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Stand TBC < Back Robertson Group www.robertson.co.uk Robertson is one of the largest family-owned construction, infrastructure, and support service businesses in the UK. Our portfolio of businesses have extensive expertise in developing, delivering and maintaining buildings and infrastructure for our customers across the UK. At Robertson, we listen, we are professional, we take responsibility and work as one team. These time-tested principles guide how we work and what our customers can expect. Our capabilities and size as a business have grown over the past five decades, but our purpose has remained the same: to assure a sustainable future. As one of the joint founders of Clear Futures, which provides flexible strategic partnerships, we collaborate with the public and private sectors to help our partners overcome built environment challenges and drive change in their communities faster and more effectively. We combine the specialist expertise of industry experts with those in our customers’ organisations at the time that’s right for them. Through collaboration we deliver transformational change within local communities, with a focus on strategic support, strategic asset management, regeneration, decarbonisation, renewable energy and sustainability. Recent successes include the award-winning restoration of Bolton Library, delivered through a partnership that has secured over £75m of grant funding, generated over £100m of local economic benefit and created 40% social value for the town. Through Clear Futures, we support the public sector to address local priorities over the long term, and plan value-based routes to delivering energy-efficient, cost-effective infrastructure and services that create lasting impact in our communities.

Day One Day Two Previous Next Thursday 16 October 2025 Pearl Suite, Royal Armouries 15:00–15:40 Workshop Navigating Local Government Reform: Lessons from the Digital Frontline of Devolution Speaker/s Mark Gannon, Director of Client Solutions, Netcall Craig Barker, Senior Manager – Digital and Customer Experience, Cumberland Council Kate Hurr, Assistant Director – Digital Innovation and ICT, Cumberland Council With local government reform reshaping councils across England, leaders face an urgent challenge: how to deliver seamless, citizen-centric services while navigating the complexity of system consolidation, workforce transitions, and operational realignment. In this session, we bring together those who have been through it to share hard-won insights on what works - and what doesn’t - when transforming service delivery amidst structural change. Join us for a discussion that blends strategic vision with real-world experience. The speakers will explore the ‘why’ of reform - unlocking efficiencies, economies of scale, and aligning services to citizen needs - while tackling the practical hurdles: multiple IT systems, complex migrations and integrations and the impact on people and processes. Expect candid reflections, actionable insights and a roadmap for delivering effective, digital-first services in the face of local government reform. Takeaways Get real-world, practical advice – This session focuses on actionable insights from those who have done it, rather than high-level theory. Avoid common pitfalls – Learn from the challenges and successes of others to make informed decisions in your own digital transformation journey. Stay ahead of change – Gain the knowledge and confidence to proactively shape your council’s approach, rather than reacting under pressure. Delivered by

Dominic CampbellFellow < Speakers < Previous Next > Dominic Campbell Fellow Georgetown University Dominic is a public service entrepreneur with a background in design and technology-led organisational change, strategy and leadership. He is passionate about the role of 21st century tools and ways of working in transforming our organisations and our economy, acting as an advisor and thought leader to all levels of government. With senior leadership experience in government, Dominic has delivered large change initiatives within government, most recently leading transformation at Homes England as their first Chief Digital Officer. He was… Show More

Tom StannardChief Executive < Speakers < Previous Next > Tom Stannard Chief Executive Salford City Council Tom’s professional background is in regeneration, economic development and skills.  From 2018-21 he was Wakefield Council’s Corporate Director of Regeneration and Economic Growth, a key member of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority in one of the fastest growing economies within the Leeds City Region, the UK’s biggest economic area outside London.  His previous career roles include Director of Economy and Skills at Oldham Council in Greater Manchester, Deputy Chief Executive of the UK Learning and Work Institute, and senior leadership… Show More

All Speakers Mark Rogers Chief Executive, The Leadership Centre Mark has extensive leadership experience across education, local, regional and national government. He has been a teacher and head teacher in a variety of special schools between 1985 and 2001. Subsequently, in local government, he became a Director of Children’s Services (Solihull 2006-09) and twice a council Chief Executive (Solihull 2007-14 and Birmingham 2014-17). Following 15 months of consultancy work with KPMG and CollaborateCIC, in June 2018 Mark became Director General for Children, Young People, Education and Skills for the Government of Jersey. In January 2022, Mark moved back to the UK to become chief executive of the Leadership Centre and, since August 2023, he complemented this role first with leading the team tasked with establishing the new East Midlands Combined County Authority (2023-25) and presently supporting the establishment of the Hull and East Yorkshire Combined Authority (2025 -ongoing). Friday 17 October 20225 10:00–10:50 Storming and Forming: The Creation of Combined and Strategic Authorities Main Stage, New Dock Hall Go to session

Leanda CableLead Specialist in Strategy & Resource Directorate < Speakers < Previous Next > Leanda Cable Lead Specialist in Strategy & Resource Directorate Maldon District Council Leanda has worked in local government for 18 years mainly specialising in skills and economic development. She has a passion for delivering projects for local businesses and communities. In her current role, Leanda is leading on Maldon District Council’s UK Shared and Rural England Prosperity Fund allocations and delivering the Corporate Plan Priority of Helping the Economy to Thrive.

