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All Speakers Averil Price Solace Associate and Director, Avie Consultancy The Legacy Coach for senior public service leaders in transition – promotion, pivot, or retirement. I am a senior leader with 20+ years wide-ranging experience as a Local Authority Director. Following a serious brain haemorrhage, I transitioned from local government to self-employed business owner in 2022. As Director of Avie Consultancy Limited I deliver executive legacy coaching & consultancy to individuals and local authorities in the UK. I help leaders plan and execute a successful transition to whatever their next stage is. And I help them celebrate the impact they have made so far in their lives, their leadership legacy. As a Solace Associate, I provide coaching, action learning set facilitation and leadership development courses at a national level. My book ‘The Legacy Coach’ will be published, hopefully, in October 2025, providing an ideal companion for leaders’ transitional journeys. Thursday 16 October 2025 15:45–16:25 The Leader’s Mirror: Defining the Legacy You Leave Behind Bury Theatre, Royal Armouries Go to session

All Speakers Helen Bailey Chief Executive, London Borough of Sutton Helen Bailey is the Chief Executive of the London Borough of Sutton. She has previously served as Chief Executive of the London Borough of Islington and on an interim basis at North Somerset. She was director of Public Services at HM Treasury overseeing spending on health, housing, education, local government and devolved administration and public service reform between 2008 and 2011. Helen also has experience leading the Mayor's office for Policing and Crime. She has been a management consultant working on public service leadership and organisation issues in a career that started with the Greater London Councils. Friday 17 October 20225 11:10–12:00 Leading Through A Crisis Main Stage, New Dock Hall Go to session

All Speakers Simon Allsop B.Com, CPFA Managing Consultant, CIPFA Simon Allsop is a CIPFA qualified accountant and a Senior Consultant with CIPFA. He was previously the joint Director of Finance (Section 151 Officer) for both Derbyshire Police and Fire. He has 30 years of experience working with and in a range of public-sector bodies mainly local government, fire and police. He has extensive experience of audit and advisory work as a former senior manager in KPMG’s public sector audit and advisory team working with the NAO and Audit Commission, including supporting the development of medium term financial strategies, budget and financial management review methodologies and corporate services value for money benchmarking tools. Other past advisory roles have included secondments to Birmingham City Council to provide support on the Council’s Estates Development programme and the Home Office to help review proposals for Police mergers. Simon leads on CIPFA's financial resilience work and the delivery of our work for DLUHC in supporting financially challenged local authorities and recent reviews of workforce capacity and capability working with the LGA. He is currently supporting a number of authorities to assess their financial resilience and recovery plans and has also undertaken a number of reviews of high debt authorities and local authority companies. Thursday 16 October 2025 15:45–16:25 Local Government Reorganisation: Practical Advice and Support Aire Suite, Royal Armouries Go to session

Day One Day Two Previous Next Thursday 16 October 2025 Hall B, Royal Armouries 15:00–15:40 Workshop Life Safety First: Turning Risk into Assurance Speaker/s Lee Goodenough, Executive Director, Harmony Fire Lord Gary Porter, Political Leader and National Voice on Housing Safety Kevin Bolt MBA, Managing Director, Step-Change Management Eleanor Kelly, Former Chief Executive Session Outline and Objectives How do you save £20 million and shave six years off your building safety programme—without cutting corners? That’s exactly what Edinburgh Council achieved using the Life Safety First Framework : a board-level toolkit that turns unknown risk into full assurance, with resident safety at its core. In a post-Grenfell world, regulators, residents, and boards are demanding answers. Downgrades, budget chaos, and blind compliance are leaving councils exposed. And while AI and smart tech promise breakthroughs, without a solid safety framework they can create more confusion than clarity. This high-energy panel brings together: Lee Goodenough , CRO, who shaped the framework now transforming safety across the UK. Lord Gary Porter , political leader and national voice on housing safety. Takeaways A proven roadmap – how downgraded councils can restore credibility and regulatory confidence. Smarter investment – the £20m/6-year lesson: spending the right money on the right risks. Future-ready safety – why AI and smart tech only work when built on a strong, accurate analytical base. Come curious, leave equipped : this is not another policy talk—it’s a practical, regulator-aligned framework that could transform your council’s safety strategy, balance sheet, and reputation. Delivered by

Day One Day Two Previous Next Thursday 16 October 2025 City Square 08:30–10:15 Walking Study Tour Leeds South Bank Regeneration A tour of South Bank’s flagship developments including Aire Park and Points Cross, taking in transformational major mixed-use schemes, connectivity improvements, affordable housing and public realm projects. With the opportunity to explore the potential for infrastructure-led economic growth in this strategically located part of the city.

Day One Day Two Previous Next Friday 17 October 20225 Main Stage, New Dock Hall 12:50–13:00 President's Closing Speech Speaker/s Robin Tuddenham, President of Solace and Chief Executive, Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council

Richard GawthorpeGroup Business Development Director < Speakers < Previous Next > Richard Gawthorpe Group Business Development Director Norse Group As Norse Group Business Development Director, Richard is at the forefront of driving strategic client retention, acquiring new clients, and fostering revenue growth, all with a strong focus on sustainability and environmental consciousness. With over 30 years of experience in the built environment for private and public sectors, he understands that achieving a net-zero carbon future requires collaborative efforts and innovative solutions. Richard is known for his ability to cultivate long-term relationships and joint venture partnerships, which are crucial to… Show More

Day One Day Two Previous Next Thursday 16 October 2025 13:15–14:15 International Meeting and Lunch

Superintendent Leanne BlacklawSuperintendent < Speakers < Previous Next > Superintendent Leanne Blacklaw Superintendent Police Scotland Superintendent Leanne Blacklaw leads on work around mental health and suicide prevention as part of Police Scotland’s Policing Together portfolio. Prior to holding this national role, Leanne lead an area command in Angus Council area.

Stand TBC < Back CityFibre cityfibre.com As the UK’s largest independent full-fibre infrastructure platform, CityFibre provides hundreds of wholesale business and consumer ISPs as well as the public sector and mobile operators, with ultra-fast, reliable and futureproof connectivity. Its network is built to serve all sectors, including homes, businesses, schools, hospitals, GP surgeries and more.

All Speakers Mark Gannon Director of Client Solutions, Netcall Mark Gannon, Director of Client Solutions, Netcall. Former CIO at Sheffield City Council, Mark now works with over 30 local authorities to support digital transformation. He will set the stage by outlining the macro-level challenges and opportunities of devolution and service transformation through a digital lens. A senior leader from local government who will share insights from their council's digital transformation journey. They will cover the strategy, goals, and challenges faced during the transition, highlighting the importance of having a clear vision for digitisation and a solid delivery foundation. The session will also offer a practical perspective on achieving digital innovation and continuing service improvements amid significant governance changes. 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

Tim KleinschmidtHead of Service Design < Speakers < Previous Next > Tim Kleinschmidt Head of Service Design Cadence Innova Tim Kleinschmidt leads the service design practices for Cadence Innova with over fifteen years of experience designing and improving online and offline services within the public sector, with a focus on creating a better end-to-end experience. He is an intuitive customer-centric leader who combines systems thinking, design methodologies, best practices, process improvement techniques, and effective communication to bring people together to create better digital services and throughout his career focused on improving online and offline services in Defence, Energy, Health,… Show More