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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

< Back Previous Business Partner Salesforce https://www.salesforce.com/uk/ Salesforce helps local government transform the way it serves residents and communities. By bringing data, services and interactions together on a secure, compliance-enabled cloud platform, Salesforce enables councils to deliver more connected resident experiences, streamline operations and empower staff to work more efficiently. With AI, Agentforce and automation built into the platform, local authorities can modernise services, reduce cost to serve and innovate faster - helping them deliver better outcomes for their communities. Next

All Speakers Brenda Orchard President of CAMA and Chief Administrative Officer, Lennox and Addington County Brenda Orchard is the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of Lennox and Addington County, Ontario, and currently serves as the President of the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators (CAMA). She has 25 years of experience in senior municipal administration and 16 years as a CAO. She has worked with Municipal Councils in three different provinces (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Ontario) and in both urban and rural settings. She has served as a CAO in Nova Scotia (Annapolis County) as well as Southwestern and Eastern Ontario (Huron County and currently Lennox and Addington County), and in both single-tier and upper-tier structures. She has a municipal background in Economic Development, having been a member of the Economic Developers Association of Canada (EDAC) for the past 25 years. Her passion now lies in employee engagement and staff development. She is dedicated to the growth and development of staff; believing that the success of our communities is predicated on high functioning staff teams that can work with Councils to realize a community's full potential. Brenda has served on many CAMA Committees in her seven years on the Board, but the Toolkit Committee has been her particular passion. She has worked on a number of resource documents to assist CAOs in navigating professional relationships with Councils and staff. She has been a member of the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators for 16 years. She is also a past member of the Board of Directors for the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO). Thursday 16 October 2025 12:15–13:15 International Perspective Main Stage, New Dock Hall Go to session

< Back Previous Org Brentwood Borough Council https://www.brentwood.gov.uk More information to come. Next

All Speakers Amy Harhoff Chief Executive, East Midlands Combined County Authority Amy Harhoff is the first permanent Chief Executive of the East Midlands Combined County Authority. Amy joined EMCCA from her role as Corporate Director for Regeneration, Economy, and Growth at Durham County Council. Her extensive leadership experience also includes senior leadership roles for West Mids, South Yorkshire Combined Authority, and Transport for Greater Manchester.   Working alongside Mayor Claire Ward, Amy is driving forward EMCCA’s ambitious agenda, focused on improving transport, housing, skills, employment, and climate resilience. Her leadership is rooted in inclusivity, collaboration and delivery, bringing together local authorities, businesses, and communities to unlock the region’s full potential.    With a clear vision for inclusive growth, Amy is harnessing the East Midlands’ strengths, from world-class universities and global industries to a thriving visitor economy and rich cultural heritage. Under her leadership, EMCCA is building a more connected, skilled, and sustainable region - one with a strong identity and shared purpose.  Thursday 16 October 2025 15:45–16:25 Delivering Together: How Local Authorities and Strategic Authorities Are Jointly Driving Place-Based Transformational Growth Hall B, Royal Armouries Go to session 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

Showcase Zone 12:45–12:55 Stockport: From Consultation to Co-Creation: Equality and Community Networks Rewiring the State Clare Redfern, Service Manager, Neighbourhood Coordination and Support Service, Stockport Council Read More Victoria Shaw,Chief Operating Officer, Sector 3 Read More Previous Five years ago, Stockport Council and its voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise partners set up Equality and Community Networks to reach the communities traditional consultation was missing. Hear how they now give communities a direct route into policy, commissioning and service design. Next

All Speakers Jonathan Clifton Director of Strategy and Communications, Sheffield City Council Thursday 16 October 2025 15:45-16:25 Test, Learn and Grow: How Do We Build a Movement? Hotot Suite, Royal Armouries Go to session

All Speakers Diksha Vyas Head of Digital Change and Service Improvement, Bracknell Forest Council Diksha is a digital and transformation leader with over 30 years’ experience across the public and private sectors. She currently leads digital change and service improvement at Bracknell Forest Council, where she has spent over a decade delivering strategic transformation across the organisation. Diksha heads a multidisciplinary team that operates through a user-centred, agile model, embedding continuous improvement and aligning digital delivery to corporate goals. She is known for building strong, high performing teams and creating a culture that empowers people to innovate, adapt, and deliver meaningful impact. She is deeply passionate about fostering greater collaboration across the local government sector, sharing insight, solving problems collectively, and strengthening sector wide capacity. A current participant in the Solace AMPlify programme, Diksha champions inclusive, values led leadership and looks forward to exploring the power of cross council collaboration during her session at the Solace Summit. Thursday 16 October 2025 15:00–15:40 Future-Ready Councils: If we can share a problem, we can share a solution Bury Theatre, Royal Armouries Go to session

Compere 10:30 Conference Commences Main Stage Victoria Derbyshire, Journalist and BBC Topical News Presenter Read More Previous Next

Showcase Zone 13:30–13:40 Blackburn with Darwen: The Trojan Horse of Leadership Development Rewiring the State Claire Trickett, Workforce and Organisational Development Consultant, Blackburn with Darwen Council Read More Sue Featherstone, Solace Associate and Director, Developing Success Read More Previous The Trojan Horse of Leadership Development: How building internal coaching capability unlocked vertical development across the organisation Developing coaching capability strengthens both individual leaders and the wider system. Leaders become more self-aware, purposeful, and inclusive - while also developing others through everyday interactions. This creates a ripple effect across the organisation, supporting culture change, improving wellbeing, and enabling more adaptive, equitable leadership. Next

Amanda CoulthardHead of Strategy and Performance < Speakers < Previous Next > Amanda Coulthard Head of Strategy and Performance Scottish Police Authority Amanda leads the Strategy and Performance function and reports into the Deputy Chief Executive (Strategy & Performance). Amanda joined the Authority in February 2021 from a role in West Dunbartonshire Council as the performance advisor to the Chief Executive and Elected Members, leading a team responsible for: Strategic Planning & Performance; Data Analysis; Policy; Consultation & Engagement; Equalities; Community Planning; Partnerships and Local Scrutiny. As the Head of Strategy & Performance for the SPA Amanda leads the Authority’s approach to… Show More

Previous Next Samantha Allen CBE Chief Executive, NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board Samantha (Sam) was appointed as chief executive of the North East and North Cumbria ICB in January 2022 ahead of the ICB becoming a statutory organisation in July 2022. Sam is an experienced NHS Chief Executive, prior to the ICB she led an NHS Foundation Trust for five years. Sam is a Chartered Manager and Companion of the Chartered Management Institute and holds an MBA from Aston University. In June 2026 Sam was awarded a CBE for services to the NHS. Sam is a member of The Kings Fund General Advisory Council and a former fellow of St. George's House, Windsor Castle. Sam is also interim regional director for NHS England North East and Yorkshire. 14:00–15:00 Main Stage The Future of Health and Care: Reform, Partnership and Place Sub Plenary View Session Speakers: Alison Barker , Chief Executive, North Lincolnshire Council and Solace Deputy Policy Lead for Health and Social Care (Chair) Ben Dyson , Director, Integrated Care and Care Partnerships, Adult Social Care Group, Department of Health and Social Care Samantha Allen CBE , Chief Executive, NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board