Archives: Speakers

Rebecca Brindley

Becks leads Digital Accessibility across NatWest Group, a team she founded. She heads a specialist team tasked with building an accessible bank by design, with a company wide remit she focuses on technology innovation and how everyone can play a role. Prior to this, Becks has worked in both technical and UX roles, giving her a broad perspective and insight into how to create the best accessible experiences.

When she’s not working on accessibility, she runs the virtual code club sessions with school kids. Thanks to her work on leading accessibility and guiding children into coding has been awarded winner of Outstanding Transformation of the year at Women in Tech Excellence 2022, NatWest Gender Network Women in Tech 2023 and Best Digital Accessibility Mission 2023.

She’s also talked about the impact of being Neurodivergent in her career, as well as how she manages a chronic condition. If you ever meet in person Becks she is open to a ‘warm hug’, coffee and a chat.

Dr. Will Maier

In his current role Dr. Maier works with pharmaceutical companies throughout the world to provide regulatory, strategic and scientific guidance on medical treatment development and commercialisation with a focus on rare disease.

Education:

• PG Dip (Organisational Development), Tavistock Institute, London, UK – 2009

• Ph.D. (Epidemiology), University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, US – 1995

• M.P.H. (Epidemiology and Biostatistics), San Diego State University, US – 1989

• B.A. (Biology and Cell Biology), University of California, San Diego, US – 1986

Employment history:

Dr. Maier has over 27 years of experience in drug development and commercialisation at pharmaceutical companies in Europe, Canada, the United States and Asia, as well as over 16 years’ experience working at ICON.

Simon Jamieson

Simon is MD of MLP, one of the UK’s biggest rewards and loyalty businesses. Simon is also a fellow and marketer in residence at Lancaster University.

He is a self-confessed loyalty, rewards, and gamification geek with over 20 year’s marketing experience, both client and agency side, creating award-winning marketing campaigns and loyalty propositions for some of the world’s biggest brands.

Simon’s life mission is to ‘create positive emotions’ – as he believes that true loyalty (and profitability) comes from creating emotional connections and relationships with clients and customers– or, as he calls it “ Delighting Customers, Delivering Results

Gail Russell

Gail Russell is the Head of Customer Channels and Commercialisation at HSBC, based in London. With over 15 years of experience in the financial services industry, she has developed expertise in customer strategy, P&L management, product and proposition development, digital innovation, risk management and distribution.

Gail has held executive leadership positions in global, regional, and market roles across Europe, North America, Africa, and Asia, demonstrating a profound ability to navigate complex business environments.

Prior to HSBC, she served as the Regional Head of Liabilities at Standard Bank and led Banking Products and Proposition at Citi. Her career also includes roles at Lloyds Banking Group and TD Bank.

Having lived in Toronto, Johannesburg, Paris, and London, Gail brings a diverse international perspective to her work, driving impactful customer-centric strategies that enhance user experiences and growth.

Tom Maidment

Tom Maidment is currently Group Product Sustainability Senior Manager at Hilton Food Group, leading the company’s response to the climate and nature crises. Before that he worked at Jaguar Land Rover, where he developed the company’s net zero strategy and founded E.Mission, a business improving the public’s understanding of the carbon footprint of food. In 2024 he also led the UK’s Youth Delegation to the G20 and is an associate at Oxford Net Zero.