Meet our speakers

James Finnegan is the Global Business Development Director of 5Y Technology.
The 5Y platform, solutions and company are dedicated to disrupting the traditional technical landscape and powering change through data. 5Y aims to be the catalyst for a world where data-driven decision-making and operations are the norm, enabling organisations to unlock their full potential and achieve sustainable success.

Joanne is Co-Founder and CEO at Kinsetsu, she is passionate about utilising technology for the right reasons, to improve outcomes for teams, services, and citizens. Joanne has 20+ years of experience in the ICT industry and holds a BSc in Computing. She started her career in application development before broadening her experience into application design, business analysis and business development before founding Kinsetsu in 2016. Joanne brings knowledge and passion with a customer focused mindset, empowering customers to make a positive change utilising IoT to support efficiency and sustainability agendas.

Rich Dale is CEO of Flowlens MRP software, specialising in user-friendly but powerful tools that save SME manufacturers time, and help them plan materials and work more effectively. Flowlens is a learning organisation whose mission is to helps it's customers be the best they can be. This is achieved through effective digital transformation and cultural change, as well as data-led insights that drive effective continuous improvement.

Holly Steele-Nicholson brings over a decade of hands-on expertise in business intelligence and data analytics along with an MSc in Business Analytics and Artificial Intelligence. Holly has dedicated the last 7 years to helping clients in both the public and private sector design and achieve their digital transformation strategies and goals . More recently, Holly has spent the last 6 month collaborating with numerous manufacturing clients on process improvement, digital transformation, and leveraging data analytics to optimize operations and drive better data utilization.

Erdem Ozturk is an internationally recognised leader in the digital machining field and is a domain expert. He has more than 20 years of experience in the research and development landscape. He is an Associate member of CIRP (The International Academy for Production Engineering). He has raised £4.2 million funding for research projects he led at the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre.

Andrew Sherlock is the Director of Data-Driven Manufacturing at the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland and Professor of Practice at the University of Strathclyde. His first degree was in Mechanical Engineering and his PhD focused on novel shape optimisation techniques for aerospace components. His subsequent career, both in academia and industry, has focused on the application of AI, data science and search techniques to design and manufacturing. In 2006 he founded ShapeSpace Ltd, a spin-out from the University of Edinburgh, to commercialise 3D search-by-shape technology, initially developed as a 3D search engine for components and subsequently enhanced to allow analysis of assemblies. This technology has been deployed at a number of large manufacturers in automotive, aerospace and industrial equipment industries where the ability to undertake analytics on component portfolios and large numbers of bills of materials has uncovered significant cost savings within the supply chain. Between 2016 and 2019 he was the Royal Academy of Engineering Visiting Professor in Design for Product Profitability at the University of Edinburgh.

Co-founder and CEO of Devtank established in 2014. Tim’s passion and motivation to bring disruptive test and measurement products to the market has been a driving force. Tim's work history starting with Rolls Royce Aerospace to the current day position at Devtank has been a journey which has provided a great deal of design, manufacturing and business development expertise. Tim is passionate about building sustainable solutions and collaborating with others for the best results.

Nishant, with a decade's experience in manufacturing, leads Valuechain Technology Ltd. for data-driven manufacturing & supply chain solutions , aiding SMEs with digital tools. Hosting 'How did they get there?' & 'Let's Talk ValueChain' podcast, he explores industry insights. His journey reflects innovation, knowledge-sharing, and transformative leadership.

Tom Baker has a wealth of experience as Head of Digital for global manufacturers and leading digital product development teams across a wide range of industries. He leads transformative initiatives in industrial IoT and data analysis, using cloud technology to enable cutting edge scale and performance. Having spent parts of his career working in Australia and Europe, Tom co-founded Output Industries with Mike Wright in 2022 and lives on the south coast of the UK. In previous consultancy roles, Tom has worked on projects for companies such as Coca-Cola, Mazda and Apollo Tyres.

Join us for a session with Dorian Smellie, CEO and Founder of TotalControlPro, where he will discuss the impact of data-driven strategies on manufacturing. Dorian will explain how the DynamxMFG platform, tailored for SME manufacturers, helps optimise resource allocation by ensuring resources are used efficiently and effectively at the right times and places. This platform, which is both accessible and affordable, is designed to enhance productivity through streamlined operations. In addition, Dorian will cover the partnership between TotalControlPro and SMDH, highlighting how this collaboration is utilising data to improve manufacturing processes. The focus is on enabling predictive analytics to support better decision-making and increase responsiveness to market changes. This presentation will be valuable for manufacturing professionals interested in how technology can enhance operational efficiency and productivity. It will provide insights into how adopting the DynamxMFG platform can lead to more efficient production processes and reduced waste. The session is an opportunity to learn about advancing your manufacturing operations through a data-centric approach that is scalable and cost-effective. Join us to explore how these strategies can help your business adapt and thrive in a competitive landscape.

