Talking to my Younger Self

Joel sits on the Pro-Manchester Digital and Creative Committee. He has worked within commercial roles for the last 15 years. Most recently leading the growth of a digital agency in the Northwest. Joel has a proven track record of providing solutions for businesses and working with them to grow sustainably and profitably.

In his current role, Joel is responsible for expanding BIG partnerships digital offerings. With experience across the retail and consumer, finance, medical and education sector. His experience in delivering effective solutions and driving growth makes him the perfect fit to lead our Social Media Mastery panel.

Brett Jacobson started Mediaworks in 2007 when he was fresh out of university. Headquartered in the North East, it’s a full-service digital agency. Over the past two years, Mediaworks has opened offices in Leeds, Edinburgh  and Manchester, and doubled headcount to 200 people.

Michael operates as an Investment Director, overseeing a portfolio of investments, and as the Head of Corporate Finance for Together, the UK’s largest non-bank lender. Specialising in high-value partnerships and strategic opportunities, his extensive career spans both large and small advisory businesses, latterly holding directorships across financial services and technology businesses. A Chartered Accountant by training and originally from Manchester, Michael lived in France during his formative years and has also worked professionally in London. Known for his straightforward and commercial approach, he boasts a strong track record in equity and debt-funded M&A transactions within the small to mid-market deals space and has worked with several of the UK’s fastest-growing companies.

Sam has been at pro-manchester for 17 years and has been an integral part of its growth from a small, effective membership network to a sophisticated business development organisation. A firm part of the Manchester business community, Sam is a familiar face to most, constantly and efficiently working to bring businesses together in the city region.

As chief executive, Sam is responsible for the organisation’s corporate engagement as well managing all existing key partnerships and member relationships. Sam manages the day-to-day running and strategic direction of the business alongside Nicola McCormick – COO. They run the organisation together as equal partners with shared responsibility.

Sam also sits on the board of trustees for Forever Manchester, a charity that supports community activity across Greater Manchester. As well as this, Sam also sits on the Greater Manchester Economic Resilience Board, the Greater Manchester Organisational Representatives Group, the Manchester Business Sounding Board, the Bee Net Zero Advisory Board and the Manchester tech hub Board.

In 2019 Sam also became the Regional Deputy Chair of TheCityUK, where she helps to engage the national body on a regional level on behalf of individuals in the financial and professional services industries. In 2022 Sam was featured in the inaugural Top 50 North West tech Transformers list complied by BusinessCloud

Kirsty is a seasoned professional with over 18 years in the construction industry, currently serving as the Global Head of CRM at Gleeds. Beyond her impressive career, Kirsty is a leader in construction and a passionate advocate for mental health awareness.

Kirsty’s non-traditional career journey showcases her tenacity and determination in forging her own path. She brings a unique perspective to the business world.

Her commitment extends to empowering voices in the business landscape. Kirsty is on a mission to dismantle the stigma surrounding mental health, leveraging her personal experiences to foster open conversations within the industry and beyond.

Martina Witter is a Director of Award Winning Rapha Therapy & Training Services, Accredited
Cognitive Behaviour Therapist, Mindset coach ,Health and Wellbeing Consultant, Author , Podcast Host ( Rivers to Resilience), Blogger ,Resilience Trainer , Founder of Black Mental Wealth and Cofounder of Black Women in Business and Professionals Network.

Martina has over 20 years experience working within the wellbeing and mental health field helping diverse individuals ( children & Adults) to develop a strong mindset that allows them to turn bottlenecks into breakthroughs, increase performance and productivity in organizations. Due to her contributions to the field, she has been featured in HuffPost, Thrive Global ,Metro, The Voice, and BBC Radio Manchester.

Martina delivers transformational, dynamic and experiential training whilst also having a passion to see individuals thrive holistically in life through being revived, restored and refocused . Martina delivers Coaching and psychological therapy in innovative and accessible ways including online (video & instant messaging) and via telephone. Martina draws upon her life experiences including bereavements, rejection and stress to connect and empathize with her clients whilst sharing how she has successfully navigated adversity and utilized this for transformation and growth .