Speakers - Retail Destination Live

Our Speakers

Host

Keynote Speaker

Tom Whittington

Director of Retail and Leisure Research, Savills

Tom Whittington

Director of Retail and Leisure Research, Savills

Tom has advised retailers, landlords and developers for 25 years on all things retail, from store expansion strategies, shopping centre feasibility and supermarket performance. For the last 10 years Tom has been a commentating on ways of rationalising and improving retail places to address the needs created from over expansion and addressing both economic and environmental sustainability challenges. His passion lies with creating genuine curated mixed use spaces that serve better social value, have more positive environmental impact, while still fulfilling the financial expectations of investors and other key stakeholders.

Claire Harper

Marketing and Retail Authority

Claire Harper

Marketing and Retail Authority

Claire Harper is a marketing and retail authority with the success of some of the UK’s top brands to her name, including Argos, Ocado, Sainsburys and Mamas & Papas. Claire’s extensive experience in the retail sector cements her position as a leading expert in developing and enhancing a company’s brand and marketing strategies.

Alberto Esguevillas

CEO UK, Eurofund Group

Alberto Esguevillas

CEO UK, Eurofund Group

A leader with more than 25 years’ experience within the Real Estate Industry in Development, Investment Management and Asset Management.

Alberto has led the launch of Eurofund’s business in the UK securing the acquisition of its first asset in Silverburn, attracting some of the most respected professionals in the industry and developing key JV and Capital relationships.

Before joining Eurofund as the CEO for the UK business, Alberto led Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield’s Italian business. Alberto delivered Westfield London’s extension, Westfield Stratford City mixed use projects and headed new business in Europe.

Prior to joining Westfield in 2014, Alberto led Internos’ Global Investors (now Principal) pan European platform leading the retail teams and the Iberian offices. Alberto moved to London in 2004 to continue his career with Lend Lease.

Alberto has a Masters in Industrial engineering, ICAI (Madrid) and an MBA by London Business School.

Dr Amna Khan

Consumer Behaviour Expert, Manchester Metropolitan University

Dr Amna Khan

Consumer Behaviour Expert, Manchester Metropolitan University

Amna is leading consumer behaviour media expert, academic researcher, and published author. She enjoys speaking about consumer behaviour and psyche, speaking to key institutions and global brands to help them unpack what is happening, why and what the future holds?

Awarded a prestigious corporate PhD scholarship from AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, she empowers brands, businesses and creators to build trusted relationships with consumers.

She is a go-to media contributor, for BBC, ITV, Channel 5, BBC Radio and The Conversation and internationally to CGTN (China Global TV Network) and CTN (Canada TV News). She has featured on over 35+ primetime retail documentaries for Netflix, Channel 5 and Channel 4 discussing brands, such as Deliveroo, ASOS, Tesco, Coca-Cola and Primark.

Amna has partnered with Global brands such as Paypal, Tesco Mobile and Sainsbury on marketing campaigns providing research evidence insights and opinions.

Andrew Murphy, OBE

Group CEO, The Entertainer Group

Andrew Murphy, OBE

Group CEO, The Entertainer Group

Andrew is the Group CEO of TEAL, the UK’s largest specialist toy business and owner of The Entertainer retail chain and the Early Learning Centre. Meccano & Addo brands. Operating as a designer, franchisor, wholesaler, retailer and concessionaire, TEAL leverages these capabilities across the UK, in over 1000 locations (running the toy businesses of Tesco, Matalan & Moonpig among others) and in 20 countries overseas. Andrew spent the first 30 years of his career at the John Lewis Partnership - latterly as Group Chief Operating Officer - leaving to co-found GreenFox Energy - a provider of solar energy services - and undertake senior advisory work for Bain & Co, prior to joining TEAL. Andrew was awarded an OBE for services to Retail in the King's 2024 New Years Honours and splits his time between London and his family home in Linlithgow.

David Woodman

Senior Customer Experience Strategy Director, Bewonder*, JLL UK

David Woodman

Senior Customer Experience Strategy Director, Bewonder*, JLL UK

David has been pioneering customer experience innovation in commercial real estate for 18 years, working with leading UK investors including M&G, Royal London, Hammerson and The Crown Estate to transform how properties engage with their occupiers and visitors. As co-founder of the customer experience division within Bewonder* (JLL’s internal creative consultancy), David specialises in developing insight-led CX strategies and implementing customer-centric operating models across retail, mixed-use, office and hospitality sectors. His passion lies in placing people at the heart of strategic solutions, using customer journey mapping, voice of customer insights, and experience audits to create environments that genuinely serve user needs while delivering strong returns for investors and stakeholders.

Gareth Jordan

Director, Retail Advantage, ART Software Group

Gareth Jordan

Director, Retail Advantage, ART Software Group

Gareth Jordan is a Director at ART Software Group, creators of Retail Advantage, an innovative platform designed to help professionals analyse key performance data, drive commercial performance, and strengthen collaboration with brand partners.

