All Speakers Tom Stannard Chief Executive, Manchester City Council Tom Stannard is the Chief Executive of Manchester City Council, one of the largest Core Cities in the UK and a highly performing organisation of almost 7,000 staff. Manchester is a fast growing and diverse city of over 600,000 people, with a proud history of successfully competing on the global stage to attract investment, jobs and visitors. Tom works closely with Cllr Bev Craig as Leader of the Council, focussed on maximising these strengths and ensuring that growth generates benefits for the whole city, providing excellent day-to-day services and improving the lives of Manchester’s residents. Manchester is the major driver of regional growth across the 3M population, £87bn GDP Greater Manchester city region. The City Council is a key member of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and partner in the £8BN+ GMCA devolution programme, and Tom is currently the GMCA Chief Executive lead for the economy, business and international portfolio. He also leads Manchester’s integrated health and social care system as the designated Place-Based Lead for Manchester in the Greater Manchester Integrated Care System (ICS), with NHS Greater Manchester. Tom joined Manchester City Council following more than 27 years of experience in local government across the UK, including in Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire and London. Most recently he spent four years as the Chief Executive of Salford City Council, leading the Council to some of the highest levels of performance in the North West, and recognition in 2024 as City of the Year and the LGC’s Best Place to Work. He is nationally recognised as a leading voice in local government, and has a track record of delivery in regeneration, inclusive growth, public service reform and improving council services. Tom is a Chartered Surveyor, a Member and Chair of the UK Institute of Economic Development, and a Commissioner on the Living Wage Foundation for the UK. For a number of years, he has been a member, policy lead and spokesperson for Solace, currently on Health and Social Care 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 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 11:10–12:00 Leading Through A Crisis Main Stage, New Dock Hall Go to session

Dominic CollinsCorporate Director Growth & NEEB Lead < Speakers < Previous Next > Dominic Collins Corporate Director Growth & NEEB Lead Braintree District Council Dominic has spent over 20 years working in the public sector in roles across national and local government. Having begun his career in Whitehall, Dominic spent 15 years at Essex County Council working in various roles, including in the authority’s cabinet office, communications team and supporting the bid and delivery of the London 2012 Games. Dominic’s main focus at the council was supporting economic growth, skills development and housing delivery across the county, with his last role as Director responsible… Show More

Dr Fran LongstaffHead of Psychology < Speakers < Previous Next > Dr Fran Longstaff Head of Psychology Fika Dr Fran Longstaff is Head of Psychology at Fika. She is a chartered Psychologist and registered Sport Psychologist. Prior to Fika, Fran worked in academia for 17 years, published in a range of journals and provided psychological support to teams, coaches and athletes in a range of high-performance environments. Fran is passionate about sharing her knowledge of performance psychology with workplace teams and individuals, so that they can be at their best more of the time.

All Speakers Lord Gary Porter Political Leader and National Voice on Housing Safety Lord Gary Porter is a political leader and respected national voice on housing safety. With decades of public service, he has championed initiatives that protect residents and strengthen accountability. His influence spans policy, regulation, and advocacy, ensuring safety remains a priority in housing at both local and national levels. Thursday 16 October 2025 15:00–15:40 Life Safety First: Turning Risk into Assurance Hall B, Royal Armouries Go to session

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

Day One Day Two Previous Next Thursday 16 October 2025 Aire Suite, Royal Armouries 15:00–15:40 Workshop Investing in Place to Build Financial Resilience Speaker/s Kamal Patel, Partner in EY-Parthenon’s Infrastructure Advisory Practice, EY Marcus Richards, Partner in EY-Parthenon’s Infrastructure Advisory Practice, EY How can councils build long-term financial resilience through investment and regeneration? This roundtable will explore how public and private capital can be aligned to deliver growth, affordability, and inclusivity, whilst also strengthening financial resilience. It will draw from examples across the UK and globally, including housing, transport and other forms of social infrastructure. Discussion will cover the tools available to unlock regeneration, the attributes investors look for, and how funding reform and fiscal devolution could further strengthen local government financial sustainability. Delivered by

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

Adrian CooperCEO < Speakers < Previous Next > Adrian Cooper CEO Oxford Economics Adrian Cooper is responsible for coordinating and managing Oxford Economics' global economic analysis, forecasting and consultancy activities, and overseeing its global team of over 550 professionals including more than 350 economists and analysts. He has led Oxford Economics' work on a wide array of projects, ranging from policy advice to government departments in Europe, the US, Africa, and Asia to detailed analysis of the economic impact of particular industries and investment proposals. Adrian spent the first seven years of his… Show More

Simon AllsopManaging Consultant < Speakers < Previous Next > Simon Allsop Managing Consultant CIPFA Simon Allsop is a CIPFA qualified accountant and a Managing Consultant with CIPFA. He was previously the joint Director of Finance (Section 151 Officer) for both Derbyshire Police and Fire. He has 30 years of experience working with and in a range of public-sector bodies mainly local government, fire and police. He has extensive experience of audit and advisory work as a former senior manager in KPMG’s public sector audit and advisory team working with the NAO and Audit Commission,… Show More

Dr William BurnsSocial Care Policy Advisor < Speakers < Previous Next > Dr William Burns Social Care Policy Advisor CIPFA William leads on CIPFA’s work in adult and children’s social care. His work focuses on sustainable social care reform, and he has produced thought leadership in the areas of charging reform, children’s social care reform, Scotland’s National Care Service, social care funding, and demand management.

Daniella BarrowSenior Director of Consulting < Speakers < Previous Next > Daniella Barrow Senior Director of Consulting Norse Group As Senior Director of Consulting within the Norse Group, Daniella is responsible for the strategic delivery of partnerships and leading on the strategic direction for the Group’s professional property consultancy services for its joint venture and public sector clients. With a passion for creating better spaces for communities, Daniella has played a vital role working with public sector partners on many significant projects, working closely to deliver outstanding properties and places in the built environment. With over 20 years of… Show More

Day One Day Two Previous Next Thursday 16 October 2025 Barton Suite, Royal Armouries 15:45-16:25 Roundtable The Silent Stakeholder: Why Residents Deserve a Seat at the LGR Table Speaker/s Asim Ali, VP of UK Sales, