Kath O'DwyerChief Executive < Speakers < Previous Next > Kath O'Dwyer Chief Executive St Helen’s Borough Council Kath joined St Helens Borough Council in March 2020 as Chief Executive. Prior to this she held the Chief Executive role in Cheshire East Council for 3½ years. Kath has worked in local government for most of her career (38+years), working in several North West local authorities including Lancashire, Rochdale, Knowsley, Halton, and Warrington councils. During this time Kath also worked as National Director in Ofsted and for 3 years was part of a government commissioned intervention team in Stoke-on… Show More

All Speakers Lemn Sissay OBE FRSL Playwright, memoirist, performer and broadcaster Google “Lemn Sissay” and all the return hits will be about him. There is only one person in the world named Lemn Sissay Awarded the 2024 Hay medal for poetry Lemn Sissay OBE FRSL is also a playwright, memoirist, performer and broadcaster. His latest book “Let The Light Pour In” is a Sunday Times Best Seller. The paperback comes out in 2025. His autobiography My name is Why was a Number One Sunday Times Best Seller. In 2021 he helped select the work for Hold Still which also became a Sunday Times Bestseller. His Theatre adaptation of Benjamin Zephaniah’s Refugee Boy is a text on The National Curriculum. In 2022 he was made a Fellow of The Royal Society of Literature. In September 2024 Sissay was made honorary fellow of Mansfield College Oxford and 2020 he became Honorary Fellow at Jesus College Cambridge. Lemn was named MBE for services to literature, awarded by The Queen at Buckingham Palace and then he was named OBE for services to Literature and Charity, awarded by King Charles at Windsor Castle in 2023. He was chancellor of University of Manchester from 2015 to 2023. He is the only Guest Director of Brighton Festival two have been two years (2020 and 2021). In 2024 he was the curator of the first Ethiopia Pavilion at Venice Biennale 2024. He has read poetry on stages throughout the world: from The Library of Congress in The United States to The National Theatre in Addis Ababa. From the Opera House of Dubai in The United Emirates to London Palladium in England. Sissay was the first poet commissioned to write for The Olympics in 2012. His Olympic poem Spark Catchers is a landmark poem on Queen Elizabeth Park today. His other landmark Poems are in Manchester London and Addis Ababa. There have been a few BBC TV documentaries about his life the latest is “The memory of me”. Listen to his desert Island Discs on BBC Radio 4 or “Origin Stories” his series on Superheroes relating to the care system. His Channel Four Documentary “Superkids” was nominated for BAFTA, Broadcast and Grierson Awards. Lemn Sissay has received seven Honorary Doctorates at Universities throughout UK.. He is presently Honorary Bencher at The Inner Temple. He is Honorary Chair of creative writing at The University of Manchester. Lemn was approached by The City of London and accepted Freedom of The City of London. To be approached in such a way is an honour which includes Nelson Mandela. He has been photographed by Steve McCurry, Rankin, Zoë Law and Ethiopia’s greatest living photographer Aida Muluneh. A painting of Lemn is in The National Portrait gallery. He is trustee of The Foundling Museum under its new director Emma Ridgway and he is founding trustee of The Gold From The Stone Foundation which supports Christmas Dinners for Care Leavers on Christmas Day. Thursday 16 October 2025 16:30–17:30 Empowering the Vulnerable: Lemn Sissay's Journey of Advocacy and Change Main Stage, New Dock Hall Go to session

Abi GbagoChief Executive < Speakers < Previous Next > Abi Gbago Chief Executive London Borough of Newham Abi Gbago started as Newham Council’s permanent Chief Executive in September 2023. Abi has extensive experience including most recently as the Executive Director of Children and Education at Bristol City Council with responsibilities including community safety and employment, skills and learning. Working closely with Mayor of Bristol, cabinet members and the senior leadership team in one of the largest Core City Councils in the UK, she has been instrumental in developing and implementing a transformation programme to deliver improved services… Show More

