Book your tickets by 4 February 2025
Book your tickets by 4 February 2025
Book your tickets by 4 February 2025
Book your tickets by 4 February 2025
Book your tickets by 4 February 2025
Book your tickets by 4 February 2025
Illustration of a person with short hair, wearing a blue blazer, standing at a podium with two microphones and gesturing with one hand.

Submit your
Speaker proposal

Sancroft Convene, London & Virtually, 19th – 20th March 2025

Accelerate Innovation. Together

Speakers

Alan Peters
Speaker

Alan Peters

Ecosystem Director for Rail and Stations
Connected Places Catapult
Alan Welby
Speaker

Alan Welby

Managing Director, Built Environment and Local Growth
Connected Places Catapult
Alex Cousins
Speaker

Alex Cousins

Director of Regional Engagement
Connected Places Catapult
Alistair Dormer
Speaker

Alistair Dormer

Executive Vice President Green Energy and Mobility Sector
Hitachi Europe Limited
Andrew Carter
Grand Challenge Speaker

Andrew Carter

Chief Executive
Centre for Cities
Andrew Chadwick
Speaker

Andrew Chadwick

Ecosystem Director Air Mobility & Airports
Connected Places Catapult
Andy Lord
Speaker

Andy Lord

Commissioner
Transport for London
Annette Pass
Speaker

Annette Pass

Deputy Chief Scientific Adviser
Department for Transport
Catherine McGuinness
Speaker

Catherine McGuinness

Non-Executive Director & IUK Nominated Director
Connected Places Catapult
Chris Jones
Speaker

Chris Jones

Ecosystem Director – Integrated Infrastructure
Connected Places Catapult
Councillor Susan Aitken
Speaker

Councillor Susan Aitken

Leader
Glasgow City Council
Dan Labbad
Speakers

Dan Labbad

Chief Executive
The Crown Estate
Dan Mansfield
Speaker

Dan Mansfield

Transport, Local Authority Advisory and Lending
National Wealth Fund
Dr Jehan Kanga
Speaker

Dr Jehan Kanga

Founder & CEO
Rux Energy UK Ltd (& Rux Energy Pty)
Dr Michèle Dix CBE
Grand Challenge Speaker

Dr Michèle Dix CBE

Commissioner
National Infrastruture Commission
Ed McCann
Speaker

Ed McCann

Senior Director Expedition Engineering – Past president of ICE
Expedition Engineering
Elliot Christou
Speaker

Elliot Christou

Data and Technology Team Lead
Connected Places Catapult
Erika Lewis
Grand Challenge Speaker

Erika Lewis

Chief Executive Officer
Connected Places Catapult
Evan Jones
Speaker

Evan Jones

Lead Security Architect
Complete Cyber
Graeme Craig
Grand Challenge Speaker

Graeme Craig

Director & Chief Executive
Places for London
Jaime Bartley
Speaker

Jaime Bartley

CEO
Unyte Group
James Close
Speaker

James Close

Head of Climate Change
Natwest Group
Joshua Wood
Speaker

Joshua Wood

Strategic Account Director, Construction & Transport
FYLD
Justin Anderson
Speakers

Justin Anderson

Director
Digital Twin Hub
Kailash Manohara Selvan
Speakers

Kailash Manohara Selvan

CEO
SpatialCortex Technology Ltd
Kellie Beirne
Speaker

Kellie Beirne

Chief Executive
Cardiff Capital Region
Kyriakos Kantarakias
Speaker

Kyriakos Kantarakias

Chief Executive Officer
Didimi
Lolita Jackson MBE
Speaker

Lolita Jackson MBE

Executive Director of Sustainable Cities
Sustainable Development Capital LLC
Speaker

Lorna Pimlott

Managing Director, Local Authority Advisory & Lending
National Wealth Fund
Mark Enzer OBE FREng
Speakers

Mark Enzer OBE FREng

Vice-Chair, Digital Twin Hub Board, and Chief Technology Officer
Mott MacDonald
Mark Wray
Speaker

Mark Wray

Ecosystem Director, Maritime & Ports
Connected Places Catapult
Mary Kerr
Speaker

Mary Kerr

Climate Finance Manager
Glasgow City Council
Speaker

Melissa Tallack

Managing Director
C2Life
Michael Tonmouth
Speaker

Michael Tonmouth

COO
ACUA Ocean Ltd
Mike Newsam
Speakers

Mike Newsam

Founder and Managing Director
Stellar Advanced Concepts
Prof Greg Clark CBE
Grand Challenge Speaker

