I began my career working in the on-trade in Mexico City for Mezcal Amarás (formerly Amores). From there, I moved into the export team looking after key markets in Europe, with the focus of growing our footprint with local distributors.
Having moved back to the UK in 2020, I am now running the southern sales team (London, South-West & South-East) for premium spirits distributor Mangrove Global Ltd. We have a portfolio of 40 independent brands from all over the world that we have either seeded into or helped grow in the UK market. I specialise in growing new brands in the on-trade, responsible for sales in the region
James Shillcock is the Global Commercial Director of CleanCo, the UK’s leading independent non-alcoholic spirits brand. James has been with CleanCo and the Founding team from day 1 in 2019.
CleanCo develops a range of non-alcoholic spirits covering gin, rum, vodka, tequila and whiskey, and the brand is now listed across all major retailers in the UK, plus Nobu, Claridges, Hakkassan and other world-class operators. The brand recently launched into Walmart in the US and is already the fastest growing non-alc spirits brand in the US.
Valeri leads the product development division at Polipol and serves simultaneously as the project lead for digital transformation initiatives. In this dual role, he is responsible for driving change management across the product lifecycle – from rethinking processes and structures to implementing scalable, digital solutions.
With over 20 years of experience in engineering and development, Valeri has shaped the company’s journey from manual pattern creation to advanced 3D design and digital workflows. His expertise lies in 3D component and assembly design, project management, and organizational leadership. Most recently, his focus has been on implementing Siemens Teamcenter as a comprehensive PLM system and establishing a Digital Twin strategy based on Siemens NX and Teamcenter.
Key milestones in his career include leading the migration from SOLIDWORKS to Siemens NX, the rollout of a company-wide PLM infrastructure, and the successful implementation of a structured requirements management system. This system enables a systematic and traceable approach to managing product-related
requirements across the development process.
What drives him is a passion for change and innovation, a belief that meaningful progress comes from motivated teams, and a clear vision: creating lean, effective, and future-proof development processes through a connected Digital Thread. Outside of work, he is a dedicated family man who draws strength and inspiration from his private life.
Leanne is a Partner at KPMG in the UK, where she is the Head of AI, Advisory. With over 20 years of consulting experience, her proficiency encompasses a comprehensive range of data disciplines, including Data Architecture, Data Strategy, Data Management and Governance, as well as Advanced Analytics, AI and AI Ethics. Leanne excels in bridging the gap between business and IT stakeholders, ensuring seamless communication and understanding. Her adeptness in solving intricate technical challenges, coupled with her strategic foresight, has been instrumental in designing and leading the implementation of complex data-driven solutions. As the spearhead of Ethical AI initiatives at KPMG UK, Leanne is committed to fostering responsible AI practices that align with ethical standards and societal values.
