09:00
Event programme
Thursday 25 June, London
Our annual conference brings together experts, practitioners and leaders from across the profession to share ideas, real-world experience and insight on the challenges and opportunities shaping quality.
This year’s theme, Powering Performance, is all about delivering real impact, helping organisations become more productive, resilient and ready for the future.
Thursday 25
- Stream 1 - room TBC
- Stream 2 - room TBC
- Stream 3 - room TBC
- Stream 4 - room TBC
Stream 4 - room TBC
- 09:00
- 09:30
- 10:00
- 10:30
- 11:00
- 11:30
- 12:00
- 12:30
- 13:00
- 13:30
- 14:00
- 14:30
- 15:00
- 15:30
- 16:00
- 16:30
- 17:00
- 17:30
- 18:00
09:30
Welcome 09:30–09:40
Rashad Issa
Chair
CQI
09:40
Keynote - Bernard Marr: data as an AI enabled strategic asset 09:40–10:20
With data increasingly being recognised as a strategic asset and artificial intelligence developing fast, global futurist, author and business advisor, Bernard Marr, provides his view of current and future trends in AI, and the opportunities and challenges facing organisations in realising the potential of data as an AI enabled asset.
Bernard Marr
Bernard Marr is a world-renowned futurist, influencer and thought leader in the fields of business and technology, with a passion for using technology for the good of humanity.
He is a multi-award-winning and internationally best-selling author of over 20 books, writes a regular column for Forbes and advises and works with many of the world’s best-known organisations.
He has a combined following of 5 million people across his social media channels and newsletters and was ranked by LinkedIn as one of the top 5 business influencers in the world.
10:20
A risk‑based approach to quality: why traditional audits can’t keep up 10:20–11:15
The traditional “pass or fail” audit model isn’t keeping up with today’s supply‑chain reality. This session explores how organisations can shift to a more intentional, risk‑based approach, one that delivers meaningful data, drives performance improvements, and strengthens resilience. Instead of asking “Did we pass?”, we’ll explore how audits can help teams ask the far more valuable question: “What’s the plan now?”
This session is being hosted by the BSI.
Daniel Martin
Commercial Manager
Daniel has over 20 years of industry experience, beginning in aerospace and automotive manufacturing and later spanning testing, inspection, certification, and compliance. He brings a practical, risk focused perspective to auditing and supply chain assurance. As Commercial Manager at BSI, Daniel works closely with organizations across sectors to understand how Internal and Supplier Audits operate in real world supply chain environments. His experience offers clear insight into where traditional pass/fail audit models fall short, and how more intentional, risk based approaches can deliver meaningful data, drive performance improvement, and strengthen organizational resilience.
Paul Robinson
Trustee
BP
Paul Robinson is a trustee of the CQI and will be facilitating this session.
One system to rule them all? 10:20–11:15
This session examines the ‘integrated’ management system concept, and whether ‘enabling’ professions are collaborating effectively enough to streamline operating governance, assurance and improvement to help organisations deliver performance and mitigate risk with agility in today’s operating environment.
Jonathan Bishop
Group Process and Certification Manager
Future Integrated Management Systems Ltd
Martin Davies
Quality Director - Defence & Nuclear Energy
Costain
Vanessa Harwood-Whitcher
CEO
IOSH
Andrew Wright
Managing Partner of Dynamic Technologies
APM
The rise of the AI audit colleague 10:20–11:15
Sponsored by:
Calibre builds AI tools for auditors, certification bodies, and accreditation bodies, designed to keep human judgement at the centre of every decision.
Quality work is some of the most consequential work in the economy, and the profession deserves software built specifically for it. Calibre combines in-house auditors with an engineering approach that puts builders alongside the people doing the work. The result is AI tools that handle the repetitive parts of an audit: pre audit research, evidence review, report generation, and audit planning. Every output is traceable, and every decision is the auditor's.
We're re-imagining assurance and quality in the age of AI.
Gautham Senthilnathan
CEO and founder
Calibre
Gautham is the CEO and co-founder of Calibre, an AI tech startup focused on accelerating audit workflows using AI. An ex-Palantir Forward Deployed Engineer, he led AI deployments across 20+ industries including medical device certification, NHS healthcare and human trafficking detection. He holds a Master's in Mathematics and Computer Science with peer-reviewed publications in machine learning.
