Chief Commercial and Development Officer

George Hartel is Chief Commercial Officer and Development Officer at GQ Apparel, Thailand’s leading omnichannel tech apparel menswear brand. GQ Apparel has transformed from a 60-year-old Thai family brand to become the top-selling menswear brand in Thailand.

George has a deep history in company strategy and brand transformation focused on innovation models, e-commercial development, retail expansion, new market entry, and breakthrough viral marketing. He co-founded Fighting Giants in Thailand, an innovation and culture transformation community with over 150 senior-level executives and business leaders. Previously he was Managing Director for Asia at Newell Brands, the largest consumer durable company in the world with over 100 leading brands.

George focuses on differentiation that pushes teams to think beyond the ordinary or traditional approaches to their business model and to find a “Wow” at every consumer touch-point.

Co-Founder of Fashion Revolution and League of Artisans

A visionary changemaker, Carry Somers is renowned for her transformative impact on the fashion industry. As co-founder of Fashion Revolution, the world’s largest fashion activism movement, she has ignited a shift towards transparency, fairness, and sustainability in supply chains.

With an MA in Native American Studies, Carry supported Indigenous communities for over three decades, amplifying their voices and embedding their values in her work. She founded Pachacuti, an award-winning Fair Trade brand, and co-founded League of Artisans, a non-profit championing artisanal skills as a response to global challenges.

Recognised by the Business of Fashion’s BoF 500 as one of the most influential figures in fashion, Carry has sailed 2,000 miles researching ocean plastic pollution and collaborated on a textile garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show. She holds an Honorary Doctor of Letters from Keele University, is an Executive Member of The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences and was a 2023 Churchill Fellow, providing her with an opportunity to further her research into fashion’s relationship with nature.

An experienced public speaker, Carry has taken the stage at major events including The Economist Impact Summit in Athens, The King’s Foundation sustainability conference, The Textile Society annual conference, an audience of 5000 at Trimarchi, the largest design festival in Latin America. Her insights have been featured on BBC World News, The One Show, BBC Breakfast, Women’s Hour, NPR, and in publications ranging from British Vogue and Vanity Fair to Business of Fashion and the Financial Times.

Europe Board Regional Representative at World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO)

Caterina is an ESG and Sustainability Advisor specializing in luxury and fashion. She works with clients like Maison Alaïa, Chloé, and Aspesi, including supporting Chloé in becoming the first luxury brand to achieve B-Corp certification.

With a background in Geopolitics and International Relations, Caterina is a former EU and UN Development Aid Manager with over 15 years of experience. In these roles, she advised several EU and UN initiatives, including coordinating the UN social enterprise programs for the Mediterranean and the UN Ethical Fashion Initiative. Currently ESG advisor for UNIDO and partnership coordinator for UNHCR’s Made51 initiative.

Caterina is also a social entrepreneur and founder of SeeMe, an ethical jewelry brand employing women survivors of violence, and EthicaRei, the first certified ethical supplier network for fashion.

She has been a speaker at major conferences, including Condé Nast Luxury Conference and the Social Enterprise World Forum. Besides being a member of the Global Board of Directors of WFTO, Caternia is a Contributor to BoF, Harper’s Bazaar NL, and Vogue Italia.

Global Board Member (Independent) at World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO)

As CEO of El Puente, Jette leads a Business committed to advancing Fair Trade practices and changing the rules of the economy. She also serves on the board of Forum Fairer Handel, advocating for Fair Trade and alternative business models in Germany.

Previously, Jette was the Partnerships Manager at the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO), where she forged key partnerships and expanded global market opportunities for Fair Trade enterprises. Her earlier experience with TradeAid in New Zealand focused on product development and sales, giving her valuable insight into Fair Trade operations.

Brand Marketing Professional

Iftekhar Mallick is a seasoned marketing professional from Dhaka, with leadership roles in fashion and footwear across South and Southeast Asia. With over a decade of experience in brand-building, he has worked closely with global firms like McKinsey, WGSN, Ipsos, DDB, and Dentsu. Known for his ability to adapt brand messaging across culturally diverse markets, Iftekhar has been recognized as a global marketing talent. He was a member of the Senior Leadership Team at Bata and now serves as General Manager at Beximco. He has attended major fashion weeks in Jakarta, Delhi, Dubai, Milan, and Paris staying closely attuned to emerging trends and innovations shaping the global fashion industry. A trained design thinker, Iftekhar brings a unique blend of strategic insight and creative sensibility to the table.

Co-Founder and CEO of IGC Fashion

Katende Godfrey is a fashion designer based in Uganda. He draws inspiration from ancient African fashion while also incorporating modern and futuristic designs. His work is centred around African tradition, heritage, and culture. Katende's use of natural and indigenous materials is a testament to his commitment to preserving African culture and traditions, while also promoting sustainable fashion practices.

Katende is dedicated to providing free education, mentorship, and inspiration to the local community in Kampala. His commitment to empowering local communities through fashion aligns with the decolonisation movement in Africa, which seeks to dismantle systems of oppression and empower African people to reclaim their culture and heritage. Through his “Kwetu Kwanza” campaign, Katende is a vocal advocate for sustainable and ethical fashion practices.

Senior Lecturer, Fashion Management with Marketing

Emma has been with Solent University since 2008. She graduated from the University of Southampton with a BA (Hons) in Fashion. She later accomplished a Master of Arts in International Fashion and Textiles with Marketing in 2010, which allowed her to study within international schools of fashion such as Institute Frances De La Mode, Paris, and the Hoog School Ver De Kunsten in the Netherlands. During her MA studies, Emma was awarded a scholarship towards funding her studies by the Textile Institute, Guild of Weavers.

Before joining Solent University, Emma worked within the UK fashion brand sector for 10 years, for UK and Japanese brands across roles within buying and production for multi-product areas, from men’s to women’s and childrenswear.

Emma has taught a range of fashion branding, law, marketing, business, promotion, innovation, brand management, buying, Multi and Omni channelling modules across the School, working predominately with BA (Hons) Fashion Management with Marketing and BA (Hons) Fashion Buying and Merchandising.

As part of Emma's ongoing personal academic development, she has worked with Central Saint Martins, developing MA short course workshops and the London College of Fashion as a dissertation supervisor.

Currently, Emma is an External Examiner for Nottingham Trent University, for the School of Art and Design UK and Hong Kong faculties for the BA (Hons) International Fashion Business degree courses and Cardiff Metropolitan University for the BA (Hons) Fashion Marketing Management, Fashion Buying and Brand Management and the MSc Fashion Marketing Management courses. She has worked as an External Examiner across Fashion Buying, Business, Marketing and Brand Management degrees for Manchester Metropolitan University, Pearl Academy India and MA courses for Istituto Marangoni UK and Paris faculties. She has also served as an External Assessor for the London College of Fashion the Fashion Business School.

In 2016 and 2020 Emma was nominated by students for a Solent University student, staff award.