Don't miss out – last chance to secure your Summit tickets!
Don't miss out – last chance to secure your Summit tickets!
Don't miss out – last chance to secure your Summit tickets!
Don't miss out – last chance to secure your Summit tickets!
Don't miss out – last chance to secure your Summit tickets!
Don't miss out – last chance to secure your Summit tickets!
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

Adam Herson
Speaker

Adam Herson

MD Sustainable Finance
Barclays
Adam Parkinson
Speaker

Adam Parkinson

Founder & Director
GoLink Advisory Group
Aldo Gutierrez
Speaker

Aldo Gutierrez

Product Manager
Gaussion
Alex Holland
Speaker

Alex Holland

Director of Industry Solutions
Hitachi Europe
Alistair Clabburn
Speaker

Alistair Clabburn

Chairman and Founder
Mobilityways
An Schrijvers
Speaker

An Schrijvers

Senior Advisor Innovation Procurement
VLAIO – Agency for Innovation and Entrepreneur
Andrew Barr
Speaker

Andrew Barr

President
Hitachi EMEA
Andrew Carter
Grand Challenge Speaker

Andrew Carter

Chief Executive
Centre for Cities
Andrew Collinge
Speaker

Andrew Collinge

Smart Cities Director
Jacobs
Andrew Newman
Speaker

Andrew Newman

Principal Data Specialist
Open Data Institute (ODI)
Andy Guffogg
Speaker

Andy Guffogg

Sustainability Manager
Environment Agency
Andy Lord
Grand Challenge Speaker

Andy Lord

Commissioner
Transport for London
Andy Powell
Speaker

Andy Powell

Manager – Engineering Innovation
Environment Agency
Ann Frye
Speaker

Ann Frye

Director
Ann Frye Ltd
Anne Gray
Speaker

Anne Gray

Corporate Development Manager
Flexible Power Systems
Annette Pass
Speaker

Annette Pass

Deputy Chief Scientific Adviser
Department for Transport
Becky Wood
Grand Challenge Speaker

Becky Wood

Non-Executive Director
Connected Places Catapult
Ben Garratt
Speaker

Ben Garratt

Deputy Director Public Affairs
Logistics UK
Carl Hopkins
Speaker

Carl Hopkins

Managing Director
Civil Water Management
Caroline Whitney
Speaker

Caroline Whitney

Director for England
Community Transport Association
Carolyn Dwyer
Speakers

Carolyn Dwyer

Non-executive Director
Connected Places Catapult
Carolyn Lang
Speaker

Carolyn Lang

Senior Associate (Technology, Media & Telecoms)
Pinsent Masons
Catherine McGuinness CBE
Speaker

Catherine McGuinness CBE

Non-Executive Director & IUK Nominated Director
Connected Places Catapult
Charlotte Hills
Speaker

Charlotte Hills

Head of Innovation
HS2 (High Speed Two) Ltd
Chris Stanley
Speaker

Chris Stanley

Head of Asset Data
Network Rail
Christopher de Saxe
Speaker

Christopher de Saxe

Head of EV Transition
GoMetro
Claire Dorrian
Grand Challenge Speaker

Claire Dorrian

Head of Sustainable Finance, Capital Markets and Post Trade
London Stock Exchange Group
Claire Hamar
Speaker

Claire Hamar

Head of Innovation
National Highways
Claire Spooner
Speaker

Claire Spooner

Director of Mobility
Innovate UK
Clare Wildfire
Speakers

Clare Wildfire

Global Cities Lead
Mott MacDonald
Claudette Forbes
Speaker

Claudette Forbes

Non-Executive Director
Connected Places Catapult
Councillor Susan Aitken
Speaker

Councillor Susan Aitken

Leader
Glasgow City Council
Craig Pennington
Speaker

Craig Pennington

Chief Executive and Co Founder
Future Yard CIC
Dan Labbad
Grand Challenge Speaker

Dan Labbad

Chief Executive
The Crown Estate
Dan Mansfield
Speaker

Dan Mansfield

Transport, Local Authority Advisory and Lending
National Wealth Fund
Daniel Marsden
Speaker

Daniel Marsden

Group Product Manager
EON
Darren Capes
Speaker

Darren Capes

ITS Policy Lead,
Department for Transport
Dave Martin
Speaker

Dave Martin

COO
RAD Propulsion Ltd
David Hughes
Speaker

David Hughes

CEO
East West Rail
Davin Crowley-Sweet
Speaker

Davin Crowley-Sweet

Chief Data Officer
National Highways
Denys Nazarenko
Speaker

Denys Nazarenko

CIO Adviso
Kyiv City Council
Dr Jehan Kanga
Speaker

Dr Jehan Kanga

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

Dr Michèle Dix CBE

Commissioner
National Infrastruture Commission
Dr Victoria Hills
Grand Challenge Speaker

Dr Victoria Hills

Chief Executive
Royal Town Planning Institute
Dr. Alison Vincent CBE
Speaker

Dr. Alison Vincent CBE

Chair, Digital Twin Hub Board, and Non-Executive Director
Connected Places Catapult
Duncan Mears
Speaker

Duncan Mears

Vice President EMEA
Hitachi Digital
Ed McCann
Speaker

Ed McCann

Senior Director Expedition Engineering – Past president of ICE
Expedition Engineering
Eleanor Young
Speaker

Eleanor Young

Director
Blackstock Partnership
Emily Macdonald
Speaker

Emily Macdonald

COO
Intelligen
Erika Lewis
Grand Challenge Speaker

Erika Lewis

Chief Executive Officer
Connected Places Catapult
Eugene Bari
Speaker

Eugene Bari

CEO
Ecomar Propulsion
Evan Jones
Speaker

Evan Jones

Lead Security Architect
Complete Cyber
Eve Roodhouse
Speakers

Eve Roodhouse

Director of Strategy & Policy
Gavin Starks
Speaker

Gavin Starks

CEO and Co-Chair of Smart Data Council, Department for Business and Trade
Icebreaker One
Geoff Wade
Speaker

Geoff Wade

Communities Bus and Engagement Lead
North East Combined Authorities
George Economides
Speaker

George Economides

Head of Digital Twins
Department for Transport
Graeme Craig
Grand Challenge Speaker

Graeme Craig

Director & Chief Executive
Places for London
Guy Newey
Speaker

Guy Newey

Chief Executive Officer
Energy Systems Catapult
Gyula Törzsök
Speaker

Gyula Törzsök

Portfolio Director
Thames Estuary
Henry Clifford
Speaker

Henry Clifford

Rural Economy Team Leader, Adaptation & Rural Communities, Environment Strategy Directorate
Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
Huw Morgan
Speaker

