Our Judges

General Manager| Horwood House

Over 34 years hospitality experience spanning the UK, US, Germany and Ireland in multinational groups and now an independent hotel . Carolines experience has included every department, giving her a unique insight into developing each department with a focus on sales. “ Every individual is responsible for driving sales, whether they are front or back of house”, she also enjoys encouraging curiosity so that we, and the business can change ensuring we are the best we can be.

Managing Director| Horwood House

With over 25 years of hospitality experience with international companies spanning London Portugal and Dubai, Karim took the decision to become an Independent Hotel Owner. Settling on Horwood House, previously part of a group and sadly neglected, Karim and his team have succeeded in transforming Horwood into a renowned, multi award winning destination hotel that features prominently in the local community, which has seen Karim imparting knowledge, time and money to businesses, charities, schools and projects.

Sales and Development Manager | Milton Keynes Theatre

Director of Risk and Compliance | Neves Solicitors

Managing Partner and Head of Commercial Law | Neves Solicitors

Stewart qualified as a solicitor in 2001, initially dealing with commercial disputes. He later transferred into company/commercial work, becoming a partner at Neves in 2011.

Stewart is the managing partner of Neves Solicitors with responsibility for the day to day running of the firm, splitting his time between the three offices in Milton Keynes, Harpenden and Luton. He is also the Compliance Officer for Legal Practice (COLP), ensuring proper compliance practice is carried out across the firm.

Stewart has many years’ experience in a broad range of company/commercial matters, ranging from company sales and acquisitions, shareholder protection, options, franchise agreements, management agreements and partnership matters. He also assists a number of clients with wider ranging commercial documents including IT/Software licences/agreements, general commercial agreements and commercial property related documentation.

Owner Founder | Collaborate MK

Tim Lee is Owner & Founder of Collaborate MK Networking Community and is a family business based in Milton Keynes – it fosters collaborations between companies through Ten networking events a month for all members including a knowledge sharing workshop for Gold Members.

With over 300 Businesses as members on Associate, Bronze, Silver & Gold membership options and engagement and support offered in between our events Tim has built a very supportive and Collaborative Business Community  

Managing Director | Giraffe Digital

Joe Gilbert is the Managing Director of Giraffe Digital, a thriving digital marketing agency he has successfully led for over a decade. With a Master’s degree in Digital Marketing, Joe combines expertise and innovation to deliver exceptional results for clients. Outside of work, he enjoys traveling, mountaineering, and practicing martial arts. Always eager to embrace new challenges, Joe is currently learning to fly, adding another exciting dimension to his adventurous spirit.

CEO | Kimble Solar

Chris Sadler is CEO and founder of Kimble Solar, bringing a strong engineering background and a lifelong commitment to environmental sustainability. He holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering and began his career as a design engineer at Aston Martin before transitioning into electrical engineering. Since founding the business in 2011, Chris has led its evolution into renewable energy, combining technical excellence, high standards, and a customer-focused approach to delivering impactful solar solutions.

Operations Manager| Kimble Solar

Rebecca Sadler is Operations Manager at Kimble Solar, bringing a unique blend of leadership, technical expertise, and sustainability-driven values. She holds a degree in Psychology and Criminology and began her career in law enforcement before transitioning into electrical engineering and renewable energy. As the sister of CEO Chris Sadler, Rebecca works closely alongside him, contributing strong operational leadership, ethical decision-making, and a shared commitment to driving positive change through clean energy.

Deputy Director | MK Gallery

Francis Nielsen is a respected cultural leader with over 20 years of experience managing and developing a wide portfolio of arts and cultural venues and heritage sites in the West Midlands. With a strong foundation in learning and engagement, Francis has dedicated much of her career to supporting young people and helping them realise their aspirations through meaningful access to the arts.

She currently serves as Deputy Director at MK Gallery, where she oversees operations and leads MK Gallery Enterprises Ltd., the gallery’s commercial subsidiary. In this role, she combines strategic leadership with a commitment to sustainability and community impact, ensuring that both the artistic and enterprise arms of the organisation thrive.

Driven by a belief in the transformative power of culture, Francis continues to champion inclusive practices, innovative programming, and partnerships that strengthen the role of the arts in society.

Head of Commercial | MK Gallery

Nia Gallimore is a dynamic commercial and events professional known for creating memorable experiences, managing fast-paced operations, and leading successful events. Currently Head of Commercial at MK Gallery, she drives revenue growth, partnerships, and visitor engagement. With a strong background in large scale event coordination and delivery, business development, and client relations, Nia has delivered high-impact experiences for SMEs, venues, and community organisations. She brings a people-focused, optimistic approach to every project, backed by hands-on leadership and a passion for creating unforgettable experiences.

