As CEO of the CCMA since 2020, Leigh draws on more than 25 years of business experience to champion the contact centre industry, having held leadership positions with a number of membership organisations and as a professional marketer. Her mission is to elevate the importance of contact centres within society and the UK economy, giving the industry a stronger voice and helping to support the organisations and people working within it.

Leigh is a respected keynote speaker and facilitator, known for bringing warmth, honesty and practical insight to conversations about the future of customer contact. She speaks regularly at conferences and executive events across the UK and Europe, sharing perspectives shaped by ongoing engagement with CCMA members, senior operational leaders and solution providers. Her sessions combine strategic thinking with practical experience, creating thought-provoking conversations that are grounded in the realities facing today’s contact centre leaders.

Leigh has been an awards judge since 2006, is a renowned host of the popular podcast, CareerTalk, and regularly appears as a guest on fellow industry podcasts and in wider media, including on BBC Radio Four’s You and Yours programme. She represents the contact centre industry to the Department of Business and Trade (DBT), is Chair of the European Customer Contact Alliance (ECCA), is an Honorary Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) and a Chartered Marketer. She was named on the Women in Trade Associations Powerlist for 2026, curated by the Trade Association Forum (TAF) and the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).

Known for her approachable style and genuine passion for the industry, Leigh creates conversations that are insightful, engaging and highly relevant for senior contact centre and business leaders.

Kate Knowles is an admired and well-known industry leader, recognised for her practical and people-focused approach and passion for delivering better customer and colleague experiences.

As Services Director at the CCMA, Kate draws on more than 20 years of experience across customer service, contact centre operations and outsourcing to support organisations in developing high-performing, customer-focused operations.

Kate has held a variety of leadership roles across UK and European contact centres, with extensive experience leading operational teams, managing outsource partnerships and driving service transformation. Prior to joining the CCMA, Kate spent ten years in the insurance sector with Assurant, where, as a Customer Services Director, she was responsible for multiple contact centres and outsource partners across Europe. Her experience also includes roles within telecoms and financial services brands, as well as working with contact centre recruiters and training providers.

A regular speaker at industry events and host of member discussions, Kate is known for sharing practical insight shaped by real operational experience. She is passionate about employee engagement, leadership development and creating frictionless customer experiences, with a strong belief that investing in people is fundamental to delivering sustainable operational performance.

Kate brings honest, experience-led perspectives to conversations around leadership, customer operations and colleague experience.

Steve Blood is one of the most respected independent voices in customer service and contact centre technology, and with a career spanning more than 35 years he has helped organisations navigate every major shift in the industry, from the arrival of cloud and digital customer service to today's wave of AI-led transformation.

As a Vice President and Analyst at Gartner for over 20 years, Steve has been advising customer experience and contact centre leaders worldwide on technology strategy, operational performance and investment. He authored and contributed to some of the sector's most influential research, including the Magic Quadrant for Contact Center as a Service, alongside market guides, forecasts and best-practice studies on digital engagement, analytics, automation and AI.

He has held industry leadership roles, giving him first-hand insight into the commercial and technology pressures facing today's customer service market.

Known for his independence and analytical rigour, Steve helps audiences understand which technologies and strategies will genuinely improve outcomes for customers and businesses.

As the Head of Learning and Accreditation at the CCMA, Mel brings over 25 years of contact centre industry knowledge to support members in elevating their contact centre operations.

She is a training facilitator for CCMA Academy and a familiar face on the speaker circuit, delivering practical, engaging sessions on leadership, coaching and people development that help contact centre teams turn learning into lasting improvements in performance.

Prior to joining the CCMA, Mel was Head of Learning & Development for Acorn Insurance, responsible for the L&D strategy across the group. Before this, she worked as a consultant with numerous contact centres across financial services, telecommunications, local government and retail, delivering cultural and transformational change through the lens of leadership and people development.

As Head of Content, Chris works closely with the CCMA team and the contact centre community to ensure members receive the most relevant, timely and engaging information about their industry.

His role includes delivering the CCMA's research and insights programme and he is the host of the monthly Informer podcast. He regularly chairs industry panels and interviews at CCMA events and speaks on the trends shaping the contact centre and customer experience landscape, drawing on the latest industry research.

Before joining the CCMA, Chris was a seasoned business journalist, spending nine years writing about customer experience and contact centre trends as Editor of former industry publication, MyCustomer. He has also been Editor of print publications including Insider magazine, interviewing some of industry’s leading public figures ranging from John Scully to Deborah Meaden.