The Economist: The UK Middle Market Forum – Business after Brexit

Date: 

Tuesday, November 8, 2016 –

08:30 to 17:00

Venue: 

St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel, London

The Economist’s first Middle Market Forum will examine how businesses can weather the Brexit storm whilst still trying to overcome the daily challenges of securing growth capital, recruiting and retaining skilled workers, keeping abreast of latest technology changes and perfecting internal management structures.

Claranet’s very own founder and CEO, Charles Nasser, will be speaking on one of the panels: ‘Breaking the vicious cycle: securing funding to finance growth’ at 15:15.

Information and registration

On June 23rd Britons voted to leave the European Union, creating shockwaves across the world. The months ahead are rife with uncertainty, from the value of the pound and the future of trade with the continent to the timeline of Brexit and whether the United Kingdom itself will hold together.

Middle-market companies, with a turnover between £25m and £500m, are the backbone of the UK economy, contributing over a third of private-sector GDP, revenues and employment while representing barely 2% of all UK firms. Business leaders must also overcome the daily challenges of securing growth capital, recruiting and retaining skilled workers, keeping abreast of latest technology changes, perfecting internal management structures and getting the tools to expand abroad.

The Economist’s first Middle Market Forum will gather the UK’s leading mid-market chief executive officers, managing directors, founders and owners to discuss what lies ahead for British businesses in the wake of the vote for Brexit. A cheaper pound will make imports more expensive, but could be a boon for exporting firms.

  • Will the UK enter a new recession?
  • What is the Brexit timeframe and is it indeed inevitable?
  • Can business carry on as usual until the activation of the Lisbon Treaty’s article 50, which would officially launch Britain’s divorce from the EU?
  • What happens during the difficult negotiations over the separation?

We’ll be asking, how well equipped is Britain’s middle market to plan for the UK’s uncertain future while keeping up revenue and employment? How can business leaders develop a strategy amid such uncertainty?

Speakers and agenda

  • Rt Hon Michael Gove, MP: Member of Parliament for Surrey Heath
  • William Sargent: Co-founder and CEO, Framestore
  • Graham Cartledge, CBE: Chariman, Benoy
  • Mottie Kessler: Chairman and CEO, 2m Holidays
  • Guy Harwood: Chairman, Harwoods
  • John Timpson: Chairman, Timpson Limited
  • Spencer McCarthy: Chairman and CEO, Churchill Retirement Living
  • Rob Donaldson: Head of Corporate Finance, RSM
  • Stephen Fitzpatrick: Founder and CEO, OVO Energy
  • Kenny Wilson: CEO, Cath Kidston
  • Mark Wilson: Executive Vice-President and CFO of Aston Martin Lagonda
  • Miriam Gonzalez: Partner, Co-chair International Trade Practice, Dechert
  • Rami Ranger, CBE: Chairman, SunMark
  • Anthony Fletcher: CEO, Graze
  • Jon Reynolds: CEO and Co-founder, Swiftkey
  • Annette Doyle: Managing Director, Trumpf
  • Sian Keane: Vice-President Talent and People, Farfetch UK
  • Edward Ungar: CCO, Onfido
  • Charles Nasser: Founder and CEO, Claranet Group

Click here for the full agenda and schedule