Manufacturing Leaders Summit
Manufacturing is coming together for a brilliant cause this spring, as Theo James Recruitment and New College Durham launch the Manufacturing Leaders Summit – a not-for-profit event supporting the Red Sky Foundation.
Taking place on Thursday, April 30 at New College Durham, the summit will bring together leaders, professionals and organisations from across the manufacturing sector for a full day of keynote speakers, panel discussions, seminars and networking.
Built by the manufacturing community for the manufacturing community, the event has been created to encourage collaboration, learning and meaningful conversation around leadership, skills, innovation and the future of the industry.
Crucially, 100 per cent of proceeds will be donated to the Red Sky Foundation, helping babies, children and young people living with heart conditions across the North East. Delegate places are limited, so early registration is encouraged by using the link below.
Agenda
08:15 - 09:00am: Networking
9:00am - 9:45am: Opening – Main Hall
09:45am - 10:05am: Benjamin Drury
Speaking on: Building the Extraordinary Company – Leaders Who Rewrite the Playbook
10:05am - 10:20am: Break
10:20am - 11:00am: Panel – Tomorrow’s Engineers: Bridging the Skills Gap
- Bill Scott - CEO at Wilton Group
- Maxine Henry - Group HR Manager at Dyer Engineering
- Alison Maynard - Deputy Principal at New College Durham
- Sharon Lane - Managing Director at Tees Components
11:15am - 11:45am: Seminar One
- Sharon MacArthur: Menopause Educator - Menopause has a broader impact than we realise - a must attend for men!
- Jason Pritchard: CEO of Fitfactory - Impact of Automation
- Mark Greenhouse: Manufacturing Consultant - Simplifying manufacturing performance, identifying where productivity is lost
- New College Durham: How We Collaborate with Manufacturers to Build Skills
12:00 - 12:30pm: Seminar Two
- Anthony Hutton: CEO & Founder of Never Throw in the Towel Project - Simple practices helping with pressure, setbacks and overwhelm
- Carl Swansbury: Partner & Head of Corporate Finance - Aligning senior leadership
- Paul Hind: Management Training & Manufacturing Consultant - Building a culture that is safe, strong and dynamic
- Jess Williams: Founder of Just Williams - Confidently ask for introductions without feeling “salesy”
12:30pm - 13:45pm: Lunch, Tour & Expo
13:45 - 14:05 - Alex Knight: Founder & CEO of Stemazing, Speaking on: STEM, Diversity & the Future Workforce – Inspiring Change Before Age 10
14:05pm - 14:25pm - Chris Cook: 2 x Olympic Swimmer & Speaker, Speaking on: Keeping Things Simple – The Mindset of a Winner
14:25pm - 14:45pm - Bill Marley: Founder at The Employability Trust, Speaking on: People Before Profit – Transforming Lives Through Real Work
14:45pm - 15:00pm: Closing
Red Sky raise vital funds for babies, children and adults, who are born with or develop heart conditions and who are in need of cardiac care, by providing lifelong support to them and their families.
Whether it’s funding state-of-the-art equipment for our NHS or placing defibrillators and providing training to help save lives, Red Sky Foundation are making a positive impact near you.
It is a charity red close to our director Mark Bracknall’s heart. Having lost his Dad in 2020 to a cardiac arrest; he has raised money through various means over the years for this tremendous charity.
Please join us by purchasing a ticket and together we can make a real difference and help save lives.
| Date | 8:15am on 30 Apr 2026 to 3:00pm on 30 Apr 2026 |
|---|---|
| Venue | New College Durham, Framwellgate Moor Campus, Durham, DH1 5ES |
| Cost | |
| URL | Find More Information Here |