MBA Advisory Board

Neil Armstrong

CEO at Carbon Visibility​ 

Neil is an entrepreneur and the CEO and founder of Carbon Visibility. His company helps businesses reduce their carbon footprint by simplifying their carbon reduction strategies, helping them reach their net zero targets. Neil is passionate about decarbonising the global supply chain and making a positive impact on the environment.

Before starting Carbon Visibility, Neil worked in supply chain management and leadership roles for some of the largest construction, engineering, and utility companies in the UK. He also has experience in developing and consulting for various businesses in different sectors.

Kieran Breen

Producer and former President for 20th Century Fox​

Hull graduate Kieran is a seasoned film industry professional, with over 25 years experience leading international marketing and distribution teams to launch culture-defining movies around the world. Kieran worked his way up from Marketing Manager for Polygram Filmed Entertainment to Marketing Director at Universal Pictures, before moving to 20th Century Fox, where he ultimately took on the role as President of International Marketing.

Kieran has extensive non-profit experience, as former Chair and board member of BAFTA LA, a current trustee of BAFTA London, and on several committees and panels.

Paul Brooks

Director of Go Further Consulting

With over 35 years of business development experience, starting out his career in retail purchasing and supply chain management, Paul remains passionate about using innovation to deliver world-class partnerships, and helping young people get into the industry.

Chairman of the UK Logistics Skills Council for eight years, and long-time member of CILT, Paul received the Pegasus Medal in 2017, in recognition of his vision for growth strategy and service to CILT's global brand during his time as Chairman of CILT(UK), UK Vice President, and later International President

Rory Clarke

MD at JR Rix & Sons ​

From the army to printing, to the Managing Director at JR Rix & Sons – via an MBA from the University of Hull – Rory’s career has been diverse. He joined JR Rix & Son in 1990 as a credit manager and rose to mainboard MD in 2007, after leading biodiesel development and heading Rix Petroleum.

He is a member of the Energy Institute and a Fellow of the Institute of Directors. Rory attributes his success to his ability to adapt, and to seize opportunities in an ever-changing environment.

Farouk Forster

Marketing Manager at Springfield Solutions and Eon Visual Media

After graduating with a BA in Business Economics from the University of Hull, Farouk went on to earn his Masters, before joining Eon Visual Media as their Digital Marketing Manager.

Farouk now leverages his expertise as Marketing Manager for both Springfield Solutions and Eon Visual Media.

Amanda Jobbins 

Global CMO at Vodafone Business​

Amanda is a global tech executive, NED, keynote speaker, Top 100 marketer, Cranfield FTSE Top 100 Women in Business, and a Hull graduate.

In her current role as CMO of Vodafone Business, Amanda leverages her passion for innovation and technology to encourage collaborative, customer-focused, and insight-driven marketing, while also tackling some of the world’s most pressing issues like climate change.

She has worked with tech giants such as Infor, Oracle, Dell, and Cisco, advising on digital transformation and international growth. She loves to share stories of customers, leaders, and innovations that inspire her as a speaker at events.

Jacqui Laycock

Head of Professional Practice and Workforce Development for City Health Care Partnership CIC

Jacqui is a nurse and leader in clinical service development and workforce education. She has worked at City Health Care Partnership (CHCP) CIC since 2006, supporting the operational and strategic directors in ensuring the quality, professional, and commissioned standards are met, while also overseeing the education and training of staff.

During her time with CHCP, she recently helped launch the Academy for Clinical Excellence, a virtual school for clinical apprenticeships designed to develop the local health and care workforce, as well as a professional practice and management programme in conjunction with Hull University Business School back in 2011.

Jonathan Leafe

Founder of Leafe Consultancy

Jonathan is a digital and creative performance coach, author, and managing director of Leafe Consultancy. He founded his first design agency in 1989, foreseeing the dawn of the digital revolution. Two highly successful and frequently commended marketing businesses later, Jonathan now uses his 35 years plus of experience to help others develop effective branding, digital, and social media strategies.

An advocate for entrepreneurship and innovation, Jonathan has supported start-ups and volunteered as a trustee and mentor for a young people’s charity. He is also a member of For Entrepreneurs Only, a network of successful business owners in Hull.

Hector McNeil

 CEO at HANetf ​

Hector McNeil is an ETF pioneer. As Head of Business Development, he played a pivotal role in establishing Susquehanna’s EFT desk in Europe, going on to found several organisations, including ETF Securities, Boost ETP, WisdomTree, and most recently HANetf, Europe’s first independent ‘white label’ ETF platform.

Recognised as one of the most influential ETF experts in the industry, and included in the ETF Stream ’30 Index’, Hector shares what he’s learnt over his 30-year career as a renowned speaker and commentator.

Rebecca Port

Chief People Officer at 10xGenomics

Rebecca is an award-winning Human Resources professional, author, and Chartered Occupational Psychologist, with 20+ years of experience in building and executing people strategies for global organisations across industries. Known for her ability to manage large-scale organisational changes, hyper-growth, mergers, acquisitions, and integrations, Rebecca has held top-level positions at companies such as Netflix and Standard Chartered Bank.

Using her passion for problem-solving, talent management, and fostering partnerships, Rebecca helps organisations create environments where employees thrive.

Stephen Saunders

VC of Laser Light Communications​

Stephen is an entrepreneur, communications analyst, author, and marketing professional. His impressive track record of success spans more than 25 years, garnering over 100 awards, including an MBE for services to the telecommunications industry and business.

He is currently the VC of the Board of Laser Light Communications, a pioneering global networking platform building the world’s first all-optical carrier network in space. Since starting out as a technology journalist in the 1980s, Stephen written and edited books, and has founded several companies, including DeusM, and Light Reading, the latter of which he sold twice, after doubling its revenue and audience.

Dr Mike Strange

Former VP and Head of Global Health Catalyst at GlaxoSmithKline

Mike is a senior executive leader with more than 20 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical and vaccine industry. He has worked in a range of high-level strategic and operational roles across R&D and market access at GSK, including leading Open Lab initiatives.

Motivated by a vision to create solutions that support patients and advance global health, Mike has earned a reputation for directing and developing high achieving teams, who implement innovative strategies to drive performance and collaborate across sectors and geographies.

Richard Watkins

MD of Delos Partnership​

As the founder of Delos Partnership, Richard has developed courses in areas such as integrated business leadership, supply chain management, sales forecasting, data quality, and performance measurement.

Richard is driven to help firms transition from reactive problem-solving to structured and integrated business systems, processes, and people. By establishing integrated planning processes and implementing ERP systems, over the last 20 years he has helped clients from diverse industries – from aerospace to FMCG – achieve their business goals, increase their profitability, and achieve Class ‘A’ standard.