Meet the experts that will be at Medway Business and Skills Showcase
We have a range of panellists, presenters and keynote speakers at the Medway Business and Skills Showcase 2025.
These business and skills experts are some of the biggest names across Kent and Medway with significant achievements and standings within the business climate.
Take a look at who will be presenting and find out more about their success stories:
Opening speech by Councillor Harinder Mahil and Zoe Cairns
Councillor Harinder Mahil is the portfolio holder for Economic and Social Regeneration and Inward Investment for Medway Council. He has represented Fort Pitt ward since May 2023.
Session 1: Amazon Accelerator - How to build a business that thinks like Amazon
9.40am to 10.10am
Rayan Jawad
Rayan Jawad is an Angel investor and innovation strategist. He’s also the founder of Growth Studio, Europe’s 5th most influential start-up hub and rated No. 1 for mentorship. He leads the Amazon Innovation Accelerator, a national programme helping small-to-medium size businesses (SMEs) across the UK adopt digitisation, build innovation capability, and accelerate commercial growth. This is done by learning from Amazon’s systems, culture, and leadership principles.
Specialising in bridging the gap between high-potential SMEs and forward-looking corporates, Rayan helps both sides co-create, test, and launch new solutions.
His work focuses on:
- practical innovation
- partnership-led growth
- helping businesses navigate complexity to turn ideas into scalable, real-world outcomes.
Session 2: Artificial Intelligence (AI) panel discussion with experts
10.10am to 10.50am
The panel features:
Peter Chatwell: Pilot Generative AI
Pilot Generative AI was founded in December 2023 by Peter Chatwell. With a 25-year career in macro-economic research and trading in investment banking, Peter has specialised in developing AI to perform advanced disciplines.
The AI leap in 2022 gave Peter the chance to focus on developing domain-expert AI models and systems. Pilot’s focus has been on education and finance, doing so in a way which is beneficial to society.
Highlights of Pilot Generative AI include:
- the EddyAI MIND, a mental wellbeing-focused AI assistant for students and entry-level workers
- the Macro Pilot, which was developed and launched for professional financial market traders.
Pilot Generative AI’s model building expertise is in combining neural AI with other forms of AI in multi-agent systems.
Paul Boyd: Medway Council
Paul Boyd is the Chief Information Officer at Medway Council, leading transformation initiatives aimed at improving public services.
With a background in transformation, ICT, and service design, Paul has been instrumental in conceiving and driving strategic change at Medway Council.
Paul is always happy to share his extensive experience in leading large-scale transformation projects and the application of service design and technologies, such as automation and AI.
Zoe Cairns: Business for Medway
Zoe's an international speaker on social media, teaching businesses how to increase their online presence, leads and profits. She's all about getting the strategy right - a step many miss initially. Her guidance benefits both big brands and smaller ventures, ensuring their online campaigns shine. Zoe's passionate about showing companies the power of social media, and she's spoken in over 14 countries, from Poland to Malaysia, to share her insights.
She's even shared her expertise on TV, like ITV's This Morning and BBC World News. Starting ZC Social Media 14 years ago, Zoe offers tailored social media management and training, drawing from her initial dive into social media while working in the mortgage industry.
Jake Webb: MidKent College
Jake is an Advanced Practitioner and Initial Teacher Training teacher at MidKent College. He's also chair of the college’s Ethics & Innovation Committee and lead practitioner on AI.
Session 3: How to cut 20% of waste from your business
10.50am to 11.20am
Featuring:
Kreston Reeves
Toby, Ceri and Lynsey form part of the Kreston Reeves Business Advisory team that provide strategic business advice.
The Business Advisory team act as a confidant to entrepreneurs and owners at all stages of their business life cycle, going beyond the usual figures and statutory returns by looking ahead and successfully supporting businesses to grow.
Session 4: Connect to Work: Find out about an exciting new employment programme
11.20am to 12pm
The panel features:
Nik Marinov: Royal British Legion Industries (RBLI)
Nik is a qualified chartered accountant and oversees RBLI’s core training programme: Life Works. This is an important part of supporting Veterans.
Being part of the Senior Leadership Team at RBLI, Nik sees first-hand how the charity supports people and is passionate about supporting their beneficiaries and creating new opportunities.
Laura Burke: Training Consultancy
Laura Burke is the founder and director of Laura Burke Training and Consultancy. This specialist organisation delivers mental health training, consultancy, and wellbeing support to both workplaces and individuals.
With over a decade of experience, Laura has worked with a variety of organisations including:
- Coca-Cola
- Medway Council
- Pilgrims Hospices.
She delivers impactful programmes to foster resilience, inclusion, and build positive mental health cultures.
