Alison is an experienced senior leader, consultant, and practitioner in Lean, Operational Excellence, and Digital Transformation. Her expertise lies in transforming businesses by aligning strategies and organizational goals to achieve significant results in bulk processing, manufacturing/filling operations, packaging, and supply chains. She has a particular focus on deploying enablers to engage cultures and improve systems, and processes. She has a proven track record in project program design, deployment, and delivery, enabling leaders to balance transformation and transactional workflows for effective problem-solving and structured improvement with a pragmatic, hands-on approach. Her specialized areas of expertise and experience are in FMCG beverage, nuclear industry, specialist automotive, public housing, life sciences, non profit and more recently, sterile vaccine project delivery and operational readiness to manufacture. Alison is widely recognized as a practitioner, an academic, and thought leader in UK manufacturing.

Adrian has spent the last 26 years in various Automotive roles including Manufacturing Engineering, Supplier Development, Project Management, Quality Management, and has been the Plant Director since 2017 at ZF Chassis Modules (Solihull) Ltd. Since his childhood he has had a love for anything electrical or mechanical, when he is not at work he loves spending time in the garage working on the next project. Adrian is passionate about Operational Excellence and driving business improvements with skilled team that strive to exceed expectations in terms of both quality and performance. Striving for and achieving improvements are critical for survival in the current manufacturing climate, using the latest smart technology and ensuring global best practices are critical enablers to achieve and sustain excellence.

I have worked for over 35 years in automotive in a variety of roles including production operations, process planning, finance, manufacturing quality and business planning. These were mainly in UK plants, from greenfield to some of the oldest in our network and I also worked in Germany for 3 years. Using data and analytical tools to understand and improve our production systems have been key focus areas in recent years, still using the foundations of lean methodologies and process control.

Peter Flinn is the 136th President of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. He is a chartered engineer who studied mechanical sciences at the University of Cambridge. He also holds an MBA and attended the international senior management programme at Harvard Business School. He has worked mainly in manufacturing industry in the aircraft, rail, commercial vehicle and process industries. He started his career with the military aircraft division of what is now BAE Systems on projects such as the Anglo-French Jaguar. He then moved to Leyland DAF Limited, his last position being Quality Director for the UK, having previously held senior positions in product development, research and manufacturing in Leyland and in Scotland. His most recent industrial role was as MD of Vectra Group Limited, an engineering consultancy specialising in safety work for hazardous industries. Since 2007, he has worked mainly at the interface between industry, government and academia. In 2014, he completed the start-up of the Aerospace Technology Institute. Prior to that, he helped InnovateUK establish the Catapult programme. During 2009 and 2010, he was the Project Director for the £40.55m Manufacturing Technology Centre built near Coventry. All three organisations are flourishing. He is an active member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, has been chairman of its Manufacturing Industries Division and the main point of contact for TMMX. He was also chairman of the Intelligent Automation Centre at Loughborough University between 2012 and 2017.

A professional strategic marketer and business development specialist in technology markets Chris has proven experience establishing early stage businesses and taking them through initial concept to patent development and establishing sustainable sales. His background in the Engineering sector as a Chartered Engineer has encompassed developing business in markets from Aerospace, Medical and Electronics to Oil and Gas. He worked internationally in several blue chip global companies. He has overseen the establishment of new companies in Italy, Israel and Switzerland and gained a broad knowledge of general management in an international environment. He has specialised knowledge of establishing relationships between blue chip companies and early stage technology businesses to exploit new innovations. Currently CEO of Diamond Hard Surfaces Ltd, a high growth SME in the Engineering Sector who export 60% of their business. In 2022 he won his first QAE in International Trade for DHS.

A member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and Chartered Quality Institute, The Manufacturer TOP 100 unsung hero award in 2023. In my Change Management role at ZF, I enjoy an everchanging daily landscape using a structured approach with clear communication to successfully achieve the required results. Building on a strong working relationship with all stakeholders in a dynamic operational environment as part of the Plant Management Team. Recent Project Management of an additional sub programme to budget and timing. A lifelong passion for manufacturing having worked continuously in it for over four decades covering a wide and varied range of commodities. Extensive mechanical and quality engineering experience and knowledge gained using a varied range of processing technologies in the design, development, testing and manufacture of products and services in both OEM automotive and non-automotive supply chain. Encompassing low volume niche market, high volume and Just in Sequence (JIS) supply.

With over eight years of experience within the manufacturing industry overseeing the development of sales and marketing strategy across Philadelphia Scientifics’ large customer network within the EMEA region, Andy Napoleon Hill blends in a different aspect to the judging panel. He also oversees a mix of brand and product development, marketing and sales strategy, online advertising, content, and product marketing for the global organisation. Philadelphia Scientific and Andy himself have gone from strength to strength, growing year on year and winning The Manufacturer's prestigious Product Innovation & Design in 2022, as well as a spot in the Top 100 along the way. This success has given Andy a unique perspective of what Achieving Customer Value means, and he will be able to draw from this wealth of experience when judging the category for the Manufacturer MX Awards 2025.

