Chief Economic Adviser at the Centre for Economics and Business Research, Vicky Pryce

Vicky Pryce is Chief Economic Adviser at the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR). She was previously Director General for Economics at the UK’s Business Department and Joint Head of the UK Government Economic Service. Before that she was Partner at the accounting and consulting firm KPMG after senior economic positions in banking and the oil sector. She is Visiting Professor at King’s College London and Birmingham City University, a Fellow and Council member of the UK Academy for Social Sciences, a Fellow of the Society of Professional Economists and a Companion of the British Academy of Management. She is co-founder of GoodCorporation, a company set up to advise on business ethics. Her books include: “Greekonomics: The Euro crisis and Why Politicians Don't Get It”; “It's the Economy, Stupid- Economics for Voters”, with Ross and Urwin; “Redesigning Manufacturing”, with Nielsen and Beverland”; ‘Why Women Need Quotas ‘; and “Women vs Capitalism”. Her latest book, ‘”How to be a Successful Economist” with Ross, Birdi and Harwood was published in late 2022 by Oxford University Press.

BAFTA-winning Immersive Media Specialist, Catherine Allen

Catherine Allen is most well known as a UK leading expert in immersive technology - expanding the audience and creator base of the medium whilst advising on responsible use of this emerging technology. Her work has played a significant role in informing policy - with a current focus on helping shape VR and AR’s inclusion in the UK’s Online Safety Bill. This work has been recognised through an honorary doctorate from the University of Warwick. Catherine’s approach is innovative yet heavily audience-centric and down to earth. After working on the BAFTA-winning iPad app Disney Animated, Catherine led the creation of two of the BBC's first virtual reality experiences in 2015 - 2016. Finding VR an incredible artistic medium, but with a frustratingly narrow audience, she founded Limina Immersive in late 2016; a VR events and research company dedicated to bringing immersive tech to broader audiences. Limina ran cultural VR events across the world to a total of over 15,000 audience members. Catherine has continuously shared findings about audience needs back with universities and the sector in the form of reports, consultancy, seminars and workshops. She has authored several seminal public reports that have influenced policy, for instance the Immersive Content Formats for Future Audiences report, for Innovate UK and Digital Catapult. Her public engagement work includes expert op-eds, comment and analysis on immersive tech to outlets including Radio 4's Today programme, The Sunday Times, Bloomberg, British Vogue, Wired Magazine and The Guardian.

CEO of the Active Hands Company, Rob Smith MBE

Two years into Rob’s Mechanical Engineering degree at Warwick University his life was unexpectedly altered after a spinal cord injury from a cliff fall accident -resulting in reduced function in all four limbs. Determined to still achieve all his life goals he set about getting on with his new life with the added challenges of a permanent disability.

Rob’s path to CEO of Active Hands has spanned a wide field of activities, experiences, and ventures. He has travelled the world extensively as a backpacker in a wheelchair. He has been internationally competitive at two disability sports including a world tour for wheelchair rugby and winning world cup marathon gold as a T52 wheelchair racer for Paralympics GB. As well as a competitive sportsman he has also always been an entrepreneur. Previous to Active Hands, he set up and ran a successful corporate events business. From humble beginnings, Active Hands has grown to be a world leader in design and manufacture of products for those with reduced hand function.

Rob has been recognised a number of times with awards for his Business, entrepreneurial and disability related activities. These include winning the Stelios Disabled Entrepreneur award, three entries in the yearly top 100 disabled influencers power list, A Board of Trade Exporting award and in 2020 he received an MBE in the Queens honours list for services to international trade and people with disabilities.