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

Leigh Bowman-PerksCEO < Speakers < Previous Next > Leigh Bowman-Perks CEO Inspiring Leadership Foundation Leigh is a researcher and author of ‘Inspiring Women Leaders’ and forthcoming book ‘Inspiring Leadership & Toxic Turnarounds’, an international speaker, executive coach and facilitator. As a businesswoman and CEO of a charity that aims to improve the economic empowerment and safety of vulnerable women and children, she understands the challenges of leading teams and running a complex international organisation. She has made it her mission in life to develop more inspiring leaders globally, helping to change the landscape so… Show More

Martine Wright MBE < Speakers < Previous Next > Martine Wright MBE Martine Wright MBE , 7/7’s most injured survivor lost both legs in the Circle line bombing during the 2005 terrorist attacks on the London underground, yet she considers herself a lucky woman with a whole new life of opportunities. Martine Wright MBE has since rebuilt her life, skydived, learned to fly, become a wife, mother, captain of the British Paralympic Sitting volleyball team, Ambassador, Patron, an inspirational and motivational speaker and much more! On 6 July 2005 Martine Wright MBE… Show More

All Speakers Sarah Norman Chief Executive, Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, and Chair of the Yorkshire and Humber Councils’ Chief Executives’ Group Chief Executive of Barnsley Council since 2019 and previously Chief Executive of Dudley Council between 2015 and 2019. I am also the Chair of the Yorkshire and Humber Chief Executive’s Group, who support the Yorkshire Leaders Board to meet their priorities, explore policy issues and work collaboratively to address challenges faced by our councils and share good practice amongst our places. This includes working closely with our key partners and stakeholders, such as Yorkshire Universities. Before that my background was in Adults and Children’s services and I was previously both the DASS and the DCS at the City of Wolverhampton. I have also spent periods of time in central government agencies and the voluntary sector and did two terms as an elected member in Liverpool in the 1990s. Passionate about making a difference in our places I was delighted to see Barnsley receive the “double” win and crowned Council of the Year at both the LGC and MJ Awards in 2023 to reflect in particular our success at transforming our town centre to make Barnsley the Place of Possibilities. 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

Stand TBC < Back Zurich Municipal zurich.co.uk At Zurich Municipal, we help protect what matters to you. Since 1993, we’ve been insuring local authorities, schools and academies, housing associations, charities, voluntary organisations, clubs and community groups, and more. But we’re more than just an insurer. Our insurance supports society in ways you might not think. From providing access to flood prevention and safeguarding services, to protecting the physical and mental health of your team through access to nurses, counsellors and therapists. So you can protect their future in more ways than one. If you choose Zurich Municipal for public or voluntary sector insurance, you’ll have access to a dedicated Account Manager, who will develop an in-depth understanding of your organisation and your needs. They will act as a central point of contact to help with anything from making sure you have suitable cover in place, to providing risk mitigation guidance and checking the status of your claims.

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

Sarah HealeyPermanent Secretary of the Department < Speakers < Previous Next > Sarah Healey Permanent Secretary of the Department The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) Sarah Healey was appointed Permanent Secretary of the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) on 7 February 2023. Prior to this, she was Permanent Secretary of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) from 2019 and before that worked in the Cabinet Office where she was the Director General overseeing the development and implementation of economic and domestic policy following two and a half years working on negotiations and preparations for the UK to leave the… Show More

Stand TBC < Back Oracle www.oracle.com Oracle Corporation plays a vital role in empowering public services across the UK to innovate, adapt, and deliver better outcomes for citizens. As a trusted technology partner, Oracle supports government departments, local authorities, healthcare providers, and public agencies in modernising their operations—securely, efficiently, and at scale. With deep expertise in cloud, data, and digital transformation, Oracle enables public sector organisations to unlock the full value of their information, streamline complex processes, and enhance citizen experiences. Whether it's helping councils accelerate digital services, supporting healthcare organisations with data-driven decision-making, or enabling government bodies to collaborate more effectively, Oracle’s solutions are designed for resilience, security, and agility

Ste SharplesAssistant Director - People Management, ICT and Digital < Speakers < Previous Next > Ste Sharples Assistant Director - People Management, ICT and Digital St Helens Borough Council Ste has worked at the Council for almost 40 years, and spent many years in the Councils Development section designing and implementing a wide range of in-house systems, as well as supporting most of the package systems that the Council operates. A developer by background, Ste moved on from Development to become Head of IT, and then to his current role of Assistant Director for ICT & Digital, where he has recently delivered the Councils new ICT, Digital, and Data… Show More

Stand TBC < Back Workday www.workday.com In an era of unprecedented pressure, local government Chief Executives face a critical dual mandate: delivering efficient public services while driving transformational change. This requires a profound understanding of your organisation's greatest assets—your people and your finances. Yet, these two pillars often operate in fragmented, outdated systems that were not built for today's complexities, leading to costly, disruptive upgrades, and a siloed view that hinders strategic decision-making. Workday was founded on a different principle: a single, intelligent cloud platform for finance, HR, and planning. We provide a unified system that connects your entire organisation, providing real-time insight from a single source of truth. This empowers you to move beyond manual reconciliation and make agile, data-driven decisions that are essential for today's public services. Unlike legacy systems, our commitment to continuous innovation ensures you are always on the latest version without the burden of expensive, lengthy upgrade projects. The future of public service demands a new approach. Workday provides the clarity and agility to modernise your operations, ensuring you can lead with confidence and deliver exceptional outcomes for your communities. To learn how we're helping organisations across the UK, we invite you to explore more at workday.com/AI

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

< All sponsors Cratus cratus.co.uk Cratus Group is a specialist communications consultancy focused on local government, planning, and the built environment. We help organisations engage with communities, navigate politics, and tell their story with impact. Through strategic advice, public affairs, and creative campaigns, we connect people, places, and policy to deliver positive change.