Covid-19 employer webinar: what to do this week - 9th April 2020

Elizabeth is director of research and a founding co-director at Business Forums International. She is responsible for all programme content and writing, and researches current areas of interest for senior HR professionals in large organisations. BFI is the UK’s leading HR risk specialist conference and training provider, delivering key and timely information to over 3,000 delegates a year both through public and in-house training courses.

Before founding BFI in 1996, Elizabeth specialised in researching corporate financial programmes in Asia and the Middle East, based in Dubai. She also worked in advertising and publishing in the Middle East and London.

Elizabeth was educated in the West Indies, Saudi Arabia and Belgium before reading Modern Languages at Durham University.

Over the last 24 years, Mark has worked at the forefront of crisis management and communications internationally and held senior positions with leading consultancies such Control Risks, and Burson-Marsteller. Mark has worked on over 150 incidents of kidnapping, extortion, and hostage-taking around the world, and 19 cases of vessel hijack. He has also advised numerous companies as they have prepared to restructure, close facilities, or transfer operations to other countries.

Mark regularly presents at conferences and is often invited to comment on news stories on a regular basis by news channels such as the BBC, ITN, Channel 4, CNN, NBC, and Al Jazeera.
Mark will discuss ways in which employers can get to grips with specific challenges posed by the CV-19 crisis, sharing experience of companies operating in crisis situations; what will help employees and what won’t as well as putting together a comprehensive and workable crisis employee communication strategy.

Founded and built Reed Screening, one of the UK's largest employee screening businesses. Director of Group Risk for reed.co.uk, Reed Specialist Recruitment, and Reed in Partnership and member of the Audit & Risk Committee. Labour Market expert appointed to Ministerial Advisory Panel on Future of Work and advise on the UK's Labour Market Strategy. Member of ECHO (Employers Co-operating with the Home Office) receiving a Commendation Award from the Home Office in 2016 for services to recruitment, and as a Community Leader at Buckingham Palace in 2018. Chair and Company Director of SAFERjobs, a MET Police founded charity with cross government support tackling labour market issues. MBA from Aston Business School and currently working on a PhD on future of work. Serve as a Non-Executive board member and appointed person to public bodies in Scotland, including Disclosure Scotland, Chair of a student employment charity, and various trade organisations. Fellow of both the Chartered Management Institute and the Institute of Leadership and Management.

Sophie is Senior Partner and Head of UK Practice at Laura Devine Immigration. Recognised for many years by legal directories as a leading expert in UK immigration and nationality law, she is described as being “the best immigration lawyer in the country” and “a force to be reckoned with in the field”; “she sees the big picture and has a thorough and sound historic knowledge which is needed in a subject matter which is constantly changing”.

Sophie’s clients are drawn from all sectors and range from multinational corporations to entrepreneurs, high net worth individuals and families.

Sophie has extensive experience in all aspects of UK business immigration and nationality law and EU free movement. She is skilled in all Tiers of the points-based system (PBS), including sponsored migrants, entrepreneur and investor routes as well as discretionary applications.

Sophie is also widely regarded for her policy work, regularly participating in policy consultations and working parties, including managing the company’s numerous submissions to the Migration Advisory Committee’s (MAC), Home office and the Home Affairs Select Committee, to which she has provided evidence on a number of occasions.

Sophie is a prolific speaker and commentator on immigration topics, presenting internationally and commenting in the general media. Commended for her “generosity in sharing her knowledge” for the benefit of the profession and immigration law practice in the UK. She was previously Chair of the Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association (ILPA) for five years, with which she continues to work extensively on various working groups and training. Sophie is currently a member of the Lexis PSL Editorial Consulting Board and The Law Society Brexit Migration Strategic Reference Group.