All Speakers Asim Ali VP of UK Sales, Granicus For almost 25 years, Asim has worked closely with Public Sector organisations, helping them use digital tools, technology, and consultancy to gain better outcomes for their customers, whilst creating significant internal efficiencies and cost-savings. Over the last decade, UK public sector bodies, have been under tremendous pressure to continue to provide services to their communities whilst having to make huge cuts to their budgets. Over 450 public sector agencies have turned to Granicus to help them to reach and engage with their audiences and provide improved ways of managing customer interactions. From outbound communication tools to public consultations, to online service provision, to CRM, to workflow automation and more, we have a platform that helps public sector organisations to transform how they deliver services and information for their communities. We also have the consultancy knowledge and expertise to help our customers to design and build human-centred services, campaigns and engagement strategies. We are driven by knowing that our solutions make a real difference, not only to our customers, but to the lives of the citizens that they serve. Thursday 16 October 2025 15:45-16:25 The Silent Stakeholder: Why Residents Deserve a Seat at the LGR Table Barton Suite, Royal Armouries Go to session

All Speakers Dr Peter O’Brien Executive Director, Yorkshire Universities Peter leads the Yorkshire Universities’ (YU) Executive Team, and he is the Company Secretary for the Limited Company and Charity. With over two decades’ experience, as a practitioner and academic, Peter has driven YU’s increasing and influential policy engagement activity, including YU’s strategic relationships with local government and combined authorities in Yorkshire. He has worked extensively at a senior level across the north of England and published widely on research relating to local and regional development. He represents YU and the higher education sector on many high-level national and regional groups. Peter is a Commissioner on the Yorkshire and Humber Climate Commission, and a member of the Universities UK Civic and Local Growth Network Steering Group. 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

Day One Day Two Previous Next Thursday 16 October 2025 Main Stage, New Dock Hall 11:15–11:25 Presidents Opening Speech Speaker/s Robin Tuddenham, President of Solace and Chief Executive, Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council

Kim WrightChief Executive < Speakers < Previous Next > Kim Wright Chief Executive London Borough of Brent Kim has been Chief Executive of Brent Council since May 2023 and leads a workforce of 2500 people in a community of 340,000 residents. Before joining Brent, she was Chief Executive of Lewisham Council where she led the council’s response to the global pandemic. Kim has worked in Local Government for over 32 years and has spent 25 years working in London’s local authorities, including senior roles at Hackney Council and Barnet Council, responsible for a large range of… Show More

Stand TBC < Back PSTAX pstax.co.uk PSTAX: Public Sector Tax Experts PSTAX is the UK’s leading specialist provider of tax advisory and compliance services to the public sector. For over 22 years, we’ve worked with hundreds of local authorities, police forces, fire services, NHS bodies, and other public organisations, helping them with expert VAT, employment taxes, and other specialist tax services. Our team comprises former public sector tax professionals and HMRC officers who understand the unique challenges and financial pressures faced by public bodies. We offer practical, tailored solutions that are both compliant and value-for-money, enabling our clients to maximise tax recovery, mitigate risk, and improve efficiency. In addition to expert consultancy, PSTAX delivers a comprehensive suite of support services including training, VAT health checks, employment tax reviews, and an all-taxes helpline (a key feature of our subscription service, PSTAX Club). Our clients value us for our depth of knowledge and experience, our proactive advice, and our commitment to delivering tangible financial benefits We pride ourselves on our strong relationships with HMRC, allowing us to resolve issues swiftly and ensure our methodologies are robust and acceptable. From agreeing one-off exceptional partial exemption breaches to managing the off-payroll working rules and tax implications of service transformations, PSTAX brings clarity and confidence. As a trusted partner to the public sector, we are proud to support SOLACE and its members in driving financial resilience and good governance across UK public services. To learn more about how we can support your organisation, visit www.pstax.co.uk or contact us at devolutionlgr@pstax.co.uk .

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