Prof Greg Clark CBE

Chair
Connected Places Catapult
Richard Osborne
Speakers

Richard Osborne

Chief Technology Officer
Purple Transform Ltd
Rikesh Shah
Speaker

Rikesh Shah

Head of Innovation Procurement Empowerment Centre
Connected Places Catapult
Roger Bailey
Speaker

Roger Bailey

CEO
Tideway
Sam Markey
Speaker

Sam Markey

Ecosystem Director, Place Leadership
Connected Places Catapult
Sarah Hayes
Speaker

Sarah Hayes

Associate
Connected Places Catapult
Sir Andrew Haines
Speaker

Sir Andrew Haines

Chief Executive
Network Rail
Steve Turner
Speakers

Steve Turner

Director
3Ci
Steven Gillan
Speaker

Steven Gillan

Director
Digital Reflections Ltd
Steven Wilding
Speaker

Steven Wilding

Head of Net Zero and Green Economy
London Borough of Hounslow
Theo Blackwell MBE
Speaker

Theo Blackwell MBE

Chief Digital Officer
Greater London Authority
A woman with curly hair wearing a black button-up shirt and gold hoop earrings stands against a dark background, smiling with arms crossed.
Speaker

Zoe Jennings

Head of Programmes
3Ci
Three photos of people at a Catapult conference. One woman in an orange outfit speaks at a podium. Another image shows three men in a panel discussion. A third shows three women seated and engaged in conversation.

How do you contribute to
innovation in Connected Places?

A connected place is where more than just people, infrastructure, economy and planet come together. It’s also where the digital world, new modes of transport and mobility, and exciting new networks for trade and exchange coincide. A connected place is integrated, inter-dependent, interoperable and ultimately more productive and innovative.

The call for speaker proposals is now open until 20th September 2024

The Summit will be guided by the vision of a connected place, and how to make it possible through:

Collaboration

We want to support place leaders from across government and industry to rise to the generational challenges and opportunities that new technologies, mobility modes and business models are bringing with them. The Summit is an opportunity to help empower our leaders with the ideas, tools and networks to spend smarter, invest with confidence, and create sustainable, innovation-led local economies.

Explore:

  • How government and industry can rise to the unprecedented technological, economic, environmental and social changes
  • How to empower cities and regions with greater decision-making authority to foster economic growth, innovation, and entrepreneurship
  • What the UK’s new procurement landscape mean for local innovation, jobs and growth

Innovation

Innovation is the engine of transformative change and sustainable, economic growth. Not only do innovative businesses create jobs and investment, place-based innovations improve the UK’s physical and digital infrastructure. That is why local leaders, policy makers, business and industry are coming together like never before – across every mode of transport, every infrastructure sector, every tier of government.


Explore:

  • What the future of connected, sustainable 21st Century transport is likely to be
  • New ways to harness the transformative role of digital technology in decarbonising our economy
  • Tools and networks for growing your local innovation economy

Today, our city leaders need to be able to understand in real time the speed with which challenges and opportunities arise in a modern urban context. Issues like air quality, affordable housing, social inequality, and environmental sustainability cannot be tackled without embracing new technologies, opportunities to collaborate with diverse stakeholders, innovative new business models, and a clear vision and roadmap for the future. Place leaders need the tools, insights and networks to unlock the innovation potential of people, economies, and physical infrastructure.

The world of technology is changing almost by the minute. Advances in digital technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, the internet of things (IoT) and data analytics are enabling local leaders in cities to collect and analyse vast amounts of information about their residents, infrastructure, and resources. The new data-driven economy is helping leaders make better-informed decisions when it comes to improving the efficiency of public services, optimise transportation systems, managing energy consumption, improving public health, while also identifying new opportunities for economic growth.

How we get from A to B is at the heart of a city’s productivity, accessibility, liveability and sustainability. Effective local and regional leadership requires careful yet bold investment in public transportation infrastructure, promoting active modes of transportation like walking and cycling, implementing smart traffic management systems, and supporting the adoption of electric and autonomous vehicles. By prioritising mobility as a key component, place leaders can enhance connectivity, reduce congestion, and promote a greener and more inclusive urban environment.

