Wellbeing Champions Lunch 2026 – Designing Wellbeing for the Future Workforce

Professor of Organisational Psychology and Health at Alliance Manchester Business School, Cary is a world leading expert on workers’ health and well-being. He is President of the Chartered Institute of Personal Development in the UK and Co-founder of Robertson Cooper. He co-founded The National Forum for Health and Wellbeing at Work in 2015, which is focussed on improving workplace wellbeing in the UK and globally.

Tom is a Manchester-based senior employee benefits consultant who has specialised in pensions and all aspects of employee benefits for over 14 years. Championing workplace wellness, Tom assists clients in providing a comprehensive benefits package for their employees. He is involved in supporting international clients with their UK employee benefits and responsible for consulting for SME clients to ensure benefits packages represent a bespoke and engaging solution. Advocating financial wellbeing is a particular passion.

Charmian is a former global law firm partner turned certified Somatic Trauma-Informed Coach. Drawing on a legal career of almost three decades, she helps organisations understand how stress and trauma affect the nervous system and, in turn, influence performance, behaviour and leadership. Charmian delivers nervous system-aware training, the often overlooked but vital element of wellbeing, supporting leaders, people managers and HR teams to create psychologically safe, high-performing workplaces. Her approach reduces absence and attrition while giving organisations a strategic advantage. It also empowers employees to feel calmer, more confident and able to thrive both in and beyond the workplace.

Alison is based in the City Centre where she is a consultant with the commercial legal practise Lockett Loveday McMahon Solicitors and she also has her own business advisory company.

Alison is a champion of equality in the workplace, recognising the importance of diversity, inclusion and the promotion of health and well-being at work ( both mental and physical). This is not in response to ‘ the latest trend’ but is something she has done throughout her thirty plus year career. In addition, she is keen to support the future generation – promoting links between the workplace and schools /colleges/ and our Universities and working with various mentoring programs.

Alison is a keen supporter of North West Business Community, being a Director and is part of the pro-manchester, Wellbeing Champions Committee. She is also an Ambassador for the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity (which raises money for and promotes awareness of the experience of homelessness). Her chosen charity in her role as Chair of pro-manchester is the Pankhurst Trust, incorporating  Manchester Women’s Aid which is celebrating its 50^th year providing domestic abuse services across Greater Manchester. Its particular focus this year is in  on raising funds for children who are the victims of domestic abuse and who make up the greatest number of those living temporarily in MWA refuges.

Alison is a member of the Northern Power Woman Power List, and the Women of the Year Awards. She regularly provides comment to the media- National press, radio and television.

Sheni is the Assistant Director of OD & Good Employment working across the Greater Manchester system, based at NHS GM Integrated Care. Focused on what makes good work – leadership, culture, wellbeing, inclusion – Sheni has an experienced portfolio from across health & care, local authorities, emergency services, young people, VCSFE, Creative Digital, and the cultural sector & creative industries. She is a mentor and coach, pays her skills forward as an advisor and trustee – and a champion for all things that feed our passions and purpose.

Kate Cocker wants you to be heard.

Kate specialises in helping businesses and business leaders speak their brand to engage new & existing clients.

She has 20+ years of experience working with broadcasters, business owners and high performers to get them to be great presenters. From public speaker training for business leaders and corporations; to coaching broadcasters, to training online trainers to be comfortable and confident on camera, Kate is passionate about helping people tell their stories so they can change their corner of the world.

Kate’s wrap-around approach means in recent times she and her team have helped her clients to perform on conference stages across the globe, steer them through virtual speaking (both with tech and speaking skills), supported change makers to hone their messaging, coached C-Suite executives in Board presentations and has supported many leaders to land their key messages on international media outlets.

She is co-founder of the podcast production company “Purposeful Podcasts”, is an Alumni of the DCMS Audio Content Fund Panel and is also the voice behind British Podcast Award winning daily podcast: “Everyday Positivity”. Kate is a qualified NLP Practitioner and Coach, has an ILM5 in Leadership and is an iMA Strategies Practitioner.