Meet Our Speakers

Karen Blackett is a proven business leader with a track record in creating vibrant cultures, energising teams, and consistently delivering business growth and success. She is currently UK President for WPP, the world’s largest marketing services group, and responsible for driving growth in WPP’s second largest market of 13,000 people.

Former GroupM UK CEO, Karen was selected to turnaround the business over 2.5 years at a critical time, during the COVID global pandemic and the subsequent impact of the killing of George Floyd.

In June 2014, Karen Blackett received an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday honours and topped the Power List, being the first businesswoman to come in at number 1. In November 2022, Karen received Power List’s Outstanding Contribution Award in recognition of her continued exceptional achievements. In June 2023, Karen was appointed a NED for Diageo (a FTSE Top 10 company), and was a former NED of The Cabinet Office. In October 2023, Karen was honoured by INvolve – The Inclusion People’s List and came in at #1 for the Top 100 Women Executives.

Anne joined us in March 2021 as Executive Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences. She was appointed to the role of DVC Education in November 2023.   

Her research focuses on early modern financial markets and investment behaviour, and the organisation and management of the 18th-century Bank of England. Anne has published extensively on financial, social and economic history. She won the Economic History Society’s first monograph prize in 2010 for her monograph ‘The Origins of English Financial Markets: investment and speculation before the South Sea Bubble'.

Dominic joins us from his current role as the Head of the Business School at the University of Gloucestershire, having previously served as Head of the South Wales Business School. Prior to moving to South Wales Dominic had spent seven years at the University of the West of England in various roles. 

An award-winning public speaker and coach with over 25 years of experience in marketing roles in the public and private sectors, Helen enjoys applying academic learning to current issues and developing the critical thinkers of tomorrow.  

Helen is the winner of the Excellence in Marketing Prize awarded by the Worshipful Company of Marketors 2021. She researches in the areas of gender in leadership and entrepreneurship with a particular interest in institutional theory and the scope of rhetoric to challenge institutional logics.