Our rapidly changing natural environment is massively impacting urban life. Cities are net contributors to greenhouse emissions and climate change, responsible for 75 percent of global CO2 emissions, with transport and buildings being among the largest contributors.

The sustainability and liveability of our cities is also reliant on how we incorporate the natural world into our local neighbourhoods and spaces. Now more than ever, place leaders across government and the private sector need to be at the forefront of creating robust business cases for sustainable, net zero growth.

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Alan Peters

Ecosystem Director for Rail and Stations - Connected Places Catapult

As Ecosystem Director for Rail and Stations at the Connected Places Catapult, Alan leads the vision and strategy for the organisation’s rail activities. Alan works with the wider team of rail experts and cross-functional experts at CPC to create programmes and partnerships that help connect those with innovative solutions in rail to those who have applicable challenges.
Previously at CPC, Alan has led a number of automated vehicle programmes including collaborative R&D projects such as MuCCA, HumanDrive and VeriCAV, has worked with the DfT & BSI on a UK strategy for automated vehicle standards, and has developed guidance on the use of simulation for automated vehicle safety verification.
Before CPC, Alan led delivery of the safety case for the Personal Rapid Transit system at Heathrow airport, led innovation projects for Jaguar Land Rover, and applied systems thinking approaches to better assess risk in nuclear industry. In 2011, he completed a EngD in Systems Engineering with thesis: ‘The Safety of Rapid Transit Systems’. Alan is a chartered engineer through the IET and is on the IET Codes and Standards Advisory panel.

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Alan Welby

Managing Director, Built Environment and Local Growth - Connected Places Catapult

Alan Welby leads CPC’s Delivery teams in running a broad portfolio of innovation projects and programmes. He is overseeing the development of our product and asset strategy.

Alan’s career has focussed on how innovation can transform cities and regions and has worked in local and regional government, Higher Education, the private sector and in the European Commission.

Before joining CPC, Alan was Director of Innovation at the North East Local Enterprise Partnership, Director of Research, Innovation, and Partnerships at Liverpool John Moores University, Executive Director of the Liverpool City Region LEP and Executive Director of Strategy at One North East, the North East Regional Development Agency.

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Alex Cousins

Director of Regional Engagement - Connected Places Catapult

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Alistair Dormer

Executive Vice President Green Energy and Mobility Sector - Hitachi Europe Limited

Representative Executive Officer, Executive Vice President and Executive Officer Railway Systems Business, Nuclear Energy Business, Energy Business, and Power Grids Business.

Alistair Dormer was appointed Representative Executive Officer, Executive Vice President and Executive Officer Railway Systems Business, Nuclear Energy Business, Energy Business, and Power Grids Business in January 2023 responsible for the Mobility and Energy businesses within the Hitachi portfolio.

In addition,Alistair retains his role of Chair Hitachi Energy, Chair Hitachi Rail and Director Hitachi Europe.

Alistair started his career in Hitachi in 2003 firstly to establish Hitachi’s Rail business in Europe. He was promoted to CEO of Hitachi Rail Europe Ltd in 2009 and promoted to Senior Vice President and Executive Officer Group CEO, Rail Systems Business Unit Hitachi Ltd April 2014, responsible for Hitachi’s global rail business.

In 2019 he was promoted to Executive Vice President of Hitachi Ltd, serving on the Executive Committee of Hitachi Ltd as Chief Environmental Officer and leading the Mobility portfolio of Hitachi Ltd.

Alistair lives in the UK with his family.

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Andrew Carter

Chief Executive - Centre for Cities

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Andrew Chadwick

Ecosystem Director Air Mobility & Airports - Connected Places Catapult

Andrew Chadwick is a Chartered Engineer and is the Acting Ecosystem Director Air Mobility & Airports at the Connected Places Catapult. His work includes Solution Architect on a number of Future Flight Challenge air mobility and aviation sustainability projects, the UK Government Drone Pathfinder Catalyst Programme, plus Solution Architect on the Zero Emission Flight Infrastructure project studying the introduction and transition of hydrogen and electric aircraft and supporting infrastructure into airports and airfields. Andrew also leads on Future Air Transport, Advanced Air Mobility, and Aviation Sustainability innovation initiatives.
Andrew is a Member of the Jet Zero Council Zero Emission Flight Infrastructure Subgroup, Member of the Industry Advisory Board for the Autonomous Vehicle Systems and Dynamics MSc at Cranfield University, a member of the Royal Academy of Engineering Working Group on the Safety and Ethics of Autonomous Systems, a member of the UK Government Drones Industry Action Group, and a member of the Royal Aeronautical Society Remotely Piloted Aircraft & Autonomous Systems Specialist Group Committee.

