Andrew Cunningham graduated from the University of Nottingham with a First Class degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering and after an initial spell working for a small R+D company, started and ran several high technology companies. One of these companies, AVT, developed the electronic financial trading systems still used by every bank in the world. He is also the inventor of several key patents relating to secure communications. When Reuters bought AVT in 2002 he ran the Financial Trading Division of Reuters for six years. In 2008 he retired from formal paid employment and learned to sail. From 2009 he has invested his personal money in sustainable energy research and development, with particular interest in renewable energy storage and zero emission fuels. In 2019 he founded GeoPura in collaboration with Siemens to bring to market and commercialise affordable hydrogen and zero emission fuel based technologies. He has led GeoPura as CEO ever since and in February 2023 was very pleased to welcome Siemens Energy, General Motors, Barclays Capital and SWEN as investors and key strategic partners of the company. He is an Honorary Professor at the University of Nottingham.

Ben Lawrence, the multi-talented and innovative Director of Lawrences Garages London Ltd. As a fifth-generation member of this independent, family-run business, he has honed his expertise over two decades in the industry. Starting his career with Jonathan James in Cambridge and working alongside industry leaders, Ben is now the driving force behind this award-winning forecourt portfolio. Committed to pushing the boundaries in convenience retail, Ben is dedicated to providing customers with an exemplary retail experience and poised to continue the legacy of excellence in the business.

With more than three decades of security and emergency services experience, Bruce Nichol is a seasoned Operations Director with a reputation for transformative leadership. His career has been marked by a relentless commitment to enhancing public safety, security and organisational efficiency. Since joining BOSS, the British Oil Security Syndicate, Bruce has harnessed his wealth of experience to revolutionise the performance of Payment Watch, the leading unpaid fuel debt recovery service dedicated to combatting incidents of fuel crime and ensuring the integrity of reducing losses incurred by forecourt operators. Under his stewardship, Payment Watch initiated the development of a cloud-based service that seamlessly links forecourt operators and police forces, streamlining communication channels and optimising reporting, recovery and settling unpaid fuel debts. His innovative strategies not only strengthened BOSS as the type and volume of unpaid fuel incidents evolved but also positioned Payment Watch as a benchmark for excellence in the sector. Prior to BOSS, Bruce spent more than 30 years in senior leadership, training and operational roles withing the fire and rescue services and as a Royal Navy officer. He remains a respected figure in the security community, and his enduring legacy is one of resilience, foresight, and a tireless pursuit of excellence in safeguarding both commerce and public welfare.

Gareth is Head of HSE & Engineering for Roadside Services at Certas Energy, tasked with driving forward the company’s Health and Safety performance including its “Safety F1rst: Vision Zero” culture and principles. Gareth is also directly involved in creating measures to reduce crime and violence on Gulf forecourts, something that he and Certas regard as an absolute priority. Graduating with a degree in Biomolecular Science, Gareth’s early career was centred around Environmental roles (contaminated land, waste, emergency response) within the public and private sectors. In 2015 he started providing consultancy services to Certas Energy and in 2020 joined the company, transitioning to Head of HSE for Roadside Services. Engineering within the Roadside Services estate was added to his role in October 2023.

Gerry is a seasoned professional with a wealth of experience in the dynamic landscape of energy and mobility. He holds a pivotal role, spearheading the development of Certas Energy’s groundbreaking e Mobility solution and is the driving force behind numerous transformative initiatives designed to redefine the future of energy and mobility. Gerry’s strategic vision and commitment to excellence and innovation have been evident throughout his career, initially serving as Marketing Manager for one of the prominent symbol groups before joining Certas Energy as UK Retail Marketing Manager. In this role, and later as Head of Roadside Services Marketing, Gerry has developed numerous award-winning initiatives that positively differentiate Gulf from its competitors and make life better and more profitable for every Gulf Dealer.

Gordon has extensive experience in Downstream Oil working in several roles with BP. During his 30-year career Gordon managed sales teams, fuel card operation strategic projects and was UK country manager for European Fleet Services. Gordon left BP and started his own business specialising in payments and in 2014 joined the PRA as Commercial Manager. During this period, key successes were building the membership, improving digital services, and reaching an out of court settlement with the major credit and debit card issuers returning a significant sum back to PRA members.

In 2022 Gordon was appointed Executive Director of the Petrol Retailers Association succeeding Brian Madderson. Gordon is a director of the Retail Motor Industries Federation (RMI) the UK's leading automotive trade body, representing franchised car and commercial vehicle dealers, independent garages, bodyshops, motorcycle dealers, petrol retailers, auction houses and cherished number plate dealers, who provide sales and services to motorists and businesses across the UK.

The Car Wash Association was absorbed into the PRA as an affiliate and Gordon is also Executive Director for this trade body. The CWAs’ objective is to establish a level playing field in the industry ensuring all businesses operate on a safe and compliant manner. This includes eradicating the scourge of modern-day slavery and compliance with business and environmental laws.