Dimitar Yotov
Founding Compliance Engineer
Calibre
Dimitar Yotov is a Lead Auditor at Calibre, where he is building AI-assisted tools designed to work alongside auditors. With 10+ years in management systems certification, including roles as ISO 27001 Scheme Manager and Scheme Lead for ISO 42001. His focus is on where AI adds value in an audit and where human judgement remains non-negotiable. At Quality Live 2026 he's excited to share how AI is changing the auditor's role and will demonstrate this with actionable prompts/examples.
Digital transformation: a technical challenge or a business challenge? 10:20–11:15
Reports suggest that AI projects are failing at a higher rate than other types of technology-based projects. This panel discussion considers why and how organisations can avoid failure and deliver desired value in AI projects and digital transformation in general, and the role quality professionals can play.
Victoria Yates
Head of Change and Transformation
Mabey Hire & CQI Digital Transformation Network
Gerhard Weiss
Director: Systems Integration and Projects
Netcare
11:15
Morning break 11:15–11:35
11:35
Leading product quality 11:35–12:30
The point of managing quality is to provide superior products and services. This session explores the organisational conditions, culture and tools required to design, deliver and support trusted product and service quality by looking at common challenges and learning from aerospace to semi-conductors in the pursuit of ‘zero defects’.
Suzanne Hill
Assured Quality Improvements Ltd
Chris McMahon
Graphcore
Ian Riggs
Senior Consultant
ZD Insight Consulting
The people vs the system 11:35–12:30
Employee engagement and mental health are at a low point in Europe and dropping globally. At the same time the quality profession is balancing the technical systems for managing quality, often driven by standards and conformity, with the need to engage the wider organisation in collaborating to deliver quality outcomes. This session explores the inherent tension in socio-technical systems.
Roger Dando
Project Quality Manager
Mott Macdonald
Angelique Macrez
Consultant
Catalyst Consulting
Angelique is a quality professional with more than 20 years’ experience delivering business improvement and transformation while fostering culture change with infectious drive and enthusiasm. She advocates a Gemba Walks approach to implementing quality improvement across business. In this way, she successfully makes people at all levels work closely and collaboratively to improve processes, create novel visual solutions, and ultimately shift mindsets on how to approach quality: “doing the right work, and doing the work right”. Angelique was the winner of the CQI Quality Professional of the Year Award in 2019.
Ian Rosam
Director
DeepFathom
Digital standards in a digital world 11:35–12:30
Is our approach to standards keeping up with the rapidly changing digital landscape? How could the digitalisation of standards help industry in the design, manufacture and management of products and services? How can standards development keep pace with changes in the external environment? In this interactive session, put your questions to our expert panel from the global quality ecosystem.
Speakers to be announced.
Kish Chandarana
Head of Quality Excellence
MBDA
Julie Gordon
Strategy and Initiatives Director
bsi
Simon Powell
Digital Standards Alliance
The AI Quality Problem 11:35–12:30
We are at an inflection point. AI is reshaping every function of the modern enterprise at a pace that will make today's world of work unrecognisable within years. The commercial pressure to move fast is immense, and so is the risk of getting it wrong. For quality professionals, this is not a moment to stand on the sidelines. It is a moment to step up.
This session explores how the principles we have championed for decades, building quality into the process, empowering people at the Gemba, evidence-based decision making, have never been more vital. Drawing on real-world case studies and live demonstrations, James Dwan will show how AI is already transforming process improvement, from intelligent data analysis to autonomous quality monitoring, and why the modern quality professional is uniquely equipped to play a vital role in this revolution. Not as the gatekeeper slowing things down, but as the game changer making sure we move fast and get it right.
Come prepared to be inspired, challenged, and ready to act. And stay for lunch, there is a game to play.
James Dwan
CEO
Catalyst Consulting
James Dwan is CEO of Catalyst Consulting and a recognised leader in business transformation, operational excellence, and the integration of AI into the modern enterprise. With over two decades of experience across financial services, manufacturing, government, and technology, James has guided organisations in embedding continuous improvement, strategic resilience, and business agility.
He co-authored the Agile Business Consortium's 2025 white paper, A Human-First Approach for Integrating Humans and Machines, and heads their AI and Business Agility Think Tank. James led the development of CatStat, Catalyst's AI-powered statistical analysis platform that is democratising data-driven improvement for quality professionals worldwide.