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Andy Lord

Commissioner - Transport for London

As Commissioner of TfL, Andy is responsible for ensuring the delivery of safe and reliable transport services to keep London moving, growing and to make life in the Capital better for residents, visitors and businesses. He is responsible for delivering the priorities and objectives set out in the Mayor’s Transport Strategy and TfL Business Plan.

Andy joined TfL in November 2019, as Managing Director London Underground having started his career with British Airways as a sponsored undergraduate in 1989, gaining an honours degree in mechanical engineering from Manchester University. His career saw him take on roles across engineering, operations and customer service, culminating as Director of Operations and member of the Executive Leadership Team for just over seven years.

Prior to joining TfL, Andy was Executive Vice President at Menzies Aviation leading the business and operations for the UK, EMEAI.
Andy is also a NED at Defence Equipment and Support, Ministry of Defence.

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Annette Pass

Deputy Chief Scientific Adviser - Department for Transport

Annette has 25 years’ experience in the transport sector. After gaining her PhD in Chemistry from the University of Leeds, she joined the Highways Agency, now National Highways, where she held a variety of roles predominantly focused on leading and managing research programmes, together with communications and business improvement. She spent five years as Head of Innovation where she created National Highways’ Innovation & Research Strategy and guidance for managing pilots and trials on the road network. In 2023, Annette joined the Department for Transport as Deputy Chief Scientific Adviser, promoting science and innovation across the Department and the transport sector.

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Catherine McGuinness

Non-Executive Director & IUK Nominated Director - Connected Places Catapult

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Chris Jones

Ecosystem Director – Integrated Infrastructure - Connected Places Catapult

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Councillor Susan Aitken

Leader - Glasgow City Council

Susan Aitken has been Leader of Glasgow City Council since May 2017 and is the first SNP Leader of the Council. She was elected as Leader of the Council for a second time in May 2022. For her work to deliver equal pay justice for thousands of women in the city, she was awarded Scottish Local Government Politician of the Year.

Under her leadership Glasgow has been named the host of COP26, a Global Green City, and the European Capital of Sport for 2023. She is an advisory board member of the Cities Climate Investment Commission, which is addressing the challenge of financing Net Zero transition in major cities across the UK.

Susan has worked in a variety of policy and research roles in the Scottish Parliament and the third sector, and as a freelance writer and editor specialising in health and social care policy. She is a graduate of both Glasgow and Strathclyde Universities.

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Dan Labbad

Chief Executive - The Crown Estate

The Crown Estate is a national landowner with a diverse portfolio focussed on supporting the UK’s net zero transition; biodiversity and nature recovery; as well as regeneration opportunities and economic growth across the country. Established by an Act of Parliament as an independent commercial business, it has generated more than £3.2 billion in profits to HM Treasury for the benefit of public spending over the last ten years.

Prior to The Crown Estate, Dan held a number of senior positions at the global property and infrastructure group Lendlease, including Group Chief Operating Officer and the dual roles of Chief Executive Officer, International Operations and Chief Executive Officer, Europe to oversee the disciplined expansion of Lendlease’s businesses in Europe, Americas and Asia.

Dan has actively championed sustainability throughout his professional life. Between 2001 and 2004 he was CEO of The Hornery Institute, a not-for-profit established by Lendlease employees and shareholders to focus on more equitable, resilient and sustainable communities. He has previously served as a director of the Green Building Council of Australia and more recently as Chairman of the UK Green Building Council.

In addition to his role at The Crown Estate, Dan is currently a Trustee of the Raspberry Pi Foundation and a Director of The Hornery Institute, trading as Studio THI.