Richard is an accomplished engineering and operations leader with over 30 years of experience in manufacturing, maintenance, and digital transformation. A chartered mechanical engineer by training, Richard has held pivotal leadership roles across diverse industrial sectors, driving performance improvements and operational excellence. As Engineering Director at Heineken UK, Richard led the engineering strategy, overseeing maintenance, energy reduction, and capital projects across multiple breweries. Following his time at Heineken, and after a period in consulting, Richard served as Managing Director of RS Industria, a corporate startup focused on making industrial data accessible to improve factory reliability, productivity, and energy efficiency. Richard formed Two6 Services in 2024 to offer independent advice to startups and corporates, providing tailored solutions in digitisation, maintenance, and operational strategy. He also mentors new and emerging leaders.

Angela is a seasoned professional with a strong track record in manufacturing, process improvement and risk analysis. During her career, she introduced a game-changing initiative to re-use redundant assets from discontinued production lines, which saved the business £8M within just 12 months. During COVID-19 Angela seized the opportunity to explore a new direction after discovering a significant skills shortage and a gap in young people entering the manufacturing industry. Driven by her passion to bridge this gap, Angela launched Marvelous Manufacturing, an initiative designed to support manufacturers who want to engage with the next generation of talent but don’t have the time or resources to do so. With a commitment to closing the skills gap and shaping the future of manufacturing, Angela continues to advocate for greater collaboration between education and industry.

David is CEO of IfM Engage. IfM Engage partners with organisations across industry, government and academia to support them in solving complex challenges, using approaches and knowledge developed at the Institute for Manufacturing (IfM), a division of the University of Cambridge’s Department of Engineering. IfM Engage offerings are grounded in exceptional research, combined with a breadth of industrial expertise. Our mission is knowledge transfer, helping the people and organisations we work with to develop their capabilities and build the future of manufacturing.

Recently retired now developing innovation challenge programmes in South Yorkshire. 20 years at Gripple and a previous TMMX winner as Special Projects Manager focused on innovation, challenging convention and developing innovative products, solutions and programmes. Prior to that a number of MD roles in large corporates in the Building Materials sector.

I’m a Mechanical Engineer and started out developing products and systems for tier 1 automotiive suppliers. I later moved into operations management while developing my Lean learning and qualifications. I have lived and worked in the UK, France and the USA, and had the good fortune to work across different businesses and industries around the world while working for Honeywell. I am an experienced leader of global, multi-site manufacturing, supply chain, supply base and R&D operations. I specialise in Lean transformation and enterprise-level business processes. I am proud to now be a part of the Yunex Traffic team.

Fiona has worked in the Manufacturing and Engineering sector for nearly twenty years, previously managing the national school’s engagement programme at Jaguar Land Rover for 12 years. During this time she launched Young Women in the Know programme which significantly increased the number of female apprentices joining JLR. She then moved to Make UK for nearly seven years managing their engagement around Next Gen, focussing on raising the profile of the sector and attracting new talent. Fiona has very recently joined Enginuity where she wants to have impact in supporting solutions for the skills challenges of the sector. Her passion is increasing diversity and developing programmes and activities to attract more diverse young people to the sector and the apprenticeship route. Engineering is currently one of the least diverse professions in the UK. Fiona has delivered numerous webinars, talks and podcasts on how to engage with Gen Z and Gen Alpha so they are aware of the variety of opportunities and routes into the Manufacturing and Engineering sector.

As Autodesk’s Director for Market & Industry Development, Asif leads a collaborative initiative focused on the digital transformation of the design and manufacturing industry. He’s worked alongside many inspiring SMEs that you might never have heard of and believes that digital transformation doesn’t have to be difficult, that people are the most important aspect of any transformation, and that design is equally as important as manufacturing. Asif feels that industry needs is a clear vision of the future and a realistic strategy that’s free from hype, jargon and which also challenges the many boundaries that SME’s face.

Currently serving as the Process Development Manager at LISI Aerospace Rugby, Taahir brings a decade of experience in the manufacturing sector. Over the past 4 years, Taahir has been heavily involved in the implementation a groundbreaking smart factory line and is now driving the expansion of this initiative throughout the site. As the 2023 winner of the 'Young Manufacturer of the Year' award, he is a keen supporter of people development, actively mentoring individuals to reach their full potential in the manufacturing industry.

Michael Sobodu holds a Master's degree in Advanced Mechanical Engineering, earned in 2021, and has since built a robust career in industrial engineering. With two years of experience in the glass manufacturing industry, Michael developed a keen understanding of precision and quality control in production processes. Currently, Michael serves as a Mechanical Planner in the automotive industry, where he applies his expertise to streamline operations, enhance efficiency, and ensure the seamless integration of mechanical systems. His diverse background and commitment to excellence make him a discerning and knowledgeable judge, capable of evaluating complex technical projects with a critical eye for detail and innovation.

Jon founded True North Excellence in 2014 after a decade of management and leadership roles at The Manufacturer/Lean Management Journal, Manufacturing Institute, Shingo Prize and Manufacturing Advisory Service. Passions are Manufacturing, helping people grow, serving customers and continually learning. His personal interest is hill walking with his dogs and anything sci-fi.

Kate leads on organisational culture, recruitment, and retention for IfM Engage. She is responsible for operational management and is the Director for IfM Engage’s Operations, Events, Marketing and Communications activities. She looks after external collaborations and partnerships with key industry bodies and groups and has an interest in increasing impact in the community. She is a career Ambassador for Form the Future, who help young people understand their future employment options and an experienced judge and a founding member of the Women in Manufacturing initiative. She was listed in the 2024 Top 100 as a Sector Activist.