We are delighted to announce the speakers & panellists who will be taking part in the Silver Marketing Summit & Awards 2025. All are experts in their field and will share marketing insights and information with the audience.
Carl Honoré - Opening Keynote Speaker - Silver Marketing around the World
Carl Honoré is an award-winning writer, broadcaster and two-time TED speaker. After working with street children in Brazil, he covered Europe and South America for the Economist, Observer, Miami Herald, Houston Chronicle, National Post (Canada) and Time magazine. Published in 36 languages, his books have landed on bestseller lists around the world. His latest book, Bolder: How To Age Better And Feel Better About Ageing is a spirited manifesto against ageism and was a BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week. In 2024, Carl was named as an Advocate for Aging by the American Society for Aging.
Anthea Turner - Media Personality
In her role as Patron of the Silver Marketing Association, Anthea brings enormous empathy and wisdom of the silver market and, most importantly, knows how to effectively communicate to create brand building and sales. We're delighted that Anthea will be joining us in two sessions at the Summit: As the founder of the skin care range "By Anthea Turner", she will be joining the panel on Beauty & Skin Care in the morning. And having recently returned from a holiday at Sandals St Lucia, she will also be participating in the case study discussion in the afternoon.
Aled Jones - singer, TV Presenter and radio host for Classic FM
Aled Jones MBE, the Welsh singer, television presenter and radio host for Classic FM, will be the compere for the Silver Marketing Awards which take place from 4.15pm. Aled has presented shows such as ITV breakfast Daybreak, BBC’s Songs of Praise, Cash in the Attic, Escape to the Country and Going Back Giving Back. He currently hosts the Sunday morning show on Classic FM.
Chris Simmonds - Closing Keynote Speaker - Four Decades of Silver Service
Chris has spent his entire career of nearly 40 years focused on serving an older demographic in both the commercial and charity sectors. From 1983 working at Saga Holidays and has headed up Marketing, Sales & Operations before progressing to Managing Director. In 2010, Chris transferred to the charity sector and led a charity called Revitalise as their CEO offering accessible holiday centres providing 24-hour nursing care serving disabled people and their carers. He returned to Saga Holidays in March 2020 shortly before the pandemic began and led the business through a difficult period, whilst driving a strategic review and developed a 5-year plan to ensure the business emerged from the crisis in a strong position. Chris then became the CEO of The JG Travel Group, and more recently the CEO of HF Holidays.
Andrew Telling - TV Adswork, Chair: AI and the Silver Market
Andrew initially graduated as a marine biologist before fate led him into media as a producer for Capital Radio. He later founded Orange Planet Pictures, focusing on pro bono animal welfare films. Over 20 years, he has collaborated with actor Peter Egan to expose global animal abuse, winning seven industry awards, including one from the Royal Geographical Society. In 2021, he co-founded TVADSWORK, a full-service creative and broadcast media planning agency with a highly trained and friendly team. With over 200 TV and radio advertising credits to his name, Andrew believes great creativity isn’t just about budget but about storytelling, clarity, and emotional engagement.
Peter Otto, Founder of Sentai - Panellist: AI and the Silver Market
Peter Otto is a founder and Chief Product Officer of Sentai. Sentai is a voice-enabled virtual companion for people who need care. Sentai works through AI-powered natural conversation, helping users to stay well, independent and connected to their support network. Previously he was founding team member and CPO at Condeco, an enterprise workspace management solution used by some of world’s largest companies. Before that, he worked as a design lead at Morgan Stanley and Flow Interactive, a London-based design consultancy and as a design lecturer at Birkbeck, University of London. In his 25-year career as a design and product leader he’s created market-leading digital experiences for many of the world’s top companies, such as Easyjet, Sony, Vodafone, Jamie Oliver and many others. Peter is also startup investor and mentor.
