PRESENTERS

IMRAN ANWAR
Alt Labs


Imran has grown Alt Labs into a national award-winning innovation company, starting as a solo venture, landing substantial contracts with renowned entities such as the London North Eastern Railway, Transport for Wales, Go-Ahead Group and UCL, resulting in yoy growth. 

With more than a decade of in-depth experience in Transport, Banking, Fintech, Retail, E-commerce and FMCG, Imran's strategic leadership has transformed Alt Labs into the go-to provider for startups to FTSE 100 companies. His extensive expertise encompasses Growth Hacking, Digital Transformation, Mobile Apps, SaaS, Big Data, and Web Development, demonstrating his ability to fuse pioneering strategies with practical solutions, which Microsoft and the BBC have featured.  

As part of Imran's accomplishments at Alt Labs, he has become an integral pillar of the global tech startup community. His mentorship has nurtured the growth of over 180 startups, guiding them in refining their technologies and securing over £23 million in contracts and VC funding. 

Imran's visionary leadership has not only reverberated across SMEs and FTSE 100 institutions but has also been recognised nationally. Under his guidance, Alt Labs was honoured as the FSB's 'Largest Small Business of the Year 2023'. Adding to its growing list of accolades, Alt Labs clinched the Tees Tech for Good award and Imran himself was celebrated as the Tees Valley BME Leader of the Year 2021.

ANDREW PERKIN
Darlington Borough Council



A strategic and operational economic development professional, Andrew has a wealth of experience in inward investment, business growth, skills development and economic regeneration across the North East of England. 

JAMIE BALDASERA
NCB Hazcheck



Jamie Baldasera is the Director of Product Delivery at NCB Hazcheck, where he plays a pivotal role in advancing the company's technological solutions for the management of dangerous goods in sea transport. With over 13 years of experience in software development and IT management, Jamie's expertise spans application design, development, and implementation, particularly within the realm of Microsoft technologies.

Before joining NCB Hazcheck in October 2015, Jamie held various positions in the IT sector, where he was instrumental in driving innovative projects and leading teams to deliver robust and efficient software solutions. His leadership in product delivery at NCB Hazcheck has been crucial in the development of cutting-edge systems like Hazcheck Detect, which helps identify misdeclared and undeclared dangerous goods, thereby enhancing maritime safety and regulatory compliance.

MIKE LANE
Willmott Dixon



Mike began his career in the construction industry as a Site Engineer which quickly progressed into Site Management and a wider management role.

He is now an experienced Director, having worked at Willmott Dixon for over 18 years and is currently responsible for several construction projects across the North.

He has a broad range of skills which encompasses both the pre-construction and construction phases of projects influencing areas from the design to commercial strategy, customer negotiation, planning and programming, management of health and safety, delivery of a quality product... the list goes on.

Mike says, “I couldn't achieve any of this without a great team of people around me and I see my role as creating the right environment and level of support so that people in the teams I work with can thrive and fulfil their potential”.

“Alongside a great team of people at Willmott Dixon, we couldn't achieve what we do without our skilled and capable supply chain partners both new and old. 

We are proud to work in the Tees Valley and together, we have delivered a variety of projects in Transport, Commercial, Leisure, Health and Education Sectors for our customers”.