Sarah Black-Smith is a passionate and active promoter for enhancing the productivity of UK Manufacturers. Since June 2022, she has been at the helm of the Motion Control business in Siemens Digital Industries and is the Sustainability Lead. Sarah believes that digitalisation and ongoing advancements are pivotal in achieving the UK’s sustainability and productivity objectives.

With an impressive tenure of 23 years at Siemens, Sarah has held multiple positions at two factories located in Congleton and Lincoln, which has greatly enhanced her understanding of the industry.

Sarah led the Factory Operations at the Siemens Digital Industries factory in Congleton since December 2018, having previously been Head of Manufacturing. During her time at Siemens Energy Lincoln, Sarah held several operational management positions driving efficiency and excellence throughout the factory.

Sarah graduated from Loughborough University in 2004 with a BEng (Hons) in Manufacturing Engineering and Management. Sarah completed an MSc in Operations Excellence from Cranfield University in 2016 and earlier this year completed her Global MBA at the Alliance Manchester Business School.

Sarah's passion lies in collaborating with individuals and fostering strong relationships. She holds a deep admiration for the manufacturing sector in the UK, recognising the incredible talent and innovation that exists within the country, regularly documenting this on LinkedIn.

Sarah firmly believes that diversity is a crucial element in unlocking the full potential of the engineering and manufacturing industries. She advocates for greater diversity within businesses and engineering courses, as believes it is essential for driving fresh perspectives, innovative ideas, and transformative approaches.

Sir Iain Gray, now Emeritus Professor at after 9 years as Professor and Director of Aerospace at Cranfield University , is currently Independent Chair of Futures West, the Non Exec Chair of CFMS Ltd, a Non-Executive Director for Advanced Materials company Versarien, a Board Member for the ERA Foundation and Chair of the Bristol Aero Collection Trust. Formerly Managing Director and General Manager of Airbus UK and then Chief Executive of InnovateUK, he was awarded a CBE for services to Innovation in 2014 and was knighted for services to the Aerospace Industry in 2023. Iain is a Chartered Engineer, a Fellow and former Vice President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, a Fellow and former Vice President of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and recipient of the Royal Aeronautical Society Gold Medal in 2007.

Gareth is the Group Engineering Director for BAE Systems, leading the engineering function across the UK & International scope of businesses, having joined BAES in September 2023. He is a graduate of Aeronautics from Imperial College, London and worked for 30 years at Rolls-Royce. During his time at Rolls-Royce (RR) he worked on a wide variety of propulsion programmes, including Chief Engineer roles in both the Defence and Civil Aerospace businesses. He was the Engineering & Technology Director for the RR Defence sector globally from 2017 to 2023. Gareth is a Chartered Engineer and a Fellow of both the Royal Aeronautical Society and Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

Andy Lawrence is the Head of Engineering at the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) as part of UKRI, and has been responsible for strategy and delivery of EPSRC’s investment in engineering research across UK academia since September 2016. The theme covers a diverse portfolio of civil, mechanical, chemical and materials engineering disciplines, in addition to enabling technologies and systems, such as robotics, and parts of biomedical and electrical engineering. He has led numerous impactful schemes such as the Engineering Engagement Champions and the National Fellowships in Fluid Dynamics, and most recently initiated the Tomorrow’s Engineering Research Challenges activity.

Andy joined EPSRC in 2007 and has held roles in EPSRC’s Strategy and Planning team providing support to the Executive Leadership team and in senior portfolio manager positions in the Manufacturing the Future and ICT themes. Prior to his career at EPSRC, Andy gained a PhD in atmospheric dynamics from the University of Cambridge and held academic research posts at the British Antarctic Survey, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts.

A Chartered Engineer who is experienced and knowledgeable on the UK’s transport modes and infrastructure, she works to support the development of strategies that incubate collaborations. The Advanced Propulsion Centre has committed over £1.6bn investment into net-zero and low carbon automotive innovation, with the resulting products reducing carbon emissions and providing lasting economic benefits from jobs and inward investment. As Stakeholder engagement Director Philippa is Key external roles include being a Board Member of Zemo Partnership, as Chair of Members Council and the Co-Chair of Industry Advisory Group for Driving the Electric Revolution Challenge.