Emerging Talent Panel

Meet our panellists

Marta Wasowicz 

Marta developed her passion for people and career development through a successful 2-decade career in Talent Acquisition. She held thousands of interviews and facilitated hundreds of hiring decisions for some of the largest known brands in the Tech, Consulting and Media industries: Samsung, Dell, Gartner, Sky and LinkedIn. Having held senior leadership positions, with global responsibility Marta was involved in setting strategic direction for hiring and the use of technology, such as automation or AI in recruitment. More recently Marta founded the Leadership Factor, leveraging her insights as a Recruitment Leader to coach ambitious individuals on their career journey.

Dereck Maruma 

Dereck Maruma is a One Young World Ambassador, BRiM Emerging Leader winner, and youth mentor, recognised for his impactful work within Black communities. With over three years of experience as Commercial Manager at TapIn, Dereck has played a pivotal role in leading the commercial team, delivering some of the most innovative employer brand and recruitment marketing campaigns aimed at engaging diverse audiences. His expertise lies in connecting and communicating with Black Generation Z and other marginalised communities, helping forward-thinking employers across the UK attract, engage, and retain diverse talent. Dereck also serves as an advisory board member to social mobility charities and Black engagement foundations.

Nicky Garcea 

Nicky Garcea is Co-Founder and Co-CEO at Cappfinity. Nicky is a chartered occupational psychologist and has worked for the last 20 years in the field of skills and strengths identification, recruitment and development. She is an unapologetic advocate for underrepresented early career talent. Over the last two decades, along with the Cappfinity team she has developed on and offline skills products and solutions that have helped to reduce the use of academic criteria, experience and biased approaches to recruitment and development. Nicky and her team have led the market to create and deliver immersive, authentic skills solutions that have been adopted by the likes of Accenture, EY, Expedia, HSBC, Latham and Watkins, Nokia and the United Nations. Nicky splits her time between the UK and US allowing her to offer a global perspective on the implementation and delivery of talent acquisition and management solutions. Nicky was featured on TAtech’s list of 100 Most Influential Talent Acquisition (TA) Thought Leaders. Nicky is a frequent keynote, panelist and contributor to conference agendas. Nicky co-edited The Oxford Handbook of Positive Psychology and Work and has been featured in Fast Companies, Forbes, Protocol, HR.com, Recruiter, and other global business publications.

David Loughlan 

David is the driving force behind Data Idols and the Data Science Festival, renowned cornerstones of the UK data community. Starting his career in hands-on technical roles, David has a solid grounding in the nuts and bolts of data technology. This technical expertise, combined with extensive recruitment experience, inspired him to launch Data Idols, a company dedicated to matching top-tier data talent with leading industry roles.

As Founder, David has grown Data Idols into a vibrant team, focusing on a range of data professions from Scientists to Analysts. The company’s impressive client roster is a testament to its success and influence in the tech sector. Alongside Data Idols, David also spearheads the Data Science Festival, one of the UK’s largest community-led events that has become an essential fixture for anyone keen to absorb the latest in data science.

David is deeply committed to advancing the data field through stimulating community events, aiding companies in leveraging cutting-edge technologies, and expanding their expert teams. His passion for connecting skilled professionals with innovative companies helps drive the industry forward, ensuring businesses and their employees thrive in an evolving digital landscape.

Nicky Garcea, Co-Founder and Co-CEO