Huw Morgan

CTO
GPC Systems
Ian Small
Speaker

Ian Small

Technical Director Innovation
Expedition Engineering
Iona Chandler
Speaker

Iona Chandler

Partnerships Manager
Alchera Technologies
Jaime Bartley
Speaker

Jaime Bartley

CEO
Unyte Group
James Close
Speaker

James Close

Head of Climate Change
Natwest Group
Jamie Campbell
Speaker

Jamie Campbell

Design Research Lead
Rural Design Centre
Jenny Kavanagh
Speaker

Jenny Kavanagh

Chief Strategy Officer
Cranfield Aerospace Solutions
John Priestland
Speaker

John Priestland

Director
Priestland Consulting
John Whaling
Speaker

John Whaling

Lead Officer, Innovation and Commercialisaton
Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
Jon Little
Speaker

Jon Little

Co-founder
Betastreets
Jon Rains
Speaker

Jon Rains

Strategic advisory director – innovation
Mott McDonald
Joshua Wood
Speaker

Joshua Wood

Strategic Account Director, Construction & Transport
FYLD
Juliette Kariuki-Cobbett
Speaker

Juliette Kariuki-Cobbett

Mobility and Human Insight Specialist
Cenex
Kailash Manohara Selvan
Speaker

Kailash Manohara Selvan

CEO
SpatialCortex Technology Ltd
Kellie Beirne
Speaker

Kellie Beirne

Chief Executive
Cardiff Capital Region
Kit Allwinter
Speaker

Kit Allwinter

Senior Inspector
Active Travel England
Kjell Eriksson
Speaker

Kjell Eriksson

Vice President
DNV
Kyriakos Kantarakias
Speaker

Kyriakos Kantarakias

Chief Executive Officer
Didimi
Laura Fleming
Speaker

Laura Fleming

Country Managing Director (UK & Ireland)
Hitachi Energy
Leo Scott Smith
Speaker

Leo Scott Smith

CEO
Tended
Lolita Jackson MBE
Speaker

Lolita Jackson MBE

Executive Director of Sustainable Cities
Sustainable Development Capital LLC
Lorna Green
Speaker

Lorna Green

Chief Executive Officer
LYVA Labs
Lorna Pimlott
Speaker

Lorna Pimlott

Managing Director, Local Authority Advisory & Lending
National Wealth Fund
Lucy Yu
Speaker

Lucy Yu

Non-Executive Director
Connected Places Catapult
Luke Turner
Speaker

Luke Turner

Policy and Strategy Lead, Integrated National Transport Strategy,
Department for Transport
Mark Enzer OBE FREng
Speaker

Mark Enzer OBE FREng

Vice-Chair, Digital Twin Hub Board, and Member of Government Office for Science
Council for Science and Technology
Mark Wild OBE
Grand Challenge Speaker

Mark Wild OBE

CEO
HS2
Mary Kerr
Speaker

Mary Kerr

Climate Finance Manager
Glasgow City Council
Matthew Morgan
Speaker

Matthew Morgan

Director
Quality of Life Foundation
Melissa Tallack
Speaker

Melissa Tallack

Managing Director
C2Life
Michael Tinmouth
Speaker

Michael Tinmouth

COO
ACUA Ocean Ltd
Mike Newsam
Speaker

Mike Newsam

Founder and Managing Director
Stellar Advanced Concepts
Natalie McIldowie
Speaker

Natalie McIldowie

Client Delivery Director
Jacobs
Natalie Reeves Billing
Speaker

Natalie Reeves Billing

Co Founder
Builder Book
Nick Boyle
Speaker

Nick Boyle

Technical Director
Balfour Beatty
Nick Graham
Speaker

Nick Graham

Chair
Freight Innovation Cluster's Advisory Board
Nick Wyllie
Speaker

Nick Wyllie

CEO and Founder
Botanic Energy
Paul Bathgate
Speaker

Paul Bathgate

Co-founder and CEO
RailX Digital Solutions
Paul Campion
Speaker

Paul Campion

Chief Executive Officer
TRL
Paul Corcoran
Speakers

Paul Corcoran

Managing Director
InterimConsult
Paul Honeyben
Grand Challenge Speaker

Paul Honeyben

Strategy Director – Local Government Finance and Improvement
London Councils
Peter Hogg
Grand Challenge Speaker

Peter Hogg

UK Cities Director and Partner
Arcadis
Peter Mildon
Speaker

Peter Mildon

COO
VivaCity Labs
Philip Clarke
Speaker

Philip Clarke

CEO
TUAL Technology
Prof Greg Clark CBE
Grand Challenge Speaker

Prof Greg Clark CBE

Chair
Connected Places Catapult
Prof. Sarah Sharples
Speaker

Prof. Sarah Sharples

Chief Scientific Adviser
Department for Transport
Professor Mark Westwood
Speaker

Professor Mark Westwood

Professor of Aeronautics and Head of Centre for Aeronautics
Cranfield University
Ram Gokal
Speaker

Ram Gokal

Co-founder and Chief Executive
Innervated Vehicle Engineering (IVE)
Richard Osborne
Speaker

Richard Osborne

Chief Technology Officer
Purple Transform Ltd
Rob Cairns
Speaker

Rob Cairns

Infrastructure Innovation & Venture Investment
HS2 (High Speed Two) Ltd
Roger Bailey
Speaker

Roger Bailey

CEO
Tideway
Sarah Cameron
Speaker

Sarah Cameron

Legal Director
Pinsent Mason
Sarah Hayes
Speaker

Sarah Hayes

Associate
Connected Places Catapult
Shailee Howard
Speaker

Shailee Howard

Partner
Mills & Reeve
Sharon Payne
Speaker

Sharon Payne

Regional Rural Mobility Manager
Transport East
Sir Andrew Haines
Grand Challenge Speaker

Sir Andrew Haines

Chief Executive
Network Rail
Sophie Eynon
Speaker

Sophie Eynon

Electric Vehicle Charging Hubs Programme Manager
Places for London
Stephen Jones
Grand Challenge Speaker

Stephen Jones

Director
Core Cities UK
Steve Beel
Speaker

Steve Beel

CEO
Freeport East
Steve Brewer
Speaker

Steve Brewer

Manager of projects and networks, Lincoln Institute for Agri-food Technology (LIAT)
University of Lincoln
Steve Evans
Speaker

Steve Evans

CEO & Founder
XeroE Sustainable Logistics
Steve Moore
Speaker

Steve Moore

Director of Projects and Programme Delivery
Environment Agency
Steve Phipps
Speaker

