Host
Sport and lifestyle presenter
Well-known to sports fans, Mark has led ITV’s Premiership and World Cup rugby coverage, as well as anchoring their Boat Race broadcast. He followed Premiership coverage as it moved to Channel 5, whilst for Sky he’s presented European golf, international cricket, Spanish football, and the daily round-up Sky Sports Centre, as well as rugby. He also hosted Sky’s reality show The Match, which pitted celebrities against professionals in a football match.
Away from the sporting arena Mark has guest hosted This Morning and fronted Package Holidays Undercover and Wish You Were Here – Now and Then, as well as the reality show spin-offs I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here Now!, and Hell’s Kitchen Extra Portions. He’s also hosted game and panel shows for ITV and Sky 1.
Mark has presented the game show Freeze Out, the BBC London Radio Breakfast Show, The National Lottery’s Millionaire Manor, and Design Wars. He’s also hosted American Princess, a primetime reality show for NBC in the States, and written a regular column in the Metro.
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Speakers
Former MP
Harriet Harman represented the diverse inner-city constituency of Camberwell and Peckham as the Labour Member of Parliament from 1982 to 2024. In 2024 she was appointed to the House of Lords as a life Peer.
Harriet joined a House of Commons which was 97% male and has been politics’ most prominent champion for women’s rights throughout her career. She held Cabinet positions in both the Blair and Brown Governments. She was the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party from 2007-2015 and Shadow Deputy Prime Minister from 2010-2015. She has twice served as Interim Leader of the Labour Party in 2010 and 2015 and was the first woman Labour politician to answer Prime Minister’s Questions. In 2017 Harriet became ‘Mother of the House’, the UK’s longest serving woman MP.
During the last Parliament, Harriet chaired the House of Commons Privileges committee inquiry which found in 2023 that the former Prime Minister Boris Johnson misled Parliament over “partygate”.
John Newcomb, BMF CEO said:
“Harriet Harman has had the most incredible career in politics and seen huge changes during that time. It is fitting that she will share her thoughts on the current political scene at the first BMF All Industry Conference to be held with a Labour Government in power during my tenure as CEO.
“Regular attendees will know that Harriet follows in the footsteps of other political heavyweight speakers including Michael Portillo (2013), Alistair Campbell (2015), Paddy Ashdown (2017), John Prescott (2019), John Bercow (2021) and Alan Johnson (2023). Once again, this session promises to be a highlight of our Conference.”
British racing driver
Born with cerebral palsy that affected the movement of his leg muscles, Nic was told that he would never walk and would spend his life reliant on wheelchair. Not one to be told he cannot do things, and determined to follow his dream to become a professional racing driver like his brother, Sir Lewis Hamilton, he endured years of gruelling training to walk unaided before embarking on his next challenge and realising his ambition to participate in the British Touring Car Championship.
Nic’s debut in 2015, using a fully adapted car with customised pedal positions and a hand clutch, made him the first disabled athlete to compete in the series.
BMF CEO John Newcomb said: “I’m delighted that Nic has agreed to speak at our All Industry Conference, where he will share his inspirational story and his belief that your ambition is limited only by your attitude.”
CEO of Celador International
As CEO of TV producer Celador International, Ellis took Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? to over 100 countries. He led distribution and logistics business John Menzies before joining the board of FirstGroup to turn-around the fortunes of iconic transport behemoths like Greyhound across the Americas.
As global CEO of Simon Cowell’s Syco Corporation, he took an array of record labels and programme formats, including X-Factor, to international success. Later, as Chief Business Advisor to the First Minister of Scotland he helped shape the government’s strategy for the private sector.
Industry Speakers
CEO, Stark Building Materials UK Ltd
John Carter, formerly the CEO at Travis Perkins, joined the STARK Group Executive Committee following its acquisition of Saint Gobain Building Distribution (SGBD) in 2023. Since his appointment, he has embarked on a major transformation of the STARK UK businesses and is now working with his newly appointed leadership team to deliver the company’s strategic growth initiatives.
John Newcomb, BMF CEO, said: “We are delighted that John has agreed to take part in next year’s Industry Forum. The BMF All Industry Conference is renowned for bringing together leading figures from across the industry to share knowledge and discuss the latest trends and challenges. John’s extensive experience and visionary leadership make him an ideal keynote speaker, to provide valuable insights both into the challenges and opportunities facing the industry and how STARK UK is transforming to bring something new and fresh to our sector.”
Chief Executive, Taylor Wimpey PLC
Jennie brings with her over thirty years’ experience in the sector. She is passionate about the social and economic benefits that housebuilding brings to communities across the UK and is an active member of the industry federation. She has been CEO of Taylor Wimpey, one of the UK’s largest residential developers, since 2022, having previously been Group Operations Director of the company.
She is also a member of the HBF Board, a non-executive director of New Homes Quality Board Limited, and previously served as a Board member for a not-for-profit housing trust. Having begun her career in the public sector, in local authority and planning roles, Jennie has extensive experience across the housebuilding sector and has demonstrated exceptional leadership and a razor-sharp operational focus throughout her career.
Chief Executive, Home Builders Federation (HBF)
Neil joined the HBF in 2020 and heads an organisation whose members deliver around 80% of the new homes built in England and Wales each year. He is also a non-executive director at Future Homes Hub, an organisation that he and HBF co-founded in October 2021, and that brings together the new homes sector with ways to address climate and environmental challenges.
Neil’s previous roles include Chief Operating Officer of NHBC and Chief Executive of the Zero Carbon Hub, providing leadership in the government’s vision for zero carbon homes.
Director, Tippers
After leaving Warwick Business School, Joe qualified as a Chartered Accountant with PwC before moving into the family business in 2007. Since that time, he has worked alongside his brother Bill and father Andrew, to develop the business. This growth has been achieved through extending the branch network from 6 to 16 locations and developing specialist categories such as tool and plant hire, plumbing and heating and volumetric concrete mixing.
Joe is passionate about supporting the company workforce and implementing the ‘Tippers’ Way’ – the core guiding principles that underpin the company’s success as a fifth generation independently owned business.