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Dan Mansfield

Transport, Local Authority Advisory and Lending - National Wealth Fund

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Dr Jehan Kanga

Founder & CEO - Rux Energy UK Ltd (& Rux Energy Pty)

Rux Energy is founded and led by Dr Jehan Kanga, who discovered the advanced materials in their PhD at the University of Sydney, and following a trailblazing career at KPMG Australia has risen to become one of Australia’s most influential clean tech leaders, chairing the Hydrogen Industry Committee of the $250M Automation Composites Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre and leading consortia decarbonisation projects in maritime and aviation across UK, Singapore and Australia. They have built strategic links to over 100 key industrial hydrogen groups over the last two years since the end of the pandemic and are now gearing the company for scale

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Dr Michèle Dix CBE

Commissioner - National Infrastruture Commission

Michèle Dix is a civil engineer with over 45 years’ experience, specialising in transport, in the public and private sector. She started her career with the Greater London Council before joining Halcrow Fox and becoming the Board Director for Urban Transport. She joined Transport for London in 2000 as the Director of Congestion Charging. In 2008 she became the Managing Director for Planning with responsibility for strategic planning and analysis, borough partnerships and the development of major projects across London. Michele also represented the UK on the International Association of Public Transport (UITP). In 2015 she became the Managing Director for Crossrail 2. Michele retired in 2021 and has since held a number of non-executive roles as a Director for the Major Projects Association, Crossrail International and the Restoration and Renewal Programme, an advisor on University College London’s Major Infrastructure Delivery MBA Board and as an ICE policy fellow.

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Ed McCann

Senior Director Expedition Engineering - Past president of ICE - Expedition Engineering

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Elliot Christou

Data and Technology Team Lead - Connected Places Catapult

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Erika Lewis

Chief Executive Officer - Connected Places Catapult

Erika Lewis joined the Catapult from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) in March 2024 as Chief Executive Officer.

In July 2023, Erika was appointed the CEO of the AI Safety Summit. This was a world first event and brought together international governments, leading AI companies, civil society groups and experts in research to consider the risks of AI, especially at the frontier of development, and discuss how they can be mitigated through internationally coordinated action.

The Summit was the culmination of a busy 5 years in central government, Erika joined the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) in 2018 to deliver the National Data Strategy. In October 2019, she moved to the role of Director, Cyber Security and Digital Identity, where she led on the economic support for the cyber sector, the development of security approaches for consumer IoT, the government work on Secure Connected Places and Digital Identity in the economy. In 2020, she also led DCMS on the Covid-19 response package for the Voluntary Sector and in 2023, led the initial transition programme for the newly formed Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

Before moving into central government in 2012, Erika became a Project Director at the Competition and Markets Authority, where she was responsible for both merger and market investigations. Most notably, she ran an Energy Market Investigation and a Private Motor Insurance Market Investigation.

Erika was a part of the set-up team for the London Development Agency (LDA) in April 2000. Staying for 12 years at the LDA, she delivered regeneration programmes across London and was subsequently the Director of Strategy.

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Evan Jones

Lead Security Architect - Complete Cyber

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Graeme Craig

Director & Chief Executive - Places for London

Graeme is the Director & Chief Executive of Places for London. With career spent largely in operational and project management, Graeme joined Transport for London from Capita in 2004, initially to manage the operation of the central London Congestion Charging scheme. After a number of years as Director of Congestion Charging & Traffic Enforcement, Graeme led a TfL-wide transformation programme that included the creation of TfL’s first commercial development function. Taking on the role of Director of Commercial Development, Graeme led a new approach to property in TfL that culminated in the creation of a wholly owned commercial property subsidiary in 2022. Places for London is now a £1.7bn company that has 1,500 commercial tenancies across London and a pipeline that will see over 20,000 homes built across London, largely delivered through joint ventures with leading developers.

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Jaime Bartley

CEO - Unyte Group

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James Close

Head of Climate Change - Natwest Group

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Joshua Wood

Strategic Account Director, Construction & Transport - FYLD

Joshua Wood is FYLD’s Strategic Account Director, driving digital transformation across the construction, transport, and utilities sectors. With over a decade of leadership experience in the utilities and transportation industry, Joshua brings deep operational expertise and a passion for innovation to safety-critical industries.
At Thames Water, he managed complex operational budgets, led large teams, and implemented sustainable, safety-focused operations. Now at FYLD, Joshua is focused on delivering AI-driven solutions that enhance safety, efficiency, and operational performance, helping clients achieve measurable results and accelerate growth.
Joshua is known for his strategic vision and commitment to empowering organizations through smarter, safer, and more efficient operations.

