Arrival, registration & breakfast networking

Introduction from The Network Group & Chairperson

A brief introduction to the event software, SNS – this software, unique to the industry, empowers our attendees to make the most effective use of their time at the event by maximising networking opportunities. The software designs a personalised agenda & enables attendees to arrange one-to-one meetings with each other. This will be followed by a welcome from the chairperson.

Anne Vigouroux, Head of Marketing, Charles Taylor

The Macro Forces Reshaping Marketing: What Will the Next Five Years Demand of CMOs?

The next five years will redefine how B2B organisations grow, build trust, and compete for attention and capital. From global economic volatility and shifting supply chains to changing workforce dynamics and customer expectations, the external environment facing marketing leaders has never been more complex.

This keynote looks beyond the quarter ahead to provide a five-year strategic horizon – giving CMOs the economic, societal, and behavioural foresight needed to shape resilient strategies and purposeful brands in a world of accelerating change. 

Alex Leay, Head of UK Marketing, HSBC

Panel Discussion: AI Beyond the Buzz – Where It’s Really Delivering Value and Where It’s Not

• AI for Productivity vs Competitive Edge: Where automation boosts efficiency — and where creativity, judgement and differentiation still win 
• AI in regulated industries: how brands in complex sectors are navigating compliance, ethics and risk to deploy AI responsibly
• Generative AI and the creativity: exploring how automation is transforming content, storytelling and brand authenticity 
• AI agents and customer journeys: using intelligent systems to enhance experience, orchestration and personalisation at scale 
• Human + AI collaboration: building leadership, structure and skills for a future where human and machine intelligence combine 

Niall Sullivan, Head of Marketing, Siemens
Francesco Frederico, CMO, S&P Global

Fireside Chat: The CMO – From Marketer to Enterprise Leader: The Growth Architect CMO Leading Brand, Revenue & Transformation in 2026

• The CMO as Chief Growth Officer: redefining marketing’s role as a direct driver of business growth – owning customer lifecycle value, commercial KPIs, and enterprise-wide innovation 
• Rewiring marketing for growth: how CMOs integrate brand, sales, and customer experience to turn personalisation, data, and human insight into measurable commercial outcomes 
• CMO x CFO: The new language of value – winning board-level credibility and investment by framing marketing’s impact in financial and strategic terms 
• The cost of standing still: why pace, adaptability, and transformation leadership now define competitive advantage and how CMOs can lead organisational change  
• Evolving from campaign leader to enterprise growth architect – blending creativity, commerciality, and cultural leadership 

Moderated by: Anne Vigouroux, Head of Marketing, Charles Taylor
Sundeep Kamath, Head – Global Industry Innovation & Marketing, Shell 

Futureproofing the Marketing Function – Building Skills, Culture and Capability for 2030

• Future capabilities: The critical skillsets that will define marketing success through 2030, from data literacy to creativity and emotional intelligence 
• Building bench strength: attracting, developing, and retaining high-performing talent in an AI-enabled, hybrid environment 
• Benchmarking maturity: measuring team capability and linking learning investment directly to business impact 
• Culture of growth: creating environments where curiosity, experimentation, and adaptability thrive
• Transforming the B2B Journey: re-engineering marketing and sales collaboration to deliver seamless, insight-driven customer experiences