Used widely throughout the UK and Europe, Gareth oversees the platform’s business development and excels at helping centre management teams create a connected community, streamline workflow and unlock potential in data to increase revenues and rental values. With extensive experience working closely across the retail and leisure sectors, Gareth is focused on advancing data-led opportunities within leading shopping centres, outlets, and mixed-use schemes, delivering robust analytical environments and measurable results.

Matt Baker

CEO, Destination Marketing

Matt Baker

CEO, Destination Marketing

Matt is a dynamic marketing leader, creative strategist and entrepreneur known for transforming how people experience places, brands and stories. As CEO of Destination Marketing, he leads a dynamic team, delivering commercially driven campaigns for major retail, leisure and tourism brands across the UK.

Across his career, Matt has built deep experience in brand strategy, audience engagement and commercial growth, working across retail, leisure and visitor experiences. He has focused on connecting people with experiences that drive engagement, footfall and measurable results. Hands on and idea led, he blends commercial insight with creativity to deliver campaigns that make people feel something and take action.

Michael Elliott

CEO and Founder, RiskTech

Michael Elliott

CEO and Founder, RiskTech

Michael Elliott is the CEO and Founder of RiskTech, an operational risk management and AI analytics company that uses IoT, sensor and location data to give organisations real-time visibility of frontline operations. Formerly served in the British Army and helicopter pilot, Michael has spent his career improving safety, productivity and connectivity. He previously founded and sold Akita Security, patented an early NFC-enabled security device, and launched Over-C in 2015. Today, the RiskTech Over-C platform is used across sports stadia, transport networks and retail environments to empower frontline teams with actionable insights.

Mike Galea

Guest Experience Director, OCS

Mike Galea

Guest Experience Director, OCS

Mike Galea is the Guest Experience Director for OCS’s Private Sector, Venues & Workplace division, where he leads the strategy behind some of the UK’s most dynamic front‑of‑house and workplace experience environments. With a career spanning leadership development, organisational culture, and service excellence, Mike specialises in creating emotionally intelligent, human‑centred experiences that strengthen customer engagement and builds long‑term loyalty.

Mike’s work centres on elevating guest and customer experience through empowered teams, deeply considered service design, and data‑led continuous improvement. He currently oversees the evolution of OCS’s premium Guest Experience brand across more than 20 locations, shaping how teams connect with visitors, tenants, and destination partners every day.

Molly Orviss

Associate Director, Bewonder*

Molly Orviss

Associate Director, Bewonder*

Molly has vast experience in delivering marketing strategies built on insight and strategic thinking across the property sector. Having account managed a diverse portfolio of sites, including retail, mixed-use developments and office spaces, Molly combines deep sector knowledge with a passion for creating meaningful connections.

As part of her role within Bewonder*, Molly oversees the marketing services at Mailbox, a prominent mixed-use building in Birmingham City Centre managed by Martley Capital Group. Her approach centres on building strong, trusting relationships and fostering genuine connections between people, occupiers, and spaces. This people-first philosophy paired with a thorough understanding of both occupier and customer behaviour drives her work in creating experiences that truly matter.

Sam Fox

Founder, Fox Insight

Sam Fox

Founder, Fox Insight

Sam has spent more than 20 years helping retailers, landlords, developers and investors understand the performance of retail destinations. As the Head of Research & Analytics at Ellandi and Director of Strategy and Investment Analysis at NewRiver REIT she fed into the strategy across one of the largest and most diverse portfolios in the UK. She has now returned to consultancy and is working with clients across the retail property sector.

Tanya Beckett

Financial Journalist & Broadcaster

Tanya Beckett

Financial Journalist & Broadcaster

Tanya is a broadcast journalist with more than twenty years’ experience in international media. She began her career at the Financial Times before going on to work with CNBC, Sky News, CNN and, since 1998, the BBC.

At the BBC, Tanya has worked across television and radio, contributing to and presenting programmes on BBC World News, the News Channel, Radio 4, BBC One and BBC Two. Her credits include The Inquiry, Our World, Working Lunch, Today, World Business Report and Newsnight.

She spent three years based in New York as a BBC correspondent, reporting on major international business and political developments.

Alongside her broadcasting work, Tanya collaborates with international institutions including the World Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, European Investment Bank, Asian Development Bank, Chatham House, the Federal Government of Somalia and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office on matters relating to trade and communications.

Tanya writes and presents the BBC’s weekly current affairs documentary The Inquiry and regularly presents news programmes across BBC News platforms.

Vaughan Allen

CEO, CityCo Manchester

Vaughan Allen

CEO, CityCo Manchester

Vaughan leads Manchester city centre’s biggest business membership organization, representing over 1,000 companies including 400+ retail and hospitality businesses. CityCo puts on events, helps keep the streets clean, solves business problems and generally tries to make the city centre as attractive, vibrant and lively as possible.