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Justin Anderson

Director - Digital Twin Hub

As the Director of the Digital Twin Hub, Justin Anderson is dedicated to fulfilling the Hub’s mission by aligning and amplifying the Digital Twin ecosystem, with the goal of accelerating the adoption of innovative solutions that address system-level challenges.

Prior to his role at the Digital Twin Hub, Justin served as the Global Head of Technology COE at KPMG International, where he was responsible for assessing the impact of technology on various industries, supporting the firm’s Digital Transformation program, and providing training on emerging technologies to a global team of 80,000 consultants.

Justin’s passion for technology and its intersection with policy, business, and society is evident in his establishment of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Artificial Intelligence, which serves as the authoritative voice within the UK Parliament on all matters related to AI. Additionally, Justin has played a key role in developing BSI PAS 212, a standard for data interoperability that has been widely adopted in Smart City programs worldwide. Justin also serves as a member of the BSI Innovation Committee, contributing his expertise to further advancements in technology and innovation.

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Kailash Manohara Selvan

CEO - SpatialCortex Technology Ltd

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Kellie Beirne

Chief Executive - Cardiff Capital Region

Kellie is Chief Executive of the Cardiff Capital Region and an innovation practitioner. Kellie is a Governor at Cardiff Metropolitan University, a Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales and sits on the advisory boards for Swansea University’s Morgan Advanced Studies Institute and the Board of Cardiff University’s public value Business School.

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Kyriakos Kantarakias

Chief Executive Officer - Didimi

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Lolita Jackson MBE

Executive Director of Sustainable Cities - Sustainable Development Capital LLC

Lolita Jackson MBE is the Executive Director of Sustainable Cities at Sustainable Development Capital LLP, a multibillion-pound climate investment firm. She is the link to governments around the world, also working on business development and origination. Lolita previously worked for the NYC Mayor’s Office for 15 years in a variety of roles. She last served as the Special Advisor for Climate Policy & Programs, where she was the climate diplomat for NYC and lead for the administration regarding global work on divestment and climate finance. Prior to her appointment to that role, she was Deputy Director of External Affairs for the NYC Housing Recovery Office, Director of Outreach for the NYC Special Initiative for Rebuilding and Resiliency [the post-Hurricane Sandy resilience team], lead for operational city agencies for the Second Avenue Subway and Barclays Center construction projects, and Manhattan Director of Community Affairs. Prior to her tenure in the NYC Mayor’s Office, Lolita worked for Morgan Stanley Investment Management for 12 years as a Vice President and helped manage a $10 billion product line.

Lolita is an Adjunct Professor at Penn in the Master of Environmental Studies Program, Senior Advisor at Penn Perry World House, a member of the British American Project U.S. Advisory Board, a GlobalScot, Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees of the National Jazz Museum in Harlem, a board member of the Saint Andrew’s Society of NY, a US-Japan Leadership Program Fellow, and President of the Penn Alumni Class of 1989. She was named to the City & State Energy & Environment Power 100 list for 2022 and was named a Member of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II in 2021. Lolita is a professional singer, having performed on four continents and at Carnegie Hall. She is an alumna of the Penn School of Engineering, majoring in Applied Science with a concentration in Chemical Engineering.

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Lorna Pimlott

Managing Director, Local Authority Advisory & Lending - National Wealth Fund

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Mark Enzer OBE FREng

Vice-Chair, Digital Twin Hub Board, and Chief Technology Officer - Mott MacDonald

Mark is a keen champion of outcomes-focused systems-thinking, collaborative delivery models, digitalisation, connected digital twins and the circular economy in the built environment. Mark is the Royal Academy of Engineering Visiting Professor in the digitalisation of the built environment at the University of Cambridge, and he is a Visiting Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Imperial College London. As Strategic Advisor at Mott MacDonald, Mark provides advice to key clients on digitalisation and broader industry transformation. Previously, Mark was the CTO of Mott MacDonald and the Director of the Centre for Digital Built Britain, where he was the Head of the National Digital Twin programme

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Mark Wray

Ecosystem Director, Maritime & Ports - Connected Places Catapult

Mark is a Chartered Civil Engineer and specialist in developing and commercialising innovative products and services in the maritime sector, as it faces the challenges of decarbonising and adopting new technologies around digitisation and autonomy. Mark provides strategic leadership to the maritime team who are engaged across our initiatives addressing challenges in:

DECARBONISATION
With Climate change being the challenge of our time and 95% of all UK trade reaching us through shipping, see how we are working alongside industry on its journey to Net Zero.

