Friday 16th May 2025, London

Unlocking
Manufacturing
Value Chain

Revolutionising the UK’s Manufacturing Value Chain through Transformative Change and Collaboration

Meet Our Speakers

John Robinson
Managing Director
Neotrez Ltd

Adam Spunberg
Global Head of Operations, 100+ Accelerator Sustainability
AB InBev

Julian Bolton
IT Director
Princes Food

Ben Davies
Psychological Skills Mentor
Chimp Management

Agenda

8:00 AM Registration & Coffee
9:00 Welcome (TBC)
9:05 The Quorum Principle – John Robinson
My keynote (high level manufacturing challenge, solution & value)
The UK Manufacturing Initiative – this section explains how we got from the TQP concept to this event
9:45 The UK Industrial Strategy (UK Government representative – TBC)
10:10 – 10:30 Introduction to the SMART MANUFACTURING VISION
10:35 – 11:00 Coffee, Networking & Demo
11:00 – 12:30 Radical Collaboration Case Studies

Princes Foods – Julian Bolton – IT Director (confirmed) 25 minutes

Accelerator 100+ – Adam Spunberg – Global Head of Operations (TBC) 25 minutes

Catena-X – John Robinson – 10 minutes

12:00 – 12:30 The Journey – Part 1

The Journey section will consist of keynotes and panel discussions on specific key elements of the Vision. These will follow the chronological timeline that the client followed and will cover all major topics such as Technologies, Methodologies and Concepts.

12:30 – 13:30 Lunch, networking & demo
13:30 – 15:00 The Journey – Part 2
15:00 – 15:30 Coffee, networking & demo area
15:30 – 16:00 The Journey – Part 3
16:00 – 17:10 The Quorum Principle Playbook – Key Concepts

The Mindset – The Chimp Model – Ben Davies – Chimp Management 30 minutes

The Method – System Design – TBC 20 minutes

The Mission – Life Centred Design+ John Robinson + TBC 20 minutes

17:10 – 17:25 The event would conclude with a section explaining the commercial model and program of work necessary if a manufacturer wanted to adopt The Quorum Principle. This would include a presentation from the MTC who are the Quorum training partner for England & Wales.
17:25 – 17:30 Closing remarks
Lancaster Hotel
Lancaster Terrace
London
W2 2TY

https://www.royallancaster.com/

 

Bala is a digital transformation leader with 10+ yrs experience specialising in turning productivity into profitability through digitalisation.​

He is an industry 4.0 strategy and execution advisor and has a broad range of experience managing large scale transformation programmes advising clients across various industry sectors in operational technology, industrial automation, PLM, MES, IoT and industry cloud solutions

 

With over 15 years of experience in the talent and workforce solutions industry, Luke is the driving force behind Circle’s vision and growth. A recognised expert in talent strategy and project delivery, he launched Circle with a clear mission: to challenge outdated recruitment models and build a solution-led partner that delivers real, measurable outcomes.

Heading up our multinational talent solutions, Luke combines deep industry knowledge with a commercial edge. His understanding of sector demands — particularly across FMCG, Pharma, MedTech, and Supply Chain — enables Circle to stay ahead of market shifts and client needs.

Under his leadership, Circle has become a trusted partner for businesses delivering capital and digital transformation projects, known for its Projects, People, and Products model and its agile, insight-driven approach.

Luke continues to work closely with clients and the internal team, championing a partnership-first culture, and building a business that’s Powered by People. Built to Win.

 

Tahar Kerkeni is a thought leader in industrial and digital transformation, currently leading the Lighthouse Operating System initiative at the World Economic Forum. With over 13 years of international experience, he has a proven track record of advising national industrial transformation agendas and shaping strategies that drive sustainable manufacturing, innovation ecosystems, digital competitiveness, and empower SMEs.