Grit & Growth - Lessons From Leaders Who've Been There

Join us for an engaging event designed to foster connections, share practical insights, and inspire attendees through the real-life experiences of established entrepreneurs. Whether you're starting out or scaling up, this event offers valuable lessons, honest conversations, and a supportive network to help guide your entrepreneurial path.

Event Highlights

Keynote Speaker: Steve Hewitt - Founder of Whanau and previously CEO, Gymshark

Panel:

Allan Wood - CCO & Founding Partner, Hizzy

Mark Brider - CEO, Birmingham Women’s & Children’s NHS Foundation Trust

Hanna Roos - Fouder, Aavalynx

Panel facilitated by Mariota Smutz - Chair, IoD Jersey Industry Sub-Committee

Q&A – Opening up questions with the floor with facilitator and panel

Success Stories from Established Entrepreneurs

Hear from a panel of accomplished entrepreneurs as they share their journeys—highlighting the pivotal moments, challenges faced, and strategies that led to their success.

Learning from Failure: Case Studies of Start-up Setbacks

Failure is often a stepping stone to growth. Discover key lessons from failed ventures, and explore how entrepreneurs have successfully pivoted and rebuilt.

Navigating Start-up Challenges

Delve into the common hurdles faced by start-ups—funding, scaling, team building, and market adaptation—and gain practical advice from those who’ve been there.

Sustainability & Social Entrepreneurship

Explore how emerging businesses can integrate sustainability into their models and the growing importance of social impact in today’s entrepreneurial landscape.

Diversity & Inclusion in Entrepreneurship

Learn how embracing diverse perspectives fosters innovation and strengthens the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Work-Life Balance for Entrepreneurs

Gain insights into maintaining personal well-being while growing a business, with strategies for achieving a healthier work-life balance in a high-pressure environment.

Agenda

18:00 - Event to Start

18:00– Introduction by IoD Jersey Chair, Alex Ruddy

18:10 – Sponsor Welcome by Dane Bryans, Managing Director, Resolution IT

18:15 – Alex Ruddy to introduce Keynote Speaker, Steve Hewitt

18:20 – Panel Introduction – Allan Wood, Mark Brider, Steve Hewitt, Hanna Roos & Mariota Smutz

18:30 – Panel discussion, facilitated by Mariota Smutz

19:10 – Q&A

19:45 – Dinner served

20:15 – Dinner closed

20:15 – Fireside Chat with Mark Brider & Steve Hewitt – Topic Leadership & Steve’s experience in growing a start-up.

20:55 – Q&A

21:25 – Alex Ruddy – Closing words

21:30 – Event Close

An opportunity to stay on networking from 21:30 to 22:30

Connect with like-minded individuals, fellow entrepreneurs, and organisations supporting the IoD. Discover how these collaborations are driving innovation and positive change across the island’s business

Mark Brider Bio

Mark Brider, CEO, Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity

Mark Brider is the Chief Executive Officer of Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity, a role he has held with distinction, driving transformative change for the organisation. With a 30 year career in banking, Mark brings a wealth of commercial acumen and strategic expertise to the charity sector. His extensive experience in financial leadership, honed through senior roles in the banking industry, has been instrumental in reshaping the fortunes of Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity.Under Mark’s leadership, the charity has seen significant growth in fundraising, operational efficiency, and impact. By leveraging his commercial insights, he has implemented innovative strategies that have strengthened the charity’s financial sustainability and enhanced its ability to deliver life-changing support for young patients and their families.

Steve Hewitt Bio

Former CEO & Chair, Gymshark, Unicorn Builder & Chair, Passenger Clothing

Steven Hewitt, an accomplished business magnate and leadership keynote speaker, has carved a niche for himself in the business world through his transformative journey with Gymshark, a leading fitness apparel brand. His initiation into Gymshark in 2014 marked the beginning of an era of profound growth and innovation. As an external advisor and then as Managing Director, Steven demonstrated an unparalleled capability to drive corporate evolution. His strategic acumen and foresight played a pivotal role in redefining Gymshark's trajectory, transitioning it from a promising start-up to a global powerhouse.

