The Business Skills Conference - Grow, Perform, Succeed...

• Introduction
• Agenda
• Keynote Speakers
• Workshops
• Venue

Mark Gallagher has worked in Formula One^TM for 25 years and is a prolific speaker on the business lessons to be learned from this most demanding of sports. Recently appointed head of Cosworth's Formula One engine business, Mark will be responsible for delivering the power behind 5 of the 13 teams on the Formula One grid in 2010.  Cosworth is one of the most famous names in racing, having powered 176 Grand Prix victories, 13 World Championships for drivers and 10 World Championships for Constructors. Prior to joining Cosworth in August 2009 Mark ran his own F1 consulting business for six years, working with F1^TM drivers and sponsors.

Starting as Formula One correspondent for media including London's Sunday Express newspaper, BBC and Independent Radio News, Mark became a press consultant for top Formula One sponsors including Marlboro and Canon before beginning his career in team management. Commercial Manager for the Pacific F1 team in 1994-95 he then rejoined Jordan Grand Prix, where he previously worked in 1991, remaining for 10 years during which he became Director of Marketing & Communications and was part of the senior management board during the team's most successful years.

In 2004 he joined Jaguar Racing and worked through it rebirth as Red Bull Racing before setting up his own sports management company and racing team. In 2006 he consulted for Disney Pixar, coordinating the European launch activities for CARS The Movie at the Spanish Grand Prix, the same year in which his team successfully competed in the world famous Le Mans 24 Hours for the first time. He is now a Formula One industry expert on Sky News and Sky Sports News in Europe, commenting on every aspect of F1.

Mark has personally worked with some of the greatest drivers in Formula One including Michael and Ralf Schumacher, Ayrton Senna, Damon Hill, Nigel Mansell, David Coulthard and Jenson Button, while experiences gained working at the forefront of Formula One team management give him a unique insight into the challenge of competing in this global sport.

"Formula One teams operate in the most demanding environment imaginable," says Mark, "not only having to design, manufacture and operate a new and highly sophisticated Formula One car each season, but doing so against a backdrop of ever-changing regulation, legislation and challenging economic times. Business decisions made many months or years beforehand are just as important as split second reactions on the track. Managing the technical, financial and operational requirements of a Formula One team requires unique skill, while keeping a team of several hundred people topped by two drivers fully focussed on team goals is a relentless task."

Stephen Hillier took up post as Regional Director for the Government Office for the East Midlands (GOEM) in January 2010. He joined GOEM from the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) where he spent four years as Skills Director. During that role he recently led development of the Government's Skills for Growth White Paper, published in November 09. He also led work with DWP on the employment White Paper published in December.  Stephen is a career civil servant who has worked on all aspects of education and skills, but who has worked outside the service for a third of his career.  He has previously been Director of School Workforce Group.

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