Speaker, Facilitator & Contributors Biographies
At M25 Consortium’s Annual Conference 2025: Shaping the Future
Keynote Biographies
Donna Lanclos
Donna Lanclos was born in the desert. She thought very carefully about the names she wanted to give her children and they in turn have very carefully thought about the names they want now that they have a choice in the matter. This is something she should have anticipated, as her parents still call her “Michelle.” Donna has very little patience for bullsh*t, despite her American heritage. She is an anthropologist in all things. Her love for shoes and cocktails has thus far not managed to get in the way of her work on leadership, academia, and digital and physical places and practices. She has lived on the prairies of North Dakota, the coast of California, and in the North Carolina foothills, as well as in the UK and Ireland. She is generally still happy to be here, wherever that is. You can find her on Bluesky and on Mastodon and also email her if you have specific things you want to talk about: donna.lanclos@gmail.com.
Lawrie Phipps
Lawrie Phipps was born in a place that was red by night and black by day: a childhood amongst relics and the slag, waste and debris of an industrial wasteland, much of which has now been “saved” in a West-Midlands “Living Museum”. A veteran who has crossed both polar circles, he did an Environmental Science degree late in life, but instead of saving the planet accidentally became an Academic Developer. He spends some of his free time traveling at no more than four miles per hour on the canals he once played around (and sometimes in) when he was a child. He has worked across technology, education, research and leadership for over 30 years. Both an enthusiast and a sceptic he likes to play with ideas across technology and how it impacts on practice. He cannot not notice birds. His favourite phrase is “Sláinte Mhaith”. He is harsh but fair. You can find him on Bluesky.
Speaker, Facilitator and Contributor Biographies
Alice Fodor
Lightning Talk Speaker (with Rosalind Frances), First Set
Alice is a Librarian at Northeastern University London, part of Northeastern University’s Global Campus Network. She has worked in academic, public, and specialist libraries, specialising in scholarly publishing and open access. She is passionate about training and teaching for both students and staff. In her spare time, she loves crafts, audiobooks, and, recently, being taken out on bike rides by her 6-year-old.
Alison Mackenzie
Lightning Talk Speaker, Second Set
Alison Mackenzie is a librarian with over fifteen years’ experience. After working as a classroom teacher in the Scottish education system she emigrated to Australia and happened upon a short-term contract in a school library in Western Australia. The rest, as they say, is history. Once qualified as a Teacher Librarian, she worked in both state and private schools in WA. Bringing together a passion for teaching, learning, IT and literacy these roles led to Alison being heavily involved in whole-school information literacy programmes as well as external state and national Information Professional networks.
Come 2021, Alison felt the urge for change so headed off to design and open a new Senior School Library (Learning Commons) on the tiny island nation of Bermuda. Once this contract was complete, she headed back to the UK to her current role of Research Support Librarian at the Royal Horticultural Society based at RHS Wisley in Surrey. Working with staff, students, members and researchers, Alison’s role is many and varied and she also works heavily in public engagement. The goal being to make both the RHS contemporary and heritage collections as accessible as possible to those who are interested.
Arun Gummer
Poster Presenter (with Lorna Rosbottom)
Arun has worked at the University of Westminster since 2021. Currently, He is the Library Operations Coordinator and a part of the Library Operations team, where he has redeveloped spaces, kept track of budgets, analysed headcount and security data and fixed what feels like the same table at least seven times. His current work is focused on improving the accessibility of the University library through Sensory maps.
Banji Adewumi MBE
Presentation One
Oyebanji Adewumi, known as Banji, is the Director of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at the University of Greenwich. She joined Greenwich after spending approximately three years at the University of Manchester where she led the development and implementation of the University’s three-year EDI strategy.
Prior to joining Higher Education, Banji worked in the NHS where her last position there was as Associate Director for Inclusion at Barts Health NHS Trust, a group of hospitals situated in east London. With over 20 years’ experience of working in the public sector, she has successfully led projects aimed at embedding inclusive practice, as part of wider culture change programmes. She was recognised in the Queens New Year Honours List in 2022 for services to the NHS and diversity.
Banji describes herself as a visionary and self-motivated Inclusion practitioner.
Camilla Churchill
Vox Pops Lead
With over 16 years of experience in managing services and teams within the GLAM sector, Camilla Churchill brings a wealth of knowledge, expertise, and creativity to her role. Her background in Fine Art further enriches her professional journey, allowing her to navigate a variety of settings with ease.
