing the world to housing associations and healthcare companies helping people care for theirs.

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.