Tracy Brabin
Mayor
West Yorkshire
Greg Clark CBE FAcSS
He is chair of the Connected Places Catapult (CPC), the UK’s innovation accelerator for cities, transport and place-leadership, ...
He is chair of the Connected Places Catapult (CPC), the UK’s innovation accelerator for cities, transport and place-leadership, and Chair of the UK Cities Commission for Climate Investment (3Ci) which convenes city leaders and urban investors to finance a just net zero transition. He is a Board member of Transport for London (TfL) and the London LEP. He chairs TfL’s new Land and Property Committee that oversees TfL low carbon property and housing company (TTLP). He is a member of the WEF Global Future Council on Cities & Urbanisation and a member of the Bloomberg NEF Council on Cities. He is Hon Prof of Urban Innovation at Strathclyde University and Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences. He is author of 10 books and 100 reports on cities, innovation, investment and place-leadership. His monthly column: The Planet of Cities, is hosted by RICS. He is Global Cities expert on the BBC World Service Series, My Perfect City.
Greg is a world expert on cities, urban innovation, investment, and the net zero transition. Over 35 years, he has worked with more than 300 cities, 40 national governments, 20 multilateral institutions, and multiple global corporates and investors. His previous roles include Group Advisor, Future Cities & New Industries at HSBC Investment Bank, Chair of the OECD Forum of Cities & Regions, Global Fellow on Cities and Metropolitan leadership at the Brookings Institution, and Global Fellow on Urban Investment at the Urban land Institute. He was Lead Advisor on Cities to the UK Gov, and was Executive Director of the London Development Agency and Managing Director of Greater London Enterprise. He has been a senior advisor on urban investment to the World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, and the European Investment Bank.
He has chaired more than 20 internal advisory boards for individual cities that are reformulating their future investment strategies, long term plans, and governance, including New York, Mumbai, Sao Paulo, Johannesburg, Mumbai, Sydney, Auckland, Barcelona, Vienna, and Oslo. He has led comparative studies on Chinese, Australian, European, North American, Latin American, Middle Eastern, Chinese, ASEAN, and Indian Cities. Since 2020 he has been tracking the impact of the COVID pandemic on 100 cities globally, and has developed a unique framework for assessing the post-pandemic city.
Polly Cook
After ten years working in different commercial roles within the private sector, Polly joined Leeds City Council in 2006. During ...
After ten years working in different commercial roles within the private sector, Polly joined Leeds City Council in 2006. During her time at the council, she has worked across a variety of areas leading projects to deliver transformation as well as working on key infrastructure projects such as the city’s energy from waste plant.
She has led the team working on the council’s response to the climate emergency declaration made in 2019, securing £35million of grant funding per year to deliver housing and public sector estate retrofit as well as electric charging infrastructure. She has oversight of the large city centre district heating network (Leeds PIPES) that has been installed and is already heating nearly 2000 flats and numerous civic buildings, with further expansion planned.
In April 2023, Polly became Chief Officer, Climate, Energy & Green Spaces, taking responsibility for 4000 HA of greenspace, several key visitor attractions as well as bereavement services whilst continuing to provide oversight of the city’s climate and air quality agendas.
Oliver Coppard
Mayor
South Yorkshire
Matt Ferretti
As Head of Partnerships, Matt focusses on collaborating with Local Authorities and the finance industry to develop innovative financial solutions ...
As Head of Partnerships, Matt focusses on collaborating with Local Authorities and the finance industry to develop innovative financial solutions designed to ‘unlock’ private capital to support energy-efficiency improvements in the built environment.
Matt is leading the pioneering partnership between the GFI and Greater Manchester Combined Authority, aiming to deliver solutions designed to offer attractive sources of finance for owner-occupiers and the privately-rented sector in the region.
Prior to joining the GFI, Matt spent 13 years working at global banks, holding senior positions at Santander and Lloyds.
Emma Fletcher
Emma is the Low Carbon Housing Director at Octopus Energy. Her career has centred on leading high impact, high innovation ...
