Governance 2026: Speakers

Anjli Raval is the FT’s Management Editor. She reports on CEOs, boards, corporate governance, business life and the future of work. Previously, she was Senior Energy Correspondent covering oil and gas companies, energy policy and the global transition towards cleaner fuels. Before joining the natural resources team, she was an editor and reporter in New York writing about the US consumer economy. She has also worked in the New Delhi bureau and on the companies, markets, comment and analysis desks in London since starting at the FT in 2009.

Brad is a respected and experienced international executive, company director, corporate advisor, and adjunct lecturer. Brad has over 25 years’ experience within the State and Federal Government, private and publicly listed companies, and not-for-profit organisations in the areas of corporate, legal and energy and resources. Brad has experience across a diverse range of industries such as retail, education, hospitality, music, transport, mining, agribusiness, marine, health services, heavy industry, mining equipment, renewable energies, oil & gas, not for profit in Australia and various jurisdictions around the world. Since 2009, Brad has been a Specialist Adjunct Lecturer in Officer and Directors Duties, Governance and Compliance and Risk Management.

Derek Leatherdale is Senior Geopolitical Risk Adviser at Sibylline Ltd, a leading provider of geopolitical and macro risk intelligence and information to corporate clients globally. Prior to this, Derek founded GRI Strategies Ltd, leading pioneering work with companies across industry sectors to improve internal approaches to corporate governance and management of geopolitical risk exposures. Before setting up GRI, Derek founded HSBC’s group geopolitical risk function, the first of its kind in the financial sector. This involved integrating expert geopolitical risk input into the group’s governance, strategy and risk management activity across a global portfolio of banking operations - covering investment and corporate banking, markets and asset management businesses, trade finance and other banking services.

Gary Ford is the co-founder of Men for Inclusion, having spent 10 years in the Corporate world advocating for gender equality and diversity and inclusion wherever he worked. Gary’s not just a co-founder; he’s a driving force behind Men for Inclusion, bringing a wealth of experience and a passion for creating transformational culture change. In 2023, he was asked to speak at the inaugural UN Women’s Center of Excellence dialogue in Seoul, South Korea. Following positive feedback from the session, he presented at the 2024 UN Women conference, delivering a keynote talk to senior leaders and a 90min workshop for over 50 delegates. In 2020, he co-authored his first book, ‘The Accidental Sexist: A Handbook for Men on Workplace Diversity and Inclusion’ (Rethink Press), showcasing his commitment to fostering inclusivity in workplaces.

Joshua Domb is the Founder and Managing Partner of Gen-R Law. He leads the firm’s ESG, Compliance and Investigations practice. Joshua trained and qualified as a White Collar Crime lawyer at DLA Piper. He joined Paul Hastings as an associate, before moving to McDermott Will & Emery as a senior associate. Prior to setting up Gen-R Law, Joshua spent a year travelling with his wife. He used that time to read extensively about climate change, ESG, biodiversity, sustainability and the supporting domestic and international legal and regulatory frameworks, building on a long-standing interest in these topics. Since opening Gen-R Law in March 2024, Joshua has been advising clients on a range of topics in the ESG space, with a particular focus on the integration of ESG into business operations, ESG and climate literacy training, greenwashing and sustainability reporting.

Jon is a leading voice in corporate governance recruitment, with over 26 years’ experience appointing company secretaries and governance professionals across FTSE listed, private and regulated companies, professional services firms and not for profit organisations, in the UK and internationally. As Managing Director of The Core Partnership, the UK’s largest independent governance recruitment firm and now proudly employee owned, Jon works closely with organisations to broaden representation within governance functions and to support the development of inclusive teams. Jon also founded the 3,700 member UK Governance Forum on LinkedIn and serves as a Director of ACGN (Asian Corporate Governance Network), supporting and amplifying ESEA voices in the profession

Kako is a Chartered Governance Professional and the Co-Founder of Governance for Good, with a longstanding commitment to championing diversity and inclusion in corporate governance. From exploring diversity in the boardroom in his LLM thesis, to promoting ESG initiatives in the companies he has worked with, and now through programs like BEGA and the new On The Rise initiatives, Kako has consistently prioritised creating equitable, inclusive, and forward-looking governance practices. He brings extensive experience advising boards, company secretaries, and senior executives across listed companies, multinational groups, and regulated institutions, spanning board operations, committee oversight, regulatory compliance, directors’ duties, ESG integration, restructurings, and complex corporate transactions across the UK, Europe, and Africa. Kako has also led governance transformation projects, managed multi-jurisdictional compliance frameworks, and supported boards through high-stakes processes, including restructurings and major corporate transactions. He is additionally Co-Host of the CoSeCity Podcast, a unique UK governance platform.

Kayla Schembri is the Head of Policy at The Chartered Governance Institute UK and Ireland. Based in London, she is responsible for delivering thought leadership, lobbying campaigns and professional guidance on leading governance practice, and elevating the governance profession with members, regulators, policymakers, employers and other stakeholders by promoting strong governance as a strategic enabler for organisational success and competitive advantage. Kayla, who joined the Institute in 2025, is an enthusiastic governance professional having held multiple seats at the boardroom table, including the company secretarial, non-executive director and chairperson appointment. She is a fierce advocate for cognitive diversity in leadership, with a steadfast commitment to lifelong learning and a fascination with the art of decision-making.