Away from work Gordon enjoys spending time with his family and watching and participating in sport. He is a keen Saracens fan and attempts to play golf.

An accomplished, experienced and highly effective senior retail leader, Joanne is a passionate advocate for colleague wellbeing, inclusion, equity and diversity in the workplace. Joanne is a customer focused and values led leader. She has recently joined bp, leading retail operations in the UK and is also a Trustee for the disability equality charity, Scope. Having studied for a Masters in Pharmacology, Joanne soon realised her passion was back in retail and has been in senior retail field roles since 2006 with supermarket, convenience, discount and online experience; working for Lidl, Co-op, Sainsbury’s and most recently with bp, where she has joined to focus on delivering best in class retail operations, enhancing the convenience experience and driving growth initiatives.

Jon has worked alongside his parents in the Forecourt industry since he was a young boy. He has opened two successful forecourts, three pharmacies, two subways, a new restaurant and a food production kitchen. In 2020, Jon and Zena Tout developed TOUT’S. They created a long-term strategy for the business, including the decision to move away from a Budgens branded fasica and develop their own brand. The vision was to offer the best convenience shopping experience anywhere in the country driven by a passion for people and food. The forecourts aim to be mostly a supermarket, fairly like a farm shop, a little like a discounter, and nothing like a corner shop. In 2022, Jon opened TOUT’S Cleeve. This 4,100 sq ft flagship store includes 5,000 products, of which 700 are from local suppliers. The hub also includes a large forecourt, a restaurant, a food preparation kitchen and a hair salon all under one roof. In 2023, TOUT’S Cleeve won The Independent Retail Chain of the Year at The Grocer Gold Awards. It also won five awards at the recent Forecourt Trader Awards, including Forecourt Trader of The Year 2023 and Best Design and Development.

Katie Gallagher is Insight Lead and resident market analyst at Lumina Intelligence, Katie’s mission is to help businesses align with market trends and consumer needs, with over five years’ experience in food and drink market insight. Katie will share findings from a recently commissioned research project around operator perspectives in forecourts to understand the current trading environment, current and future challenges, the importance of services and the future of forecourts.

Paul has spent much of his career in Forecourt Convenience operations working for Major Oil Companies and Dealers alike. Most recently Paul took his Forecourt experience into the electric vehicle arena where he heads up the GRIDSERVE Electric Forecourts®. GRIDSERVE is a tech-enabled sustainable energy business whose purpose is to deliver sustainable energy and move the needle on climate change. The Electric Forecourts® are part of GRIDSERVE’s award-wining electric vehicle charging infrastructure, the GRIDSERVE Electric Highway. With state-of-the-art facilities, High Power electric vehicle charging, impartial advice with free test drives of the latest EVs, and the advanced retail technology from well-known brands, GRIDSERVE aim to deliver the best experience for all visitors.

Sonya is a high energy executive leader at BP, having developed her 20 year career across Asia Pacific and Europe in several large commercial, retail, supply chain operations and executive support roles.

In her current role Sonya is leading the UK retail fuels and convenience business. The UK is one of bp’s most strategically important markets for delivering the convenience and Mobility strategy. In this role Sonya will continue to advance the convenience retail business, driving customer centricity and integrating bp pulse EV charging roll-out at pace. Sonya is also leading the pilot of new store concepts and offers understanding customers’ needs as they evolve through the energy transition.

Sonya’s career is distinguished by her strong strategic, commercial and leadership capability. She has experience leading large operational supply chain businesses managing significant safety & operational risks, as well as customer facing sales and marketing businesses. Sonya also has broad experience working with Joint Ventures and Partnerships and has held several non-executive director roles both in the UK and Australia.

Sonya is engaging, enthusiastic and curious and her sense of possibility is contagious. Mentoring early and mid-career women is a passion that Sonya invests heavily in.

Sorcha, an Insight Manager at Lumina Intelligence, is responsible for analysing consumer data to identify trends and support food and drink companies with strategic decision making. Sorcha often works with clients in the convenience and forecourt sector, helping to identify key market trends and future opportunities.

Steve joined Christie & Co in 2008 having worked in the pub, restaurant and hotel sectors from the early 90s. He was a key figure for the company helping guide their activities through the Credit Crunch and Recession. He was appointed Managing Director of Retail in 2011. Steve now has overall responsibility for all Christie & Co’s Retail and Leisure activities after the divisions were merged in 2023. Steve has led significant advisory, brokerage, consultancy and valuation assignments enabling him to speak publicly with practical experience. Steve is a Chartered Surveyor (MRICS), RICS Registered Valuer and holds a BSc (Hons) Degree in Estate Surveying.

Tom joined Fastned in late 2017 and is currently its UK Country Manager, where he is responsible for driving the roll-out of the UK’s best-rated charging network. Prior to getting involved in the e-mobility adventure, he spent six years as a consultant with Arup, advising cities, governments, NGOs, and corporations on their energy and climate change strategy. He has a Masters in Mechanical Engineering, an MSc in Sustainable Energy, an MBA and is a Chartered Environmentalist.