Josh Moody is a Senior R&D Design Engineer at Photocentric, leaders in both large scale and high volume manufacturing using LCD 3D printing. He studied the Design Engineering MEng at Imperial College London, and since then has been developing Photocentric's revolutionary AM automation system, JENI. JENI's development has been informed by Photocentric's experience producing millions of parts using an in-house, manually operated print farm. Because of this, JENI has been designed to be modular and flexible to make it scalable to customer requirements and adaptable to varying part geometries.

I work with cities, city leaders, infrastructure teams and a variety of city actors, to figure out how technology can help them to achieve their goals; such as improving air quality, reducing congestion and using digital tech and transport to improve city services. One of my areas of interest and focus is on building resilience within urban systems. I led on the Siemens relationship with 100 Resilient Cities. I can offer urban technology insights in the areas of mobility, buildings and energy.

George Armstrong is the CEO of Scanmatix, who bring over 80 years of collective experience in digitally enabling and transforming inventory management. Their award-winning software solutions and consultancy services are helping redefine industries, alongside their cutting-edge mobile data capture application.  Complementing existing ERP/MRP and Accounts packages, they seamlessly integrate into the supply chain, offering real-time visibility and full traceability, optimising stock processes and ensuring every aspect of your operations operates intelligently and efficiently.   They help you embrace innovation and adopt best practices for success in today's digital landscape.  

Since founding ShopFloorLive in 2015, John McLaughlin has been at the forefront of manufacturing. ShopFloorLive offers a cutting-edge platform that seamlessly links traditional systems like ERP, Sage, etc.. and the shop-floor, providing real-time schedules and core information to drive manufacturing. This innovative platform has already made significant impact, reducing lead time from weeks to days while enabling successful Lean transformations.

With over 30 years of experience in Senior Leadership roles, John is a seasoned expert in engineering and manufacturing, known for his ability to turn around struggling businesses through strategic changes and efficiency improvements. Good systems “Set You Free”.

At this conference, John will delve into how ShopFloorLive's platform empowers teams with 'Live' connected information, transforming the way organisations operate in the digital age. Don't miss this opportunity to gain invaluable insights.

Gordon Semple is the Consultancy Services Director at Booth Welsh and has been with the business for over 20 years. He now looks after a team of Engineering Consultants, which include the Technology Development & Digitalisation (TDD) team. The TDD team are concerned primarily with the development of new digital technologies focused around the areas of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), Big Data, Cyber Security, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and the use of Mixed Reality (AR & VR) solutions, to add value to client projects within the Process & Manufacturing sectors.

Gordon and his team also have strong links with academia. Gordon recently overseen the delivery of a large-scale, industrial digital transformation project called DEMO, a Digital Environment for Manufacturing Operations, for the National Manufacturing Institute of Scotland (NMIS), a research centre affiliated to the University of Strathclyde.

Richard’s mission is to empower brilliant scientists with the tools to redefine industries using engineered biology.

Richard is co-founder, CEO and Chair of BiologIC Technologies. BiologIC’s integrated bioprocessing platform is trusted by leading customers to enhance yields, process robustness and scalability of advanced biology products. The platform, enabled by novel biocomputer technology, enables new categories of machines to be built from fluidic processing chips designed like computer chips. Our vision is to help customers engineer biology to solve enormous challenges faced by humanity (feeding 9.8 billion people by 2050, mitigating climate change and reducing the threat of diseases) in an environmentally sustainable, economically accessible way.

In seven valuable years as interim CEO, deputy CEO, CFO, COO and Company Secretary, Richard was instrumental in growing Horizon Discovery Group plc from an emerging private company of £3m revenue in 2012 to a recognised global leader in gene editing delivering revenue of £60m at a valuation of £350m. Richard delivered one of the most successful ever Life Science listings on AIM raising £68.6m in a heavily oversubscribed IPO at the top of its valuation range within 3 months, fundraisings in the UK and the US, four acquisitions and hostile bid defence.

Richard was previously Vice President, Finance at CSR plc, a dual listed FTSE 250 semiconductor company with $1bn of revenues, and a director in Deloitte’s life sciences practice. Richard is a qualified chartered accountant with a first class degree in biological sciences from Durham University.

Craig is the Group Tooling and Process Development Manager at Fibrax LTD, developing the most effective manufacturing solutions for the introduction of new products. In this role, Craig has the opportunity to apply the latest technologies that are changing the shape of manufacturing in UK and across the world. Craig is passionate about finding new ways to innovate and remove barriers to innovation, particularly in SMEs. Craig has engaged in number of industry events in the aim of promoting collaboration across industries and academic institutions to help businesses fulfil their operational potential.