Future Retail Trends

Neil Bradford is Sustainability and Procurement Director for JD Group, a leading global omnichannel retailer of Sports, Fashion and Outdoor brands. JD Group has approximately 3,400 stores across 32 territories, with a strong presence in the UK, Europe, North America and Asia Pacific.

Neil has worked in commercial and environmental-centric roles for over 20 years for Great Universal (now Very Group), Co-operative Group, Sainsbury’s, and – since 2016 – JD Group.

JD Group has been recognised as a leader in Climate Change strategy – achieving back-to-back ‘A’ grading from the Carbon Disclosure Project, the world’s largest independent, voluntary disclosure system.  A COP26 attendee, Neil supports DEFRA consultations on Extended Producer Responsibility, and is a Steering Committee member for WRAP Textiles 2030 – the UK-based initiative accelerating the fashion and textiles industry towards a circular economy.

James Sawley is the Head of Retail & Leisure, UK Corporate Banking at HSBC. With a national coverage mandate, James works with retailers and leisure operators to fund and advise on event driven activity including M&A, capital projects, IPOs, as well as fulfilling day to day banking requirements. HSBC’s international expertise offers James a unique insight into the challenges and opportunities offered by foreign markets.

‎James has 19 years experience as a corporate banker, working across leveraged finance, loan syndications and structured debt finance. James joined the banking industry as a graduate trainee in 2004 after studying Economics at The University of Sheffield. James lives in North London with his wife, Jennifer, and 2 children, Alfred and Martha.

Danny Simpson is the CEO of MID Communications & Founder of the MID Group, the largest multi award winning O2 Franchise in the Northwest, providing both B2B and B2C services across 16 retail stores throughout the Northwest and a business centre based in Rochdale.

Danny started his career back when GPRS was the only form of mobile internet and he also experienced the launch and impact of both 3G and 4G. He has also witnessed the release of the first ever iPhone in the telco marketplace along with many other tech gadgets like wearables, smart tech, innovative apps and especially tablets. Danny has seen how each of these have cannibalised the market in laptops to how the digital landscape has changed and works in our world as it is today.

He has the queens award for voluntary service, is a trustee for Hits Radio Cash for Kids Manchester, Non-Exec & Trustee for Cash For Kids UK, Non-Exec Director & Trustee for Kingfisher Learning Trust.

Personal Values –

1. Be kind and courteous
2. Have good strong manors, they cost nothing.
3. Work Hard / Work Ethic

Professional Values

1. Pride – Have it and show it.
2. Passion – Have it and show it
3. Persistence – if its worth doing do it

Jennifer is a Partner with considerable experience and expertise, encompassing both contentious and non-contentious work, spanning the lifetime of the employment relationship. With extensive advocacy experience in the Tribunals, Jennifer has developed a strong reputation as a litigator and tactician. Jennifer was included in the Legal 500 in 2018, 2019, 2020 and most recently in 2021, listing Jennifer as a “Next Generation Partner” and referring to her as a “name to note”. The publication has described Jennifer as “very thorough and totally committed to her clients”.

Jennifer has particular expertise in the recruitment industry, as well as the charity, hospitality and digital and ecommerce sectors. Clients recognise Jennifer’s excellent legal skillset and commitment to them and consistently return to her for advice. Jennifer’s personal approach, commercial awareness and excellent client care skills have previously resulted in awards, including Jennifer winning the Business Insider Lawyer of the Year. Jennifer regularly hosts webinars and training events and frequently appears in print media, as an expert in the field of employment law.

Amna is a Senior Lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University Business School. Amna contributes to the academic discipline of consumer behaviour and retailing, she teaches on undergraduate, postgraduate and commercial retail apprenticeship programs, and regularly publishes her work in leading academic journals.

Amna is an invited keynote speaker at international conferences and a panellist for corporate events.  She  conveys complex idea with simplicity that engage and inspire audiences. She uses her unique consumer and retailing knowledge to contribute to international, national and regional media outlets, and has provided comment for BBC, ITV, Channel 5, BBC Radio and The Conversation. She has featured on Channel 5 retailing documentaries on Supermarkets and leading retail brands, such as, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Aldi, Lidl, Marks and Spencer. She present her insights on high-street and retailing issues through blog-posts and podcasts. She is an invited keynote speaker.

Linked in – https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-amna-k-6b639b1b/