Hazel Biggs | Innovation Lead - Defence and National Security | Innovate UK Business Connect
Hazel is passionate about protecting the UK from threat, risk and harm, and about helping to ensure that people can go about their daily lives safely and without fear. Throughout her career, that commitment has been the constant thread — alongside a deep belief in the power of innovation, coaching and mentoring to build stronger systems, better capabilities and more resilient people.
Hazels career has been broad and varied, spanning drug development, frontline operational firefighting, crime scene investigation and the civil service. Since 2018, she has been the National Security and Defence Knowledge Transfer Manager at Innovate UK Business Connect working with government departments and regional defence and security clusters, to support innovative small businesses bring their dual-use technologies into the defence supply chain This breadth of experience has given Hazel a unique perspective on how science, technology, innovation and people development can come together to solve complex operational challenges.
Defence is a vital part of homeland security. It is about far more than military presence in conflict; it is about protecting the UK, its citizens wherever they are in the world, and our national interests from those who seek to do harm — whether through hostile intent, emerging technologies or sector-specific threats.
For Hazel, defence is a golden thread that runs through all innovation activity. It is about ensuring that research, development and innovation are assessed not only for their potential benefit, but also for the risks, vulnerabilities and harms that may arise through misuse, exploitation or disruption by others.
Where others may see emerging innovation purely as a force for good, Hazel also asks how it could be intercepted, repurposed, re-engineered or weaponised. Equally, she is interested in how innovations developed for civilian sectors can be translated into defence contexts. Hazel works with small companies and academia to develop and deploy solutions safely, responsibly and with appropriate safeguards in place.
Alongside her strategic and innovation work, Hazel is passionate about supporting people. She enjoys bringing the right people together to solve operational problems, spotting opportunities for innovation, and supporting others to develop their ideas, networks and confidence through collaboration.
Coaching and mentoring are important parts of how Hazel leads and collaborates, whether that is helping colleagues navigate change, supporting partners to shape ideas, or encouraging others to build confidence in new and challenging environments. Hazel believes that investing in people is just as important as investing in technology.
Jessica Allen | Strategy and Integration Consultant | BAE Systems Digital Intelligence
Jess is a strategy and transformation consultant whose career has centred on strengthening national resilience across cyber, defence and space, and is recognised for her clarity of thought, analytical depth and calm leadership in high‑stakes environments.
Jess began her career during the COVID‑19 period, supporting major government departments through complex digital and cyber transformation. Her early work helped uplift cyber maturity and strengthen decision‑making across critical functions at a time of national uncertainty.
Jess contributed to the UK’s growing role in space by designing a pioneering valuation framework for space‑based industrial cooperation and helping shape an international partnership within a multi‑billion‑pound export campaign. The programme supported the UK’s successful bid, and her framework now underpins further international campaigns exceeding £100m.
Today, Jess supports enterprise‑level strategy across Digital Intelligence’s entire portfolio, driving performance improvement, strengthening governance and enabling more confident, consistent decision‑making at scale. She is recognised for championing psychologically safe, inclusive cultures and her active support of early‑career talent through mentoring.
As part of a new generation of women shaping the future of defence, technology and national resilience, Jess brings integrity, curiosity, and purpose to sectors where diverse voices are critical to progress.
Basma El Doukhi | Development Manager | BRC
Basma Taysir Al Doukhi is a UK-based Palestinian Doctor in Migration studies, a human rights activist, humanitarian practitioner, and founder of Roouh, a social enterprise that serves as a platform for female refugee artisans to tell their stories in their own words through their craft. Before pursuing a PhD, she worked for over a decade as a humanitarian professional, supporting refugee communities in the MENA region on behalf of the UN. She is undertaking a comparative case study of Syrian and Afghan associations supporting their displaced communities in Turkey. Her PhD project is the first study of these associations undertaken by a scholar with a refugee background. Her background is a mix of practice, research and policy work, with a particular interest in the topics of representation, voices and power within refugee and migration studies.
Louisa Rose | CEO | Beyond
Louisa Rose is CEO of Beyond, a bold grassroots organization dedicated to tackling the youth mental health crisis and the founder of Now and Beyond – a pioneering tool that bridges the access gap between educators and mental health lesson materials.
Louisa is passionate about creating platforms that empower young people to use their lived experiences to shape change.
A former social media professional, Louisa reflects on the ways that addictive technology and persuasive design has come to intersect the lives of young people, and our own, with dramatic implications. A regular speaker on the subject, Louisa seeks to empower young people and grown ups with the tools they need to reclaim control of their digital habits.
Michelle Lamptey | Multi Asset Investment Specialist | Fidelity International
Michelle Lamptey is a Multi-Asset Investment Specialist at Fidelity International. She partners with the investment team to translate complex macro views and portfolio positioning into clear insights for clients. Her role combines cross-asset technical expertise with strategic communication, supporting the commercialisation and differentiation of multi-asset strategies.
Michelle began her career at Fidelity at age 17 through a competitive scholarship programme, producing investment research across equities and fixed income while completing her studies at King’s College London Maths School, named State Sixth Form College of the Year by The Sunday Times in 2018. She went on to study Mathematics & Philosophy at the University of Warwick.
