Governance North 2025

Overview

The Chartered Governance Institute UK & Ireland are delighted to return this year with the Governance North conference to Manchester on 7 October 2025. This one-day conference offers insights, debate and networking for governance professionals in the North of England. Don’t miss out and book your place today.

Standard Tickets (ex. VAT)

Non-Member £300.00
Subscriber £250.00
Member £225.00
Student £165.00

Payment is due at the time of booking

For any related enquiries please contact us at events@cgi.org.uk, or call us at +44 207 612 7012

Key Details

300.00 GBP (ex. VAT) - Non-Member

etc Venues Manchester

Tuesday 7 October 2025

9:00 AM to 5:00 PM

CPD: 6 hours

Book now

Programme

Governance North 2025

8.30 Main registration, exhibition and networking

9.30 Welcome and opening remarks

09:35 AI Governance – Do you believe the hype?

Incorporating AI into core operations has become imperative for organisations navigating the ever-evolving business and technology landscape, but for many it has left them questioning whether adopting this new technology is what’s right for their organisation.

As artificial intelligence continues to transform industries, the urgency for effective governance frameworks grows. This session will explore the current landscape of AI regulations, ethical dilemmas, and the practical challenges of governing AI technologies.

Moderator: Marco Murray, Director, EY

Rebecca Clare, Corporation Secretary, The Trafford and Stockport College Group
Rich Isherwood, Deputy Company Secretary, AO World plc
Catherine Sykes, Director of Governance, Hull College

10:10 Optimising internal board evaluations: Best practices and strategies

In today's dynamic corporate environment, effective board evaluations are crucial for ensuring robust governance and strategic oversight, but how do you derive the most value from your evaluation and translate it into your board agenda? This panel session will delve into the best practices and strategies for optimising internal board evaluations and remaining productive post survey.

Moderator: Kerry Round FCG, Founding Director, Round Governance

Speakers:

Richard Collins, Group Counsel and Company Secretary, Norcros
Jude Levy, Consultant, Ellason LLP
Laura McNeil ACG, Deputy Company Secretary, JD Sports Fashion plc

10.55 Regulatory Update from the CGIUKI

Peter Swabey, Policy and Research Director, CGIUKI

11:30 Refreshment break

12:00 Prioritising Global Challenges: Responding Amid Geopolitical Uncertainty

In a time marked by escalating geopolitical tensions, economic volatility, and shifting global alliances, the ripple effects are being felt acutely globally. This session explores the challenges of governance in the face of multiple crises and rising authoritarianism. Tackling one crisis, and responding to one issue, typically raises opportunity costs for responses to other crises elsewhere. In the face of budgetary and resource limitations, states have to decide which global responsibilities they will focus on. How should they go about doing this? This session considers this question as it examines the ethical and political conundrums facing responding to multiple ongoing challenges and democratic decline globally.

James Pattison, Professor of Politics, University of Manchester

12.30 Getting Human Rights Right

2025 marks 10 years since the UK introduced the Modern Slavery Act (MSA), which was lauded at the time as the leading global standard of its kind. Earlier this year, the government issued updated guidance on the steps that companies should be taking to comply with the MSA, and in July 2025 the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights recommended that new legislation is needed in this space.

In this session our expert speakers will discuss learnings from the last ten years, and reflect on the range of risks that have crystalised for businesses around the world where their focus on human rights considerations has fallen short. Our speakers will highlight key legal developments in this space globally, offer thoughts on how human rights focused compliance is likely to evolve in the years ahead and share best practices for getting your human rights programme right.

Joshua Domb, Founder, Gen-R Law

13.05 Lunch break

14.05 Breakout sessions

Breakout 1

Risk Intelligence: Moving from Risk Registers to Risk Insights

Traditional risk registers often fail to capture the dynamic nature of today’s risk landscape. This session introduces a forward-looking approach to risk management—one that leverages data, scenario planning, and board-level engagement to generate actionable insights. Learn how Barnett Waddingham helps organisations evolve their risk frameworks to support better decision-making, regulatory confidence, and strategic agility.

Nick Websdell, Head of Enterprise Risk Management, Barnett Waddingham
Helen Barge, Head of Digital Resilience, Barnett Waddingham
Inderpreet Bedi, Principal - Governance & Secretariat Lead, Barnett Waddingham

14.40 Movement break

14.45 Breakout sessions

Breakout 1

Advancing transparency in third sector governance

As public scrutiny intensifies and expectations around accountability grow, organisations must ensure that their governance structures are not only robust but also open, inclusive, and trustworthy. This panel will explore how transparency can be meaningfully embedded into governance practices across charities, social enterprises, and community organisations. From board decision-making and financial reporting to stakeholder engagement and ethical leadership, our speakers will share insights, challenges, and practical approaches to making governance more transparent and responsive.