12:30
Lunch and networking 12:30–13:45
13:45
Keynote - Mike Turner: Mind the quality gap 13:45–14:10
For more than a century, the practice of actively managing and improving the quality of products and services has driven economic growth, enhanced people’s lives and made the world a safer place. And yet the perception of QM as a value generator is not widely held. It is still viewed as primarily focused on compliance and operational control, and not as a strategic weapon. In late 2024, the CQI, in partnership with Cranfield University, kicked off a programme of research aimed at understanding how the value of QM can be better identified, articulated and demonstrated. In this keynote Mike Turner presents the results of this work and how it could help organisations to drive more value from quality management activities
Mike Turner
CQI
Mike is an experienced quality and operations professional with 40 years’ experience in business and consulting. After graduating from university, Mike began a career in operations and general management, gaining experience in a number of UK and US-based multinational organisations.
During this period, Mike led the implementation of organisational change, Lean Six Sigma continuous improvement, and business process improvement programmes.
Latterly, he served as Managing Director of Oakland Group, a leading quality and operations consulting service provider, where he oversaw the transformation of the organisation and saw the introduction of data and analytics capabilities to augment the consulting offers.
As an expert in quality and operations management, Mike has run long-term assignments in a range of large global manufacturing, service and public sector organisations. He is a regular speaker on management issues, and an author of e-books, print books, papers and articles. He has a first degree in Engineering and a postgraduate MBA. Mike is also proud to be a Chartered Quality Professional and has served on the Board of Trustees of the CQI. He was a founder member of the Oakland Institute for Business Research and Education and has won an award for his research work.
14:10
Digital Product Passports 14:10–15:00
Discover the potential for secure, interoperable, lifecycle-long digital product records and the very non-digital challenges to making this a reality in sectors such as aerospace and defence, including the need for shared standards, governance frameworks, interoperability and commercial viability across customers, suppliers. operators and regulators.
Graham Upton
Technology and Innovation Director and Chief Architect Intelligent Industry
Capgemini
Graham is an influential and respected senior technology and innovation leader and Chief Architect with proven capability in identifying, developing and implementing state of the art solutions at a strategic (CXO) level within complex, multinational organisations. He is skilled at leading cross-functional teams across multiple sectors including Life Sciences, Aerospace, Energy & Utilities and Rail. Graham has an extensive knowledge in engineering, manufacturing operations, Industry 4.0, digital advances with lean and agile methodologies, and has delivered key change projects whilst leading technological advances in capability acquisition and continuous improvement.
Sharron Magowan
VP of Quality
Rolls-Royce
The Measurement and Impact Gap 14:10–15:00
This session explores how organisations can align quality initiatives, teams and metrics to bridge the gap with business strategy and goals, evidencing how good quality capability can drive good performance.
Humans at the heart of quality 14:10–15:00
Every need for quality has a human story at its heart. In this session, we hear first-hand case studies from businesses who put people at the heart of everything they do and demonstrate the value of a strong, personable quality culture.
Chris Achillea
QHSEE Senior Director
Sodexo
Mark Phillips
Head of Quality
BAE Systems Electronic Systems Rochester
Mark has been a quality professional with BAE Systems for 40 years, joining as an apprentice and working through the organisation to his current role as Head of Quality for the Rochester facility. BAE Systems Electronic Systems designs and manufactures advanced displays and control systems for both Military and Commercial markets across the world. Mark led the Rochester team to the International Quality Awards Quality Organisation of the Year recognition in 2025.
Navigating Digital Management Systems 14:10–15:00
This session provides a deep look into how intelligent customers select, implement, and develop digital management systems which support performance for the whole organisation as well as the quality function, including the kind of new AI quality tools that you can expect. This session will be provided by software provider Q-Hub, but will be applicable to anyone considering implementation or upgrading digital quality management and compliance systems in any context.
15:00
Afternoon break 15:00–15:20
15:20
From gatekeeper to gamechanger 15:20–16:15
Discover how business partnering is reshaping the role of the quality professional and enabling quality across organisations. Drawing on CQI research and real-world examples, this session explores the collaborative, influence-led practice that drives better decisions and outcomes.
Phil Parker
Global Quality & Sustainability Manager
Spirax Sarco
Eleni Tzouramani
Senior Lecturer
University of West Scotland
The solo quality manager 15:20–16:15
What happens when you are a quality “team” of just one? Explore the challenges of being the sole quality professionals in small and medium sized organisations, and the challenges for SMEs. in meeting and delivering on quality.
