Event Itinerary
Day 1 Day 2 Meet the experts
Session 7
Tuesday 16 March, 14:05 PM
‘Our Aim - To Lead the world in technology, engineering and skills’
If the vision is to be a world leader in high value manufacturing, how do we work together to create the right conditions to enable our largest manufacturers to expand or re-shore their production to the UK? How do we better support the growth of our new tech. sectors? And what do we need to start today to create the skills we need for tomorrow to create the next generation of UK manufacturing success stories. Our speakers will share a vision of how we take on these challenges to build back stronger, with high value manufacturing at the core of the UK’s economic recovery and future prosperity.
Katherine Bennett CBE FRAeS
CEO (Designate), High Value Manufacturing Catapult
Born in Warwickshire, Katherine is a Senior Vice President of Airbus and has been with the company for 16 years. She leads the company’s external engagement and strategy in the UK.
Katherine’s previous employment was with Vauxhall Motors where she headed up their government affairs function and prior to that worked for Hill and Knowlton Public Relations in London, working with a range of industrial clients.
Katherine was awarded the Order of Commander of the British Empire in January 2019 for services to the aerospace and aviation sector. She has served on various boards of public/private enterprises. She is Vice President, Aerospace on the Council of ADS (the UK aerospace trade association), on the Board of the Aerospace Growth Partnership (part of the UK Government’s Industrial Strategy) and of the Wales Government Science and Innovation Council.
In November 2019 Katherine was appointed as Chair of the Western Gateway, a cross government and local authority initiative which will aim to promote and maximise economic growth across south Wales and the West of England. Katherine managed the public affairs for VentilatorChallengeUK which was led by the HVM Catapult.
In July 2018, Katherine founded the UK’s Women in Aviation and Aerospace Charter which is committed to building a fair and balanced industry for women in this sector and is on the Board of the International Aviation Women’s Association. Katherine has an Honorary Doctorate from Cranfield University.
In January, The High Value Manufacturing Catapult announced that Katherine would succeed Dick Elsy as its CEO. She will join the organisation in Spring 2021.
Margot James
Executive Chair, Warwick Manufacturing Group
Margot James has had a wide ranging career which has spanned working for the UK Government and as a business woman. Both in business and government Margot has championed the need to expand opportunities for diverse groups of young people.
Margot served as Minister of State for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with responsibility for Digital, Telecoms and the Creative Industries, piloting the Data Protection Bill through Parliament, incorporating GDPR into UK law. Previously she served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with responsibility for small businesses, consumers and corporate governance, including labour markets.
Margot co-founded Shire Health Group and led its growth to over 100 staff, having created a market for industry sponsored public health campaigns. She led the successful transitioning of Shire Health Group to the multinational WPP in 2000.
She served on the Europe, Middle East and Africa Board of Ogilvy Mather, leading European healthcare programmes.
Prof. Chris White
Director, Industrial Policy Research Centre
Chris is the Director of the Industrial Policy Research Centre at Loughborough University, formed in collaboration with the MTC, and was the Member of Parliament for Warwick and Leamington, 2010-2017.
As an MP, he served on both the International Development and Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy Select Committees, and chaired the All Party Parliamentary Group on manufacturing. Prior to joining the MTC, Chris was the Director of the Institute for Industrial Strategy, King’s College, London.
Amongst other roles, Chris is now the President of the Warwickshire College Group, Vice Chair of Social Enterprise UK, and Senior Visiting Fellow in the Department of Engineering, City, University of London.
Helen Kennett
Director, UK Government Relations, Rolls-Royce
Helen Kennett is Director of UK Government Relations, Rolls-Royce plc and joined the company in 2010.
In her role she is responsible for UK Government Relations, CHQ Government Relations issues and works with the Regional and Country Directors on UKinternational political issues and management of political risk. This role covers all business and functional issues inside the Group.
Helen was previously Head of Government Relations at Thales UK where she successfully led government relations campaigns on major defence bids.
Before joining Thales Helen was Public Affairs Manager for Railtrack and previously
worked at the Engineering Employers’ Federation. On graduating in Politics and Law,
Helen started her career in Westminster working for an MP.