Talent Task Force
The main purpose of the Talent Task Force is to directly contribute to the identification, design, development, implementation, and evaluation of interventions and solutions to provide the lighting industry with the right skills, at the right time.
Aims and Objectives
- To ensure that learning and development opportunities are suitable, fit for purpose, and learner-centric.
- To provide over-arching governance for associated working groups.
- To provide expertise, guidance, and support to identify emerging skills gaps, contribute to effective career pathways, and build talent pipelines.
- To encourage engagement and retention within the lighting industry, through targeted initiatives that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Meet The Committee
Group Chair:
Graeme Shaw
Vice Chair:
Chris Wilkes
Group Secretary:
Teresa Beazley
With over 25 years of experience in Human Resources, Teresa specialises in talent management lifecycles and organisational development, with expertise gained from both public and private sectors. Her extensive background spans industries such as rail, automotive, manufacturing, engineering, and business services. A recognised thought leader, Teresa is a Top Talent Management Voice on LinkedIn and a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute for Professional Development (CIPD).
Throughout her career, Teresa has successfully implemented strategic initiatives that enhance workforce capabilities to drive sustainable success, with a keen focus on the digitisation of accessible capacity building programmes and competency frameworks. She is passionate about bridging existing and emerging skills gaps through innovative, proactive approaches, ensuring that both employees and businesses are well-equipped for the future.
A positive disrupter, Teresa is dedicated to aligning human capital strategies and challenging the status quo around where, why, and what defines an effective talent pipeline, and her commitment to excellence in this space has consistently delivered measurable improvements to employee engagement, performance, and retention.
Peter Thorns
Peter has worked in Thorn Lighting and Zumtobel Group since 1985 where he has had a number of roles including electronics research and development, manufacturing, software development, photometry, optical design and lighting applications. He is the current Vice-President Standards for the CIE, chair of ISO/TC 274, and is involved in a large number of ISO, CEN and BSI committees. He is the chair of the LIA Building Regulations Technical Committee and of the LightingEurope working group on Value of Light. He is a Chartered Engineer and a Fellow of CIBSE and the SLL.
Neil Parrot
As Product Design Director at DW Windsor Lighting, Neil has over 25 years of experience designing and developing technically advanced products across various industries. His career began at e2v Technologies, where he contributed to projects in space exploration, high-energy physics, and radar systems. As a principal designer, Neil played a key role in developing market-leading thermal imaging cameras used for search and rescue and surveillance operations.
For the past 15 years, Neil has focused his efforts on the lighting industry, leading design teams in creating efficient, sustainable and attractive exterior products. Working for DW Windsor he quickly gained promotion to lead their ambitious NPD programmes in amenity and contemporary sectors. Having gained this experience, he pivoted to a role as Design Manager for the Danish owned Riegen’s Lighting where he led the design team to delivering solutions for retail and commercial interiors.
He was then asked to return to DW Windsor Lighting to spearhead the design of a functional streetlighting range, an important strategic shift for the company. This range, now in its 2nd generation and has grown the companies turnover and profitability, cemented their presence in the functional lighting sector in the UK and Europe.
His expertise in new product development has enabled DW Windsor Lighting to streamline development process, integrating cutting-edge digital workflows. He embraces 3D printing, visualization, and simulation techniques as part of his process. Neil's leadership has accelerated product innovation and development cycles, making DW Windsor a leader in lighting solutions.
Stuart Knox
Stuart Knox is an experienced and empathetic leader with over two decades of experience in the lighting and optoelectronics industry. Currently leading business development and communications at Forge, Stuart combines his technical expertise with a passion for creativity. Stuart enjoys developing and deploying marketing strategies, crafting technical content, and creating engaging communications that resonate with customers and industry partners alike.
Stuart has also held senior leadership roles at Fagerhult UK and as a founder at Led Linear UK where he developed and led high-performing sales teams, successfully delivering on ambitious sales targets and driving both domestic and international growth. His expertise spans sales leadership, technical content creation, project management, strategic partnerships, and IT systems, all of which contribute to his well-rounded approach to business development. Most of all Stuart enjoys collaboration and teamwork.
Stuart’s involvement with The LIA Talent Task Force is driven by his motivation to give back to the industry. He is committed to fostering collaboration, innovation, and supporting the next generation of talent in the lighting community. Outside of work, Stuart enjoys competitive poker, a game that sharpens his strategic thinking and problem-solving skills, which he brings into both his personal and professional life.
