Event Itinerary
Day 1 Day 2 Meet the experts
Session 9
Tuesday 16 March, 14:05 PM
A proud history in manufacturing - Inspiring a brighter future
In 2021 Coventry becomes the UK’s City of Culture. As a city with a strong manufacturing heritage the session with enable the Council leaders to not only share their exciting plans for the year ahead but also detail how its strong manufacturing focused past can be help shape a bright future for its local population in the creation of new, sustainable high value jobs.
Martin Sutherland
Chief Executive, Coventry City of Culture Trust
Martin Sutherland is Chief Executive of Coventry City of Culture Trust, the organisation charged with delivering Coventry’s year as UK City of Culture in 2021.
Prior to joining the Trust, Martin spent ten years as the Chief Executive of Royal & Derngate theatres in Northampton (where he also established the Core at Corby Cube arts centre). He previously led The Corn Exchange and New Greenham Arts in Newbury and was a theatre, comedy and dance producer and General Manager based in London.
Sarah Windrum
Chair-Designate, Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership
Sarah is the Co-Founder of the Emerald Group, an IT consultancy in Warwickshire supporting businesses and organisations to harness technology for innovation and productivity. She is a Board Director for the Coventry & Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP) leading on the development of local creative clusters with national and regional stakeholders and she chairs CWLEP’s industry body for the digital creative sector. She is a member of the West Midlands Combined Authority Innovation and Strategic Economic Development Boards supporting digital transformation and securing investment in connectivity including fibre and 5G.
Passionate about future digital talent, Sarah is on the Industry Advisory Board at Warwickshire College and works with Ukie, the national trade body for interactive entertainment, on their Digital Schoolhouse Primary School programme. She is also an Enterprise Advisor at Campion School.
In 2018, Sarah became an industry partner with the Institute of Coding at Coventry University supporting the creation of new professional development for the creative sector. She is also working with Warwickshire County Council on future digital skills needs for the transport & logistics sector.