DIGITISATION
The advent of 5G, Artificial Intelligence and Big Data open up huge opportunities for the maritime sector, see how we are transforming the industry to drive efficiency in operations, save cost and enable safer working environments.

LOGISTICS
The maritime sector is at the heart of the UK’s supply chain, see how we are bringing together SME’s and industry from across all modes of transport to drive standardisation, efficiencies and innovation across the logistics sector.

Prior to joining the CPC, Mark spent 6 years with Innovate UK KTN, as a Knowledge Transfer Manager in the Infrastructure and Energy team, leading work on the transition to net zero in construction, defence, energy and maritime sectors. This built on his former role as the Regional Manager (South West) and Innovation Lead for the Built Environment at Innovate UK (2010-2015) after migrating from the world of sustainable development and regeneration as the Professional Services Manager at the SW RDA (2004-2010).

Prior to joining the public sector Mark worked as a projects manager for design consultants and civil engineering contractors predominantly in the water, power and infrastructure sectors.
“I thoroughly enjoy working with the diverse range of cutting edge technologies and approaches inching their way in to the mainstream and addressing some of greatest global challenges.”

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Mary Kerr

Climate Finance Manager - Glasgow City Council

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Melissa Tallack

Managing Director - C2Life

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Michael Tonmouth

COO - ACUA Ocean Ltd

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Mike Newsam

Founder and Managing Director - Stellar Advanced Concepts

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Prof Greg Clark CBE

Chair - Connected Places Catapult

Greg Clark is Chair of Connected Places Catapult. He is a British and Irish writer, Board Chair, Non-Executive Director, and advisor on cities, mobility, built environment, and urban innovation. He is the author of 10 books and 100 reports on cities, mobility, real estate, climate, urban economies, investment, and place leadership, and has worked with 400 cities around the world.

In the UK. He is Chair of Connected Places Catapult (CPC), the UK’s national innovation accelerator for transport, cities, and place leadership, and Chair of the Cities Commission for Climate Investment (3Ci), which convenes local leaders and investors to find innovative means to capitalise a just urban transition. He is a Board Member of Transport for London (TfL). He chairs TfL’s Land and Property Committee, which oversees TfL’s property company, Places for London. He is a Senior Advisor to New London Architecture, and Hon Prof of cities and innovation at Strathclyde University. Greg is also chair of the UK Government’s Secure Connected Places Advisory Group. He was previously Lead Advisor, Cities & Regions, Office of Deputy Prime Minister (2004-2010), Executive Director, London Development Agency, Chief Executive of the London Enterprise Agency, Managing Director of Greater London Enterprise, and he teaches regularly at LSE and University College London. He is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences (FAcSS).

Globally. Greg is Hon Global Fellow at the Urban Land Institute (ULI). He is the former chair of the OECD LEED Forum of Cities and Regions (1996-2016) and former Global Fellow on cities at the Brookings Institution. He has advised the World Bank, European Investment Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, and the HSBC Group on cities, sustainability, and financial innovation. He is currently working with the Inter-American Development Bank on the future of the cities of the Amazon, where 47,000,000 people live. Greg has chaired more than 20 International Advisory Boards and Committees for Cities; including New York, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Sao Paulo, Mumbai, Vienna, Oslo, Barcelona, Turin, Toronto, Auckland, and Cape Town. He is a member of the WEF Global Future Council on Cities & Urbanisation, and a member of the Bloomberg NEF Council on Cities.

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Richard Osborne

Chief Technology Officer - Purple Transform Ltd

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Rikesh Shah

Head of Innovation Procurement Empowerment Centre - Connected Places Catapult

Rikesh is recognised as a thought leader and speaker on public sector innovation with many years of practical and academic experience at leading organisations and institutions. Rikesh is the Head of the Innovation Procurement Empowerment Centre – a UK government-funded initiative to stimulate more market innovation through procurement for the public sector to create more value from the £300Bn spent each year.

