Head of strategy and communications

Lorna Branton has been working in technology and data communications for over a decade. She led the media team at NHS Digital, managing high profile proactive news about national health statistics, launches for NHS technology projects and reactive communications on a range of technology and data issues. For the past three years Lorna has focussed on strategy and communications in the health data research space; she is now interim head of strategy for the NHS Data for Research and Development Programme, which seeks to make health data available rapidly and safely for research, through a federated regional network of Secure Data Environments and which also funds the first national public deliberations into attitudes to health data and its use.

Head of communications

Georgie Cade is an experienced communications leader with a strong track record of reputation management and delivering high-profile campaigns. She is Head of Communications for University College London (UCL), ranked a top 10 global university (QS, 2023) and The Sunday Times’ University of the Year.
Georgie has over a decade of communications experience across private and public sector. She thrives in the sweet spot where crunchy challenges meet with a purpose-driven agenda. She is qualified with a CIPR Strategic PR Diploma, IPA Foundation, MSc (1st Class) and BA (1st Class).
She is a strong advocate for the professionalisation of communications as a strategic discipline, and for helping develop peers and future talent. Alongside a committee role on Chartered Institute of Public Relations’ Greater London Group, she is also Sponsor for a 100+ communications Community of Practice, set up an Impact Fellowship Scheme upskilling cohorts in media and policy engagement and now scaled to its fourth year, and an annual scheme of Student Journalists trained at UCL.

Head of data analytics

Apollo Gerolymbos is the Head of Data Analytics at the London Fire Brigade, where he oversees a team of data and research analysts, along with a developing data science division. His team utilizes all datasets within the Brigade to deliver insights and analysis to a diverse group of stakeholders. Previously, Apollo was the lead data officer for the National Fire Chiefs Council and has over 17 years of operational experience as a volunteer firefighter in Greece. Additionally, he is a visiting fellow at Birkbeck University and occasionally lectures on the use of data in emergency services.

Metadata & data quality manager

With ten years of experience in data analytics, audit, and governance, Jade is a passionate and proficient Metadata & Data Quality Manager at Sainsbury's, one of the UK's leading retailers, and recently nominated as a Top Twenty Rising Star in Data & Analytics in 2024. Jade leads a function responsible for developing and rolling out a successful data cataloguing and data quality programme to over 5000 users across the Sainsbury's Group, with the objective of promoting high quality, trusted, and reliable data for consumption by a culture of data fluent colleagues.  Jade’s mission is to leverage her data analytics and governance expertise to deliver game-changing insights and solutions that enhance business performance and customer satisfaction.

Corporate affairs & PR manager group fintech

As MTN Group Fintech’s Corporate Affairs and PR Manager, Bernice has a purposeful approach towards diverse situational challenges and the ability to thrive in fast-paced, technology driven environments. As a highly creative and innovative professional, with sharp commercial acumen, she has pioneered communications encompassing public relations, content marketing, digital marketing, personal branding, internal and external corporate communication strategies for stakeholders whilst significantly contributing to the overall momentum of the organisation as a whole.

As an accomplished communications specialist, writer, journalist and marketer who holds a Media and Journalism Honours degree from Wits and a Masters in Social Sciences from France Based University of Burgundy, Bernice has empowered others by leading by example, overcoming hurdles in pursuit of achievement and consistently ensuring excellence in all that she does. With dynamic written and verbal communication management skills, Bernice effectively develops, motivates and contributes meaningfully to multicultural teams. She appropriately engages at all levels within an organisation, and positively liaises with stakeholders, ensuring the clarity of organisational goals and alignment of key strategies at all times.

Deputy director, communications

Claire is a strategic communications leader with over 20 years of experience in the charity sector. Currently Interim Deputy Director, Communications at the National Lottery Community Fund, her expertise lies in creating high-performing teams to deliver strategically aligned, engaging communications activities. She is passionate about the importance of effective use of data and insight, whether in creating audience-led campaigns, understanding impact, or building a case for change.

Prior to joining the National Lottery Community Fund, Claire spent most of her career at Macmillan Cancer Support, where she led multi-disciplinary communications teams across all four nations of the UK to deliver Macmillan’s ambition to reach everyone living with cancer with the support that they need.

Head of customer insight and data

The Doyle Collection is a carefully curated collection of eight Irish family-owned luxury and urban hotels located centrally in London, Dublin, Washington DC, Cork and Bristol. Alex is responsible for leading the development and execution of The Doyle Collection group's customer insight and data strategy.
Having held a selection of leadership roles across the insights industry, on both the client and agency side of the sector, Alex has worked with an all-encompassing range of clients and projects. He has built a career driving the leading edge of research; the achievements of his work, and that of the teams he has built, have been recognised by the industry many times over.
He is a representative for the European Society for Opinion and Market Research and plays an advisory role in many other industry organisations and bodies. He is a graduate of Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method from the London School of Economics.