Fighting Fire with Fire: Strategies to boost your business growth

​Harman Singh is a security professional with more than 10 years of consulting experience across private and public sector organisations. His day job involves serving his consulting business customers at Cyphere to reduce their security concerns. Cyphere’s primary expertise lies in technical risk assessments across traditional networks and cloud computing threat landscapes. Besides delivering pen testing, he has also delivered talks and trainings at Black Hat and regional conferences. His favourite security topics are Active Directory, Azure & Networks.

Hemant is the founder and CEO of Anumana, a digital transformation and bespoke AI solutions business. He has built high performing technology teams and platforms for fast growth organisations, such as Arrow Global and Azzurro Associates. Hemant founded Anumana to help other fast growth organisations convert their data into an asset, leading businesses to become more data driven in their decision making. Alongside the commercial endeavours of the business, Hemant has developed a social mobility programme – the Anumana Code Academy, delivering free python training programmes to disadvantaged children across Greater Manchester.

Claire Bennett is the Director of Sales and Partnerships at IN4 Group, an award-winning skills, innovation and business growth services provider that drives prosperity throughout the UK through educational enrichment and economic empowerment, headquartered at MediaCity, Salford. She holds a BA (Hons) in Journalism and spent several years working in the media, including LadBible Group, before transitioning into business development. Claire has crafted her sales career over the past 17 years, having previously worked for Sony to launch their first 3D TV. She further honed her business development skills in the property and construction sector for five successful years before joining IN4 Group in 2020. Claire leads the sales organisation at IN4 Group, supporting a team of five with their verticals across the business – Skills City, HOST and Programmes.

As Co-CEO, Nicola leads on commercial performance, operational effectiveness and the ongoing development of the organisation as Greater Manchester’s growth network.

With a strong commercial focus, Nicola is responsible for driving efficiency, improving how the organisation works and identifying opportunities that support sustainable business growth. She plays a key role in turning strategy into action, helping pro-manchester respond to the pace and ambition of its members with clarity and purpose.

Together with Sam Booth, Nicola represents a modern, collaborative approach to leadership. Their partnership challenges the traditional idea of leadership at the top being held by one person alone, replacing it with a model built on shared responsibility, mutual support and complementary strengths. It is an approach that reflects both pro-manchester’s values and the spirit of Greater Manchester: ambitious, connected and stronger together.