Steve Phipps

Head of Materials Engineering
Balfour Beatty VINCI
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
Stevie Revill
Speaker

Stevie Revill

CEO
Urbantide
Stuart Blackburn
Speaker

Stuart Blackburn

Technical Operations Manager
Hydrologiq
Theo Blackwell MBE
Speaker

Theo Blackwell MBE

Chief Digital Officer
Greater London Authority
Tom Lee
Speaker

Tom Lee

Chief Engineer
HyHaul
Tom McKenna
Speaker

Tom McKenna

Business Development Manager
You.Smart.Thing
Will Vaughan
Speaker

Will Vaughan

CEO
Motocargo
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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Adam Herson

MD Sustainable Finance - Barclays

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Adam Parkinson

Founder & Director - GoLink Advisory Group

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Aldo Gutierrez

Product Manager - Gaussion

Hi, I’m Aldo, Automotive Product Manager at Gaussion. I oversee all automotive-related projects, guiding them from initial concept through development and launch. With a background in research, product development, and manufacturing from my time at Jaguar Land Rover, I bring a deep understanding of the automotive industry. This experience enables me to seamlessly integrate Gaussion’s state-of-the-art technology into cutting-edge automotive solutions.

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Alex Holland

Director of Industry Solutions - Hitachi Europe

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Alistair Clabburn

Chairman and Founder - Mobilityways

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An Schrijvers

Senior Advisor Innovation Procurement - VLAIO – Agency for Innovation and Entrepreneur

An Schrijvers holds a PhD in political science, European Union politics. After ten years in various research and teaching positions at Ghent University, she made the switch to Flemish science and innovation policy in 2011, first as senior policy advisor at the Flemish Council for Science and Innovation (VRWI), then at the Flemish Advisory Council for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (VARIO). In September 2017, she joined the Programme for Innovation Procurement (PIO or PIP), a year after the Programme was officially launched. With the Programme, the Government of Flanders has the mission to stimulate all public sector organisations in Flanders to strategically use their substantial purchasing power (> 30 billion a year) as a catalyst for innovation. In 8 years, PIP established a portfolio of more than 120 innovation procurement projects, in different policy fields and sectors. The Programme clearly demonstrates its added value (confirmed in an external evaluation, carried out in 2022). Therefore, since January 1, 2024, the initially temporary pilot programme has become a structural, permanent innovation instrument within the larger Flemish Agency for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (VLAIO). Since May 1, 2024, An Schrijvers has been PIP’s Programme Manager.

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Andrew Barr

President - Hitachi EMEA

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Andrew Carter

Chief Executive - Centre for Cities

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Andrew Collinge

Smart Cities Director - Jacobs

Andrew is Smart Cities Director, Europe at Jacobs. Operating at regional, city, community and asset-level, his team works on some of the most exciting digital masterplanning, service design and technology demonstration projects globally, from digitalisation of the U.K. Parliament, to the Glasgow City Region 5G Innovation Testbed, to King Salman International Airport in Saudi Arabia.

Prior to Jacobs, Andrew spent 14 years in senior data and digital roles in two of the most advanced city governments in the world, Dubai and London. He is a member of the G20 Global Smart Cities Alliance Steering Group and has led efforts for World Economic Forum to produce model policies in areas like open data and whole-of-lifecycle infrastructure management.

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Andrew Newman

Principal Data Specialist - Open Data Institute (ODI)

Andrew Newman is a Principal Data Specialist at the ODI. Andrew is an experienced data specialist with over 20 years experience of leading and managing data teams and initiatives at the UK’s Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra). Andrew has a broad range of data skills and experience, he has: built and operated geographic information systems; developed data standards and specifications; written and implemented data strategies; and defined and delivered major projects, transforming data infrastructures. Andrew is people focused and naturally takes an open and collaborative approach, bringing communities of people together to deliver services and drive change and improvement.

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Andy Guffogg

Sustainability Manager - Environment Agency

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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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Andy Powell

Manager - Engineering Innovation - Environment Agency

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Ann Frye

Director - Ann Frye Ltd

Ann Frye is an international specialist on the mobility needs of people with disabilities and older people across all transport modes and the pedestrian environment.

She works as an expert advisor on both international and UK projects on accessibility, including developing and establishing best practice in delivering accessibility and mobility options for people with physical, sensory and neurodiverse issues.

Her current roles include working as the Senior Expert, Transport, for the European Commission funded project AccessibleEU and working as the UK Government Ambassador for Disability and Accessibility in Aviation.

She has worked on accessibility for the United Nations and has led expert working groups for the US Transportation Research Board (TRB), the International Transport Forum (ITF) and the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) as well as the European Commission.

Ann has worked in this field for over 30 years; until 2006 she headed the Mobility & Inclusion Unit in the UK Government Department for Transport where she delivered a programme of research, legislation and policy to promote the mobility of disabled and older people in all areas of transport.

She is a Fellow of the UK Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport and of the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation. She is also an honorary Transport Planning Professional.

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Anne Gray

Corporate Development Manager - Flexible Power Systems

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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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Becky Wood

Non-Executive Director - Connected Places Catapult

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Ben Garratt

Deputy Director Public Affairs - Logistics UK

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Carl Hopkins

Managing Director - Civil Water Management

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Caroline Whitney

Director for England - Community Transport Association

As the Director for England, Caroline leads initiatives and projects that influence the community transport sector across the nation. In her role at the Community Transport Association (CTA), she is the technical lead for membership and Permits, ensuring that CTA enables the sector to operate safely and legally. Caroline’s expertise and passion are pivotal in shaping the community transport landscape in England, reflecting her commitment to enhancing community transport and building its impact in the transport sector.
Before assuming her current role, Caroline served as the Chief Executive of CVS Cheshire East, a local infrastructure organisation dedicated to representing and supporting the not-for-profit sector. Her career has involved creating and managing sustainable voluntary and charitable organisations. She possesses an understanding of the complexities involved in not-for-profit operations, including volunteering, charity development, and fostering relationships with statutory bodies. Her experience and skill set make her a vital asset in the community transport sector, where she continues to drive positive change and innovation.
Before assuming her current role, Caroline served as the Chief Executive of CVS Cheshire East, a local infrastructure organisation dedicated to representing and supporting the not-for-profit sector. Her career has involved creating and managing sustainable voluntary and charitable organisations. She possesses an understanding of the complexities involved in not-for-profit operations, including volunteering, charity development, and fostering relationships with statutory bodies. Her experience and skill set make her a vital asset in the community transport sector, where she continues to drive positive change and innovation.