Stephen Smith
Quality Assurance and Regulatory Consultant
Elevate MedTech
David Bancroft
UK QHSE Manager
GS-Hydro UK Ltd
Chris Ingley
Quality Assurance Manager
Modini Ltd
Chris has worked in Quality Assurance for over 30 years moving from the standards room to leadership. Over these years Chris has implemented and managed various systems including IATF 16949 , AS 9100C and D and ISO 9001. Working in both the Automotive and Aerospace sectors for small and medium sized businesse.
Leading international teams over multiple locations in addition to being the Solo Quality Manager in several small organisations has given Chris the ability to take the lessons learnt from his career and adapt based on the complexity and needs of the business.
Chris is currently the Solo Quality Manager of a UK leading design and manufacturing organisation supplying UAV / OWE to the defense sector.
Janhavi Yadwad
Assoc. Director of Strategy and Corporate Development
Marsh McLennan
ISO 9001: 2026 – Drivers for change and Implications for Organisations 15:20–16:15
The updates to ISO 9001 are in progress – so what does this mean for our profession? This session explores the drivers for change in ISO 9001 impact, what value this might bring to certified organisations and the standard and how the conformity assessment sector will be approaching the transition.
Neil O'Doherty
EaglePeak Consulting
Richard Green
Managing Director
Kingsford Consultancy Services Limited
Caroline Hay
Global Head of Quality
Babcock International Group
Samantha Roberts
Global Accreditation Director
NQA
Samantha Roberts is Global Accreditation Director at NQA, where she leads global accreditation strategy and oversees the development and maintenance of internationally recognised accreditation programmes across the organisation’s worldwide operations. Samantha works closely with technical, operational and commercial teams to ensure NQA continues to meet the highest standards of compliance, governance and assurance within an evolving global certification landscape.
With extensive experience in accreditation, conformity assessment and standards management, Samantha has played a central role in strengthening NQA’s relationships with accreditation bodies and international stakeholders, while supporting the expansion of accredited services across multiple sectors and regions. She is particularly focused on ensuring that accreditation delivers practical value for organisations, balancing technical integrity with commercial and operational realities.
Known for her collaborative and pragmatic approach, Samantha is passionate about the role accredited certification plays in building trust, supporting continual improvement and helping organisations respond confidently to changing regulatory, quality and sustainability expectations.
16:15
Closing remarks 16:15–16:30
Vince Desmond
Chief Executive Officer
CQI
16:30
Drinks reception and networking 16:30–17:30
17:30
The International Quality Awards 2026 17:30–18:30
- Stream 1 - room TBC
- Stream 2 - room TBC
- Stream 3 - room TBC
- Stream 4 - room TBC
Stream 4 - room TBC
- 09:00
- 09:30
- 10:00
- 10:30
- 11:00
- 11:30
- 12:00
- 12:30
- 13:00
- 13:30
- 14:00
- 14:30
- 15:00
- 15:30
- 16:00
- 16:30
- 17:00
- 17:30
- 18:00
09:00
Registration, breakfast and networking 09:00–09:30
09:30
Welcome 09:30–09:40
Rashad Issa
Chair
CQI
09:40
Keynote - Bernard Marr: data as an AI enabled strategic asset 09:40–10:20
With data increasingly being recognised as a strategic asset and artificial intelligence developing fast, global futurist, author and business advisor, Bernard Marr, provides his view of current and future trends in AI, and the opportunities and challenges facing organisations in realising the potential of data as an AI enabled asset.
Bernard Marr
Bernard Marr is a world-renowned futurist, influencer and thought leader in the fields of business and technology, with a passion for using technology for the good of humanity.
He is a multi-award-winning and internationally best-selling author of over 20 books, writes a regular column for Forbes and advises and works with many of the world’s best-known organisations.
He has a combined following of 5 million people across his social media channels and newsletters and was ranked by LinkedIn as one of the top 5 business influencers in the world.
The rise of the AI audit colleague 10:20–11:15
Sponsored by:
Calibre builds AI tools for auditors, certification bodies, and accreditation bodies, designed to keep human judgement at the centre of every decision.
Quality work is some of the most consequential work in the economy, and the profession deserves software built specifically for it. Calibre combines in-house auditors with an engineering approach that puts builders alongside the people doing the work. The result is AI tools that handle the repetitive parts of an audit: pre audit research, evidence review, report generation, and audit planning. Every output is traceable, and every decision is the auditor's.
We're re-imagining assurance and quality in the age of AI.
Gautham Senthilnathan
CEO and founder
Calibre
Gautham is the CEO and co-founder of Calibre, an AI tech startup focused on accelerating audit workflows using AI. An ex-Palantir Forward Deployed Engineer, he led AI deployments across 20+ industries including medical device certification, NHS healthcare and human trafficking detection. He holds a Master's in Mathematics and Computer Science with peer-reviewed publications in machine learning.
Dimitar Yotov
Founding Compliance Engineer
Calibre
Dimitar Yotov is a Lead Auditor at Calibre, where he is building AI-assisted tools designed to work alongside auditors. With 10+ years in management systems certification, including roles as ISO 27001 Scheme Manager and Scheme Lead for ISO 42001. His focus is on where AI adds value in an audit and where human judgement remains non-negotiable. At Quality Live 2026 he's excited to share how AI is changing the auditor's role and will demonstrate this with actionable prompts/examples.
11:15
Morning break 11:15–11:35
11:35
Leading product quality 11:35–12:30
The point of managing quality is to provide superior products and services. This session explores the organisational conditions, culture and tools required to design, deliver and support trusted product and service quality by looking at common challenges and learning from aerospace to semi-conductors in the pursuit of ‘zero defects’.
Suzanne Hill
Assured Quality Improvements Ltd
Chris McMahon
Graphcore
Ian Riggs
Senior Consultant
ZD Insight Consulting
12:30
Lunch and networking 12:30–13:45
13:45
Keynote - Mike Turner: Mind the quality gap 13:45–14:10
For more than a century, the practice of actively managing and improving the quality of products and services has driven economic growth, enhanced people’s lives and made the world a safer place. And yet the perception of QM as a value generator is not widely held. It is still viewed as primarily focused on compliance and operational control, and not as a strategic weapon. In late 2024, the CQI, in partnership with Cranfield University, kicked off a programme of research aimed at understanding how the value of QM can be better identified, articulated and demonstrated. In this keynote Mike Turner presents the results of this work and how it could help organisations to drive more value from quality management activities
Mike Turner
CQI
Mike is an experienced quality and operations professional with 40 years’ experience in business and consulting. After graduating from university, Mike began a career in operations and general management, gaining experience in a number of UK and US-based multinational organisations.
During this period, Mike led the implementation of organisational change, Lean Six Sigma continuous improvement, and business process improvement programmes.
Latterly, he served as Managing Director of Oakland Group, a leading quality and operations consulting service provider, where he oversaw the transformation of the organisation and saw the introduction of data and analytics capabilities to augment the consulting offers.
As an expert in quality and operations management, Mike has run long-term assignments in a range of large global manufacturing, service and public sector organisations. He is a regular speaker on management issues, and an author of e-books, print books, papers and articles. He has a first degree in Engineering and a postgraduate MBA. Mike is also proud to be a Chartered Quality Professional and has served on the Board of Trustees of the CQI. He was a founder member of the Oakland Institute for Business Research and Education and has won an award for his research work.
The Measurement and Impact Gap 14:10–15:00
This session explores how organisations can align quality initiatives, teams and metrics to bridge the gap with business strategy and goals, evidencing how good quality capability can drive good performance.
15:00
Afternoon break 15:00–15:20
15:20
From gatekeeper to gamechanger 15:20–16:15
Discover how business partnering is reshaping the role of the quality professional and enabling quality across organisations. Drawing on CQI research and real-world examples, this session explores the collaborative, influence-led practice that drives better decisions and outcomes.
Phil Parker
Global Quality & Sustainability Manager
Spirax Sarco
Eleni Tzouramani
Senior Lecturer
University of West Scotland
16:15
Closing remarks 16:15–16:30
Vince Desmond
Chief Executive Officer
CQI
16:30
Drinks reception and networking 16:30–17:30
17:30
The International Quality Awards 2026 17:30–18:30
- Stream 1 - room TBC
- Stream 2 - room TBC
- Stream 3 - room TBC
- Stream 4 - room TBC
Stream 4 - room TBC
- 09:00
- 09:30
- 10:00
- 10:30
- 11:00
- 11:30
- 12:00
- 12:30
- 13:00
- 13:30
- 14:00
- 14:30
- 15:00
- 15:30
- 16:00
- 16:30
- 17:00
- 17:30
- 18:00
09:00
Registration, breakfast and networking 09:00–09:30
09:30
Welcome 09:30–09:40
Rashad Issa
Chair
CQI
09:40
Keynote - Bernard Marr: data as an AI enabled strategic asset 09:40–10:20
With data increasingly being recognised as a strategic asset and artificial intelligence developing fast, global futurist, author and business advisor, Bernard Marr, provides his view of current and future trends in AI, and the opportunities and challenges facing organisations in realising the potential of data as an AI enabled asset.
Bernard Marr
Bernard Marr is a world-renowned futurist, influencer and thought leader in the fields of business and technology, with a passion for using technology for the good of humanity.
He is a multi-award-winning and internationally best-selling author of over 20 books, writes a regular column for Forbes and advises and works with many of the world’s best-known organisations.
He has a combined following of 5 million people across his social media channels and newsletters and was ranked by LinkedIn as one of the top 5 business influencers in the world.
One system to rule them all? 10:20–11:15
This session examines the ‘integrated’ management system concept, and whether ‘enabling’ professions are collaborating effectively enough to streamline operating governance, assurance and improvement to help organisations deliver performance and mitigate risk with agility in today’s operating environment.
Jonathan Bishop
Group Process and Certification Manager
Future Integrated Management Systems Ltd
Martin Davies
Quality Director - Defence & Nuclear Energy
Costain
Vanessa Harwood-Whitcher
CEO
IOSH
Andrew Wright
Managing Partner of Dynamic Technologies
APM
11:15
Morning break 11:15–11:35
The people vs the system 11:35–12:30
Employee engagement and mental health are at a low point in Europe and dropping globally. At the same time the quality profession is balancing the technical systems for managing quality, often driven by standards and conformity, with the need to engage the wider organisation in collaborating to deliver quality outcomes. This session explores the inherent tension in socio-technical systems.
Roger Dando
Project Quality Manager
Mott Macdonald
Angelique Macrez
Consultant
Catalyst Consulting
Angelique is a quality professional with more than 20 years’ experience delivering business improvement and transformation while fostering culture change with infectious drive and enthusiasm. She advocates a Gemba Walks approach to implementing quality improvement across business. In this way, she successfully makes people at all levels work closely and collaboratively to improve processes, create novel visual solutions, and ultimately shift mindsets on how to approach quality: “doing the right work, and doing the work right”. Angelique was the winner of the CQI Quality Professional of the Year Award in 2019.
Ian Rosam
Director
DeepFathom
12:30
Lunch and networking 12:30–13:45
13:45
Keynote - Mike Turner: Mind the quality gap 13:45–14:10
For more than a century, the practice of actively managing and improving the quality of products and services has driven economic growth, enhanced people’s lives and made the world a safer place. And yet the perception of QM as a value generator is not widely held. It is still viewed as primarily focused on compliance and operational control, and not as a strategic weapon. In late 2024, the CQI, in partnership with Cranfield University, kicked off a programme of research aimed at understanding how the value of QM can be better identified, articulated and demonstrated. In this keynote Mike Turner presents the results of this work and how it could help organisations to drive more value from quality management activities
Mike Turner
CQI
Mike is an experienced quality and operations professional with 40 years’ experience in business and consulting. After graduating from university, Mike began a career in operations and general management, gaining experience in a number of UK and US-based multinational organisations.
During this period, Mike led the implementation of organisational change, Lean Six Sigma continuous improvement, and business process improvement programmes.
Latterly, he served as Managing Director of Oakland Group, a leading quality and operations consulting service provider, where he oversaw the transformation of the organisation and saw the introduction of data and analytics capabilities to augment the consulting offers.
As an expert in quality and operations management, Mike has run long-term assignments in a range of large global manufacturing, service and public sector organisations. He is a regular speaker on management issues, and an author of e-books, print books, papers and articles. He has a first degree in Engineering and a postgraduate MBA. Mike is also proud to be a Chartered Quality Professional and has served on the Board of Trustees of the CQI. He was a founder member of the Oakland Institute for Business Research and Education and has won an award for his research work.
