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All Speakers Tom Stannard Chief Executive, Manchester City Council Tom Stannard is the Chief Executive of Manchester City Council, one of the largest Core Cities in the UK and a highly performing organisation of almost 7,000 staff. Manchester is a fast growing and diverse city of over 600,000 people, with a proud history of successfully competing on the global stage to attract investment, jobs and visitors. Tom works closely with Cllr Bev Craig as Leader of the Council, focussed on maximising these strengths and ensuring that growth generates benefits for the whole city, providing excellent day-to-day services and improving the lives of Manchester’s residents. Manchester is the major driver of regional growth across the 3M population, £87bn GDP Greater Manchester city region. The City Council is a key member of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and partner in the £8BN+ GMCA devolution programme, and Tom is currently the GMCA Chief Executive lead for the economy, business and international portfolio. He also leads Manchester’s integrated health and social care system as the designated Place-Based Lead for Manchester in the Greater Manchester Integrated Care System (ICS), with NHS Greater Manchester. Tom joined Manchester City Council following more than 27 years of experience in local government across the UK, including in Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire and London. Most recently he spent four years as the Chief Executive of Salford City Council, leading the Council to some of the highest levels of performance in the North West, and recognition in 2024 as City of the Year and the LGC’s Best Place to Work. He is nationally recognised as a leading voice in local government, and has a track record of delivery in regeneration, inclusive growth, public service reform and improving council services. Tom is a Chartered Surveyor, a Member and Chair of the UK Institute of Economic Development, and a Commissioner on the Living Wage Foundation for the UK. For a number of years, he has been a member, policy lead and spokesperson for Solace, currently on Health and Social Care Thursday 16 October 2025 14:15–14:55 Local Power, National Plan: Delivering the 10-Year Health Strategy Bury Theatre, Royal Armouries Go to session Thursday 16 October 2025 15:45–16:25 Delivering Together: How Local Authorities and Strategic Authorities Are Jointly Driving Place-Based Transformational Growth Hall B, Royal Armouries Go to session Friday 17 October 20225 11:10–12:00 Leading Through A Crisis Main Stage, New Dock Hall Go to session

Rebecca PurnellAssistant Chief Executive < Speakers < Previous Next > Rebecca Purnell Assistant Chief Executive West Northamptonshire Council Rebecca is the Assistant Chief Executive for the new West Northamptonshire Council which launched on 1 April 2021 replacing Northampton, South Northamptonshire, Daventry and Northamptonshire Councils. Rebecca is a Non-Executive Director for Northamptonshire Children’s Trust which delivers Early Help and Social Care to children, young people, and their families.  Rebecca is a Non-Executive Director for Northamptonshire Partnership Homes, an arms-length management organisation that manages West Northamptonshire Council’s housing services.  Rebecca was part of the Springboard 2019 cohort and… Show More

Day One Day Two Previous Next Thursday 16 October 2025 Exhibition, New Dock Hall 13:15–14:15 Exhibition and Lunch

Showcase Zone 09:50–10:00 Blackburn with Darwen: The Trojan Horse of Leadership Development Rewiring the State Claire Trickett, Workforce and Organisational Development Consultant, Blackburn with Darwen Council Read More Sue Featherstone, Solace Associate and Director, Developing Success Read More Previous The Trojan Horse of Leadership Development: How building internal coaching capability unlocked vertical development across the organisation Developing coaching capability strengthens both individual leaders and the wider system. Leaders become more self-aware, purposeful, and inclusive - while also developing others through everyday interactions. This creates a ripple effect across the organisation, supporting culture change, improving wellbeing, and enabling more adaptive, equitable leadership. Next

All Speakers Kersten England CBE Chair, The Young Foundation; Director of Engagement, Bradford 2025, Yorkshire Universities An experienced executive and non executive leader, Kersten has been Chair of The Young Foundation since September 2022. Passionate about building community, social justice, equality, diversity and healthy democratic practice, her career over four decades has included work in the voluntary and community sector, higher education, central government and more than 30 years in local government. Between 2009 and 2023 she was a local authority Chief Executive, initially in York for six years and latterly eight years for the City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council. Kersten’s current portfolio of work includes: Chair of the Bradford Culture Company, which will deliver the programme for Bradford’s year as the UK City of Culture in 2025; Trustee of the National Literacy Trust; a consultant for the Association of Local Authority Chief Executives; Co-Director of the Yorkshire Policy Innovation Partnership; and she is a lay canon of Bradford Cathedral. Previously, Kersten was a Trustee of Nesta, a member of the Archbishop of York’s symposium on social and economic affairs, and the President of the Society of Metropolitan Chief Executives. Kersten was awarded a CBE in the 2019 New Years Honours for her contribution to the communities and economy of the Bradford District. Thursday 16 October 2025 15:45–16:25 Public Collaborations: What are they for? Who does all the work? How long do they last? And who really benefits? Pearl Suite, Royal Armouries Go to session