Previously Rikesh led Transport for London’s award-winning innovation team to create new value through advances in new technology for London by working with start-ups, corporates, academia, accelerators and venture capitalists. He was responsible for creating TfL’s first Innovation Hub which has delivered some pioneering projects on areas such as air quality, road safety, active travel, enhancing customer experiences to retail and property development. The Hub set out the organisation’s key challenges and problem statements, bringing in the best innovators from across the world, piloting and scaling innovative solutions with the potential to commercialise, as well as establishing the right culture and procurement processes in the company focusing on agility and design thinking to work with market innovators by doing things better, quicker or cheaper. Rikesh was also responsible for TfL’s world leading open data programme which has 17,000 registered users, 700 apps powered by TfL data used by 42% of Londoners which an independent review stated that it’s worth to London is £130m per annum. He also was actively in involved during the 2012 Olympic Games and TfL’s response to COVID-19. After TfL, Rikesh worked for PA Consulting to advise public and private sectors in transport and aviation on open innovation and open data. Most recently, Rikesh has been recognised in the Top 100 Asian Stars in UK Tech in 2019 – 2023, being named one of the top five for sustainability in 2019. He was also recognised in the Top 100 Influencers for the Drum Digirati in 2018.

Rikesh sits on the London Transport Museum Board as a Non-Executive Director, as well as a Civic Innovation Director (Non-Executive Director) at Cities Today, the global public innovation think tank. He has also been an Ambassador for London Tech Week since 2020.

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Roger Bailey

CEO - Tideway

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A person with glasses and short hair wearing a light pink shirt smiles at the camera. Lush green plants with some red flowers are in the background.

Sam Markey

Ecosystem Director, Place Leadership - Connected Places Catapult

Sam Markey is Ecosystem Director for Place Leadership at Connected Places Catapult, overseeing strategic investments, partnerships and programmes with places which promote innovation-led levelling up across the UK. At present, this means a focus on fostering collaborative leadership between local organisations around shared strategies for economic renewal, empowering local service managers to adopt smarter spending practices which leverage public contracts to spark innovation, and civic investment which unlocks the power of private finance to curate inclusive, thriving hubs of innovation.
Before joining Connected Places (then Future Cities) Catapult in May 2016, Sam was a senior implementation advisor in the Cabinet Office, focused on public service reform, policy innovation, and the application of emerging technologies to tackle policy challenges. Sam started his career in the London Borough of Barnet where he was responsible for creating the original and infamous ‘Barnet Graph of Doom’.

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Sarah Hayes

Associate - Connected Places Catapult

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Sir Andrew Haines

Chief Executive - Network Rail

Since joining Network Rail in August 2018, Andrew has refocussed Network Rail to be on the side of passengers and freight users; that is easy to engage with and is an efficient and dependable partner; a company people are proud to work for; instinctively recognised as an industry leader.

Andrew has introduced a mindset that puts passengers first as well as a programme which has so far resulted in the creation of fourteen new routes, supported by five new regions. This new structure sets Network Rail up for deeper devolution and to be more responsive to the needs of train operators, passengers and freight users by bringing Network Rail’s 43,000 employees closer to those we serve.

Prior to joining Network Rail, Andrew served as Chief Executive of the Civil Aviation Authority from 2009. This followed a wide-ranging career in the rail industry, which included roles as Managing Director of South West Trains, and Managing Director of the Rail Division for First Group plc.

Following the publication of the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail in May 2021, Andrew was also tasked with establishing interim arrangements for the creation of Great British Railways, alongside his role in Network Rail.

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Steve Turner

Director - 3Ci

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.

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Steven Gillan

Director - Digital Reflections Ltd

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Steven Wilding

Head of Net Zero and Green Economy - London Borough of Hounslow

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Theo Blackwell MBE

Chief Digital Officer - Greater London Authority

Appointed in 2017 as London’s first Chief Digital Officer, Theo leads on London-wide digital transformation, data and smart city initiatives at City Hall.

His role involves:

Strategic leadership on the digital transformation agenda for London’s public services, across the GLA group and the wider public sector. Convening on behalf of the Mayor, across London local government to support the take-up of innovative, technology, and data-led approaches to service delivery and public engagement. Developing and promoting partnership between the public, private and community sectors to enable and support the development of new public service-oriented technology and innovation.

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A woman with curly hair wearing a black button-up shirt and gold hoop earrings stands against a dark background, smiling with arms crossed.

Zoe Jennings

Head of Programmes - 3Ci