Next Event
Next Event: 12th February 2026, London | Hyatt Regency London Blackfriars
Our next event will be taking place on 12th February 2026 at the Hyatt Regency London Blackfriars. The event, chaired by Helen Sisson, Independent Consultant and former Technical Director at 2 Sisters Food Group, will be tailored to senior leaders and will offer high-level networking and practical insight into the sector's most pressing challenges.
These events feature multiple insightful sessions and plenty of opportunities to connect with peers, making them the perfect setting to tackle industry challenges and explore new opportunities. Delegates can share ideas, seek advice, and gain support from both familiar faces and new contacts. Past events have attracted influential leaders from top manufacturers and key regulatory bodies.
Please note, only C-Suite, Owners / Founders and Senior Leader (Head of, Director or equivalent) representatives of food and drink manufacturing companies are eligible to attend the event.
Why attend Business Leaders' Forum?
- Explore industry challenges and opportunities with your peers from the UK food and drink manufacturing sector
- Gain inspiration from other senior leaders, and identify gaps that can be filled within your own business
- Hear from expert speakers and industry influencers on various topics impacting the sector
- Network and forge long-lasting connections with like-minded senior leaders
- Tickets include catering and drinks throughout the day
Forum Ticket
FM Business Leaders' Forum February 2026 Agenda
Our next event, chaired by Helen Sisson, Independent Consultant and former Technical Director at 2 Sisters Food Group, will be taking place on 12th February 2026 at the Hyatt Regency London Blackfriars.
From health and weight-loss drugs to food resilience, regulation and ROI, this is your chance to hear what’s coming next – and understand how to stay ahead. Join fellow senior leaders from a wide variety of job functions for a candid, Chatham House rules discussion on how to protect and futureproof your business.
An exploration of the seismic shifts reshaping food and drink – from the rise of the healthy consumer to the demand for radical transparency and sustainability. Discover where the trends that really matter and the investments that will futureproof your business.
Skinny jabs, shifting health narratives, and tightening HFSS regulations are rewriting the product playbook. This session unpacks the regulatory horizon and evolving consumer expectations for manufacturers who want to stay ahead and stay profitable.
The threats are real, the response must be bold. From food fraud and mislabelling to climate disruption, biosecurity and geopolitical instability, the risks facing the sector are multiplying. We’ll spotlight the most urgent threats – and the strategic investments that can turn vulnerability into competitive advantage.
Meet Our Event Chair
Helen Sisson, Independent Food Industry Advisor
Helen has been in the industry more than 35 years where she has held diverse technical roles encompassing food safety and quality, sustainability, health and safety, and agriculture.
She is known for building high performing teams, developing and empowering them, whilst providing the strategic leadership, direction and importantly the support, resulting in the delivery of functional excellence recognised by a range of stakeholders, from customers to insurers.
Sisson also provides considerable support to the development of the industry , through representation on a number of advisory boards and was the first women to chair the Chilled Food Association. She was involved in the establishment of the Food Industry Intelligence Network (FIIN), of which she wasdirector and co-chair. FIIN now has over 65 members and was unique when set up in bringing the industry together to collaborate and share intelligence. Today FINN not only shares with its members but also with the regulators and will shortly provide a means to support smaller businesses on food integrity through an SME hub.
Sisson also contributes to government activities , having been part of the independent review into labour shortages in the food supply chain and sits on the Defra lead Market Monitoring group.
She a Trustee for FareShare Midlands, having previously served as a Trustee for FareShare UK and as a Non-Executive Director of Campden BRI.