Laura combines clinical understanding with a commitment to accessibility and empowerment. Her approach comes from lived experience, professional expertise, and a passion for equipping others with practical tools to thrive.
Lian Bentley: Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
Lian is the Disability Employment Adviser for the DWP. He has over 2 decades experience in leadership roles in both private and public sector.
Having lived experience with making and needing reasonable adjustments, he brings a balanced approach to supporting people. He advocates for support for people with disabilities and long-term health barriers and is actively working with employers and organisations to improve future prospects.
Session 5: BAE Systems: Our Future in Medway
2pm to 2.40pm
The panel features:
Dave Banks: Rochester Business Centre Director
Dave is the Director of the Rochester Business Centre within BAE Systems’ Electronic Systems sector. Dave is responsible for optimising the effective operation of the 3 business areas of the Electronic Systems sector that are hosted on the site.
He is responsible for ensuring that the workforce, culture and cost base are adapted and appropriate to meet the changing business needs. Dave is also the Product Line Director for Advanced Display Solutions based at Rochester.
Prior to his current role, Dave accumulated nearly 30 years of experience within the Finance function at BAE Systems.
Jenny Lynskey: Electronic Systems UK
Jenny is the Human Resources Director for Electronic Systems UK. She’s responsible for the delivery of the People Strategy for the business. The team covers all aspects of HR, Occupational Health and Early Careers.
Jenny has worked within BAE Systems for 18 years, the first 7 were with the Air sector, supporting the training business at locations such as Warton, Samlesbury, RAF Valley and RAF Coningsby. This was followed by 9 years with the Weapons Systems UK business based at Barrow.
Session 6: Net Zero panel discussion
2.40pm to 3.20pm
Tim Aker: Federation of Small Business (FSB)
This panel will be hosted by Tim Aker, Development Manager at the FSB in Kent and Medway.
Tim frequently provides insights on business issues across TV and radio. He holds a PhD in History from the University of Buckingham and is a published author. Prior to his work with the FSB, Tim served as a Member of the European Parliament and as a borough councillor.
The panel features:
Roland Stanley: Dragon Coworking
Roland Stanley is a fourth-generation business owner from Medway who regularly champions the town as an ideal location for business. His roots in Medway run deep, having spent his formative years there, attending Chatham South School during the late 1980s. Roland later pursued culinary training and gained invaluable experience working in esteemed establishments across France and London, ultimately returning to Medway.
Throughout his career, Roland has ventured into diverse business sectors, including hospitality, property development, and rentals. Currently, his focus is directed towards Dragon Coworking, a thriving serviced office and hot-desking community.
Jack Taylor: Guscott Heating
The business has been proudly serving Medway residents since 2017. Guscott Heating Services is a leading gas, heating and renewable energy installer based in Rochester. The company prides itself on delivering an excellent customer experience, supported by an unwavering commitment to helping homeowners in Kent and Medway save money on their heating energy bill whilst reducing their carbon footprint.
They were a finalist at the Medway Business Awards 2024.The business has also secured the green ‘net zero’ audit, helping the business towards cutting their energy costs, identify carbon emissions and help towards becoming ‘net zero’.
They've also successfully applied for funding via the Partners for Green Growth scheme to become more sustainable and environmentally responsible.
Rachel Carley: Carley Coaching
Carley Coaching was founded in 2021 by Rachael Carley. With a career in development training and a background in social entrepreneurship, Rachael set out to use her experience in business and passion for social impact, personal development, and the outdoors to support purpose-driven leaders to achieve their goals.
Session 7: Employers and Education: the future experiences of the workplace
3.20pm to 3.40pm
Brad Levy: Kent and Medway Careers Hub
Brad Levy is the Strategic Hub Lead for the Kent and Medway Careers Hub. Funded through the Careers and Enterprise Company and working in partnership with The Education People and Medway Council, the Kent and Medway Careers Hub supports over 175 schools, colleges, and specialist provisions to bridge the gap between education and work. Brad has worked with young people, in a range of settings, across London and the Southeast for over 20 years and believes that every young person should be given the opportunity to shine.
Session 8: Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce: the second-best time is now
3.40pm to 4pm
Tudor Price: Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce
Tudor Price is the Chief Executive at Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce which is the official Chamber for Kent and Medway and part of the British Chambers of Commerce network.
Tudor has worked for the Chamber of Commerce since 2011 having joined from a national role as Chief Operations Director within the recruitment and logistics sectors. He has also set up and sold several small businesses and continues to have commercial interests outside of the Chamber. He took over as CEO in January this year and has been instrumental in the delivery of business support and economic development on behalf of the Chamber.
Find out more
Visit the Medway Business and Skills Showcase page for more information.