Gordon WilmottHead of Market for Public Services < Speakers < Previous Next > Gordon Wilmott Head of Market for Public Services Zurich Municipal Gordon Wilmott is Head of Market for Public Services at Zurich Municipal, where he leads the division in meeting the needs of its customers – local authorities from small parish councils to counties and everything in between. Providing tailored risk management and insurance solutions to support clients in maximising their impact and delivering for their communities. Gordon has also lead the division supporting the Third Sector in his time with Zurich Municipal. Prior to his roles in ZM, Gordons career… Show More

All Speakers Kathryn Rees Executive Director Corporate and Support Services, Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council Kathryn has extensive experience of leading transformation and change in Local Government through several roles in Stockport and Wigan Council. She is passionate about improving the lives of people and communities. She joined Stockport Council as the Director of Strategy in June 2019 and is currently the Executive Director for Corporate and Support Services, where she has responsibility for finance, legal and democratic services, workforce, communications, strategy, digital, data, partnerships and community engagement. She also led the development of Stockroom, a project to transform vacant retail units into a new innovative space for creativity, discovery and learning. Kathryn plays a key role in the Health and Care partnership, providing leadership for enabling programmes including workforce, data, digital, estates, communication and engagement. She also chairs the Greater Manchester Smart Cities Board. Kathryn previously worked for 9 years in Wigan Council where, as Assistant Director of Transformation, she played an integral part in the design and delivery of the Wigan Deal which transformed the way the council worked with communities. Kathryn joined Mencap as a trustee in January 2022. In addition to the board, she is a member of the Delivery and Strategic Impact Committee. Since May 2024 Kathryn has also sat on the board of Care City, a community interest company delivering health and social care transformation. Thursday 16 October 2025 15:00–15:40 Cross-party Working Against a Backdrop of No Overall Control Hall A, Royal Armouries Go to session

< All sponsors Commercial Services Group Stand 8 www.commercialservices.org.uk Commercial Services Group is owned by the public sector, for the public sector. We collaborate with local authorities nationwide to help people live, learn and thrive. From energy and environment to procurement, talent, and education, we deliver sustainable solutions that strengthen communities and maximise social impact in challenging times.

< All sponsors Lightning Reach Stand 1 www.lightningreach.org Lightning Reach is a financial support portal that makes it easy for people to find and apply for a wide range of personalised support in one place.

BECOME A SPEAKER Share your expertise Session submissions for this year’s Summit are now closed. Thank you to everyone who contributed their ideas.

Professor Catherine StaiteEmeritus Professor of Public Management < Speakers < Previous Next > Professor Catherine Staite Emeritus Professor of Public Management University of Birmingham Professor Catherine Staite LLB, MBA, FRSA is an Emeritus Professor of Public Management at the University of Birmingham. She is involved in research and consultancy, specialising in leadership and governance. She currently works with Darlingburn Ltd, providing specialist consultancy in governance, especially where councils are at high risk of failure. She is a former Director of the Institute of Local Government Studies (INLOGOV) and a former Director of the Office for Public Management. Between 2001 and 2005 she worked for… Show More

Sarah ForsterCEO & Co- Founder < Speakers < Previous Next > Sarah Forster CEO & Co- Founder The Good Economy Sarah Forster is CEO and Co-Founder of The Good Economy (TGE), a leading impact advisory firm dedicated to enhancing the contribution of business and finance to inclusive and sustainable development. She has been at the forefront of finance for positive impact for more than 25 years, working in the fields of sustainable economic development, development finance, and impact measurement and management both internationally and in the UK. She combines a strong knowledge of public and private sector development policy issues… Show More

< All sponsors Granicus Stand 6 granicus.uk Granicus is the global leader in digital engagement solutions for the public sector, connecting 500,000+ professionals with 350M+ subscribers. Its cloud-based platform streamlines communication, citizen engagement, websites, and services—powering 30B+ interactions annually across the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand to build stronger government-community relationships.

Henry StratfordAssistant Director < Speakers < Previous Next > Henry Stratford Assistant Director Outcomes Matter Consulting Henry is Assistant Director for Outcomes Matter Consulting – who lead people and change management projects focused on emerging technologies. Henry has extensive experience leading change projects with local authorities, particularly in children's services. He understands how to get things done as well as bring people along that journey. He believes that collaboration and partnerships are the best way to have the biggest social impact – and is excited about the partnership between Agilisys Transform, Outcomes Matter, Datnexa, and local… Show More