Anna Rose Director and Chair of Public Practice (and Head of the Planning Advisory Service) < Speakers < Previous Next > Anna Rose Director and Chair of Public Practice (and Head of the Planning Advisory Service) Local Government Association and Public Practice Anna is currently the Head of the Planning Advisory Service, delivering improvement in planning services across the country. Anna started her planning career advising NFU members on planning, transport and environmental law before moving to Rugby Borough Council and becoming their Head of Planning and Culture at Rugby. In 2014 she became Milton Keynes Council’s Director of Growth, Economy and Culture. Anna is a past President of the Planning Officers Society; a trustee of the TCPA and sits as the… Show More

All Speakers Craig Barker Senior Manager, Digital and Customer Experience, Cumberland Council A local government digital leader and advocate for user centred service design and collaborative working. Cumbria Local Government Reorganisation  workstream lead for Website, Customer Contact Centres and Digital Service delivery. Craig is now responsible for leading and supporting Cumberland Council to meet the digital expectations of all users by utilising processes, cultures, AI and all technology of the Internet era. Thursday 16 October 2025 15:00–15:40 Navigating Local Government Reform: Lessons from the Digital Frontline of Devolution Pearl Suite, Royal Armouries Go to session

< Back Previous Org, Exhibitor, Sponsor Liverpool City Council https://liverpool.gov.uk Stand B Our host city. The Liverpool City Council stand is a base during Summit for young people from the council’s Young People’s Network. Next

Sub Plenary 14:00–15:00 Economy: The Current Landscape and the Impact on Our Place West Room Pam Smith, Chief Executive, Newcastle City Council and Solace Policy Lead for Economic Prosperity Read More Danielle Gillespie , Executive Regional Director, North West, Homes England Read More Previous As local government navigates a rapidly shifting policy landscape, this dynamic session explores how devolution and place-based regeneration can genuinely drive UK productivity. Moving beyond a one-size-fits-all approach, our expert speakers will unpack how housing and infrastructure act as vital engine rooms for local economies, community cohesion, and everyday prosperity. Join us for an interactive, fireside-style discussion that challenges conventional conservatism. We will ask hard questions about what "radical rewiring" of the state really looks like—from breaking down historic silos between local services to unlocking integrated delivery pipelines. Come prepared to share insights, challenge assumptions, and explore how collaborative leadership can transform local ambitions into reality. Next

Day One Day Two Previous Next Thursday 16 October 2025 Main Stage, New Dock Hall 16:30–17:30 Keynote Empowering the Vulnerable: Lemn Sissay's Journey of Advocacy and Change Speaker/s Lemn Sissay OBE FRSL, Playwright, memoirist, performer and broadcaster Join Lemn Sissay, acclaimed poet and tireless advocate, as he delves into his transformative journey from a child in the care system to a powerful voice for change. In this keynote, Lemn will share his personal experiences with local authorities and the profound impact these experiences had on his life. He will discuss his dedicated advocacy work, aimed at empowering vulnerable children and driving systemic reform. Through his compelling narrative, Lemn will inspire attendees to recognise the importance of supporting and uplifting those in care, and to join him in his mission to create a more just and compassionate system.

All Speakers Ed Whiting OBE Chief Executive, Leeds City Council Ed was born and grew up in Leeds and started as Leeds City Council’s Chief Executive in January 2025. Ed has spent most of his career working in a number of central Civil Service Departments, including in the Financial Stability Unit of HM Treasury through the 2008-09 financial crisis and as Deputy Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister between 2014 and 2016. Most recently, Ed was Director for Cities and Local Growth, leading a joint unit shared between the Business and Communities Departments working on the Government’s local economic growth priorities.  Between 2016 and 2022, Ed was Director of Strategy at the Welcome Trust, where he led the creation of a new strategy to solve the urgent health challenges of infectious disease, mental health and the impact of climate change on health. He developed new global policy and strategic partnerships functions and sponsored Welcome’s new mental health research and equity, diversity and inclusion programmes.  Thursday 16 October 2025 15:45–16:25 Public Collaborations: What are they for? Who does all the work? How long do they last? And who really benefits? Pearl Suite, Royal Armouries Go to session

Welcome 09:30–10:00 Day 2 Welcome Main Stage Kath O'Dwyer, Solace Group Board Chair Read More Kim Wright, Solace Policy Lead for Leadership and Chief Executive, London Borough of Brent Read More Previous Leadership, the Challenge and the Opportunity Next