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All Speakers Joanna Key Director General for Regeneration, Housing and Planning, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) Joanna Key is Director General, Regeneration, Housing and Planning at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Joanna was previously Director of Growth and Infrastructure at HM Treasury and Director for Domestic Affairs at the Cabinet Office. Prior to the Cabinet Office, she spent three years working as a director at the Department for Exiting the European Union, leading the work on the legal and constitutional implications of the UK’s departure from the EU. Joanna joined the UK Civil Service in the mid-1990s and, over her career, has worked on a wide range of issues including economic growth, Brexit, planning and housing, climate change and energy policy. Married to a diplomat, she has lived, worked and travelled extensively in the Balkans and China, returning to the UK in 2015 after three years working in Beijing on urban policy and growth. She has a master’s degree in economics. Thursday 16 October 2025 14:15–14:55 1.5 Million Homes: Ambition, Action, and Accountability Pearl Suite, Royal Armouries Go to session

Amar HassanPrincipal Accountant, Investment (Capital) and Revenue Strategic Finance < Speakers < Previous Next > Amar Hassan Principal Accountant, Investment (Capital) and Revenue Strategic Finance North Tyneside Council Amar is a finance professional with over a decade of experience spanning a variety of finance and banking roles across the Public, Private and higher education sectors. Amar is also a member of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) and is currently the Principal Accountant for Capital Investment and Treasury Management at North Tyneside Council. Amar has a passion for sustainability, transformational working, and technology and ICT skills. Amar is the Chair of the Ethnic Diversity Staff… Show More

Marc StearsDirector < Speakers < Previous Next > Marc Stears Director UCL Policy Lab Marc Stears is an internationally regarded academic, political strategist, speechwriter and executive educator, who specialises in creating dynamic collaborations between academic researchers and broader society. Currently the inaugural Director of the UCL Policy Lab, Marc has previously been Director of the Sydney Policy Lab at the University of Sydney, CEO of the New Economics Foundation, Professor of political theory at the University of Oxford and chief speechwriter to the UK Labour Party. He enjoys a worldwide reputation as a leadership coach… Show More

Jamie OunanCo-Founder and Executive Chairman < Speakers < Previous Next > Jamie Ounan Co-Founder and Executive Chairman Inner Circle Consulting Jamie Ounan is the Co-founder and Executive Chairman of Inner Circle Consulting, where he has played a pivotal role in delivering transformative regeneration projects across East London. From the 2012 Olympics and Crossrail to local estate renewal and community-led cultural initiatives, Jamie has spent over a decade driving change in some of the UK’s most complex urban environments. With a background spanning city planning, economic growth, and infrastructure, Jamie transitioned to service design and system transformation, helping local leaders achieve… Show More

Day One Day Two Previous Next Thursday 16 October 2025 Asia and Africa Gallery, Royal Armouries 19:15–20:00 Summit Presidential Drinks Reception

All Speakers Marcus Richards Partner in EY-Parthenon’s Infrastructure Advisory Practice, EY Marcus is a Partner in EY-Parthenon’s Infrastructure Advisory practice, where he leads the firm’s corporate finance work with local and regional government. He specialises in helping councils and combined authorities strengthen financial resilience and unlock investment to deliver major regeneration and infrastructure programmes. Marcus has advised on some of the UK’s most complex local government finance and place transformation challenges — from New Towns to Freeports — bringing together deep technical expertise with strategic insight from his PhD research into local government financial resilience. Thursday 16 October 2025 15:00–15:40 Investing in Place to Build Financial Resilience Aire Suite, Royal Armouries Go to session

All Speakers Diksha Vyas Head of Digital Change and Service Improvement, Bracknell Forest Council Diksha is a digital and transformation leader with over 30 years’ experience across the public and private sectors. She currently leads digital change and service improvement at Bracknell Forest Council, where she has spent over a decade delivering strategic transformation across the organisation. Diksha heads a multidisciplinary team that operates through a user-centred, agile model, embedding continuous improvement and aligning digital delivery to corporate goals. She is known for building strong, high performing teams and creating a culture that empowers people to innovate, adapt, and deliver meaningful impact. She is deeply passionate about fostering greater collaboration across the local government sector, sharing insight, solving problems collectively, and strengthening sector wide capacity. A current participant in the Solace AMPlify programme, Diksha champions inclusive, values led leadership and looks forward to exploring the power of cross council collaboration during her session at the Solace Summit. Thursday 16 October 2025 15:00–15:40 Future-Ready Councils: If we can share a problem, we can share a solution Bury Theatre, Royal Armouries Go to session

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Louise MarshallSenior Fellow in Public Health < Speakers < Previous Next > Louise Marshall Senior Fellow in Public Health The Health Foundation Louise Marshall is Senior Fellow in Public Health at the Health Foundation, where her work focuses on the wider determinants of health, and complex systems approaches to health and health inequalities. Louise is a Fellow of the Faculty of Public Health and is registered as a Public Health Specialist with the UK Public Health Register. Alongside her role at the Health Foundation, Louise worked as Consultant in Public Health at Oxfordshire County Council during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-2021,… Show More

Julia BrennanManaging Consultant < Speakers < Previous Next > Julia Brennan Managing Consultant Cadence Innova Julia is a Managing Consultant and Local Government Lead at Cadence Innova, with extensive experience in private sector licensing from application to transitioning to new service. She has led and developed projects across Local and Central Government, Communities, Licensing and Housing, and also brings over 10 years of experience in bilingual negotiation, project management, sales, product localisation and staff management. Julia collaborates with government, the public sector and industry to bring about positive transformational change with the purpose to inspire… Show More