All Speakers Chris Naylor Solace Lead for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Chris Naylor is a respected public service leader and reformer with over 25 years’ experience transforming local government. Formerly Chief Executive of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, he led nationally recognised work on inclusive growth, civic engagement, and prevention. In 2020, he was seconded to Birmingham City Council to help steer the organisation through the pandemic and preparations for the Commonwealth Games, earning recognition as Municipal Journal’s Chief Executive of the Year . Now Managing Director at Inner Circle Consulting, Chris supports public institutions to design and deliver lasting social impact and financial sustainability. He also serves as a Trustee of the Design Council and childhood trauma charity Body & Soul. A Chartered Accountant and Cambridge graduate in Social and Political Sciences, Chris combines financial acumen with a passion for people, place and public purpose, advocating for bold, values-driven reform to create thriving, equitable communities. Thursday 16 October 2025 11:35–12:15 Equity and Purpose – Progress, Possibility and the Path Ahead Main Stage, New Dock Hall Go to session

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

All Speakers Kate Hurr Assistant Director, Digital Innovation and ICT, Cumberland Council Kate is a nationally recognised leader in local government digital transformation. She currently holds the position of Assistant Director for Digital Innovation and ICT at Cumberland Council where she is overseeing a complex technology change programme, navigating the challenges associated with local government reorganisation, ensuring a smooth transition from legacy authorities and the successful implementation of new technology strategies. With more than 20 years of experience in local government, Kate has played a pivotal role in delivering high-profile digital transformation programmes. Innovation is at the core of Kate’s approach. She leads teams that are harnessing emerging technologies, including robotic process automation, low-code platforms, and intelligent automation. Kate’s leadership was instrumental in Cumbria’s successful bid to host the nationally funded LocalGov Drupal website project. A passionate advocate for inclusive service design, cross-sector collaboration, and nurturing future technology leaders, Kate continues to champion transformation efforts that deliver improved outcomes for local communities and staff alike. 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

All Speakers Marcus Richards Partner in EY-Parthenon’s Infrastructure Advisory Practice, EY Marcus is a Partner in EY-Parthenon’s Infrastructure Advisory practice, where he leads the firm’s corporate finance work with local and regional government. He specialises in helping councils and combined authorities strengthen financial resilience and unlock investment to deliver major regeneration and infrastructure programmes. Marcus has advised on some of the UK’s most complex local government finance and place transformation challenges — from New Towns to Freeports — bringing together deep technical expertise with strategic insight from his PhD research into local government financial resilience. Thursday 16 October 2025 15:00–15:40 Investing in Place to Build Financial Resilience Aire Suite, Royal Armouries Go to session

All Speakers Dr Owen Williams OBE Chief Executive,Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust Owen started in post as Chief Executive of the NCA FT in November 2021. Prior to this appointment, he was Chief Executive of Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust (CHFT), a position which he has held since 2012. In 2020 he was granted the degree of Doctor of Business Administration by the University of Huddersfield following the successful completion of his thesis which commenced 6 years previously in 2014. In the 2019 New Year’s Honours list he was awarded an OBE for service to health care across West Yorkshire and was asked to lead a National piece of work across the NHS in England with regards to reducing Health Inequalities. He was previously Vice Chair of the NHS Confederation and prior to joining the NHS he has worked across Local Government including two roles as Chief Executive at Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council and Rossendale District Borough Council. Before working in the Public Sector, he worked in commercial business including his first employment at the Yorkshire Building Society. He is passionate about reducing health inequality and ensuring that no communities - regardless of race, colour or creed - get left behind. 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

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All Speakers Kamal Patel Partner in EY-Parthenon’s Infrastructure Advisory Pactice, EY Kamal is a Partner in EY’s Infrastructure Advisory practice, having joined from the Department for Transport, where he was the head of Corporate Finance, Real Estate and shareholding.  At EY, Kamal’s primary focus is on working with regional and national public sector clients to unlock economic growth by leveraging private finance to accelerate the delivery of infrastructure.  Kamal has over 25 years’ experience bringing together his unique background of being an advisor, lender and Government transactions principal for infrastructure projects. Thursday 16 October 2025 15:00–15:40 Investing in Place to Build Financial Resilience Aire Suite, Royal Armouries Go to session

All Speakers Nazeya Hussain Solace Lead for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Nazeya has worked in Local Government for over twenty-five years and is currently an Executive Director of Place in London. She specialises in urban regeneration and development. Her work continues to focus on how we design places and services to improve life chances for those who are marginalised and often not heard. She has a passion for enhancing community engagement and the needs to shift to more integrated forms of co-design and collaboration within communities. She has also held several non-executive roles including within an NHS Acute Trust and currently sits on the Solace Board as spokesperson on Equality Diversity and Inclusion. She is challenging the sector to develop new approaches to attracting and retaining a more diverse pool of talent that equips us to meet the future needs of the sector. Her successful podcast ‘Stories from Local Government’ features prominent leaders across the sector with the aim to celebrating public services and highlighting the amazing work that is done day in and day out across the country with the aim of inspiring more people to pursue a career in Local Government. She continues to use her experience and voice on issues of leadership, reform and diversity in public life. Thursday 16 October 2025 11:35–12:15 Equity and Purpose – Progress, Possibility and the Path Ahead Main Stage, New Dock Hall Go to session

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All Speakers Jon Gleek Head of Research, LGIU Jon joined LGIU in the summer of 2025 as Head of Research following over a decade of experience in local government in South Yorkshire and London. He has extensive experience of senior management and high-profile roles in councils related to population level research, academic partnerships, insight development for policy making and strategy development, change management and service improvement. Jon is responsible for the organisation’s research and insight function, leading the portfolio of LGIU’s research partnerships and managing the Local Democracy Research Centre. Thursday 16 October 2025 15:00–15:40 Shaping Communities – How Leaders Unlock Social and Economic Value Barton Suite, Royal Armouries Go to session

All Speakers John Clarke Head of Client Solution – Healthcare, Netcall John Clarke is Head of Client Solution – Healthcare at Netcall, leading strategy and partnerships across the NHS and wider health sector. A former Chief Information Officer with over two decades’ board-level experience, he is recognised for driving innovation in patient engagement, data-led decision making, and technology-enabled service redesign. Passionate about aligning local power with national ambition, John works with leaders across health and care to help deliver the 10-Year Health Strategy through more efficient, collaborative, and patient-focused services. 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