The Anchor High Leadership Summit equips manufacturing leaders with the tools and mindset to ‘anchor high’. Attendees will hear from pioneering leaders with experience of industry and beyond, and will be inspired, challenged, and motivated through a series of curated speakers and industry panels to lead ambitious change for their business and the wider sector.
The Summit is for senior and aspiring manufacturing leaders who have a passion for innovation and best practice.
Join us for a day of inspiration, networking, and development on Thursday, 28th May 2026.
The Summit will be followed in the evening by the prestigious Manufacturing NI Hall of Fame Awards, celebrating titans of the local manufacturing sector who have significantly and sustainably shaped NI’s industrial landscape.
Tickets for the Anchor High Leadership Summit and Hall of Fame Awards Dinner will be on sale soon.
Alternatively, to be invoiced for tickets, please email connor@manufacturingni.org.
Schedule
Welcome Address
- Stephen Kelly- CEO, Manufacturing NI
The Big Picture: Economic Signals for Every Manufacturing Leader
Led by our host for the day, Susan Hayes-Cullerton, Economist & Founder of the Positive Economist, this will set the scene for the day with an analysis of the economic forces shaping business decisions, investment confidence, and growth opportunities for the manufacturing sector.
Panel Session- Financing the Future: Sustainability, Risk & Opportunity
- Ben Craig, Business Development Manager, Carbonfit
- Richard Reaney, Business Development Director- Corporate, Barclays
- TBC
Insight Sessions: Perspectives on Better Workplaces
- Building Cultures that Unlock Engagement, Innovation & Financial Performance
Craig Thompson, Vibrant Workplace - Why the Future of Leadership is Leading Yourself First
Caroline McKenna, Leadself - Menopause and Work- Creating Inclusive, Supportive Workplaces that Retain Experienced Talent
Karina Todd, WorkLifePeople
Finding, Growing & Keeping the Skills Industry Need
- Future Talent: Succession, Skills & Culture-Fit
Darren McVicker, Managing Director, Vickerstock
Panel: Good Jobs, Great Businesses?
- Michelle McGinley, Managing Director, Employer’s Federation
- Stuart Anderson, Director of Public Affairs & International Relations, NI Chamber of Commerce
- TBC
Manufacturing Success Stories
- Sean Hanna, Chief Services Officer, NOW Group
What it Takes to Make 1 MIllion Sausage Rolls in a Day
- William McColgan, Director, McColgans Food
The Productivity Playbook: Doing More With Less
- Lead, Lean & Lift: Unlocking Productivity Across Business
John Carroll, Chief Operating Officer, Joulen - Moving From Productivity Hacks to Business Reinvention; The Rise of Agentic AI
Alan Lavery, Managing Director- Consulting, Connected Data & AI, KPMG Ireland
Panel -AMIC: Addressing Productivity Challenge
- How manufacturers are driving performance through digitilisation, automation and smarter design
Panel – From Plan to Production: What Businesses Learned Implementing Automation
Comments from Dr. Caoimhe Archibald, Economy Minister
Closing Comments
- Stephen Kelly, CEO, Manufacturing NI
Sessions and speakers are subject to change. Please check back for updates.