The Big Issues

Theatre 1

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Industrial Strategy | Best practice | Manufacturing | Engineering

Explore the metals industry’s strategic challenges and best practices in sectors like construction, hydrogen, EVs, wind, and solar. Hear from industry leaders on how to drive sustainable growth and efficiency across the supply chain.

Speakers include:

2025 Agenda

All our sessions are free to attend and open for you to drop in as you please.

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View from the Top: Strategic Outlook for UK Steel
10:30 am - 10:55 am
 - The Big Issues Theatre
Gareth Stace

Director General at UK Steel

Kamal Rajput

Strategic Business Development Lead at Tata Steel UK

UK Industrial Strategy Review and the Road to a Steel Strategy
11:00 am - 11:50 am
 - The Big Issues Theatre
⠀Lord Rupert Redesdale

Conference Chairman at UK Metals Expo

Ben Cunliffe

Director of Sustainability at British Steel

Carles Rovira

CEO at 7 Steel UK

Jon Bolton

Co-Chair at UK Steel Council

Russell Codling

Director, Markets Business Development & Commercial Services at Tata Steel

Low-carbon supply chains: UK Metals and the Net Zero Expectations of our Customers
12:00 pm - 12:50 pm
 - The Big Issues Theatre
Clare Richardson-Barlow

Research Fellow in Industrial Decarbonisation at University of Leeds

James Harwood

Sustainability Strategy Manager - Supply Chain at Jaguar Land Rover

Nick Silk

Market and Business Development Manager at Tata Steel UK

Peter Quinn

Director, Health, Safety, Sustainability & Environment at Tata Steel UK

Simon Richards

Sustainability Director at Sir Robert McAlpine

Skye Oudemans

Sustainability Manager Europe at Sonoco

Real Journeys: Women in Industry – A Wider Conversation
1:30 pm - 2:20 pm
 - The Big Issues Theatre
Amy Bird

CEO at Countrywide Metals Ltd

Gabriella Nizam

Head of Sustainability & Strategy at 7 Steel UK

Lucy Smith

Co Director at FISC (Foundation Industries Sustainability Consortium)

María Riveras García

Senior Global Strategy Procurement Manager at JLR

Nicola Jones

Sustainability & Circularity Lead at Tata Steel UK

Paul Wheeler

Head of Process Sustainability at Tata Steel UK

The Next Frontier with EAF: Can EAF Meet the Demands of Complex Steelmaking?
2:30 pm - 3:20 pm
 - The Big Issues Theatre
Alan Scholes

Chief Technology Officer at Materials Processing Institute

Howard Stone

Tata Steel Professor of Metallurgy at University of Cambridge

Laura Baker

Sales Director at Tata Steel

Mike Knights

Senior Consultant at NPT

Richie Hart

Process Technology Manager at Tata Steel

Steve Bastow

Head of Operations at Marcegaglia Stainless Sheffield

Increasing Defence Investment: What are the opportunities for the UK Metals Sector?
3:30 pm - 4:20 pm
 - The Big Issues Theatre
Curtis Tatner

Manufacturing Engineering Manager at Rolls-Royce

Jon Harrison

Regulatory Affairs Manager at UK Steel

Ken Stevenson

Strategy & Transformation Director at Sheffield Forgemasters

Matthew Watkins

Principal Analyst - Carbon Steel at CRU

Richard Prosser

Manufacturing Manager at Leonardo

10:15 am

10:30 am

10:45 am

11:00 am

11:15 am

11:30 am

11:45 am

12:00 pm

12:15 pm

12:30 pm

12:45 pm

1:00 pm

1:15 pm

1:30 pm

1:45 pm

2:00 pm

2:15 pm

2:30 pm

2:45 pm

3:00 pm

3:15 pm

3:30 pm

3:45 pm

4:00 pm

4:15 pm

Other Topical Seminar Theatres

Theatre 2

Sustainability & Circular Economy

Circ

Theatre 3

Innovation & Technology

Theatre 4

Supply chain, Trade and Policy

SupplyChain