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Carolyn Dwyer

Non-executive Director - Connected Places Catapult

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Carolyn Lang

Senior Associate (Technology, Media & Telecoms) - Pinsent Masons

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Catherine McGuinness CBE

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

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Charlotte Hills

Head of Innovation - HS2 (High Speed Two) Ltd

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Chris Stanley

Head of Asset Data - Network Rail

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Christopher de Saxe

Head of EV Transition - GoMetro

Christopher is Head of EV Transition at GoMetro, a London-based fleet management and telematics solutions provider. He leads the development and commercialisation of EV-FIT, a novel telematics-driven analytics platform to support the electrification of truck and bus fleets. Alongside this he also supports advisory projects in sustainable transport spanning Europe and Africa.
With a background in mechanical engineering, he has dedicated much of his career to pioneering research in heavy vehicle performance and decarbonisation at Cambridge University and at the CSIR in South Africa. In addition to his role at GoMetro, Christopher is a Board Member of the International Forum for Heavy Vehicle Transport & Technology, Honorary Senior Lecturer at Wits University in South Africa, and Senior Member at Robinson College, Cambridge.

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Claire Dorrian

Head of Sustainable Finance, Capital Markets and Post Trade - London Stock Exchange Group

Claire is responsible for the portfolio of sustainable finance products and services across London Stock Exchange Group’s Capital Markets and Post Trade business divisions. She is responsible for leading the development of London Stock Exchange’s sustainable finance cross asset class offering which includes equities, green and renewable funds, and fixed income. Claire is also responsible for developing the range of sustainable finance products and services for Capital Markets and Post Trade clients. She has played an important role in Group-wide sustainable finance initiatives such as the development of model guidance on ESG and climate disclosure, climate reporting training for listed companies and initiatives such as the Green Economy Mark. Claire is a member of an industry Taskforce on the Scaling of Voluntary Carbon Markets, and she led the work on the recent launch of LSEG’s Voluntary Carbon Market.
Claire’s background is in capital markets largely with a sustainability focus. She previously worked in the fund management industry for AIB Govett and ANZ.
Positioned at the heart of global financial markets, LSEG works across the investment and finance chain from issuers to asset owners, and across the financial, banking, trading, and advisory ecosystem. As such LSEG is uniquely positioned to support clients in achieving the transition to a sustainable and net-zero economy and was the first exchange group to commit to net zero emissions.

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Claire Hamar

Head of Innovation - National Highways

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Claire Spooner

Director of Mobility - Innovate UK

As Innovate UK’s Director of Mobility, Claire champions innovative sustainable solutions in the realm of mobility within the Net Zero Domain. She leads strategic transport initiatives aimed at accelerating the transition to a net zero economy, collaborating with industry, research institutions, and government bodies. Claire’s interests reach across all transport modalities, exploring innovations in AI and digital twins, connected and autonomous vehicles, sustainable aviation fuels, EV battery developments, sustainable shipping, hydrogen transport, skills development, aerospace, low and zero emissions propulsion systems, novel materials for low carbon infrastructure, and new transport modalities. She shapes the Mobility portfolio’s direction, guides strategic investments, manages programs, and fosters partnerships to develop cutting-edge technologies and services. By addressing transport challenges, Innovate UK’s Net Zero Domain contributes meaningfully to the global sustainability agenda and Net Zero targets.

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Clare Wildfire

Global Cities Lead - Mott MacDonald

Clare is Global Cities Lead with global engineering, management and development consultancy, Mott MacDonald. Having led regeneration, low carbon and sustainable innovation projects across the globe, Clare uses systemic thinking to push boundaries and, most importantly, improve people’s lives. From her 35 years’ experience in the sector, originally as a building services engineer on sustainable buildings, she combines her practical understanding of construction and development drivers with policy engagement, bringing insight into the technical, political, financial and behavioural aspects of sustainable development and healthy, resilient, low carbon living.
[Could also add this, I’m happy for you to decide] Clare co-created an industry-led collaboration of infrastructure organisations supporting the UK transition to net zero, including authoring a report ‘A place-based approach to net zero’ on the city-scale transition, which explores the challenges and opportunities facing city leaders.

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Claudette Forbes

Non-Executive Director - Connected Places Catapult

Claudette is passionate about combating poverty and deprivation in urban areas, having grown up in an inner-city area which was subjected to regeneration following race riots in the early 1980s.

She has held a numerous senior roles across local and regional government throughout her career which spans 30 years. With a reputation for successfully leading the development and implementation of city development, economic development, and holistic local area regeneration programmes, she is an adviser to local authorities, government, non-profits and partnerships.

Claudette currently holds a number of Non-Executive Director positions. She is also a faculty member of the Whitehall & Industry Group.

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Councillor Susan Aitken

Leader - Glasgow City Council

Susan Aitken was elected as Leader of Glasgow City Council in 2017, forming Glasgow’s first ever SNP-led City Government. She was first elected as a councillor for the Langside ward in 2012, following a career in public policy and communications. Susan was reappointed to a second term as Council Leader following the 2022 Scottish Local Government elections.

Under her leadership, Glasgow has hosted the UN Climate Summit COP26 and will host the Commonwealth Games in 2026. She was awarded Scottish Local Politician of the Year in 2019 for her work to end historic gender pay discrimination and Scottish Council Leader of the Year in 2021 for her leadership on climate issues. Susan was selected as one of 40 global city leaders for the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative Class of 2023. In February 2024, Susan was announced as chair of the global Resilient Cities Network.

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Craig Pennington

Chief Executive and Co Founder - Future Yard CIC

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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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Daniel Marsden

Group Product Manager - EON

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Darren Capes

ITS Policy Lead, - Department for Transport

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Dave Martin

COO - RAD Propulsion Ltd

Dave is the Chief Operating Officer at RAD Propulsion Ltd with over 30 years’ experience building and managing teams to deliver complex, multi stakeholder technical projects in the marine sector. He has been with RAD Propulsion since its inception in 2018 and has been instrumental in helping to grow and develop the business during this time.

His expertise in marine electric propulsion systems is backed up by over six years of experience working in the marine robotics field as the engineering manager for a software engineering team at a marine autonomous surface vehicle development company, ASV Global. During this time, he was not only responsible for growing the software team from a small embryonic team of 1-2 engineers to a multi skilled team of 25+ software/research specialists but also the delivery of several multi-million-pound Government funded research projects which looked at various aspects of the control and operation of marine autonomous vehicles.