Humans at the heart of quality 14:10–15:00
Every need for quality has a human story at its heart. In this session, we hear first-hand case studies from businesses who put people at the heart of everything they do and demonstrate the value of a strong, personable quality culture.
Chris Achillea
QHSEE Senior Director
Sodexo
Mark Phillips
Head of Quality
BAE Systems Electronic Systems Rochester
Mark has been a quality professional with BAE Systems for 40 years, joining as an apprentice and working through the organisation to his current role as Head of Quality for the Rochester facility. BAE Systems Electronic Systems designs and manufactures advanced displays and control systems for both Military and Commercial markets across the world. Mark led the Rochester team to the International Quality Awards Quality Organisation of the Year recognition in 2025.
15:00
Afternoon break 15:00–15:20
The solo quality manager 15:20–16:15
What happens when you are a quality “team” of just one? Explore the challenges of being the sole quality professionals in small and medium sized organisations, and the challenges for SMEs. in meeting and delivering on quality.
Stephen Smith
Quality Assurance and Regulatory Consultant
Elevate MedTech
David Bancroft
UK QHSE Manager
GS-Hydro UK Ltd
Chris Ingley
Quality Assurance Manager
Modini Ltd
Chris has worked in Quality Assurance for over 30 years moving from the standards room to leadership. Over these years Chris has implemented and managed various systems including IATF 16949 , AS 9100C and D and ISO 9001. Working in both the Automotive and Aerospace sectors for small and medium sized businesse.
Leading international teams over multiple locations in addition to being the Solo Quality Manager in several small organisations has given Chris the ability to take the lessons learnt from his career and adapt based on the complexity and needs of the business.
Chris is currently the Solo Quality Manager of a UK leading design and manufacturing organisation supplying UAV / OWE to the defense sector.
Janhavi Yadwad
Assoc. Director of Strategy and Corporate Development
Marsh McLennan
16:15
Closing remarks 16:15–16:30
Vince Desmond
Chief Executive Officer
CQI
16:30
Drinks reception and networking 16:30–17:30
17:30
The International Quality Awards 2026 17:30–18:30
- Stream 1 - room TBC
- Stream 2 - room TBC
- Stream 3 - room TBC
- Stream 4 - room TBC
Stream 4 - room TBC
- 09:00
- 09:30
- 10:00
- 10:30
- 11:00
- 11:30
- 12:00
- 12:30
- 13:00
- 13:30
- 14:00
- 14:30
- 15:00
- 15:30
- 16:00
- 16:30
- 17:00
- 17:30
- 18:00
09:00
Registration, breakfast and networking 09:00–09:30
09:30
Welcome 09:30–09:40
Rashad Issa
Chair
CQI
09:40
Keynote - Bernard Marr: data as an AI enabled strategic asset 09:40–10:20
With data increasingly being recognised as a strategic asset and artificial intelligence developing fast, global futurist, author and business advisor, Bernard Marr, provides his view of current and future trends in AI, and the opportunities and challenges facing organisations in realising the potential of data as an AI enabled asset.
Bernard Marr
Bernard Marr is a world-renowned futurist, influencer and thought leader in the fields of business and technology, with a passion for using technology for the good of humanity.
He is a multi-award-winning and internationally best-selling author of over 20 books, writes a regular column for Forbes and advises and works with many of the world’s best-known organisations.
He has a combined following of 5 million people across his social media channels and newsletters and was ranked by LinkedIn as one of the top 5 business influencers in the world.
10:20
A risk‑based approach to quality: why traditional audits can’t keep up 10:20–11:15
The traditional “pass or fail” audit model isn’t keeping up with today’s supply‑chain reality. This session explores how organisations can shift to a more intentional, risk‑based approach, one that delivers meaningful data, drives performance improvements, and strengthens resilience. Instead of asking “Did we pass?”, we’ll explore how audits can help teams ask the far more valuable question: “What’s the plan now?”
This session is being hosted by the BSI.
Daniel Martin
Commercial Manager
Daniel has over 20 years of industry experience, beginning in aerospace and automotive manufacturing and later spanning testing, inspection, certification, and compliance. He brings a practical, risk focused perspective to auditing and supply chain assurance. As Commercial Manager at BSI, Daniel works closely with organizations across sectors to understand how Internal and Supplier Audits operate in real world supply chain environments. His experience offers clear insight into where traditional pass/fail audit models fall short, and how more intentional, risk based approaches can deliver meaningful data, drive performance improvement, and strengthen organizational resilience.
