Helen most recently working for an events and creative agency as a Senior Design and Project Manager. In this role, she organised and oversaw the operations and creative development of large-scale events including three series of university graduations, Matriculations, awards events, launch events, marketing campaigns and a drinks reception at The House of Lords, Westminster Palace.
Helen spent 12 years working at a design and creative agency for the Arts looking after venues such as The Royal Albert Hall, the National Theatre, many West End venues, national tours and regional venues including Scarborough Stephen Joseph and Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse.
Helen has experience in account management and project management in publishing and print, high-profile product launches and POS installations and event management. Helen has played a role in creating events in London to launch products for Cheryl Cole, Fleur de Force and Little Mix, as well as site productions and The Education Show and The Clothes Show (both Birmingham NEC).
Helen has a wealth of experience in hospitality, having played a major part of the team in the VIP Reception at Leicester City Football Club, and having spent four years as long-haul cabin crew with Virgin Atlantic Airways.
Helen speaks French and Italian, after working and studying abroad as part of her degree studies in Modern Languages and European Studies at The University of Bath.
Helen grew up surrounded by the theatre and the arts and enjoys all things creative and production, especially managing behind the scenes during live events.
Over the past 18 years, Paul has played a pivotal role in the live event industry through his work with Holland Alexander (hollandalexander.com). From managing iconic graduations at De Montfort University and the University of Leicester—welcoming over 100,000 attendees—to orchestrating unforgettable moments like the 2009 Special Olympics, which brought the Kennedys and the Prime Minister to Leicester, Paul’s passion for delivering standout events is undeniable.
Louise Holland is a dynamic leader with a distinguished 25-year career in senior leadership, during which she has founded multiple companies and held prominent roles in major event, marketing, and PR management. Her work spans industries such as Premier League football, regional international airports, and newspapers, and she has represented female founders on strategic and government boards, advocating for their interests and success.
As the founder of Holland Alexander, a full-service global experience communications agency, Louise delivers expertise in communication strategy, marketing, PR, commercial activation, and growth acceleration. Her agency operates across core sectors including higher education, government agencies, technology, innovation, media, and sport. To date, Holland Alexander has created over 200 positions, from full-time roles to student placements, and regularly collaborates with universities on graduate hosting and mentorship programs.
In addition to Holland Alexander, Louise leads Horsepower XP, which specialises in audience engagement services for the horse racing industry. She is also the founder of Sustainability ROX, an agency that develops ESG and sustainability strategies to help brands grow while reducing their carbon footprint.
Louise is well-connected, with relationships across 6,000 businesses, and she is particularly well-known in the East Midlands region. Her academic achievements include a Master’s in Tourism and Business Marketing, with Distinctions, from Staffordshire University in 1999, and a BA (Hons) Degree in Sport, Business, and Tourism Marketing in 1998.
A passionate advocate for the next generation of entrepreneurs, Louise works with regional universities and colleges to inspire ambition and creativity among students. Beyond her professional pursuits, she is actively involved in charitable work, is a thoroughbred horse investor, a dedicated sports enthusiast, and an approved adopter.
With a proven track record in developing and constructing renewable energy assets across the UK and Europe, Jon is a seasoned professional recognised for his expertise in utility-scale solar and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). Over the course of his career, he has built significant political capital within the industry and gained deep insight into the full project life cycle. Jon’s extensive experience is complemented by strong transaction management and negotiation skills, allowing him to navigate complex deals with confidence and precision.
A natural leader, Jon excels at fostering strong relationships with stakeholders, maintaining rigorous organisational standards, and communicating with clarity and directness. His leadership style promotes team spirit and places a high value on entrepreneurship, agility, teamwork, and results. Driven by a passion for climate action, Jon is deeply committed to advancing sustainable and regenerative finance solutions (sReFi) for nature-based initiatives, recognising his essential role in addressing climate change.
As a passionate advocate for environmental sustainability, Jon believes that renewable energy is key to reducing the devastating impacts of climate change. By promoting clean energy sources and reducing reliance on fossil fuels, he is actively working toward a more sustainable and equitable future.
Jon’s personal mission is to inspire others to join in this shared responsibility, driving innovation in the energy sector to ensure a healthier planet for future generations.
Simon Platts set up Simon Platts Consulting ( SP & KO ) in March 2023, an independent consultancy focused on supporting retailers, educators, and the fashion industry at large to deliver better ways of buying and sourcing to improve quality, profitability, agility, and proposition, reduce negative impacts on people and planet, and deliver on environmental, social, and legal commitments.
Simon was also recently in the role of CEO Co-Founder of Recomme, a company focused on supplying tools and support to retailers and brands that enable the recovery of old items of clothing and footwear. And then send off for upcycle, recycle and turn them into new products. Simon now hold the roll of Board advisor and Repurpose lead within Recomme.
Up until March 2023 Simon was with ASOS.com for 10 years. In his role as Responsible Sourcing and Commercial ESG Director Simon oversaw the company’s own-brand sourcing, packaging, ethical trade, product sustainability programme and 3rd-party branded engagement functions. He also led the team which developed, and delivered, Asos’ ‘Fashion with Integrity’ initiative.
Simon started out in fashion as a teenager, and as of 2023 has been working in the industry for nearly four decades. His journey has taken him from shop-floor sales staff at Next Retail in the mid-1980s, moving through the ranks at Next, into visual merchandising, buying , buying management, and finally sourcing, where he was responsible for setting up the UK arm of Next’s global sourcing operation.
Prior to joining Asos, Simon was Head of Branded and Own Brand Buying for the Outdoor specialist retailers Blacks and Millets. Before that, he spent 10 years as Director/Partner at Lazzati UK , a multi-regional supplier of men’s, women’s and children’s apparel and footwear to UK high street retailers and brands, where he led the product development and sourcing teams.
Outside of work, Sheffield-born Simon lives with his family in Leicestershire, and pursues his passions for outdoor activities, the environment, nature, and conservation.