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Rupert Hawke, founder of Hawke Legal, has a business degree and is a qualified management accountant. He spent the first 10 years of his career working in multi-national business. In 2007 he was appointed Finance Director of Cartwright King Solicitors – then a regional East Midlands firm. Firstly as FD and then as Managing Director (appointed 2013), Rupert oversaw CK’s journey to becoming a national law firm with 18 offices nationwide offering a wide range of legal services and renowned for a great culture, quality staff, and cutting edge IT systems.

Through his wide-ranging managerial experience in the legal sector, Rupert is a leading authority on law firm financial / strategic management and its application, and has contributed to numerous publications and spoken widely including for The Law Society.

After 12 years at Cartwright King Rupert decided he wanted a new challenge and started Rupert Hawke Legal – a consultancy that utilises the mass of experience and contacts Rupert has developed in his leading role in the legal sector.

Farah Nadeem is an Operations Manager at Paul R. Palmer Limited/ Pharmaceutical Consultant and a Trainee Qualified Person. Farah is a Pharmacist and recognised QA expert and has over 20 years of experience in the Pharmaceutical industry in the development, manufacture and supply of medicinal products.

Throughout her career, she has held various quality assurance roles and actively pursued new opportunities to expand her knowledge and expertise. As a result, she has gained a comprehensive understanding of manufacturing, storage, and distribution processes, as well as the facilities and services that support them. Involved in documentation management: writes, reviews, and audits SOPs and QMS implementations. Assists companies in meeting regulatory requirements.

In her current role as a QA Operations Manager for a Pharmaceutical Consultant Company, Farah Nadeem provides various solutions, including assistance in obtaining the first MIA(IMP) and MIA licenses, as well as preparation and hosting for regulatory inspections. Her work involves collaborating with Paul Palmer to offer services such as QP declarations for API manufacturers, regulatory inspection hosting, commercial and clinical batch release, compliance audits, and coaching and training in GxP.

Susanne Hall began her career in 1990 at Dr. Karl Thomae (today known as Böhringer Ingelheim) in Biberach as Head of Packaging Technology. In 1993, she joined Vetter’s Research and Development department as Head of Packaging Material Incoming Control and in 2008 was named Team Leader of Secondary Packaging.

Since 2019, she has been the Director of Secondary Packaging and AVI Projects. In this position, Susanne leads three teams that ensure the implementation of customer products from development to commercial into production. For secondary packaging this includes device assembly, labeling and final packaging as well as implementing tests for a controlled safe process and the meeting of customer expectations. She is also responsible for the transfer of products from manual visual inspection to fully automated inspection lines.

Susanne has a diploma in engineering from the College of Engineering where she focused on specialized precision engineering.

Dale Charlton is a Freelance Consultant for automation and fill / finish. Dale has spent a lifelong career in Life Sciences and Biotechnology encompassing both the academic and industrial sectors. Dale worked in a technical capacity in basic R&D at a major University and EMBL Heidelberg before embarking on a more formal academic career in biotechnology and studying for a PhD within the Drug Discovery Group of Pfizer into growth factor research (rGH, GHRF, IgF) . With industrial spells at Porton Down and Pittman-Moore (formerly Glaxo Animal Vaccines) in API and API scale-up, Dale settled back into biotech manufacture and moved more into the supply chain of finished drug products for small molecules & biologics, first as the MD of a life sciences distribution company and later as Director of Business Development, Optima pharma in sterile production automation. Having worked in the pharmaceutical industry from R&D to finished drug product, Dale has a unique understanding of the entire drug development life cycle and offers insight from both the pharma and a suppliers perspective.

Dr. Andreas Rothmund is Qualified Person (retd) at Vetter Pharma-Fertigung in Ravensburg, Germany, an independent contract manufacturer specialised in the aseptic production of pre-filled application systems. He started his industrial career in 1985 as a lab manager. After two years he took over production responsibility for a German company specialised in eye drops and eye ointments, a position he held for nearly eight years.

He joined Vetter in 1994, where he has held several positions, including Head of Production for one of Vetter’s aseptic production units. He holds a degree in organic chemistry from the University of Constance, Germany.

Silke Weiss is a fully qualified lawyer with a Master's degree in Intellectual Property from Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand. She has worked at WIPO since 2008, initially in WIPO's PCT

Legal Division before moving to the Hague System Legal Division. Prior to that, she worked in a law firm in Germany and at the University of Economics in Vienna, Austria.

Ms. DAI joined Madrid Operations Division of WIPO in 2018. In her role as an examiner, she has focused on the examination of international applications, renewals, modifications, corrections, and other related tasks. Additionally, she is dedicated to delivering exceptional customer services to Madrid clients, offering precise and prompt responses tailored to their specific inquiries with her comprehensive knowledge of the Madrid system. Furthermore, she actively contributes as a member of an internal board, collaborating to establish consistent resolutions on examination practice issues. 

Prior to joining WIPO, Ms. DAI served as a senior trademark examiner at China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), specializing in Madrid System. Throughout her tenure, she acquired extensive experience and expertise in conducting trademark examinations under Madrid System. She spearheaded the successful development of the Madrid e-Filing service of CNIPA and facilitated Madrid e-Communication between CNIPA and WIPO, along with the development of an internal examination system tailored for Madrid filings. 

She has been invited as speaker to several webinars conducted in both English and Chinese languages, where she shares her expertise and insights on topics related to international applications under Madrid system. 

Catherine Dupenloup joined WIPO in 1996 and presently works as a Senior Applications Support Assistant in the Madrid Information and Promotion Division, Madrid Registry, Brands and Designs Sector. Since 2012, she has been the focal point for user Support in relation with Madrid System Online Services. Before 2012, she worked at the WIPO IT helpdesk as a user support for IT matters.

Professor Kathy Daniels retired from Aston University in the summer of 2024. Whilst at the University she held a number of managerial roles, latterly Associate Pro-Vice Chancellor (Engagement).  Prior to joining Aston University Kathy held a number of senior roles in HR in the manufacturing sector. Kathy runs her own consultancy, writing, talking and advising – primarily in the area of employment law. She has written a number of books, including a textbook on employment law soon to be in its seventh edition. She is a member of the Employment Tribunal, sitting in Birmingham.

Rowena Tolley, a trade mark partner with Kilburn & Strode. She has almost 20 years of experience helping businesses protect and build value in their brands.  She specialises in helping UK-based businesses in their international growth, as well as US and EU multinationals for whom the UK market is key. There are very few countries where Rowena hasn’t filed trade marks, making her an expert in the local nuances of international brand protection. Her work includes everything from multi-jurisdictional clearance work, prosecution, oppositions and cancellations, through to portfolio reviews and management, infringement, dispute resolution and due diligence.  Rowena works with clients of all sizes and across a wide range of sectors, including in particular food & drink, pharma, fintech, sports and music. 

Rowena is well-known and respected in the industry, having sat on various intellectual property committees including FICPI, TIPLO and INTA.  She has been ranked by MIP as one of their “Top 250 Women in IP” and by World Trademark Review as a “Gold Individual” in their WTR1000.