Paul Robinson
Trustee
BP
Paul Robinson is a trustee of the CQI and will be facilitating this session.
11:15
Morning break 11:15–11:35
Digital standards in a digital world 11:35–12:30
Is our approach to standards keeping up with the rapidly changing digital landscape? How could the digitalisation of standards help industry in the design, manufacture and management of products and services? How can standards development keep pace with changes in the external environment? In this interactive session, put your questions to our expert panel from the global quality ecosystem.
Speakers to be announced.
Kish Chandarana
Head of Quality Excellence
MBDA
Julie Gordon
Strategy and Initiatives Director
bsi
Simon Powell
Digital Standards Alliance
12:30
Lunch and networking 12:30–13:45
13:45
Keynote - Mike Turner: Mind the quality gap 13:45–14:10
For more than a century, the practice of actively managing and improving the quality of products and services has driven economic growth, enhanced people’s lives and made the world a safer place. And yet the perception of QM as a value generator is not widely held. It is still viewed as primarily focused on compliance and operational control, and not as a strategic weapon. In late 2024, the CQI, in partnership with Cranfield University, kicked off a programme of research aimed at understanding how the value of QM can be better identified, articulated and demonstrated. In this keynote Mike Turner presents the results of this work and how it could help organisations to drive more value from quality management activities
Mike Turner
CQI
Mike is an experienced quality and operations professional with 40 years’ experience in business and consulting. After graduating from university, Mike began a career in operations and general management, gaining experience in a number of UK and US-based multinational organisations.
During this period, Mike led the implementation of organisational change, Lean Six Sigma continuous improvement, and business process improvement programmes.
Latterly, he served as Managing Director of Oakland Group, a leading quality and operations consulting service provider, where he oversaw the transformation of the organisation and saw the introduction of data and analytics capabilities to augment the consulting offers.
As an expert in quality and operations management, Mike has run long-term assignments in a range of large global manufacturing, service and public sector organisations. He is a regular speaker on management issues, and an author of e-books, print books, papers and articles. He has a first degree in Engineering and a postgraduate MBA. Mike is also proud to be a Chartered Quality Professional and has served on the Board of Trustees of the CQI. He was a founder member of the Oakland Institute for Business Research and Education and has won an award for his research work.
Navigating Digital Management Systems 14:10–15:00
This session provides a deep look into how intelligent customers select, implement, and develop digital management systems which support performance for the whole organisation as well as the quality function, including the kind of new AI quality tools that you can expect. This session will be provided by software provider Q-Hub, but will be applicable to anyone considering implementation or upgrading digital quality management and compliance systems in any context.
15:00
Afternoon break 15:00–15:20
ISO 9001: 2026 – Drivers for change and Implications for Organisations 15:20–16:15
The updates to ISO 9001 are in progress – so what does this mean for our profession? This session explores the drivers for change in ISO 9001 impact, what value this might bring to certified organisations and the standard and how the conformity assessment sector will be approaching the transition.
Neil O'Doherty
EaglePeak Consulting
Richard Green
Managing Director
Kingsford Consultancy Services Limited
Caroline Hay
Global Head of Quality
Babcock International Group
Samantha Roberts
Global Accreditation Director
NQA
Samantha Roberts is Global Accreditation Director at NQA, where she leads global accreditation strategy and oversees the development and maintenance of internationally recognised accreditation programmes across the organisation’s worldwide operations. Samantha works closely with technical, operational and commercial teams to ensure NQA continues to meet the highest standards of compliance, governance and assurance within an evolving global certification landscape.
With extensive experience in accreditation, conformity assessment and standards management, Samantha has played a central role in strengthening NQA’s relationships with accreditation bodies and international stakeholders, while supporting the expansion of accredited services across multiple sectors and regions. She is particularly focused on ensuring that accreditation delivers practical value for organisations, balancing technical integrity with commercial and operational realities.
Known for her collaborative and pragmatic approach, Samantha is passionate about the role accredited certification plays in building trust, supporting continual improvement and helping organisations respond confidently to changing regulatory, quality and sustainability expectations.
16:15
Closing remarks 16:15–16:30
Vince Desmond
Chief Executive Officer
CQI
16:30
Drinks reception and networking 16:30–17:30
17:30