ICAEW East of England: Business bitesize | 16 October 2025

Ryan Pearcy | Director | Digital Transformers

Ryan is a Digital Transformation specialist who is passionate about empowering accountants and their clients with modern cloud technology and the benefits it can bring. Ryan has 20 years experience as an accountant, he’s recently setup his own business to make businesses faster, smarter and more nimble with cloud technology. Co-founder of Digital Disruptors, host of Digi-Tools in Accrual World, event speaker and Early Adopters Tech Visionary. Digital-transformers.co.uk

CJ Green | Co-Founder | CleverGoose

CJ Green is the co-founder of CleverGoose, a decision-support platform that helps managers tackle complex HR issues with confidence, clarity, and speed. Drawing on a background as Group CEO of a 26,000-strong workforce and a career at the sharp end of people leadership, CJ understands the pressures facing modern managers, especially in fast-moving, resource-stretched SMEs.

CleverGoose was born from a belief that HR support shouldn’t sit in a drawer or hide behind policy banks. The platform brings structured guidance, proactive risk alerts, and real-world support directly to line managers, the people who make or break a company’s culture and resilience.

CJ is a passionate advocate for equipping managers with the digital tools and confidence they need to lead well. Her work spans technology, people development, and business transformation, all with a sharp focus on making things practical, human, and future-ready. Clevergoose.tech/about-us

Paul Sullivan | Senior Manager | British Business Bank - East of England

Paul is the Senior Manager UK Network for the East of England region at the British Business Bank. He works to help SMEs access finance in the East of England. As part of the UK Network Team, his role involves strengthening stakeholder relationships across the UK to help SMEs access funding best suited to their needs. British-business-bank.co.uk/business-guidance/regional-support

Cheryl Weeks | Head of Funds | East of England | The FSE Group

Cheryl is Head of FSE’s funds in the South East and East of England, overseeing regional funds, which include both business growth loans and equity investments. Before joining FSE, Cheryl worked at NatWest and Barclays dealing with all areas of business and commercial banking. Thefsegroup.com/fund/east-england-regional-growth-loan-schemes

Paul Lopez | Director | ECRC

Paul was part of the team that established the Eastern Cyber Resilience Centre (ECRC) in 2021. Prior to that he had served as a police officer for 30 years rising to the rank of Detective Superintendent. Following his retirement as a cop in 2023, Paul returned to the Managing Director role of the ECRC and remains committed to use his experience to support businesses within the Region to help them tackle the growing threat of cyber-crime and improve their levels of cyber resilience Paul has worked across number of diverse disciplines including Major Crime, Serious and Organised Crime, Counter Corruption, and prior to joining the ECRC, he headed up the Regional Cyber Crime Unit. Ecrcentre.co.uk/.co.uk/

Mark Dawe | Chief Executive | The Skills Network

Mark joined The Skills Network in August 2020, bringing significant leadership experience and a deep understanding of the education and skills sector, through a wide range of senior roles. He was CEO of the Association of Employment and Learning Providers (representative body for all Independent Training Providers), and led the Exam Board, OCR. Prior to that he was principal of Oaklands, a large FE college and a senior civil servant in the Department for Education. His career started as a chartered accountant with KPMG and in the late 90s was part of a team that started a tech company servicing the portal and procurement needs of the public sector. The Skills Network is a £20m turnover EdTech SME with 150 staff. Their business model combines market-leading technology with deep training expertise to deliver end-to-end learning solutions. Their success is driven by bespoke technology, EQUAL, and an entrepreneurial culture that empowers their staff. theskillsnetwork.com

Colin Field | CEO |Saffron Building Society

As the CEO of Saffron Building Society, Colin leads a team of 200 colleagues and oversee the strategic direction, financial performance, and operational excellence of one of the UK's oldest and most trusted mutual organisations. With over eight years of experience in this role, he has successfully implemented a number of business change and transformation initiatives that have enhanced their customer service, increased profitability, and strengthened resilience in a competitive and regulated market. Saffronbs.co.uk

Ben Willmott, Head of Public Policy and Practice, CIPD

Ben leads CIPD's public policy team, which works to inform and shape public debate, government policy and legislation to champion better work and working lives. His personal areas of interest include industrial strategy, skills policy, labour market regulation and enforcement and employee relations and wellbeing. Ben led the design and development of CIPD's regional People Skills pilots, which explored the value of HR support for small firms and how it can be delivered effectively within a local skills system. His published research includes reports on the Apprenticeship Levy, line management capability, zero hours contracts and the gig economy. He is also a member of the Government-sponsored Flexible Working Taskforce and has given evidence to a range of select committee inquiries on our behalf. Before joining the CIPD, Ben was news editor and employment law editor at Personnel Today magazine. He has an LLM in employment law from Kingston University. Cipd.org/uk/about/public-policy

Rebecca Cockerill, Partner, Mills & Reeve

Rebecca has specialised in the constantly evolving area of employment law since qualifying in 2008. She works helping predominately private sector organisations manage the full range of employee relation issues that arise including providing support on day to day HR matters, representing employers in employment tribunal claims, drafting and reviewing policies, procedures and contractual documentation and assisting in change management. Rebecca values the importance of training and mentoring individuals and regularly provides seminars on employment law issues. Mills-reeve.com

Philip Beddows, Founding Partner, The Silk Road Partnership

Rather uniquely, Philip has spent almost his entire career in coaching and mentoring and has over 30 years experience of working in the field. He has a passion for helping people and seeing them realise their full potential in the context of their business. His specialism is working with senior individuals and emerging leaders at critical transition points in their careers or their organisation’s development. Silkroadpartnership.com