Camilla is a member of the M25 steering committee and serves as an archive accreditation peer reviewer. Her involvement with the International Council of Museums highlights her commitment to the field, where she leverages her leadership and project management skills.
Since 2022, Camilla has been at the helm of the BMA library and archive services. Under her leadership, member usage has significantly increased following a prolonged closure following covid. She has successfully transitioned the service to an e-only strategy and established a professional archive that adheres to industry-recognised standards. Her skills in strategy and policy development and implementation have been instrumental in these achievements.
Carly Ramirez-Herelle
Lightning Talk Speaker (with Steve Briggs), First Set
Carly is Head of Library Services at the University of Bedfordshire; a position she has held for almost three years. She keenly advocates for the vital role academic libraries play in influencing students’ learning journey, personal development and overall sense of belonging and wellbeing. She is passionate about leading her team to deliver a transformative experience for all students, particularly those from underrepresented groups within higher education through relational customer service.
Preceding this, Carly held several roles within the University, including Professional Academic Development trainer in the Learning Development team where she supported students’ development of academic writing skills. Within her organisation, Carly was vice chair of the Race Equality Network and is currently leading a Parent Carer Group – an offshoot from the Disability Network that supports staff who are responsible for children and young people with additional needs.
Carly believes in the transformative nature of education and is an active advocate for inclusive initiatives and equitable access to learning.
Cliff Van Dort
Parallel Session Two Facilitator
Head of Library at The National Archives, Cliff is a librarian of over twenty years’ experience. He has worked predominantly in managerial roles, overseeing the day to day running of services; ranging from enquiry desks, lending services, customer engagement, marketing and promotion, collection development, cataloguing, budget management, procurement and contract management, and performance analysis. He has worked mostly in government libraries but also in school libraries and further education. He is former chair of The National Archives Racial Equality Network and is co-chair of The M25 Consortium’s Diversity Working Group.
Davina Omar
Parallel Session Two Facilitator
Davina Omar is the Director of Library Services responsible for the effective leadership, management and strategic direction of the service ensuring the delivery of a dynamic and measurable student and staff-focused library service. She is also responsible for the UWL Archive Service. Davina was previously the Head of Academic Support at UWL with responsibility for managing the Library’s academic support to the University’s Schools and Colleges, leading the effective delivery of academic library support services, managing the development of the Library’s resources collection and developing the UWL Archives Service.
Eloise Carpenter
Parallel Session Three Facilitator, Poster Presenter
Eloise Carpenter is Collection Services Manager in the Library, Archive & Open Research Services (LAORS) at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). She has worked in academic libraries for 25 years, including Imperial College and the Institute of Education. She gained her MSc in Library and Information Management from Northumbria University, winning the Viki Lagus prize (awarded by CILIP). Eloise is a member of Task Group Three for the cpd25 Staff Development and Training programme, and a member of the Federal Libraries Collection Group. She recently revised the Barnard Classification Scheme which has been published Open Access by LSHTM Press, and written on collection evaluation for NAG’s Taking Stock.
Helen Curtis
Chair, Lightning Talks Set One
Helen is Director of Learning Resources and University Librarian at Oxford Brookes University where she is responsible for the leadership of the University Library, Special Collections and Archives, and Digital Education and Design services. She has worked in Higher Education for over 20 years and has developed library services, projects, and teams working across learning and research. Particular areas of interest include relationship management, leadership, and workforce development. Helen is a member of the SCONUL Organisational Development Strategy Group, has served as Steering Group member for the M25 Libraries Consortium since 2023, and supported the organisation of the annual conference.
Helen Rimmer
Parallel Session Four
Helen Rimmer is a kindness and wellbeing coach and consultant, certified burnout coach, and founder of The Kind Brave Leader. With over 20 years of leadership experience in library and higher education, Helen has dedicated her career to transforming workplaces into spaces where kindness and wellbeing are the norm.
She holds certifications in strengths-based coaching, systemic team coaching, and a Postgraduate Certificate in the Psychology of Kindness and Wellbeing at Work. Helen combines these skills to empower professionals at every stage of their careers, helping them cultivate resilience, confidence, and thriving workplace cultures.
