We are delighted that a number of alumni will be speaking at the upcoming Kent and Medway Business Summit to share their expertise and insights.
The conference – which takes place on Tuesday 13 May – will begin with a welcome from Kent’s Interim Vice Chancellor, Professor Georgina Ransley de Moura and close with a fireside chat with our Chancellor, YolanDa Brown OBE DL, showcasing the success of Kent graduates across the region’s business landscape throughout.
The Kent and Medway Business Summit is our annual premier business conference, bringing together business, local authorities and academics to tackle the key issues in the region.
Interested in how the political landscape could affect your business? Book your place at the Summit today and learn more about our alumni speakers taking part below.
YolanDa Brown OBE DL
For some, worldwide touring and critically acclaimed albums would be satisfaction enough. Not for YolanDa Brown – she wears many hats; musician, broadcaster, author, philanthropist.
A double MOBO Award winning artist, her music is a delicious fusion of reggae, jazz, and soul. In 2023 she was awarded an OBE for services to music, music education and broadcasting.
YolanDa is a champion for the importance of music education. She is Chair of Youth Music, sits on the Arts Council National Council, is a trustee of the PRS Foundation, an ambassador for the Prince’s Trust and London Music Fund, on English Heritage’s Blue Plaque panel and sits on the advisory board of the London Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2021, she was invited by the Department of Education to sit on the advisory panel of the National Plan for Music Education.
An entrepreneur too, in 2018 YolanDa launched the London Saxophone Festival and last year she opened her own music venue and restaurant, Soul Mama.
She obtained a first-class undergraduate degree in European Management Science with Spanish from Kent Business School in 2005, followed by a masters in Methods of Social Research in 2007. She also completed four years of a PhD programme, before taking a hiatus from her thesis to pursue her music career.
Professor Georgina Ransley de Moura
Professor Georgina Randsley de Moura is the Acting Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Kent. She is responsible for strategic leadership of the University and is accountable for its academic and financial performance, as well as for compliance with regulatory bodies.
As an advocate for social inclusion and widening participation, she also champions the access to life-enhancing education for all.
A proud alumna of the university, Georgina completed her studies with a BSc (Hons, 1999) and PhD (2004) in Social Psychology, and an Executive MBA with distinction in 2016.
Lulu Collins
Lulu is the President of Kent Students’ Union and key liaison between the University and the wider student body. As a passionate advocate for student voice and educational equity, she contributes to institutional work on university-wide strategies tackling barriers to student success and participation.
With an interdisciplinary educational background and strong experience in policy and advocacy, Lulu has worked alongside MPs, university executives, and sector leaders to shape the student experience holistically to empower students as future-ready graduates – ensuring that employability strategies are informed not only by market trends, but by lived experience, accessibility, and equality of opportunity.
She graduated from Kent with a BA in Liberal Arts in 2024.
Ben Fitter-Harding
Ben Fitter-Harding is the Founder and Studio Director of Dodgems & Floss – a digital design and development agency.
Bursting with ideas and energy, Ben is an entrepreneur who brings 24 years of multimedia, business, financial and technical experience to the summit. He previously co-founded international messaging company CardBoardFish and also led Canterbury City Council between 2020 and 2023.
Ben graduated from Kent in 2006 with a BSc in Multimedia Technology and Design.
Tarnia Gonzo
Tarnia Gonzo is the Founder and Principle Consultant at T&S Consulting .
With over a decade of experience in agile project management and change management, she has a proven track record of driving digital transformation and technology adoption across diverse industries.
Her passion for empowering individuals and organisations to embrace change led her to launching her consultancy company in 2024 which is dedicated to providing tailored solutions that help businesses leverage technology and change effectively.
She completed her MSc in Organisational and Business Psychology at Kent in 2023.
Lucy Druesne
Lucy Druesne is the Deputy Chief Executive at Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce, where she leads the Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP).
She is passionate about ensuring the employer voice is at the heart of the skills conversation and is dedicated to making sure employers actively contribute to the skills development in the region. Her extensive expertise has been instrumental in advancing strategic initiatives across Kent and Medway.
With a career focused to bridging the gap between education and business, Lucy has previous experience working with the University of Kent on various partnerships involving higher and further education institutions and public sector organisations.
She graduated from Kent Law School in 2007.