Job Title:
Founder & CEO

Company:
Firstbase

Speaker Bio:
Chris is the founder and CEO of Firstbase, a platform that lets companies supply and manage all the practical equipment remote workers need to do great work at home. He believes that replicating office working styles remotely, rather than leveraging the real advantages of remote, will lead to bad outcomes for workers and companies. He passionately believes that empowering workers to do deep focussed work without distraction is how remote working can deliver on its promise. Previously Chris founded a remote-first FinTech startup and installed physical equipment in the most remote environments on the planet. He regularly shares his thoughts on remote through Twitter, his blog, and speaking engagements.

Job Title:
Founder

Company:
Distribute Consulting

Speaker Bio:
Remote working strategist and advocate. As the Founder of Distribute Consulting and the Remote Work Association, Laurel Farrer starts, strengthens, and leverages virtual workforces to solve corporate and socioeconomic concerns. A global thought leader on the topic of remote work, Laurel collaborates with the world's leading businesses and governments to eliminate virtual worker discrimination, prevent policy retraction, increase remote job accessibility, train distributed leaders, and design economic initiatives. Additionally, she also shares her expertise as a Forbes contributor, subject matter expert for business education curriculum, and virtual software product advisor.

Job Title:
Editor

Company:
The Homeworker

Speaker Bio:
Louise Goss is an award-winning journalist and founder and editor of The Homeworker, a magazine dedicated to helping people thrive when they work from home. She has worked for organisations such as ITN, the BBC and Global radio with a career spanning newsrooms across TV, radio, online and print. With over a decade of experience working from home, Louise launched The Homeworker magazine. Fusing the genres of business, lifestyle and wellbeing, it reflects the realities of the modern homeworker, supporting remote and flexible workers and the self-employed with their work-from-home lifestyles.

Job Title:
Head of Remote

Company:
GitLab

Speaker Bio:
As Head of Remote at GitLab – the world’s biggest remote company – Darren works at the intersection of culture, process, hiring, employer branding, marketing, and communication. He’s spent his career leading remote teams and charting remote transformations. He holds a Guinness World Record in publishing, and authored GitLab’s Remote Playbook and Living the Remote Dream: A Guide To Seeing the World, Setting Records, and Advancing Your Career.

Job Title:
Head of International Marketing

Company:
Universal Production Music

Speaker Bio:
Elodie is the Head of International Marketing at Universal Production Music, and a Brain-Based Coach. As an entrepreneur, marketer, brain-based coach and an unshakable optimist, Elodie is on a mission to help others to become extraordinary leaders and create a world-class business and life. Over the past fifteen years, Elodie has been leading teams within International environments and worked in senior marketing roles for various industries from financial services to higher education, luxury fashion and tourism.

Job Title:
Head of Talent Acquisition

Company:
Future

Speaker Bio:
Claire has over 10 yrs experience as a Recruitment professional across multiple industries including Retail, Professional Services and Media. She currently heads up the Talent Acquisition function at Future plc, responsible for recruitment and resourcing activities across the global business. She has experience of implementing and driving direct-hire resourcing models supported by technology. She is passionate about the power of communication and branding in a recruitment context to ensure businesses reach, engage and select the best people for their roles.

Job Title:
Editor in Chief

Company:
5Gradar

Speaker Bio:
Dan is a British journalist with 25 years of experience in the design and technology sectors, producing content for the likes of Microsoft, Adobe, Dell, and Amazon. In 2012 he helped launch the world's number one design blog, Creative Bloq. Dan is now editor-in-chief at 5Gradar, where he oversees news, insight, and reviews, providing an invaluable resource for anyone looking to stay up-to-date with the key issues facing 5G.

Job Title:
News & Features Editor

Company:
TechRadar Pro & ITProPortal

Speaker Bio:
Mike Moore is News & Features Editor across both TechRadar Pro and ITProPortal. He has worked as a technology journalist for more than five years, including at one of the UK's leading national newspapers, covering B2B and B2C news across the industry spectrum.

Job Title:
Editor

Company:
Real Homes

Speaker Bio:
As editor of Real Homes magazine, Beth is passionate about all things home related. She’s worked in the world of interiors magazines for 17 years and is always on the lookout for new ideas and inspiration for home improvement projects.

Job Title:
Director of Permanent Appointments

Company:
Hays UK and Ireland

Speaker Bio:
Gaelle joined Hays in 1999 and in her time with the business she has led dedicated teams providing expert recruitment services for a wide range of sectors and professions, with a particular focus on construction and property. In 2018 she was appointed the Director for Permanent Recruitment, working across Hays UK and Ireland to improve business performance, drive best practice and shape Hays’ value proposition to both clients and candidates.