As the author of The Kind Librarian, Helen provides practical tools, coaching, and community support to library and information professionals striving to create kinder, safer, and more resilient workplaces. Her work includes the development of frameworks such as the KIND Framework (Know Your Intentions, Invite Dialogue, Navigate with Empathy, Drive Positive Action), designed to foster environments where people feel seen, valued, and supported.
Helen’s work is rooted in the belief that kindness is not simply being ‘nice’ but a powerful force for creating psychologically safe and empowering environments where both staff and users can thrive.
Find out more at: www.thekindbraveleader.co.uk
Janice Fernandes
Lightning Talk Speaker (with Mary Blomley), First Set
Dr. Janice Fernandes is the Academic Support Manager and Subject librarian at the University of West London. With over 35 years of dedicated service in academic librarianship and a portfolio of more than 25 published research papers, Janice is a passionate researcher and thought leader in the evolving landscape of higher education. Her journey reflects a deep commitment to lifelong learning, innovation, and scholarly excellence.
To her, the integration of AI in higher education is both a blossoming garden of opportunity and, at times, a terrain of quicksand—challenging yet full of potential. She believes that embracing new skill sets and trusting the process of change have been pivotal in achieving key milestones throughout her career.
A seasoned keynote speaker, Janice has shared her insights at numerous national and international conferences. She actively contributes to academic development through her roles on panels for FHEA assessments, doctoral evaluations, journal editorial boards, and book review committees. Guided by the principle that knowledge shared is knowledge gained, she continues to inspire and mentor the next generation of scholars and information professionals.
Jon Ray
Presentation Two
Jon Ray is the Environmental Sustainability Lead for Gardens, Libraries, and Museums (GLAM) at the University of Oxford. He has extensive experience in leading sustainability initiatives, with a recent focus on carbon reduction strategies, climate risk and adaptation, staff engagement and biodiversity net gain. Currently, Jon leads efforts to achieve carbon net zero and biodiversity net gain goals for the University’s gardens, libraries, and museums. Previously, as the Director of Environmental Sustainability at Wiley, Jon worked on the company’s Carbon Net Zero strategy, sustainable supply chain plans, and initiatives to engage staff in climate awareness.
Karen Jackson
Parallel Session Six Presenter
Karen has worked in academic libraries for nearly 30 years and has been the Research and Academic Support Manager at the University of Warwick since 2017. She has expertise in academic engagement and in the development of information research skills across the academic lifecycle. She is currently co-leading a cross-institutional interdisciplinary Learning Circle on the implications and impact of Artificial Intelligence on higher education teaching and learning practice.
Lorna Rosbottom
Poster Presenter (with Arun Gummer)
Lorna has worked at the University of Westminster since 2016. She was the librarian for the Schools of Law and Social Sciences until 2022, when she hung up her information literacy hat, emptied her brain of the intricacies of English case law, and bravely ventured into the world of library space management, with the emotional highs of library moves and refurbishments and the heartbreak of seeing that coffee stain on a piece of brand-new furniture.
She also oversees the library’s social media communications @uniwestlib, despite steadfastly refusing to have any social media accounts (OK, apart from LinkedIn).
Lorna leads a small but brilliant Library Operations team, who make everything possible, and who live in the 21st century and know what a hashtag is.
Louise Savage
Lightning Talk Speaker, First Set
Louise is a library and information professional with a passion for inclusive library design and critical librarianship. She recently completed a Master’s in Library and Information Studies at University College London (UCL), where her academic work deepened her interest in how academic and research library spaces can better serve the people who work within them.
Currently working as a Collections Coordinator within the Collection Transformation team at King’s College London, Louise coordinates with various teams across Libraries & Collections to manage the library’s print and electronic resources, overseeing processes such as storage, digitisation and the responsible withdrawal of items. She also assists the Collections Manager in delivering collection management projects, ensuring objectives are met on time.
Louise is particularly interested in critical librarianship, with a focus on questioning traditional structures and advocating for more socially just information practices. She believes that libraries should not only provide access to knowledge but also reflect and support the values of the communities they serve. Through her work and research, Louise aims to contribute to the development of academic library spaces that are accessible, inclusive, and safe.
Mary Blomley
Lightning Talk Speaker (with Janice Fernandes), Set One
Mary is a dedicated library professional with a decade of experience working in HE Libraries. Throughout her career, she has been involved in various initiatives and projects aimed at enhancing library services and supporting academic research. As an Open Research Librarian at University of West London, Mary strives to make research accessible and support the academic community. Her interests encompass copyright issues and helping users improve their search skills.