NatWest Director, Commercial Banking, Milton Keynes | NatWest

Chris is the Director of Commercial Banking at NatWest, leading the team that supports businesses across the SME market. He has worked within the group since 2008—joining at a particularly pivotal time for the banking sector—and has held roles in agriculture, lending, and, for the past decade, as a director within the business bank.

Chris specialises in identifying and enabling growth in owner-managed businesses. His focus includes assessing the viability of business plans and overseeing the delivery of appropriate financial solutions to help clients achieve their strategic goals. Alongside developing, coaching and leading a team of highly skilled managers.

Outside his role at NatWest, Chris is also a bestselling fantasy author, with his debut novel reaching Amazon’s number-one position in May 2022. He additionally serves as a Director of the Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity which supports a wide range of health, social and mobility projects across the county, including operating a social enterprise vineyard.

NatWest Accelerator Community Manager (East Midlands & East of England) | NatWest

As the Accelerator Community Manager for NatWest’s Enterprise team covering the East Midlands, Debbie is responsible for building and nurturing strategic relationships and regional stakeholder engagement opportunities to support SMEs across the region to start, scale and exit their business.

Prior to this role Debbie supported entrepreneurs as a business acceleration coach with 121 and group support and programme delivery on the NatWest Accelerator helping (sector agnostic) business owners maximise their potential and overcome challenges. Before joining NatWest, Debbie successfully founded, scaled and exited a chain of hair and beauty salons, a salon recruitment agency and a social media marketing education company, She still supports the salon industry today as a collaborative columnist for industry magazines and awards judge. Debbie is also a public speaker, host and radio/TV presenter.

Founder | Snowdonia Hub

Chris and the expert team at Snowdonia Hub bring decades of senior-level experience from some of the world’s leading blue-chip IT companies, including IBM, Toshiba, Sony, and D-Link—where he consistently delivered above-target growth in competitive, high-pressure markets. During his corporate career, Chris received world-class training in leadership and team development, which he used to drive consistent high performance across his teams.

Drawing on over 40 years in results-driven environments and a full member of ABM, he now coaches business leaders and sales teams to achieve measurable improvements in both performance and self-belief. His down-to-earth methodology—rooted in honesty, accountability and a touch of fun—empowers individuals, teams and executives to uncover opportunities, break old patterns and produce lasting outcomes. In a world overloaded with rigid systems and amateur psychology, Chris’s real-world experience has transformed hundreds of careers and company results.

“Having run businesses myself, I know first-hand how tough it is—not just to survive but to excel and outperform expectations. That’s why I’m both pleased and proud to serve as a judge for these prestigious awards, recognising the grit, creativity and excellence shown by UK SMEs.”

Partnerships & Events Manager | South Midlands Growth Hub

Sam joined SEMLEP in August 2019, having previously worked as an Office Manager for over five years in the horticultural industry, Sam has experience in planning, organisation and executing a range of events, from trade shows to conferences. In education, Sam achieved a triple distinction diploma in Business and was awarded ‘business student of the year’ and ‘highest achiever’. In her spare time, Sam enjoys spending time with loved ones and is a competitive figure athlete.

Marketing Lead | South Midlands Growth Hub

Patrick joined the Growth Hub in 2023. Patrick’s focus is to ensure all businesses across the South East Midlands are aware of the support, advice and resources the Growth Hub provides to the local business community. Having spent over six-years working agency side, supporting clients such as Lenovo, Zoom and Sage, Patrick brings experience in developing strategic marketing programmes for global organisations. Away from the Growth Hub, Patrick is Head Coach of Wellingborough Old Grammarians RFC.

Founder | The AI Cyclops

Web Designer | The AI Cyclops

Director & Owner | Volarti Business Services

Workspace Director | x+why

x+why’s innovative, flexible workspaces and hospitality-focused clubspaces support a community of impact-driven leaders, companies, and movements who believe that business should be a force for good. In Ed’s role as National GM, he leads on service delivery and people management across all 11 x+why sites.

General Manager | x+why

Marian is passionate about people and purpose. As General Manager with x+why in Milton Keynes, she drives impactful change by aligning business strategy with dynamic, people-focused practices, building resilient, forward-thinking teams. With a love for coaching, Marian thrives on helping people grow and organisations evolve. As a previous winner of Hertfordshire SME Business Employer of the Year in 2022, Marian is known for fostering innovative and engaging cultures and is dedicated to creating workspaces that inspire everyone to reach their potential and make a lasting impact.

Account Manager | MKFM

Carly is the Account Manager at MKFM. Working closely with all of MKFM’s clients Carly has a passion working within the local community and with charities associated with MKFM. Carly has a history of working closely with many charities in Milton Keynes in her previous role as a Member Pioneer at the Coop. Carly is also a familiar face from the business and networking world of Milton Keynes having had a local business for over a decade. Carly is well known her local community as she sits on the Parish Council as a Councillor.

Head of MKFM | MKFM