Laura is the Founder of The CoSec Coach and a former FTSE Company Secretary, specialising in redefining governance as a strategic value driver. She partners with Boards to embed purpose-driven decision-making and impactful leadership. Her mission is to make governance a force for growth and integrity. Governance professionals are the bridge between Boards and management teams. Without skilled governance professionals navigating these relationships, the entire structure fractures. Yet off the shelf training or generic development cannot address the unique challenges governance leaders face: building strategic credibility while maintaining independence, guiding executives without becoming a bottleneck, developing relationships with senior stakeholders who see you as an obstacle rather than an enabler.

Linda joins CGIUKI with a distinguished track record of leadership, membership growth and transformation across the professional and regulatory landscape. She was most recently Chief Executive Officer and Registrar of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX), where she spearheaded major programmes of modernisation, expanded access to legal qualifications, and secured wide-reaching policy, regulatory and legislative reform. Over a 15-year leadership career, Linda has demonstrated her commitment to professional excellence, public interest outcomes and creating opportunities for people from all backgrounds to succeed. She brings deep experience in governance, professional qualifications, stakeholder engagement, strategic partnerships and digital transformation.

With over 12 years’ specialist experience, Mariza recruits Company Secretaries and Governance professionals for organisations across the UK and internationally. A qualified CIPD professional, Mariza brings a structured, people centred approach and a commitment to building long-term partnerships. She specialises in senior and mid level appointments, interim solutions and advisory work on salary benchmarking, competitor analysis and wider talent retention strategies. With a strong commitment to embedding equity, diversity and inclusion into recruitment, Mariza helps organisations build governance teams that are both effective and genuinely representative.

Paul is a Chartered Secretary with 19 years governance support and company secretarial experience in a broad range of sectors. This includes in a leading Lloyd's insurance market managing agent, an Alternative Investment Fund Manager, a local authority, a national Charity and also as Company Secretary of a not-for-profit housing company. In his current role he is responsible for the delivery of outsourced company secretarial services for a challenger bank & a company in the London insurance market. He also supports listed company clients with a range of tasks, including drafting their Annual Report, providing briefings on key governance & regulatory issues and assisting with regulatory announcements. Paul has a BA (Hons) in Politics from the University of Nottingham and an MA (Grad ICSA) in Corporate Governance from Anglia Ruskin University. He is currently undertaking a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) part-time through the Open University. His varied experience means he is highly adaptable and can provide excellent company secretarial support in a range of businesses.

Perrin Carey PG Dip, PG Corp Gov Perrin founded CoSteer after an impressive corporate career culminating in a number of C-suite roles and is a highly experienced, professionally qualified Fellow of the International Compliance Association (FICA) with a Post-Grad in Corporate Governance. He is a published academic author in the field of governance and complexity and an appointed member of the Technical Committee of the ESG Exchange | Governance Group, a global organisation under the patronage of Professor Mervyn King and is lead researcher in organisational governance systems and culture with the Good Governance Academy. As a speaker and author, he is passionate about changing the narrative surrounding governance, risk and compliance and their interconnection with organisational culture and performance. As Founder and CEO of CoSteer, he created GovQ+, a regulatory technology and assessment diagnostic with a human-focused approach. This technology helps organisations and boards move towards a more dynamic, flexible and responsive business model that promotes long-term growth, shareholder value, sustainability, consumer confidence and regulatory compliance.

Based in London, he is responsible for developing the profile of the Institute and the governance profession with members, regulators, policymakers, employers and other stakeholders by delivering thought leadership, lobbying campaigns and professional guidance promoting strong governance as the vital ingredient for success in organisations. Peter, who joined the Institute in 2013, has more than 40 years’ experience working on governance. He is a member of a number of industry committees and working parties, and is a regular speaker at conferences and events, with an industry-wide reputation as an expert on shareholder and governance matters.

Richard Young has been interim editor of Governance & Compliance since October 2024. He has been writing about business and technology for 30 years. In 2001 he launched Real Finance, editing the CFO's magazine until 2006 when he went freelance. He now divides his time between writing and editing on subjects including finance, business, private equity, market research, technology, and project management; chairing conferences and events; and his own one-day workshop on Better Business Writing.

Terri Le Couteur is an international governance expert and founder of TLC Governance Solutions, with over 30 years’ experience across Europe and key offshore centres. A Chartered Governance Fellow with a Master’s in Corporate Governance, Terri notably served as Chair of the CGI Guernsey Branch. She specialises in strategic advice, governance training and board evaluations - helping businesses strengthen effectiveness, resilience, and purpose through practical, real-world governance solutions.

Tracey is a highly respected business adviser, facilitator, and executive educator with over 30 years’ experience driving transformation at board and executive level. She specialises in ethical leadership, AI ethics, corporate governance, culture change, regulatory compliance, and human-centred technology. Tracey has held senior leadership roles including Senior Corporate Governance Partner at PwC UK, advising global organisations on integrity, governance, and behavioural change. More recently, she founded and led the Sustainable Business and ESG Advisory Practice at DWF LLP. Now Director of Intelligent Ethics, she supports senior leaders in building inclusive, high-performing cultures and embedding responsible, technology-enabled transformation. Tracey helps organisations reframe ethics, governance, and culture as drivers of performance, long-term value, and resilience, while equipping leaders with practical, human-centric skills to build trust and enable effective decision-making.