Job Title:
Founder

Company:
The Healthy Work Company

Speaker Bio:
Heather is a former director of a FTSE 250 company where she worked within the health and safety sector. Now the founder of The Healthy Work Company, she works with large companies on their wellbeing strategy and trains their teams in mental health and wellbeing. Her team are all homeworkers and since the pandemic they have made a study of what works and doesn't work for homeworkers in terms of safeguarding their mental health.

Job Title:
Global Editor in Chief

Company:
TechRadar

Speaker Bio:
Gareth Beavis is the Global Editor in Chief for TechRadar, having constantly wondered about the tech industry for nearly a decade and a half. He loves to run, play with phones and wonder how to do more things with spreadsheets - he's a real hoot at parties.

Job Title:
Managing Director

Company:
nTrust

Speaker Bio:
Russ McKenzie is Managing Director of nTrust, providing IT services and support to over 150 SMEs. Having held Head of IT positions within FTSE 100 companies, IT security is always high on the agenda, along with using technology to be more productive, better informed, to improve customer experiences and for businesses to be more profitable. The company has supported clients during the Coronavirus crisis when many businesses have had to quickly change the way their employees work and ensure that data remains secure.

Job Title:
Head of Diversity and Inclusion

Company:
ACAS

Speaker Bio:
Julie is a diversity and inclusion specialist with over 18 years' experience in the public and voluntary sector. At Acas she's responsible for leading and providing expert advice to build an inclusive culture. She also leads on employee health and wellbeing.

Job Title:
Kirstie Jones

Company:
Navitas

Speaker Bio:
Kirstie Jones is an Environmental Health Expert and Regional Manager at Navitas. Kirstie has been supporting businesses for over 20 years with health, food and fire safety best practice. Kirstie regularly provides guidance on health & safety topics and has contributed to features that have been published in the likes of The Times.

Job Title:
Brand Development Editor

Company:
Future Plc

Speaker Bio:
Event host Laura Crombie is an experienced editor, presenter and commentator. She works remotely as Brand Development Editor for Future Plc, overseeing content for new initiatives, such as the Working From Home Show. She has been writing about property and interior design for the last 13 years, and presents the Real Homes Show.

Job Title:
Director

Company:
Human Applications

Speaker Bio:
Nigel worked for large companies (BT, GEC) and government (HM Treasury) before co-founding Human Applications in 1992. Since then, he has provided independent risk management advice to organisations such as Tesco, Highways Agency, Leonard Cheshire Disability and DHL. He is a Chartered Member of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health and a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors, and is currently working with a government body and large commercial organisation on Covid-19 response. Nigel is a regular speaker at safety events and has developed several training courses for the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health.

Job Title:
Managing Director of Homes

Company:
Future Plc

Speaker Bio:
Jason works remotely as Managing Director of Homes for Future Plc. He is a home design expert and an experienced self builder, who has just finished renovating a 1960s home. The former Editor of Homebuilding & Renovating magazine, Jason is also a regular in the seminar theatres at the Homebuilding & Renovating Show.

Job Title:
Chartered Member

Company:
Institute of Occupational Safety & Health

Speaker Bio:
Audrey is a Chartered Member of the Institute of Occupational Safety & Health, with diplomas in health and safety, plus additional training in ergonomics and workstation adaptations. She has worked mainly in the public sector and as consultant to small businesses, most recently within the manufacturing and engineering sectors. She was a home-based remote worker for five years, making her well placed to set up a homeworking policy for the last local authority she worked for.

Job Title:
Chartered Member

Company:
It is easy to reinforce you companies culture and values to your employees when you see them every day. But how do you do this when your team are working remotely? Caryl Thomas will provide business owners with the information and tools to effectively lead your business remotely using good communication, structure and an organised environment. Learn how to empower your remote team to make proactive decisions that maintain your business culture.

Job Title:
Research Adviser at CIPD

Company:
Resourcing and Inclusion at CIPD

Speaker Bio:
Mel specialises in learning and development and skills research at CIPD. Prior to joining the CIPD, she worked as an HR practitioner in a technology organisation, and has previously worked as a researcher in an employee engagement and wellbeing consultancy. She holds a masters degree based on research into work–life boundary styles and the impact of this on employee wellbeing and engagement.