Joining Fidelity full-time as an Investment Associate, Michelle recommended passive instruments across themes such as cybersecurity and sustainability and supported client engagement. In her current role as an Investment Specialist, she supports client retention and growth efforts for multi-asset income and thematic strategies, which totalled $15bn in AUM at their peak. She works closely with sales teams across Asia and Europe, providing market updates and client insights. Michelle is an active member of Fidelity's Cultural Diversity and Social Mobility networks and has spoken on panels addressing unconscious bias and inclusive recruitment. Michelle has cleared CFA Level I and II, and was awarded the CFA ESG certificate in 2025
Alana Antwi-Donkor | Internal Audit Associate | Nomura International plc
I am a qualified chartered accountant with almost 10 years experience in both internal and external audit. I have worked across various industries including not-for-profit, oil and gas, charities and financial services. I am currently an Internal Audit Associate within Nomura specialising in auditing the Legal and Compliance departments.
In addition to the above, I try and spend as much time as I can mentoring. I am originally from Ghana and moved to the UK to study. I had to learn a lot about the UK, including applying for internships and full time work on my own. Once I got my first permanent job, I decided to provide something I wasn't able to get as a student - mentorship. From my first mentoring opportunity in 2017 to date, I have had the opportunity to mentor a wide range of students and juniors in my place of work and at schools and universities. I currently mentor with SEO and have done so ever since joining Nomura. In addition to this, I still mentor a colleague from my EY days and have informal cross-divisional mentoring sessions internally at Nomura.
Lauren Way | Vice President - Global Business Manager, Banking and Markets | Northern Trust
Lauren serves as Vice President, Global Business Manager for Banking & Markets at Northern Trust. She is responsible for strategy execution, financial oversight, capital investment portfolio management, and the governance and reporting requirements of the Banking & Markets franchise. Supporting the Business Unit Global Head, she ensures the delivery of key strategic initiatives aligned to business priorities and enterprise strategy.
Previously, Lauren held roles within the EMEA Chief Administrative Office, where she supported the regional president on governance, regulatory engagement, and the delivery of strategic initiatives across multiple legal entities.
Having joined Northern Trust through the University Placement Program in 2019, Lauren is passionate about facilitating equitable access for junior talent into financial services. She actively participates in mentoring and development initiatives and serves as Co‑Chair of the Advancing Professionals Business Resource Council, driving engagement and support through networking, professional development, education, and community involvement, while also acting as a meaningful business resource for the firm. Lauren completed the Women’s Diverse Leadership Program in 2023 and has been a member of the Women in Leadership Business Resource Council for three years.
Lauren holds a First‑Class degree in Business Economics and the CFA UK Investment Management Certificate.
Eva Abend | Battery Metals Trader | Macquarie Bank
As a Commodity Trader at Macquarie Group, I founded the lithium trading desk in 2021 and have since lead the transformation and growth of the broader battery metals business into an industry-shaping global operation alongside a talented team.
But this is more than a story about a desk: Battery metals are a nascent market — there is no established playbook, no decades of precedent to draw from.
Much of what I do involves figuring things out in real time, developing frameworks from scratch, and bringing our clients with us on that journey. That has not always been straightforward — the energy transition story has faced real headwinds, and there have been moments where conviction mattered as much as technical skill. Seeing that narrative find its footing again makes the work feel more meaningful than ever.
Beyond trading, I believe in the importance of bringing others along. I sit on the LME Lithium and Cobalt Committee, and regularly speak on panel discussions to help new and prospective market participants navigate this complex space. I am also actively involved in mentoring students at my alma mater and those who haven’t had access to the same opportunities I have been lucky enough to have. It is that same belief — that markets, knowledge, and opportunity should be built to include more people, not fewer — that drives everything I do.
And in a market as young and as vital as this one, I feel I am only just getting started.
Jade Buffong-Phillips | Founder | Mane Hook-Up
Jade Buffong is co-founder and CEO of Curls, Coils &, a Community Interest Company supporting the textured hair community through three pillars: Care (free hair care for vulnerable children), Cashflow (business education for beauty entrepreneurs), and Change (fighting hair discrimination).
Jade is also the founder of Mane Hook-Up, a beauty booking platform for textured hairstylists. With a background in media systems engineering and broadcast technology, she brings over 10 years of experience in tech and community building.
Abi Robinson | Head of Client Engagement | The Yardstick Agency
In November 2021, I found myself searching for jobs with a gin and tonic in hand (it always helps!), wondering if there was more to working life than the unfulfilling role I was in. A marketing position at Yardstick caught my eye. Despite having limited experience in both marketing and financial services, I applied, believing curiosity, hard work, and determination could take me further than a perfectly matched CV.
Within my first year, I was promoted to Head of Social Media after building a new department from scratch. I developed formalised services, built and mentored an all-female team, and helped financial planning firms improve how they communicate the value of advice.
I later moved into a broader commercial role leading internal marketing, sales, and business development. I also transformed our webinar programme by securing some of the marketing industry’s most respected voices, including Rory Sutherland, Mark Ritson, and Lea Turner.
I’m passionate about supporting others entering financial services, particularly women. I mentor colleagues, share marketing insights on LinkedIn, and aim to show that young women can build confident careers in a profession that remains largely male-dominated. Thankfully, I’ve always been attracted to places I’m not expected to belong.
I won Rising Star of the Year at the Verve Awards and was Highly Commended at the Women in Financial Advice Awards. I’ve grown to know my worth. I want to continue to prove women can lead and thrive.