Emma is the Low Carbon Housing Director at Octopus Energy. Her career has centred on leading high impact, high innovation projects in real estate, with a particular focus on housing, energy performance and green energy production. Her practical experience includes starting her career in rural surveying and estate management moving into award-winning housing and regeneration developments.
Emma is a passionate advocate for change, community resilience and sustainability solutions for all. She established and led the UK’s first fossil fuel-free district heating scheme in her village, Swaffham Prior. Her work regularly features in trade, national and international press & media.
Zoe Jennings
Head of Climate Investment
3Ci
Kate Joseph
Chief Executive
Sheffield City Council
George Mansbridge
A Chartered Town Planner by profession, George has spent the last thirty years working on complex housing and regeneration programmes ...
A Chartered Town Planner by profession, George has spent the last thirty years working on complex housing and regeneration programmes across the North East of England and in Scotland.
For the past fourteen years, George led the delivery of a broad range of front line Council services as the Corporate Director for Regeneration and Environment at South Tyneside Council including almost two years as the Head of Paid Service, leading the Authority through the Covid pandemic, and putting in place the framework for recovery and growth.
George recently took up a new role with the North of Tyne Combined Authority as part of the senior executive team managing the process of transition to the new North East Mayoral Combined Authority. George’s specific responsibilities at the Combined Authority include the development of Portfolio policy, governance and delivery planning alongside the integration of key overarching themes such as low carbon, digital and health and wellbeing. This involves close collaboration with the constituent local authorities, the creation and nurturing of strategic partnerships and ongoing dialogue with Government Departments. All of this with the clear objective of ensuring that the new Combined Authority hits the ground running in May 2024 and is delivering on its vision and ambition to improve lives.
Hailing from the North West of Ireland, George is now very settled in the North East of England and enjoys spending time with his family and watching Sunderland Football Club.
Karen Oliver-Spry
As Manager of the North East & Yorkshire Net Zero Hub, Karen leads the strategic delivery of the Hub as ...
As Manager of the North East & Yorkshire Net Zero Hub, Karen leads the strategic delivery of the Hub as a regional partnership organisation funded by government to support local authorities with the development and mobilisation of net zero schemes. Previously Karen spent 8 years managing capital investment programmes exceeding £150m at the HEY and formerly Humber LEPs.
Karen brings determination, rigour and attention to detail to her work and cares passionately that the best possible net zero outcomes can be achieved for the North East and Yorkshire.”
Richard Rothwell
Richard has been heavily involved in the Green agenda over the last 4 years at Leeds Building Society and has ...
Richard has been heavily involved in the Green agenda over the last 4 years at Leeds Building Society and has forged links with industry bodies such as the GFI, BSA, E3G and government departments such as DESNZ. Likewise, he’s networked with competitors and peers, participated in panel discussions to understand key issues and ways to innovate in a brand-new space for the industry. This understanding has helped bring new products to the market for LBS such as A-C EPC mortgages, a unique innovative carbon offset pilot benefit to customers and a market first enhanced Green affordability for new build A/B rated property.
Steve Turner
Steve is based at the Connected Places Catapult where he his Director of 3Ci - the Cities Commission for Climate Investment. ...
Steve is based at the Connected Places Catapult where he his Director of 3Ci - the Cities Commission for Climate Investment. Working with the Advisory Board he has overall managerial responsibility for the implementation of the 3Ci’s strategy and operations working closely with leaders from cities, industry, finance and government.
As a recognised leader in innovation and sustainability he has over 25 years of experience working in both the public and private sector. Previously, he was Digital Cities Leader for Arup where he delivered sustainability focussed technology strategies for some of the largest developments in the UK, Europe and the Middle East, representing £billions of investment.
He has held several senior positions across local government, primarily in London and Manchester. As Head of Low Carbon Economy in Greater Manchester he established the UK’s first Low Carbon Economic Area and a joint venture alongside the Green Investment Bank. He also established the city’s widely admired sustainability innovation programmes, Triangulum and CityVerve.