Key discussion points include:

What transparency in governance really looks like beyond compliance.
The role of trustees and leadership in modelling openness.
Tools and frameworks that support transparent governance.

Whether you're a trustee, senior leader, or governance professional, this session will offer valuable perspectives and actionable ideas to help your organisation lead with integrity and openness.

Moderator: Mark Howorth, Director of Governance & Compliance, Chair of Yorkshire and Humber CGI Branch, St Mungo's

Sandra Coleing, Executive Director of Corporate Services,
Rochdale Boroughwide Housing
Jason Wiltshire, Head of Legal and Governance, England Hockey

Breakout 2

From Compliance to Leadership: What Social Housing Boards Can Teach Us

The Social Housing sector has long operated under ever-changing, fast-adapting and strict regulations, requiring boards to balance compliance with effective and strategic decision making. This session will explore how housing associations have navigated shifting expectations, strengthened governance and maintained resilience in the face of tighter laws.

While rooted in the housing experience, this session will provide excellent insight across all sectors. Housing Associations have to be proactive in their governance and with regulatory pressures on the horizon for many industries, especially when it comes to use of AI, this case study will provide lessons for boards seeking to be at the forefront of change.

Tom Mackrory, Governance Manager, Aspire Housing
Joe Harry, Head of Sales, Convene

15.20 Afternoon break

15.50 Strategies for strengthening small governance teams

In the world of governance, small teams often face unique challenges that require resilience, adaptability, and strategic thinking. This panel discussion is designed to provide governance professionals with practical strategies to enhance the effectiveness and cohesion of their small teams.

Join our expert panel as they explore:

Building Team Cohesion: Discover techniques to foster strong relationships and trust within small governance teams.
Effective Communication: Learn how to streamline communication processes to ensure clarity and efficiency.
Resource Management: Gain insights into optimizing limited resources to maximize team performance.

This session will provide valuable tools and insights to help small governance teams thrive in a dynamic and often demanding environment.

Angela Alabi, Head of Governance and Board Secretary, CITB
Sarah Lay ACG, Head of Governance & CoSec, Co-op Academies Trust
Kerry Round FCG, Founding Director, Round Governance

16.25 Closing keynote - Nurture Your Network

In this interactive session we’ll go beyond networking and learn how to create reciprocal relationships that support you in your life, as well as your career. We’ll work through the six squad roles, mapping who you have right now, and where you might need to recruit some new people. Then we’ll look at the power of practising gratitude and asking for help, as well as being a great squaddie for others.

Beth Stallwood, WorkJoy

16.55 Closing remarks

17.00 Drinks reception

Speakers

Head of Digital Resilience, Barnett Waddingham

Helen Barge

Helen is a leader in risk management, cyber, information security and compliance. She is passionate about the value appropriate governance and risk management structures deliver to organisations, enabling them to achieve their objectives and improve their resilience. Helen regularly presents at conferences and webinars on risk management, cyber security and data privacy. She is a member of the advisory panel for the West Midlands Cyber Resilience Centre and is known for her ‘no jargon’ approach and working with boards to help them recognise they remain accountable for risk management, information security and data privacy.

Principal - Governance & Secretariat Lead, Barnett Waddingham

Inderpreet Bedi

Inderpreet leads the Governance and Secretariat team, providing consultancy and advisory services to corporates, funds, charities and legal entities. Prior to joining BW, she managed Company Secretarial (Cosec) and Administrator services for multiple FTSE funds across jurisdictions of an International Asset Management group, and brings expertise in advisory, strategy and DEI to her role.

Corporation Secretary, The Trafford and Stockport College Group

Rebecca Clare

Rebecca began her professional career after graduating with a degree in Human Communication. She joined Jepson Holt as a Research Consultant, where she excelled in both retained and contingent legal search projects. Rebecca has worked across a number of single and large Multi Academy Trusts efficiently managing governance functions. Rebecca furthered her career in the education sector through her appointment at The Laurus Trust (a rapidly expanding Multi Academy Trust) before moving to the FE Sector, a sector which she had always been passionate about. Since 2023, Rebecca has been the full time Corporation Secretary at Trafford & Stockport College. Here Rebecca has played a pivotal role in, developing governance structures, fostering a culture of governor development, through to raising the bar in terms of compliance and efficient working, whilst supporting the executive team in strategic development. With a strong awareness of TSCG’s presence and reputation, Rebecca uses her skills, experience and dedication to support the group's vision and contribute to its continued growth and excellence. Driven by the group’s unwavering commitment to the community it serves and providing all students with opportunities to succeed in life and work.

