Chair:

Simon Gray | Head of Business | ICAEW
Simon is an ICAEW Chartered Accountant and ICAEW member who qualified with KPMG in Nottingham. After many years of volunteering, including District Society President, Chair of the Business Committee and Council Member, he joined ICAEW as Head of Business in December 2021. His background is in the recruitment, careers, membership and inward investment sectors. Simon has started and run his own businesses and served as a Non-Executive Director.

Speaker:

Emma Degg | Chief Executive | North West Business Leadership Team (NWBLT)

Emma Degg is the Chief Executive of the North West Business Leadership Team (NWBLT). The NWBLT brings together leaders of national and international businesses with substantial commitments and interests in the North West of England. The Team works to exert its collective influence for the long-term good of the region, economically, environmentally, culturally and socially. Emma has spent her career focussed upon bringing together business leaders and policy makers to make a tangible difference, nationally, across the region and in local government.

Formally a Board Member of Made Smarter North West and ‘We Mind the Gap’ she serves on the UK2070 independent House of Lords Commission and is a Trustee of 'Best For Britain'. In addition, Emma is a Board Member of Net Zero NW and Electricity North West's Independent Stakeholder Group. She was awarded an MBE for services to business in 2024 and named Business Champion of the year in 2025 by Business Cloud.

Speaker:

Fiona Poxton | Founder | Focus Journey Evolve

Fiona trained with Deloitte and has since built a diverse portfolio spanning finance, governance, and transformation. She founded Focus Journey Evolve, a business improvement consultancy that delivers transformation services to private equity-backed businesses across the UK. Alongside her consultancy work, Fiona holds several positions as a Non-Executive Director, Audit Committee Chair and Charity Trustee. With experience across a range of sectors and ownership models, and a passion for driving meaningful change, Fiona brings a practical and people-focused perspective to business and economic debates.