Covid-19 Managing the Return to the Workplace Process Conference

Elizabeth Smith

Director of Research , Business Forums International Ltd. (BFI)

Elizabeth is director of research and a founding co-director at Business Forums International. She is responsible for all programme content and writing, and researches current areas of interest for senior HR professionals in large organisations. BFI is the UK’s leading HR risk specialist conference and training provider, delivering key and timely information to over 3,000 delegates a year both through public and in-house training courses. Before founding BFI in 1996, Elizabeth specialised in researching corporate financial programmes in Asia and the Middle East, based in Dubai. She also worked in advertising and publishing in the Middle East and London. Elizabeth was educated in the West Indies, Saudi Arabia and Belgium before reading Modern Languages at Durham University. She is currently developing an online training course for line managers to raise awareness of menopause symptoms and ways that employers can work to make their workplaces more inclusive.

Speaker to be confirmed Herrington Carmichael

, Herrington Carmichael

Professor Anne Harriss

President , SOM

Professor Occupational Health: Course Director London South Bank University, Fellow RCN (2016) Senior Fellow Higher Education Academy (HEA) (2013); National Teaching Fellow HEA (2014); Principal Fellow Higher Education Academy (2015). I am an experienced occupational health practitioner and educator. I have lead the development of more than ten educational programmes at diploma, degree and MSc level. I have skills in supporting students with dyslexia in order that they reach their full potential and do this through a variety of methods including coaching I maintain occupational health practice both in the UK and internationally. I have a particular interest in delivering bespoke health and health with safety training for a range of organisations in both the private and public sector. I co-manage and am an active contributor to the Higher Education Funding Countcil JISC-OH resource which has a membership of approximately 1000 practitioners including OH advsers, OH nurses, OH physicians, general practitioners, safety advisers and physical therapists. In 2013-14 I was part of the implementation group which developed the National School of Occupational Health (NSOH). I was then invited to become a Board member of the National School which currently educates physicians across England and Wales is testament to my standing as an OH educator. The NSOH currently educates occupational physicians but it is anticipated that it will eventually be involved in the education of other OH specialists including nurses, psychologists and physical therapists. In addition I have three national awards and achieved Principal Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy 2011 OH Nurse of the Year 2011 Innovations in OH Award 2013 Innovations in OH Award 2013 Senior Fellow Higher Education Academy 2014 National Teaching Fellow Higher Education Academy 2014 Board member National School of Occupational Health 2016 FRCN 2017 Hon FFOM

Sheena Thomson

Founder and Director , Conduit Associates

Founder and Director of Conduit Associates Ltd - a boutique global crisis and issues communications consultancy. Strategic communications leader with substantive UK and international experience and expertise in media relations, reputation, crisis and issues management, particularly in high intensity situations. Skilled in risk mapping and mitigation, crisis response, crisis recovery and leading delivery of strategic communications objectives post crisis. Sector experience includes financial services, retail, energy, government and policy making, international development and security. Geographical experience includes UK South East Europe, the Middle East and South East Asia. Founding Chartered CIPR PR Practitioner (CIPR), Affiliate Member, Institute of Risk Management

Alan Price

CEO , Bright HR

As the Chief Operations Officer of the Peninsula Group and Chief Executive Officer of BrightHR, I am a subject matter expert in employment law , human capital management, HR and business transformation. The Peninsula Group provides people support namely HR, employment law and health & safety transformation to over 75,000 businesses in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. I am responsible for the leadership of the Group’s operations strategy, presiding over 125,000 client monthly service interactions and client experience engagements. I also hold a number of non-executive positions across the 11 Group companies, while maintaining a Group operational overview and Group HR responsibilities. My current project is overseeing the global roll out of our #hrtech and #safetytech business brighthr a SME HCM SAS proposition supporting over 39,000 organisations and over 500,000 users worldwide. I am proud to be a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD with 18 years’ experience in employee relations, a Chartered Manager and Fellow of the CMI, a certified practitioner and Fellow of the AHRI (Australian Human Resources Institute), and a professional member of SHRM, Canadian Human Resource Professional Association and British Columbia & Chartered Professionals in Human Resources. Having demonstrated a significant contribution to business and society, I am also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (RSA) In 2003, I was appointed to her Majesty’s Court and Tribunal Service in the UK and was one of the youngest judicial appointments to the Employment Tribunal Service, which I continue to hold. For the last four years, I served as a charity trustee and Non-Executive Director for the worlds second largest HR professional body, the CIPD, which represents over 140,000 HR professionals worldwide. As an industry leader in HR and business management, my expertise is sought after regularly. My authoritative commentary on SME and people management issues has been featured in media outlets such as The Telegraph, BBC Five Live, The Guardian and Sky News.

Richard Reid

CEO, Therapist & Coaching Psychologist , Pinnacle Therapy

I’m on a mission to make you better. With more than two decades of high-level experience in the corporate world, I bring a unique perspective and drive to succeed to my executive coaching practice. I help my clients dive deep and work collaboratively with them to deliver real results. My pragmatic, integrative coaching style has generated incredibly success for those seeking support in areas such as developing resilience, boosting presence or charisma, and navigating organizational development.