Vicky Carne, Digital Entrepreneur - Panellist: AI and the Silver Market
Vicky is a digital entrepreneur and content creator, currently developing an AI-powered voice chatbot to enhance communication and support in retirement communities. Throughout her career, she has explored how emerging technology can improve lives – from publishing computer games based on bestselling books to co-founding an early email marketing company and developing online educational tools. Now living in an over-60s community herself, she is passionate about making AI more accessible for older adults. Through writing and video content for the 60+ audience, partly through her YouTube channel, 3A-AI, she demystifies technology and highlights its potential to enrich later-life experiences.
Julia Glenn, Eargym- Panellist: AI and the Silver Market
Julia is a lifelong technologist who has experience of designing and commercialising technology/AI in both the public and private sectors. Julia began her career as a software engineer in investment banking, progressing to VP of Equities Technologies and VP of New Business respectively. For the past decade she has used her AI design and commercial skills to focus on social impact business, winning the UEA's Graduate of Global Distinction award in 2018 for director services to humanitarian engineering and people with cognitive impairment. Julia is a member of the Alzheimer's Society's Innovation Advisory Board and also wrote the foreword for their Co-Creation Guide in 2022. Julia is Chief Commercial Officer at eargym, globally scaling eargym's award-winning digital hearing health platform. Julia is also CEO of her own AI design company and is completing MIT's Professional Certificate in AI and ML as a practicing engineer, supporting a number of global social impact initiatives with the design and commercialisation of AI solutions.
Lisa Edgar, The Big Window, A Date with Data
Lisa has blazed the trail of older consumer for nearly two decades, with a deep understanding of the needs and behaviours of financial consumers, particularly as they ready themselves for and then live in retirement. Lisa is a multi-published writer and media speaker. She and the Big Window wrote the seminal report, The Ageing Mind, that formed a central part in the FCA’s Ageing Population strategy. She has also written on the relationship between ageing and different types of marketing messaging, how we do/don’t process information as we age and how we can use cognitive and behavioural science to build communications that encourage women to invest and engage in their pensions as they age.
Ed Lennox, Ginger Black - A Date with Data
Ed Lennox has been involved in e-commerce since being a co-founder of Feefo, the review platform, in 2007. Since leaving Feefo in 2014, Ed has held various roles in data analytics, consultancy and software, mostly in e-commerce, media and financial services. He is a skilled networker, presenter and innovator with a strong focus on Customer Relationship Management, Account Management and Business Growth. Ed Joined Ginger Black in 2021 to support the development of new business, special projects (focusing on sustainability) and partnerships.
Steve Huxham, Silver Marketing Association - Chair: Turning on Middle-Aged Man
Steve is a well-known recruiter, with 36 years experience and a reputation for lateral and creative thinking to solve people challenges. He runs the recruiting functions for a portfolio of businesses both in commerce and in the Associations sector. He has also been a Non-Executive Director of several start up business. Steve has always campaigned against inequality and discrimination in the workplace. It remains a regret that over 15 years after the first UK legislation barring employment discrimination based on age, that instances of ageism, particularly against older workers, still remain an issue needing full eradication, and he is committed to working towards that goal.
Mike Mansfield, Pro Age - Panellist: Turning on Middle Aged men
Mike is the CEO of ProAge. He is a seasoned thought leader on the topics of longevity, age-inclusion and multigenerational workplaces. ProAge is a UK charity dedicated to creating age-inclusive workplaces and high-performing multigenerational teams. Prior to joining ProAge Mike has been responsible for the establishment of the Aegon Center for Longevity and Retirement. While working at Aegon, Mike authored and published 13 reports on retirement security with insights and recommendations for governments, employers and individuals. He also developed and piloted the Silver Starters program to help people age 50+ understand if entrepreneurship is something for them and help them start their own business.
Quentin Boyes, The Humbug Partnership - Panellist: Turning on Middle Aged men
Quentin has spent 40 years helping brands persuade consumers to part with cash. Started in advertising above the Nags Head in Covent Garden, passed through various alleys of Soho and the West End before going solo with his 1st agency Liquorice, which he took to several continents, and Birmingham. Spent the last 20 years exploring smart use of data to deliver consumer insights for impactful and effective comms, helping clients like Genting Casino win Marketing Society CRM Gold. Swansong? Launched Humbug, a marketing consultancy offering unique consumer insights and innovative creative ideas to businesses seeking to transform connections with silverbacks.