Michael Day
Lightning Talk Speaker, Second Set
Michael James Day, PhD is a British Sociologist and Educational Researcher. You can find him on ResearchGate, Medium, Bluesky, X and Instagram (@drmjday). Michael was previously one of the youngest people ever to qualify as a teacher and, for sixteen years, he has served in educational leadership positions in secondary and higher educational institutions across the world.
Currently, he is Associate Professor of Higher Education, at the Reader Level, and Institutional Lead of Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) at The University of Greenwich. Michael has also been recognised with notable accolades for his impact leading change across universities in Thailand, China and the UK, including Principal Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (PFHEA) and Senior Certified Member of the Association for Learning Technology (SCMALT).
Paola Marchionni
Parallel Session One Presenter
Paola is Head of Engagement (content and discovery) at Jisc. She leads a team of subject matter experts developing wide ranging programmes that address institutional concerns and strategic approaches around issues of digital scholarship and research, collections, preservation, open access and open data. Our work supports digital transformation by engaging in particular with the library and research community through collaborations and knowledge sharing opportunities.
Paola was previously head of product at Jisc and before that worked as programme manager on Jisc’s flagship national digitisation programmes.
Peter Findlay
Parallel Session One Presenter
Peter is Subject matter expert digital scholarship (content and discovery) at Jisc. He has over 20 years experience of developing strategies for research content and specialises in improving research by digital means. He has worked in project, programme and strategy roles for Acting Up, Carers UK, The British Library and Jisc.
Regina Everitt
Parallel Session Five Presenter
Regina Everitt is Assistant Chief Operating Officer & Director of Library, Archives and Learning Services at the University of East London. She began her professional career as a technical author/trainer working with computer companies that developed software for the manufacturing, pharmaceutical and financial sectors in the US and UK. After managing a small library at a university in West Africa as a volunteer with the United States Peace Corps, she transitioned into the HE sector developing and managing libraries, social learning spaces, and other learning resources.
She is a member of the SCONUL Board, the British Library Advisory Council, the Adult Literacy Trust, and a CILIP (Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals) trailblazer group that developed a standard for a Level 7 apprenticeship for library, information, and knowledge professionals. She co-edited Narrative Expansions: Interpreting Decolonisation in Academic Libraries and Privileged Spaces: Academic Libraries in University Estates Strategy.
Rosalind Francis
Lightning Talk Speaker (with Alice Fodor), First Set
Rosalind is a Librarian at Northeastern University London which is part of Northeastern University’s Global Campus Network. Rosalind has worked in University libraries for many years and is interested in improving the student experience. Rosalind is particularly interested in resource management in libraries, budget management, reading list support, and collection development.
Steve Briggs
Lightning Talk Speaker (with Carly Ramirez-Herelle), First Set
Dr Steve Briggs is Director of Learning and Teaching Excellence and Acting Director of Library and Learning Resources at the University of Bedfordshire. Steve is also currently Deputy Diversity Officer for the Committee of the Association for National Teaching Fellows and is a former Co-Chair of the Association for Learning Development in Higher Education. He is a Chartered Psychologist, National Teaching Fellow (2020) and PFHEA.
Tim Spring
Poster Presenter
Tim is an Academic Services Librarian at Birkbeck and has been in this role since 2024, providing support to departments within the Faculty of Science. Previously he worked in the collections team at Birkbeck and prior to this, has worked at the Royal College of Nursing library. He is currently interested in understanding AI, the ethics of using it, and its role in academia.
Tim Wales
Parallel Session Five Presenter
Tim Wales is University Librarian at Cranfield University, United Kingdom. He has previously led libraries at Brunel University London, Rothamsted Research, the University of West London and London Business School. He completed his MSc in Information Science at City St George’s, University of London.
Tim has written on many professional topics since 2000, including information literacy, library strategy, business librarianship and library technologies and edited his first book Business School Libraries in the 21st Century in 2014. His most recent work is a chapter for Regina & Neil Everitt’s publication Privileged Spaces: Academic Libraries in University Estates Strategy which will inform his parallel session with Regina at this conference. He is a chartered member of CILIP, a fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and an editorial board member of the New Review of Academic Librarianship.