He has also worked for both large defence primes and marine leisure electronics manufacturers including Garmin and Raymarine. Dave has extensive practical first-hand experience of the challenges of developing products for the harsh marine environment after also spending eight years working in the commercial offshore oil and gas sector.

He is a Chartered Engineer, a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Navigation and is Association of Project Management trained.

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David Hughes

CEO - East West Rail

David’s path has been firmly rooted in the transport sector. From 2021 to 2024, he served as the Director General for Rail Infrastructure Group at the Department for Transport. In this role, he provided leadership and oversight for DfT’s portfolio of major rail investment projects. Before DfT, he held the position of Strategy and Programme Director at Transport for the North.

But David’s passion for transport goes back even further. He spent 15 years at Transport for London, where he led the development and planning of major rail infrastructure projects, including iconic ones like Crossrail and the Northern Line Extension. Additionally, he played a key role in upgrades across the London Underground network.

Prior to joining EWR Co., David has been at Arup as the Major Programmes Director. There, he focused on supporting and accelerating the delivery of significant national infrastructure and strategic change programmes.

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Davin Crowley-Sweet

Chief Data Officer - National Highways

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Denys Nazarenko

CIO Adviso - Kyiv City Council

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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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Dr Victoria Hills

Chief Executive - Royal Town Planning Institute

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Dr. Alison Vincent CBE

Chair, Digital Twin Hub Board, and Non-Executive Director - Connected Places Catapult

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Duncan Mears

Vice President EMEA - Hitachi Digital

Duncan is the European Vice President of Hitachi Digital Services. In this role Duncan is responsible for all client service delivery as well as developing our broader business portfolio.

Duncan is a senior executive with over 30 years’ experience in the IT and BPS industry. Duncan started his career as a systems programmer for Royal Sun Alliance where he became an IT Manager developing large underwriting and CRM systems. He moved into shared services where he managed the core business and IT operations for companies including Perot Systems (acquired by Dell) and Cable and Wireless.

In 2000 he joined Accenture where he became a Partner for almost 18 years. During this time, he led teams of up to 40,000 colleagues supporting the transformation and services/ IT outsource of world leading companies such as Lloyds Bank, BMW, Nissan Europe, HSBC, BP, Microsoft, British Telecom, Centrica, Schlumberger, E.On and GE.

More recently Duncan was a senior Director at Capita and prior to joining Hitachi Vantara was responsible for Cognizant’s c.$800m BPO and IT transformation business across the UK/I and mainland Europe.

In his spare time Duncan likes to mountain bike in Wales, scuba dive, ski and has a passion for fast cars. Duncan also supports charity work and is an active member of the Worshipful Company of Coopers (founded in 1501) where he has been a Liveryman for almost 15 years.

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Ed McCann

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

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Eleanor Young

Director - Blackstock Partnership

Eleanor Young is a regeneration and development specialist with 30 years’ experience in the local and regional government sectors. For the past decade, Eleanor has been a founder and director of Blackstock Partnership, a micro consultancy specialising in strategic advice to
councils, developers, regional and central government bodies on all aspects of development and regeneration from strategy to the delivery of complex projects. Having started her career in Leeds City Council in 1995, Eleanor was formerly Senior Policy adviser on planning and
development to the Mayor of London from 2000 – 2008 being responsible for the production of the first London Plan, advising on major planning applications and leading teams to deliver major regeneration projects across London. Since then, Eleanor has worked in a range of
consultancy roles and become an expert in building cross sectoral partnerships to deliver new
infrastructure and homes

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Emily Macdonald

COO - Intelligen

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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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Eugene Bari

CEO - Ecomar Propulsion

Eugene is the founder of Ecomar Propulsion. He started the company after a “moment of epiphany” when he realised that the transition from fossil fuels to clean energy was a once in a century event. Since then, he has taken the company from a concept to one of the UK’s leading developers of innovation tech in maritime. He currently has 8 active patents and numerous publications – including scientific papers – to his name.

Over a lifetime working as a serial entrepreneur, he has launched businesses in the UK, Denmark, Australia and the US. Starting his first company at the age of 19.

He holds post graduate qualifications from Bayes Business School, London and a degree from Leeds University. He was appointed Associate Professor of Decarbonisation and Entrepreneurship by Exeter University in 2022 and continues to work with Universities in the UK and overseas.

Driven by the imperative to make the world a better place for all, he describes the motivation to succeed in terms of electricity. ” There are positive and negative poles and you need both to channel energy. I have decided to be positive and everything I do is a direct challenge to negativity.”

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Evan Jones

Lead Security Architect - Complete Cyber

With extensive experience delivering high-quality cybersecurity solutions across diverse industries, Evan is a trusted expert in all aspects of security. He actively contributes to the industry as a 2024 ERA ENISA Speaker in Rail Cybersecurity and as a leader of Complete Cyber, recently selected as one of the SMEs for the prestigious High Speed Two (HS2) Project. Beyond his technical expertise, he is deeply committed to promoting cybersecurity awareness and enhancing the industry’s reputation.

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Eve Roodhouse

Director of Strategy & Policy -

Eve joined the LGA in July 2024. Previously Eve was at Leeds City Council where she spearheaded the delivery of the city’s Inclusive Growth Strategy introducing pioneering work in a range of areas including the Leeds Inclusive Anchors Network, the Social Progress Index and the delivery of their vision for innovation as the council’s Chief Officer, Culture and Economy.
Before joining local government, Eve worked at NHS Digital for 15 years on the delivery of complex and large-scale IT change programmes including the first Prison Health IT system in England and the Child Protection Information Sharing Project – which included her working with the LGA.

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Gavin Starks

CEO and Co-Chair of Smart Data Council, Department for Business and Trade - Icebreaker One

Gavin has created over a dozen companies, employing 100’s of people, and delivering $100M’s in measurable impact. He co-chaired the development of the Open Banking Standard and was founding CEO of the Open Data Institute. He has mentored, chaired, or been a non-exec of over 40 organisations across diverse sectors. He currently runs IcebreakerOne.org to help accelerate our Net Zero Future and co-chairs the UK Smart Data Council, shaping the future of data sharing at national scale to unlock value and address risks.

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Geoff Wade

Communities Bus and Engagement Lead - North East Combined Authorities

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George Economides

Head of Digital Twins - Department for Transport

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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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Guy Newey

Chief Executive Officer - Energy Systems Catapult

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Gyula Törzsök

Portfolio Director - Thames Estuary

Gyula Törzsök is the Portfolio Director for Logistics, Digital, and Green Spaces at the Thames Estuary Growth Board, where he plays a pivotal role in turning innovative concepts into actionable and investable projects. Gyula is at the forefront of driving transformative economic growth within the Thames Estuary region, leveraging his expertise in strategic investment appraisal and partnership development across both public and private sectors.

