After gaining BSc (Hons) and MSc degrees in Engineering Materials Technology at the University of Aston, Graham was awarded a PhD from Teesside University.

Chairman of the Engineering and Manufacturing Route Panel for the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education since 2018

In 1987 he was awarded a Winston Churchill Medal for his study of supercritical steam turbine technology.
In 1997 he was awarded a silver medal from the Royal Academy of Engineering for outstanding contribution to British Engineering.
In 1988 Graham joined Sheffield Forgemasters as Technical Director. He led a management buyout of the Company and was appointed Chief Executive in 2005.

Graham was awarded a CBE in 2008.

At the IOD Director of the Year Awards in 2010, Graham won the Global Director of the Year.

In July 2012 Graham was awarded the Bessemer Gold Medal. He was voted the International Person of the Year at the YBI International Business Awards in May 2013 and named CEO Of the Year at the national Private Business Awards in September 2013.

In February 2013 Graham was made an Honorary Professor of Strategic Management at Sheffield University Management School and awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Business Administration at Teesside University in November 2013.

Graham left Sheffield Forgemasters in 2021 having set up his own consultancy Sarach Steel Technologies Ltd which he now runs as Managing Director

Before joining Asda as the Apprenticeship Lead, I spent 25 years in retail management, managing teams from 5 to over 200 across various retailers. My passion has always been supporting people to reach their full potential. Outside of work, I am the Chair of my local community group and run a monthly makers market. I enjoy long walks and adventures with my wife and our two French bulldogs.

I have worked in the apprenticeship industry for almost 20 years, starting as an administrator for a training provider, building my career as an assessor, IQA, teacher and Head of Learning. Having worked with various colleges, training providers and employers, I have seen and experienced the changes within the industry in order to improve not only apprenticeships but the learner journey. The invaluable skills and experience this path has given me and the apprentices I have met and have seen grow in this time, has made me a passionate and dedicated advocate for apprenticeships.

Ava Jones began her journey with AESSEAL at just 17 as a Business Assurance apprentice. Over the years, Ava has gained experience across multiple departments including Business Assurance, Commercial, Despatch, Marketing, and overseas operations.
Today, Ava serves as Head of Marketing and Executive Assistant to the Group Managing Director. In the past year, Ava contributed to operational improvements in Germany as part of a continuous improvement project and is now embarking on a two-year development plan to oversee European Operations, as well as supporting the AVT Reliability Ltd business with a new ERP system implementation.
Passionate about sustainability, change management and people development, Ava has led numerous marketing initiatives and campaigns while driving continuous improvement across the business for the last seven years.

I’m James, Development Lead at Skills Street – South Yorkshire’s new, immersive ‘world of work’ learning experience based on site at Gulliver’s Valley theme park in Rotherham. Vocational learning is at the heart of everything I do, working with local, regional and national businesses to inspire our next generation workforce one skill at a time. A degree qualified Journalist with commercial recruitment experience and eight years as an employer engagement specialist in higher education – I’m passionate about talent development and offering hands on support to industry.

Lisa is the Managing Director of Airmaster, the Air Conditioning specialist and has grown into a £9m turnover Mechanical Services Contractor.
She has been an active member of Women in Refrigeration Air Conditioning and Heat Pumps Committee for the last 3 years.
Lisa was part of the first national cohort of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 small businesses programme.
An active member of the business community as a STEM Ambassador, a Freeman of The Company of Cutlers of Hallamshire and for 3 years she was the first female president of the combined Barnsley and Rotherham Chamber of Commerce.