Chief Legal Officer and Company Secretary, Norcros

Richard Collins

Richard is a dynamic and senior head of legal and company secretary, with broad experience in large international corporations. At Norcros he has a wide ranging responsibility for all of the group’s legal activities. His achievements include three acquisitions of UK and international businesses; restructuring the group’s pension arrangements and resolving significant litigation and implementing group reorganisations. As a company secretary he is also responsible developing and leading the company secretariat function, responsible to the board for all legal advice and all regulatory compliance and good corporate governance. Executive management board membership, with specific responsibility for the group’s worldwide insurance programme. He is a non-executive director of the group’s 9 operational divisions, as well as a trustee of Group’s DB pension scheme.

Founder, Gen-R Law

Josh Domb

Joshua Domb is the Founder and Managing Partner of Gen-R Law. He leads the firm’s ESG, Compliance and Investigations practice. Joshua trained and qualified as a White Collar Crime lawyer at DLA Piper. He joined Paul Hastings as an associate, before moving to McDermott Will & Emery as a senior associate. Prior to setting up Gen-R Law, Joshua spent a year travelling with his wife. He used that time to read extensively about climate change, ESG, biodiversity, sustainability and the supporting domestic and international legal and regulatory frameworks, building on a long-standing interest in these topics. Since opening Gen-R Law in March 2024, Joshua has been advising clients on a range of topics in the ESG space, with a particular focus on the integration of ESG into business operations, ESG and climate literacy training, greenwashing and sustainability reporting.

FTSE Chief Legal/Risk Officer, Gateley

Darren Drabble

Darren is an experienced and highly commercial leader specialising as a FTSE General Counsel and Company Secretary. He was a key member of the team that IPO’d Moneysupermarket Group on the London Stock Exchange in 2007 and significantly grew the business. Darren has significant executive level experience working in entrepreneurial, fast paced, high growth, regulated, digital and customer focused FTSE businesses. He has built and lead high performing legal/governance teams aligned with the strategic business priorities, and developed and implemented systems/controls to proactively manage risk in agile businesses.

Regional Ambassador, Nurole

Rebecca Ganz

Rebecca Ganz is the Northern Power House regional Ambassador for Nurole/WB Directors. Rebecca (Becks) is an ex-pat who successfully kickstarted her Non-Exec career in August 2018. With a range of Chair, Non-Exec & Advisory Board roles, which span Education, Institutional Health and Business sectors, Becks knows what it takes to strategically build a Non Exec portfolio, while continuing to grow her Entrepreneur and C-Suite coaching practice. Becks is Non-Exec of Bolton NHS Foundation Trust & Blueskeye AI Ltd, Trustee of Leodis Multi Academy Trust and Advisory Board Member for Patchwork Health. As part of her Board roles, she Chairs various committees relating to transformation, strategy, finance, risk & remuneration.

Head of Sales, Convene

Joe Harry

Joe is Head of Sales for Convene, one of the leading Board Portal providers in both the Public and Private sector of the UK. With a long history in the Board Portal and Business Development Sectors, he is an expert in good governance.

Head of Governance & CoSec, Co-op Academies Trust

Sarah Lay ACG

Sarah Lay ACG has worked in governance roles for more than 15 years, holding professional positions in education institutions and independent professional bodies. She is currently the lead governance professional of a large multi academy trust in the North of England, where she leads a team of governance professionals facilitating effective decision making and stakeholder engagement across 38 diverse communities. Sarah is passionate about promoting the profile of academy governance professionals across the wider sector, and in identifying opportunities for cross-sector learning, development and collaboration. She is a trustee of a charity in central Manchester, and a finalist in the National Governance Association's Outstanding Governance Awards 2025.

Consultant, Ellason LLP

Jude Levy

Jude is a board consultant supporting companies with board evaluation reviews and advising on executive reward strategy. After qualifying as a Chartered Accountant, Jude joined New Bridge Street Consultants in 2001, a then independent executive reward consultancy. Following the acquisition by Aon plc, in 2015 Jude began a hybrid role as HR Business Partner for the Human Capital Solutions business alongside maintaining a small portfolio of remuneration committee engagements. As HR Business Partner Jude main areas of focus were organisational change, engagement, talent development, performance and reward. Jude is a certified executive coach (Henley Business School), qualified Chartered Accountant (ICAEW) and graduated from the University of Leeds with a BSc in Psychology.

Governance Manager, Aspire Housing

Tom Mackrory

Tom is Governance Manager for a Registered Social Housing Provider of c.9,500 homes across Staffordshire and Cheshire, Yorkshire, with over a decade of experience as a governance practitioner in Social Housing across Greater Manchester and Yorkshire. Tom has experience in education Governance with a background volunteering as a Chair of Governors at a state maintained primary school in South Manchester and supporting the work to achieve accreditation as a UNICEF Rights Respecting School for a community primary school in Central Manchester. Tom is a passionate advocate for equity, diversity and inclusion informed by his lived experience of neurodiversity and as an unpaid carer. After completing the Board Diversity Programme with the Housing Diversity Network, Tom is eager to ensure the varied voices that make up an organisation's stakeholders inform effective decision making within a robust risk and assurance framework.