Before joining the board, Gyula worked at Inner Circle Consulting, leading multidisciplinary teams in strategy development, risk management, and programme delivery. His extensive experience spans logistics, transportation, masterplanning, economic modeling, smart cities, and housing. His work has unlocked new revenue streams, improved efficiencies, secured grant funding, and delivered impactful solutions that positively transform communities.

A passionate economist, Gyula combines his professional focus with a deep personal interest in global economics and technology, exploring how digital solutions can shape a more sustainable and efficient future.

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Henry Clifford

Rural Economy Team Leader, Adaptation & Rural Communities, Environment Strategy Directorate - Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs

Henry joined Defra in 2021 with a background in sustainability policy. He currently leads Defra’s Rural Economy Team with includes responsibly for delivering the government’s economic growth agenda in rural areas. Improvements in rural transport are central to delivering this goal and he and his team work closely with DfT to support rural outcomes in transport policy.

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Huw Morgan

CTO - GPC Systems

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Ian Small

Technical Director Innovation - Expedition Engineering

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Iona Chandler

Partnerships Manager - Alchera Technologies

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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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Jamie Campbell

Design Research Lead - Rural Design Centre

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Jenny Kavanagh

Chief Strategy Officer - Cranfield Aerospace Solutions

Jenny Kavanagh is at the forefront of aviation’s transition to zero emissions, leading the commercial exploitation of hydrogen fuel cell propulsion systems for aviation as Chief Strategy Officer at Cranfield Aerospace Solutions (CAeS).
With extensive experience in aerospace engineering, programme leadership, and corporate strategy, Jenny works closely with industry and government to help drive the regulatory, infrastructure and commercial frameworks needed for hydrogen-powered flight.
A mother of two, she is passionate about the aviation industry’s ambition to decarbonise and to help create a cleaner world for future generations.

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John Priestland

Director - Priestland Consulting

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John Whaling

Lead Officer, Innovation and Commercialisaton - Liverpool City Region Combined Authority

John is a collaborative place leader with 25+ years’ experience of pioneering economic development and “making things happen” at the interface between public, private, and higher education sectors.

For the last 10 years, John has been convening and championing all aspects of the Liverpool City Region’s (LCR) innovation agenda and ecosystem, latterly as the Combined Authority’s Lead Officer for Innovation & Commercialisation. His primary role is to catalyse partnerships, policies, and programmes that maximise the LCR’s distinctive, world-leading assets and capabilities, in order to drive transformational regional/national economic growth and solve intractable local challenges. The LCR is now at the forefront of UK place-based innovation practice, with innovation a primary Mayoral priority.

He previously worked at the LCR Local Enterprise Partnership, Liverpool Vision, and St. Helens Council, where he led a series of successful programmes that included a national City Growth Strategy pilot, plus delivery of the landmark, multi-award-winning 20m Dream sculpture by Jaume Plensa overlooking the M62, commissioned by ex-miners as part of Channel 4’s “Big Art Project”.

Prior to local government, John spent 2 years working for the European Commission in Brussels, has also lived/worked in Germany, the USA, and Canada, grew up in Edinburgh, and speaks German and French.

He is on the Board of Scottish innovation agency Interface, and in a voluntary capacity also the Chair of Future Yard CIC, whose mission is “to positively transform both Birkenhead and the nature of what a UK grassroots music venue does, based on the founding principle that music can change the world…”.

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Jon Little

Co-founder - Betastreets

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Jon Rains

Strategic advisory director - innovation - Mott McDonald

Director and innovation professional with 25 years’ experience in the UK infrastructure industry with specialisms in systems thinking, digital, corporate venture capital, process and platforms. UK expert in the BSI, CEN and ISO innovation management standards committees contributing to ISO 56001:2024 and related suite of standards. Delivering innovation management advice for clients worldwide on Gigi projects, government departments and SME companies.

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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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Juliette Kariuki-Cobbett

Mobility and Human Insight Specialist - Cenex

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Kailash Manohara Selvan

CEO - SpatialCortex Technology Ltd

Kailash is the Founder and CEO of SpatialCortex, a safety technology company developing sensors and analytics that help workplaces protect staff from injuries, proactively, in safety critical sectors including transportation, railway, construction and maritime.

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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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Kit Allwinter

Senior Inspector - Active Travel England

Kit Allwinter has worked across the UK’s public and private sectors to integrate walking, wheeling, and cycling while reducing the impact of motor traffic. With expertise in active travel, shared transport, and sustainable freight, he takes a holistic approach to improving daily life in communities. Currently at Active Travel England, Kit leads the development of Rural Design Guidance, setting quality standards for infrastructure. His work focuses on enhancing short-distance utility trips in rural areas, improving access to public transport, and supporting longer-distance routes and cycle tourism across the UK.

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Kjell Eriksson

Vice President - DNV

Kjell Eriksson is a Vice President in DNV with close to 40 years of international experience from the oil, gas, and energy sector. He has managed DNV’s operations in the Middle East, Asia, and Norway. He has served as Chairman of the Faculty of Engineering at NTNU, Norway’s largest technical university. He has also been part of two nationwide committees, one on growing the green economy, and one on industrial competitiveness. He is currently responsible for creating new services and business models building trust in digital and AI for industrial application.

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Kyriakos Kantarakias

Chief Executive Officer - Didimi

Dr. Kantarakias is the Founder of Didimi, the platform that allows architects and engineers to collaborate without losing data. Previously he worked at Palantir Technologies as a Deployment Strategist. He holds a PhD in Aeronautical Engineering from Imperial College London, where he was a President’s Scholar.

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Laura Fleming

Country Managing Director (UK & Ireland) - Hitachi Energy

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Leo Scott Smith

CEO - Tended

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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 Green

Chief Executive Officer - LYVA Labs

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Lorna Pimlott

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

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Lucy Yu

Non-Executive Director - Connected Places Catapult

Lucy Yu is CEO and founder at Centre for Net Zero, Octopus Energy Group’s not-for-profit AI and data-driven research institute advancing tech-driven energy systems that benefit humanity. Centre for Net Zero’s research has been accepted by leading global proceedings, including the What Works Climate Solutions Summit, a high level conference for evidence-based climate policy, and the International Conference on Learning Representations (ICLR), the world’s leading gathering of deep learning professionals.

