Speakers 

Henrik Nordvall, UK and Ireland Country Manager, H&M 

Henrik has been the Country Manager for H&M UK and Ireland since September 2022 and is responsible for all UK and Ireland subsidiaries of H&M. This includes responsibility for around 8,000 employees, the operations of 200 physical stores, our digital platforms and the development of the brand and customer base for the third biggest market in the H&M Group. 

In his first six months as Country Manager, Henrik oversaw double-digit growth of both sales and profit. He continues to drive brand performance with a key focus on digital transformation and expansion. 

Originally from Sweden, Henrik started his H&M career in Stockholm in 2008. Since then, he has worked in various roles within the business, including Global Business Unit Director (Menswear), Global Business Unit Director (Kidswear), Country Manager for the Philippines and Global Head of Franchise for H&M Group. 

Henrik is an Advisory Board Member for the Stockholm School of Economics and has a Masters in Business Administration from Lund University, Sweden. 

Darren Williams, General Manager, Specsavers 

Darren Williams is General Manager at Specsavers, Non-Exec Chair of men’s skincare brand SCRUBD, and Non-Exec Chair of Sanderson King. He is also the Founder of Williams Harding Consulting.  

He has had a 35-year career in retail, from the shop floor to senior roles in businesses in retail and hospitality including Hotel Chocolat, Paul and Unilever. He also has extensive experience in leasing and commercial property. He is an ambassador, advocate and supporter of the Retail Trust.  

Having spent his career in the sector, he is firmly committed to the Retail Trust’s vision, values and purpose of ensuring a better life for all who work in this incredibly challenging but rewarding industry. Darren also serves on the committee of the Twenty Club. 

Giorgina Bright, Regional Head of Diversity and Inclusion, H&M

Giorgina Bright has been the Head of Inclusion and Diversity for H&M's Region North Europe since December 2022. Based in London, she oversees the Inclusion and Diversity strategy across the UK, Ireland, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Denmark. Her mission is to ensure diverse representation at all organizational levels, reflecting the communities H&M serves. 

Giorgina began her H&M career in 2016 as Corporate Communications and Sustainability lead and since then has worked in various roles within the business, including Sustainability Manager for UK and Ireland, Global Sustainability Project Manager, and Global Transparency Lead at H&M Group. Before joining H&M, Giorgina began her career in journalism and publishing where she held roles at Condé Nast for eight years. Giorgina's expertise in sustainability, corporate communications, and project management, combined with her dedication to inclusion and diversity, positions her as a key leader in advancing H&M's inclusive and sustainable future. 

Poppie Foakes, Director of Product and Innovation, Retail Trust

Poppie is driven by a passion for people, innovation, creativity and technology and has spent the majority of her career supporting and championing the retail sector.  

Before joining the Retail Trust, Poppie spent over 10 years concepting, delivering and growing events and industry initiatives. Poppie is an ardent believer in Einstein’s definition that insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results.

Andy Allen, UK Retail Operations Director, BP 

In his role, Andy leads a team of around 6,800 colleagues to deliver best-in-class operations across BP’s 300 company-owned retail sites, enhancing customers’ experience in-store and driving business growth initiatives. Andy has been with bp for over 25 years and held a variety of sales, commercial and marketing roles in the retail and aviation businesses. 

Natalie Rogers, Chief People and Sustainability Officer, N Brown 

Natalie joined N Brown in February 2024 as Chief People Officer and became Chief People and Sustainability Officer in February 2025, overseeing N Brown’s award-winning equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging strategy and sustainability commitments. 

Natalie is a people-focused leader with over 25 years of experience shaping business strategy, culture and transformation. As Chief People and Sustainability Officer at N Brown, she delivers a people strategy focused on driving cultural change, making work meaningful and creating a workplace where people can thrive and belong. Passionate about EDI&B, she is also a trustee for a multi-academy trust in London and an independent member of the St John Ambulance people committee. 

Laurent Homeyer, Strategic Industry Adviser, Workday

Laurent Homeyer is Strategic Industry Advisor at Workday in charge of the distribution and hospitality industries for the EMEA region. He joined Workday in 2018 to take charge of the development of these sectors at the international level. 

Before joining Workday, Laurent held the position of Director, Innovation and Value, Retail and Wholesale at SAP France. He was also Product Director at Symphony RetailAI. 

Kate Doherty, Acting Head of Commercial Content, Retail Week

Having started her career as a business journalist 20 years ago and worked extensively as an editor and retail analyst, Kate Doherty is experienced in communicating retail-focused insight and analysis on market performance and industry trends.  

As acting head of commercial content at Retail Week, Kate works with brands to create and deliver thought leadership and actionable insights via diverse campaign formats, ranging from reports to live events, helping businesses build connections and grow. 

Stephen Eddie, Managing Editor, Retail Week

Stephen Eddie has been managing editor at Retail Week since January 2023. He was previously production editor since May 2018. Before joining Retail Week, he was senior content editor and then news manager at HSJ and a subeditor at Business Monitor International. 

Laura Heywood, Head of Commercial Content Operations, Retail Week

Laura leads the implementation of Retail Week Connect's growth strategy and oversees the operational management of new product launches and existing inventory, while also managing the business’ P&L. She frequently chairs industry conferences and panel discussions, specialising in legal, marketing, and technology. 

Before taking on operational leadership at Connect, Laura served as Head of the Diversity Programme, where she played a key role in evolving Retail Week Be Inspired, the UK’s premier inclusion, diversity, and equity initiative for retail. Laura joined Retail Week in 2013, following a career as a journalist in the wine and spirits industry. 

Hugh Radojev, News Editor, Retail Week

Hugh Radojev is news editor at Retail Week. He currently covers all things retail property, policy, fashion under £250m market cap and the non-big four grocers. He has also written about department stores, direct to consumer brands and emerging retail technologies. 

He joined Retail Week in January 2019, from Fundraising Magazine where he was previously senior reporter. He also worked at the BBC with Top Gear Magazine and began his career as travel feature writer and then acting editor of TNT Magazine in his native Australia in 2012. 

Megan Robinson, Reporter, Retail Week

Megan Robinson is a reporter at Retail Week. She joined in 2023 and currently covers tech, value, marketplaces and electricals. 

She was previously a junior reporter at trade publication Mobile News and has written for music, beauty and sustainability publications. She has a BA Hons in Journalism from Kingston University where she also worked as the arts and entertainment editor for the student newspaper. 

Rebecca Taylor, Commercial Content Editor, Reporter, Retail Week

Rebecca Taylor is Retail Week’s Commercial Content Editor. She is responsible for helping to grow and deliver bespoke reports and events across themes from stores and the consumer to supply chains and tech.  Rebecca has been recognised by the Professional Publishers Association (PPA) and Conference News with their respective 30 Under 30 awards and sits on the PPA’s Next Gen Board, which aims to encourage inclusivity of younger voices across the special interest media sector.