George Briley works for BAE Systems Digital Intelligence as a Business Analyst and BA consultant. He entered the corporate world from school, discovering a passion for process improvement and facilitating positive change to empower others. He is currently working towards completing his IIBA CBAP and BCS Advanced Diploma this year.  

Speaking of empowerment, George is ex-Powerlifting World Champion, with three gold medals from the 2014 World Championships and an impressive nine world records to his name.  

“A data expert, George is a passionate advocate for Business Analysis and the career opportunities it offers to people from a diverse range of backgrounds. He is using his knowledge, skills and experiences to inspire and benefit others.” 

Mark Cross is a Business Analysis consultant at Envista Consulting who specialises in cybersecurity projects. He is passionate about making organisations safer by reducing their exposure to cyber-risk and paying down security debt using their existing business analysts as an engine for meaningful change.    

One of very few to have earned international recognition in the fields of both business analysis and cybersecurity, Mark now dedicates himself to sharing what he has learned and supporting BA communities both in the UK and overseas.  

“Mark is providing ground-breaking thought leadership in the integration of cyber-security and service design, using his formidable expertise to influence BA professional skills development in the UK and globally.” 

Rachel Drinkwater is a senior business analyst of 23 years, currently working at the University of Warwick. She is the author of the upcoming BCS book The Next Step: A Practical Guide to Your Business Analysis Career.  

Fascinated by the effects of digital experiences on society, Rachel conducts academic and professional research into ethical digital practice and cyber-psychology, sharing her findings as a guest lecturer and at industry conferences.  

Rachel is an actor/comedian who enjoys performing with her improvised comedy troupe, hiking, yoga, travelling and live music.  

“Highly skilled in the craft of business analysis, fostering great stakeholder collaboration and business ownership, Rachel uses her unique talents in improvisational techniques to creatively solve business problems. She is committed to sharing her knowledge with the professional BA community and developing best practice in service delivery.” 

Kay Hardy is a Business Analyst working at Yorkshire Building Society who has a particular passion for user-centred design. She is committed to integrating the user at every stage of a project to create the best service possible.  

Committed to giving back to the BA community, Kay actively contributes to podcasts, conferences, industry publications, and speaks at events. Outside work, Kay is a co-founder of Young Business Analysts (YBA) and takes pride in supporting young professionals and the wider Business Analysis community.  

“A co-founder of the Young Business Analysts community, Kay is passionate about using her own insights and experience to open doors into business analysis for young people, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. As a professional BA, she is the voice of the user, ensuring their needs can be met through transformational service design within the wider strategic context of the project.” 

Lalita Lalwani has over 13 years of experience in the banking, insurance, retail, events and healthcare industries and currently works at Version 1. She is the VP of Professional Development for the IIBA Ireland Chapter, sharing her knowledge and insights on Business Analysis and AI topics.  

An avid reader and writer, Lalita is passionate about Parapsychology, Neuroscience, AI and (of course) Business Analysis. In her free time, she enjoys learning about other cultures and trying out new coffee places.  

“Lalita leveraged her development background, to ensure her team of BAs are invited to contribute to every technical conversation, co-creating value at every stage of the change process. She has shown extraordinary leadership, both within her organisation and the BA community in Ireland. Her passion is driving best practice, sharing her knowledge and experience to help others.” 

Suzanne Renwick is a scientist at heart, honing her analytical and problem-solving skills during nine years of chemistry studies, achieving her doctorate in 2022. Seeking a more people-centric career Suzanne moved to Capco. Now an Associate Consultant she has discovered a passion for technology, working with a diverse range of banking clients.  

Suzanne’s unique background fuels her innovative approach, combining customer insights with data-driven analysis to deliver exceptional solutions. She thrives on collaborating with clients to solve complex challenges and drive meaningful results.  

“Suzanne is a meticulous business analyst with excellent interpersonal skills and a valuable ability to translate complex, technical concepts into customers' language, providing them with clarity and recommendations to enable action.” 

Sinead Torley is Principal Business Analyst consultant at Herd Consulting, with 20 years’ experience working in IT projects and business change in the public sector.  

Starting out in a testing role, she progressed to developing and implementing Government E-channel services before formally moving into the Business Analysis profession ten years ago.  

A mentor on the IIBA UK mentorship scheme and IIBA UK North Chapter volunteer, Sinead is enthusiastic and passionate about Business Analysis.  

“An energetic, highly skilled BA consultant, Sinead is dedicated to co-creating value for her customers. She is also devoting her own time to building a professional, supportive community of BAs, in Cumbria and beyond.” 

Senior consultant at CMC Partnership Consultancy Ltd, Jonathan Watkins is a highly collaborative Business Analyst. Taking a holistic approach, he enjoys investigating business problems to understand the client ‘As-Is’, whilst engaging stakeholders to learn about and achieve their desired ‘To-Be’.  

Jonathan is currently supporting a client’s digital transformation programme with the design and implementation of modern capabilities. He keeps the focus on customer value by exploring many aspects of business architecture, systems engineering and business operations.    

“Jonathan deploys his formidable interpersonal skills to develop trusted stakeholder relationships, to overcome significant obstacles in major change programmes. He is committed to using his own success stories to encourage people from diverse backgrounds into the profession, helping  them break through their self-limiting beliefs.”