Lucy has 20 years’ experience building and scaling global consumer-facing and deeptech ventures in artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles and future mobility, climate and clean energy, and developing tech policy and regulation for the UK government (Cabinet Office; Centre for Connected & Autonomous Vehicles; Department for Transport), European Commission, and the UN.

She is a co-founder of the Institute for Ethical AI & Machine Learning, and Chairs ADViCE (AI for Decarbonisation Virtual Centre of Excellence), a DESNZ programme for the development of innovative artificial intelligence technologies that support the transition to net zero. Lucy has been named an Asian Tech Pioneer (2024), Top 5 Star in GreenTech (2021), and Financial Times Top 100 Leader in Tech (2019).

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Luke Turner

Policy and Strategy Lead, Integrated National Transport Strategy, - Department for Transport

Luke Turner is a Policy and Strategy Lead working on the Integrated National Transport Strategy at the Department for Transport. Set to be published later this year, the Integrated National Transport Strategy will set the long-term vision for transport in England, focusing on how transport should be designed, built and operated to better serve all people who use it and enable them to live fulfilling lives. Luke has worked in various policy roles at DfT, including on the decarbonisation and climate adaptation of transport infrastructure and improving the efficiency of major infrastructure projects.

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Mark Enzer OBE FREng

Vice-Chair, Digital Twin Hub Board, and Member of Government Office for Science - Council for Science and Technology

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 Wild OBE

CEO - HS2

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Mary Kerr

Climate Finance Manager - Glasgow City Council

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Matthew Morgan

Director - Quality of Life Foundation

Matthew Morgan, Director and Co-Founder: With over 20 years’ experience in writing and communications, Matthew is responsible for setting the charity’s strategy with the Board of Trustees, overseeing its research and commercial services, and delivering lasting impact with the Quality of Life team. In making health and wellbeing central to the way we create and care for our homes and communities, he seeks to foster greater understanding and cooperation between local communities, the built environment industry and government at a local and national level.

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Melissa Tallack

Managing Director - C2Life

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Michael Tinmouth

COO - ACUA Ocean Ltd

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Mike Newsam

Founder and Managing Director - Stellar Advanced Concepts

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Natalie McIldowie

Client Delivery Director - Jacobs

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Natalie Reeves Billing

Co Founder - Builder Book

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Nick Boyle

Technical Director - Balfour Beatty

One of Nick’s role in BB is to lead and share all technical and engineering good practice, lessons learnt & innovations in civil engineering in Major Projects & Highways across BB Group and wider industry. Nick is passionate about integrating design and engineering and utilising digital technologies to achieve the best overall solution for all. A chartered engineer and Fellow of the ICE with nearly 40 years of experience in civil engineering infrastructure at all stages of a project.

BB are founder members of i3P, the Infrastructure Industry Innovation Forum which is leading the way in collaboration across the whole industry. Nick is the Balfour Beatty representative since the early days at Crossrail as part of the Innovate18 industry initiative.

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Nick Graham

Chair - Freight Innovation Cluster's Advisory Board

Nick has had a successful 40-year career history within the Logistics Industry and has worked for several large logistics companies in leading roles; Transport Director for Wincanton and Warehousing Director for Stobart.
More recently Nick has had a corporate affairs brief interfacing with government and trade associations and is a thought leader on freight decarbonisation.
Currently Nick is a Non Exec and Board advisor in Sustainability and Logistics.
He is a fellow in the Institute of Logistics, has a master’s degree in business administration and a degree in Chemical Engineering.

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Nick Wyllie

CEO and Founder - Botanic Energy

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Paul Bathgate

Co-founder and CEO - RailX Digital Solutions

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Paul Campion

Chief Executive Officer - TRL

Paul Campion has been the CEO of TRL since July 2019. TRL is a world-renowned research, consultancy and software company which started life as the UK Government’s Transport Research Laboratory and has been working to make transport safer, cleaner and better for over 90 years. Previously Paul was the CEO of the Transport Systems Catapult, a not-for-profit organisation created by the government as part of the catapult network to grow the UK economy by supporting the growth of innovation in transport systems. Paul’s earlier career was spent in a wide variety of roles at IBM helping companies and industries to transform through the application of new technology. He has done professional, management and executive jobs at UK, European and Worldwide level in the UK, USA, France and Switzerland.

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Paul Corcoran

Managing Director - InterimConsult

Paul has over 25 years board and executive-level experience, including CEO and Managing Director roles, across the transport, defence, and education sectors. He founded Interimconsult, a management and innovation consultancy, five years ago and has managed industry-wide initiatives including the delivery of the Rail Sector Deal and, most recently, the development and rollout of the Rail Sector Innovation Charter, a groundbreaking initiative that will improve the environment for innovation throughout the rail sector . He has a PhD in Artificial Intelligence, MBA, and degree in engineering, and continues to provide board advisory services to tech start-ups in the transport sector.

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Paul Honeyben

Strategy Director – Local Government Finance and Improvement - London Councils

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Peter Hogg

UK Cities Director and Partner - Arcadis

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Peter Mildon

COO - VivaCity Labs

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Philip Clarke

CEO - TUAL Technology

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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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Prof. Sarah Sharples

Chief Scientific Adviser - Department for Transport

Professor Sarah Sharples is Chief Scientific Adviser for the Department for Transport. She is a Professor of Human Factors in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Nottingham and from 2018 to 2021 was Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and People.

She has led research in transport, manufacturing and healthcare, and currently leads the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Connected Everything Network Plus.

She founded and is co-director of the EPSRC Horizon Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT), and has led research programmes examining implementation of new technologies in rail, highways and aviation.

She was President of the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors from 2015 to 2016.

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Professor Mark Westwood

Professor of Aeronautics and Head of Centre for Aeronautics - Cranfield University

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Ram Gokal

Co-founder and Chief Executive - Innervated Vehicle Engineering (IVE)

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Richard Osborne

Chief Technology Officer - Purple Transform Ltd

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Rob Cairns

Infrastructure Innovation & Venture Investment - HS2 (High Speed Two) Ltd

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Roger Bailey

CEO - Tideway

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Sarah Cameron

Legal Director - Pinsent Mason

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Sarah Hayes

Associate - Connected Places Catapult

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Shailee Howard

Partner - Mills & Reeve

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Sharon Payne

Regional Rural Mobility Manager - Transport East

Sharon is the Regional Rural Mobility Manager at Transport East, the Sub-National Transport Body for the East. She heads up an exciting area of work leading on delivering the national Rural Mobility Centre of Excellence with a wide range of stakeholders from across government, academia, tourism and business. The RMCoE focuses on the transport challenges faced by rural communities, building research and evidence to make the case for investment, an area omitted from much national and regional policy development in recent years.