Deputy Company Secretary, JD Sports

Laura McNeil ACG

Laura McNeil is currently the Deputy Company Secretary at JD Sports Fashion plc, a leading global retailer of sports fashion and outdoor brands. She has previously held senior company secretary roles at DWF Group plc and Ibstock plc. As a Chartered Company Secretary, Laura has developed a breadth of experience across sectors, working with listed companies ranging from small AIM-listed businesses to FTSE 100 organisations. She was named in DMJ’s HOT 100 in 2020 in the Innovator category and is an integral member of The Legal 500’s Northern Powerhouse In-House Legal Team of 2025. Laura holds a law degree and a postgraduate diploma in legal practice from the University of Sheffield.

European Group Company Secretary, Assurant

Natalie Paddock

Natalie is a qualified solicitor and has over 17 years’ experience advising businesses on corporate law and corporate governance matters. Based in the North-West, Natalie is European Group Company Secretary for Assurant, Inc., a Fortune 500 company which is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Assurant partners with leading brands to provide consumers across the World with a range of protection products and services such as mobile device solutions, extended service contracts, vehicle protection services and renters insurance. Natalie is responsible for ensuring the highest standards of corporate governance across Assurant’s entities and branches throughout the UK and the EU, many of which are regulated insurance and insurance intermediaries. In doing so, Natalie provides strategic governance advice to the European Group Board in the UK and to subsidiary Boards across Europe, including Non-Executive Directors. Natalie recently started her first non-executive director position with Chester City Baths Limited, a small charity which operates one of the UK’s oldest functioning Victorian swimming baths. Along with the other volunteer directors, Natalie oversees the sustainable operation of the facility for the benefit of the local community.

Founding Director, Round Governance

Kerry Round FCG

A Public Practitioner, Chartered Secretary and a Fellow of The Chartered Governance Institute and Managing Director of Round Governance Services Limited. Kerry's hands on yet approachable style means that she can provide corporate governance for listed and large private companies, charity governance and sports governance guidance and reviews which are not just box ticking exercises but which truly improve the effectiveness of the organisation and ultimately contribute to their long-term success. Kerry is also Associate Lecturer on the MSc Governance at the University of Lincoln, Kerry can provide a unique insight into the governance frameworks of a variety of entity types and brings a practical emphasis to her teaching.

Policy & Research Director, CGIUKI

Peter Swabey FCG

Based in London, he is responsible for developing the profile of the Institute and the governance profession with members, regulators, policymakers, employers and other stakeholders by delivering thought leadership, lobbying campaigns and professional guidance promoting strong governance as the vital ingredient for success in organisations. Peter, who joined the Institute in 2013, has more than 40 years’ experience working on governance. He is a member of a number of industry committees and working parties, and is a regular speaker at conferences and events, with an industry-wide reputation as an expert on shareholder and governance matters.

Head of Enterprise Risk Management, Barnett Waddingham

Nick Websdell

Nick has 25 years’ experience operating at a senior level in the financial services and retail sectors. He has successfully driven transformational changes across corporate banking, finance and risk functions, designing and implementing governance and risk management frameworks, creating efficiencies whilst improving rigour and control.

Governance North 2025

Overview

Key Details

Programme

8.30 Main registration, exhibition and networking

9.30 Welcome and opening remarks

09:35 AI Governance – Do you believe the hype?

10:10 Optimising internal board evaluations: Best practices and strategies

10.55 Regulatory Update from the CGIUKI

11:30 Refreshment break

12:00 Prioritising Global Challenges: Responding Amid Geopolitical Uncertainty

12.30 Getting Human Rights Right

13.05 Lunch break

14.05 Breakout sessions

14.40 Movement break

14.45 Breakout sessions

15.20 Afternoon break

15.50 Strategies for strengthening small governance teams

16.25 Closing keynote - Nurture Your Network

16.55 Closing remarks

17.00 Drinks reception

Speakers

Helen Barge

Inderpreet Bedi

Rebecca Clare

Richard Collins

Josh Domb

Darren Drabble

Rebecca Ganz

Joe Harry

Sarah Lay ACG

Jude Levy

Tom Mackrory

Laura McNeil ACG

Natalie Paddock

Kerry Round FCG

Peter Swabey FCG

Nick Websdell

Sponsors

Admincontrol

Barnett Waddingham

Board Intelligence

Convene

De Pinna

Diligent

Flex Legal

Ladwa Recruitment

Law Debenture

OnBoard

Sherpany