Lance Hill, Eight Group - Panellist: Turning on Middle-Aged Men
With over 35 years’ experience in the print and direct marketing industry, Lance Hill began his journey as a 16-year-old apprentice at a local direct mail printer. He’s since held key sales and leadership roles, developed a reputation for trust and expertise, and led a successful management buyout of his current company in 2021. As CEO of Eight Group, Lance has transformed the company from a single service business into a multi-award-winning group, offering a unique blend of marketing and print solutions - tripling turnover and more than doubling the headcount. A passionate advocate for innovation, sustainability, and service excellence - he sits on the IPIA Council, the Royal Mail SMP Board, and is a trustee of The Printing Charity — and is proud to support the Silver Marketing Association’s mission to champion ethical, effective marketing to older consumers.
Sue Benson, The Behaviours Agency - Chair: The Business of Marketing Beauty & Skincare
Sue is an experienced retail and brand strategist and a leading authority on applying behavioural science creatively to solve business problems across sectors including health, nutrition and wellbeing. A midlifer herself, Sue has led The Behaviours Agency’s initiative to gain a better understanding and representation of midlife women and is particularly interested in how we can support women's health and wellbeing, given Midlife is such a period of significant change, as well as the importance of a balanced and healthy diet at all ages and stages of life.
Emmanuelle Bassmann, In-Trend Ltd. - Panellist, The Business of Marketing Beauty & Skincare
Emmanuelle Bassmann is one of the leading worldwide beauty trend experts. She is a French native with a highly international career; she started in Paris then moved to NYC and she is now based in London. She has devoted her career to identifying the game-changing innovations in the beauty industry. She founded the first marketing intelligence firm dedicated to beauty in 2006 – In-Trend Ltd. In-Trend is a research intelligence agency that creates the future of Beauty. We are innovation experts in skincare, makeup, all of the hair categories & Professional Beauty (spa, medispa, clinics & beauty salons) all over the world. We have also started the revolution of Beauty from Within. The Food industry is the next Beauty provider. Our loyal client base includes L’Oréal, LVMH, Coty, Unilever, Henkel, Chanel & PUIG.
Tricia Cusden, Look Fabulous Forever - Panellist: The Business of Marketing Beauty & Skincare
Tricia Cusden is a British entrepreneur and author who founded Look Fabulous Forever in 2013 at the age of 65. Frustrated by the beauty industry's neglect of older women, she created a makeup line specifically tailored for mature skin. Her brand gained rapid popularity, bolstered by YouTube tutorials that have now amassed 13.5 million views. In 2015, Tricia received the CEW Digital Achiever of the Year Award, and in 2016, she was honored as Nectar Small Business Awards Entrepreneur of the Year. Her book, "Living the Life More Fabulous," published in 2018, offers guidance on beauty, style, and empowerment for older women. During the pandemic, Tricia started a Facebook community - Tricia’s Super Troopers which is still going strong 5 years later with 10k members. In 2023, Tricia, who runs the business with her two daughters, Anna and Suzy, took the decision to buy their cosmetics manufacturer, Creative Cosmetics, based in Ipswich. She lives in London close to her daughters and 5 grandchildren.
Caroline Ayling, JAA Media - Chair: OK Boomer, OK Snowflake
Caroline (also known as CJ) is a marketing professional with 20 years’ experience covering sports marketing, athlete management, consultancy and now agency marketing & company growth at JAA. She is passionate about celebrating great work, championing great people and, to her own surprise, loves working for independent family businesses. So much so she works for two… JAA an independent media agency that’s backed the underdog since 1978 when her father set it up, and The Tyburn, a Harley Street Medical Practice run by her GP husband. As a mum of two Caroline works flexibly to manage the life balance and is on a journey learning about neurodiversity and celebrating difference as her son is autistic. She is a Trustee of Duchenne UK, and an avid fundraiser having taken part in many endurance events.