Sharon’s extensive career in local government has led to a deep understanding of how to deliver sustainable transport changes in the public sector. This includes roles as strategic lead for behaviour change, road safety strategy, travel planning and the active travel delivery team at a large county council where she secured £1.5million to deliver one of eleven Active Travel Social Prescribing Pilots across England, and developing the Suffolk Air Quality Profile with Public Health and the District Councils.

Sharon led on a pan-regional European Regional Development Fund project which introduced one of England’s first mobile ticketing apps in 2012, still being used today by one of the leading bus operators, facilitating millions of purchases of bus tickets in the last decade.

Sharon also worked for the Department for Education during the Travelling to School Initiative as the Regional School Travel Advisor, managing the work of ten Local Authorities to successfully meet the challenging targets and objectives set by Government.

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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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Sophie Eynon

Electric Vehicle Charging Hubs Programme Manager - Places for London

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Stephen Jones

Director - Core Cities UK

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Steve Beel

CEO - Freeport East

Steve Beel is Chief Executive at Freeport East, one of twelve Freeports across the UK established by the UK Government. Freeport East aspires to be the UK’s leading centre for global trade, green energy, innovation and application of digital technology, which in its first two years of operation has attracted over £250m of new investment and created 2000 jobs.
Steve has over 20 years’ experience across energy & infrastructure, international diplomacy, economic development & trade. Prior to his appointment at Freeport East, Steve was a British diplomat and head of the UK’s development partnership with Zambia. Earlier in his career he worked at Ofgem as a Commercial Director where he was involved in many of the UK’s largest offshore wind and electricity interconnector projects, and before that at Hutchison Whampoa and PwC.

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Steve Brewer

Manager of projects and networks, Lincoln Institute for Agri-food Technology (LIAT) - University of Lincoln

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Steve Evans

CEO & Founder - XeroE Sustainable Logistics

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Steve Moore

Director of Projects and Programme Delivery - Environment Agency

Steve is Director of Projects and Programme Delivery within the Environment Agency and is responsible for the operational leadership of our approach to programme and project management.
Steve leads the delivery of circa 1000 projects creating new or refurbished assets, the core of which protect communities from the risk of flooding. Steve also leads the collaboration of our six primary contractor and consultant national frameworks. Through these, we aim to utilise the breadth of industry skills and experiences as part of our aim to learn from the best and deliver more sustainable and efficient projects that benefit people and their local environments.
Steve is Co-chair of the Infrastructure Industry Innovation Partnership (i3P), a group of Infrastructure Clients and Delivery Partners that evolved from Crossrail and now works across the infrastructure sector, aiming to drive collaborative innovation in addressing today’s challenges with tomorrow’s solutions.
Steve has a background in construction and engineering having worked for Tarmac Construction / Carillion for 20 years. He is the Head of Project Delivery Profession at the EA, actively supporting the ongoing development of staff and colleagues.
Steve is married to Karen with two ‘children’ Tara and Jack (26, twins). Steve enjoys football, music, food, and work, not necessarily in that order.

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Steve Phipps

Head of Materials Engineering - Balfour Beatty VINCI

Steve Phipps is a Senior Materials Engineer with Balfour Beatty and currently Head of Materials Engineering for Balfour Beatty Vinci on HS2 Area North.
Steve has over 30 years’ experience in highways and high-speed rail construction, including the technical management of concrete and cementitious products.
Steve sits on Britpave Council, contributing to many of their technical guidance and best practice publications. Steve has recently led the technical working group responsible for developing industry guidance on the use of digital monitoring and measurement.

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Steven Gillan

Director - Digital Reflections Ltd

From an early career as a heavy plant mechanic in the mining industry, Steve moved into the technology industry.
As the Founder and Director of Scottish start-up Digiflec, he is now leading the development of cutting-edge data collection systems and digital twin applications, all while ensuring its status as a trusted distributor of Lidar manufacturers.”

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Steven Wilding

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

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Stevie Revill

CEO - Urbantide

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Stuart Blackburn

Technical Operations Manager - Hydrologiq

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The Lord Tim Clement-Jones CBE

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Liberal Democrat House of Lords spokesperson for Science, Innovation and Technology. Former Chair of the House of Lords Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence which reported in 2018 with “AI in the UK Ready Willing and Able?” and its follow-up report in 2020 “AI in the UK: No Room for Complacency”. He co-founded and has co-chaired the All-Party Parliamentary Group on AI since 2017.

From 2023, a member of the Industry and Regulators Committee. He was the initiator of and subsequent member of the Special Inquiry Select Committee into AI in Weapons Systems whose final report “Proceed with caution: Artificial Intelligence in weapon systems” published on 1st December 2023.

Former member of the House of Lords Select Committees on Communications (2011-15), Risk Assessment and Planning (2020-21) and the Joint Select Committee on the Draft Online Safety Bill (2021-22). Vice Chair for a number of All-Party Parliamentary Groups, including Data Analytics; Digital Inclusion; Digital Regulation and Responsibility; Digital Skills; and Intellectual Property.

A founding member of the OECD Parliamentary Group on AI and a former Consultant to the Council of Europe’s Ad-hoc Committee on AI (“CAHAI”).

He is author of the book, ‘Living with the Algorithm: Servant or Master?: AI Governance and Policy for the Future’. It identifies the risks associated with AI, including the potential for bias and discrimination, reputational harm, and the potential for widescale redundancy of millions of jobs and addresses current approaches to regulation and governance of AI internationally in both the public and private sector, how to meet and mitigate the challenges, avoid inadequate or ill-considered regulatory approaches, and protect society from the unforeseen consequences that could flow from unregulated AI development and adoption.

Since 2016, Tim has been Chair of Council of Queen Mary University of London and Chair of the Board of Trust Alliance Group (formerly Ombudsman Services), an independent not-for-profit group that provides dispute resolution for communications and energy utilities.

He is a Consultant on AI Policy and Regulation with global law firm, DLA Piper, where former positions held include, London Managing Partner

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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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Tom Lee

Chief Engineer - HyHaul

With a strong background in systems engineering, including safety-critical systems in the aviation and defense industries, I bring expertise in precision, safety, and strategic innovation. Transitioning to the electric powertrains sector for heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), I have focused on advancing sustainable and efficient transportation solutions. Driven by a passion for decarbonisation, I am committed to leveraging cutting-edge technology to address modern transportation challenges and support a more sustainable future.

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Tom McKenna

Business Development Manager - You.Smart.Thing

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Will Vaughan

CEO - Motocargo