What is Customer Centricity and Why It Matters to Every Business

Are you really putting your customers at the heart of your business?

In today’s fast-changing world - shaped by AI, shifting expectations, and fierce competition - how you connect with customers has never mattered more.

Join us for an engaging and practical panel event where we’ll unpack what it really means to be customer-centric and why it’s one of the most powerful drivers of growth for businesses of all sizes.

Our panel of experts will share real-world stories, fresh ideas, and proven strategies from their work across market research, customer experience, brand building, leadership, digital strategy and customer focused innovation.

Why you should come:

• Discover why customer-centric businesses grow faster and retain more loyal customers
• Learn how to apply customer-first thinking whether you’re a sole trader, SME, or leading a larger team
• Gain practical, actionable steps to improve how you engage and delight your customers
• Connect with other Norfolk business leaders and entrepreneurs

Whether you’re just starting up, looking to grow, or need to maintain relevance, you’ll leave inspired and equipped with tools to turn customer insight into business success.

🎟 Tickets:

• Member: FREE
• Non-member Single Ticket: £23.00
• Non-member Duo Ticket: £41.40 (Admits two non-members attending together — includes a 10% discount on the combined price of two single tickets.)

Our Panel:

Steve Hopkins, SVP Customer Experience at Cyncly

Steve leads global Customer Success and Support teams across EMEA, APAC, LATAM and North America. With over 15 years’ experience in technology companies, he focuses on how creating trusted, seamless customer experiences can directly drive sales, retention, and long-term growth. Steve has previously held leadership roles at Culture Amp and Microsoft. Born in Australia, he spent time working in San Francisco before settling in Norfolk with his family.

Rea Hoey, Strategic Board Advisor & NED, Fractional Exec, Customer Focused Innovation

Rea is the former Head of Design for Global Innovation and Ventures at HSBC. She has led design teams to drive innovation and digital transformation through customer-centric product and service development, delivering significant business outcomes. She is the Founder and Company Director of Ignite Accelerator Services, offering Fractional Executive services alongside her roles as a Board Advisor, Director, and Trustee.

Jo Hutchinson, Digital Strategist & Leadership Coach (on the left)

Jo draws on her experience in innovation leadership roles at the BBC, ITV, Prince’s Trust and National Citizens Service to help purpose-led organisations design better experiences, deliver change and stay relevant to the people they serve. Through her consultancy and coaching business, Possibility Foundry, she now supports leaders and teams to drive customer-centred transformation that delivers real-world impact.

Steph Rowley, Independent Research Director

Steph started her career in qualitative market research over 25 years ago. She has worked at some of the biggest global research agencies, and with many household name brands across multiple sectors, including Hawaiian Tropic, Baileys, Unilever, HSBC, Uber, Vodafone, M&S, Jaguar Land Rover, TK Maxx, Viagra and Compare the Market to name but a few. Steph is now based in Norwich and loves bringing her big brand, big agency background to help smaller businesses in Norfolk to grow.

Eliot Sykes Independent Brand & Customer Experience Strategy Consultant

Eliot is an experienced leader specialising in helping ambitious brands stand out, grow, and build deeper connections with their customers. With experience spanning financial services, retail, healthcare, automotive, and more - from startups to global enterprises - he utilises a customer centric approach to bridge insights and creative innovation to deliver impactful strategies and activations.

Kirstie Tostevin Product Manager and AI Product Lead, at Artlist (Moderator)

Kirstie is the one steering the ship of product management at Artlist UK. She's spent part of a decade in the creative industry. Now she combines her love for data and analytics with her marketing expertise and deep user and product knowledge to shape tools that digital creators will not just use, but truly love. From strategy and operations to marketing, R&D, and video production, she's done it all. She led the growth of FXhome’s user community (acquired by Artlist), expanding it from 30,000 to a staggering 6.9 million users.