In 2017, Steven ascended to the position of CEO of Gymshark, a role in which he exemplified visionary leadership. Under his stewardship, Gymshark underwent exponential growth, clinching its status as a global phenomenon and joining the elite circle of British 'unicorn' companies. His tenure as CEO was marked by significant milestones, including expanding the customer base from 40,000 to 4 million and boosting sales from £4 million to a staggering £400 million. These achievements underpin Steven's expertise in scaling businesses and steering them towards international acclaim.

Steven's business acumen extends beyond his tenure at Gymshark. His role as Non-Executive Director, following the strategic transition of the CEO role back to Gymshark's founder, allowed him to continue influencing the brand's future direction. Additionally, his entrepreneurial ventures, including founding Whānau, an advisory company, and holding key roles in various consumer goods ventures like Passenger Clothing and D.Louise, showcase his versatility and depth in the business sector. His previous experiences as CEO of Sports Brands Group and Commercial Director at Reebok further accentuate his proficiency in uplifting brands within the competitive sports and apparel market.

As a keynote speaker on business, business management, and leadership, Steven Hewitt brings a wealth of experience and insights to his audience. His journey is a testament to his strategic prowess and his commitment to fostering purpose-driven, people-centric environments. His ability to blend competitive edge with extensive financial modelling skills not only propels business scalability but also inspires organisational and personal growth. Steven's legacy as a business influencer is defined by his extraordinary capability to envision and execute strategies that transform businesses into global leaders, making him a revered figure in the business community.

Hanna Roos Bio

Professor Hanna Roos is an award-winning “rockstar” lawyer, legal-tech entrepreneur, TEDx speaker, explorer and parent. She has featured in Forbes, Vogue, ELLE and Harper’s Bazaar on account of her leadership. Hanna recently won Partner of the Year at the Legal Leaders Awards 2025, and is one of the “highest-ranked” Global Thought Leaders in international arbitration (Who’s Who Legal 2025). She is the founder of Aavagard, a dispute resolution law firm which trailblazes to deliver bolder and faster resolutions for clients, and fulfilled careers for lawyers (www.aavagard.com). She is also the founder of Aavalynx which has developed an AI tool for dispute resolution to give power back to clients and joy back to lawyers (www.aavalynx.ai). Aavalynx recently won the Legal Enabler of the Year at the Legal Leaders Awards 2025. Hanna loves early mornings, running, Shaun the Sheep and learning to surf. She explores the world's frontiers by sailboat with her opinionated boys, clueless dog and eyelid-surgeon husband. They recently swam with sperm whales in the wild. Hanna hails from Finland where she grew up building dens, rescuing dogs and losing all track of time on endless adventures with her many siblings and cousins. She lectures as External Professor to provide life-saving treatments to critically ill children.

Allan Wood Bio

Allan is a senior business leader with over 20 years’ experience driving international growth across financial services and emerging sectors. As former Global Head of Business Development at Jersey Finance, he led strategic expansion across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, the UK and US. He previously held senior roles at Barclays and RBS, with deep expertise in cross-border business development and the commercialisation of financial ecosystems.Allan is Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer of Hiizzy, a fast-scaling UK proptech disruptor born in Jersey. Leveraging AI, data, and platform technology, Hiizzy is reimagining how people buy and sell homes replacing the traditional estate agency model with a smarter, consumer-led alternative. The venture reflects Jersey’s growing reputation as a launchpad for bold digital innovation, echoing the kind of transformation reshaping global financial services.He also serves as a Strategic Advisor to Cavenwell Group, supporting innovation and cross-border positioning within the international fiduciary and corporate services sector.

Dinner

Smoked Salmon Parfait

Roasted Chicken Breast, glazed vegetables, Pomme puree, chicken jus (GF)

Vegan Option

Grilled vegetable and hummus mezze platter (VE)

Butternut squash & sweet potato curry, coconut rice, poppadum's (VG/GF)

Please advise Zoë Wauton (officer.jersey@iod.com) by Friday , 5th September 2025 LATEST if you require the vegan option or if you have any special dietary requirements.

Ticket price includes bread, 2-course dinner, coffee/petit four and house wine

Dress code: Business Casual

This event is kindly sponsored by Resolution IT

Second sponsor to be confirmed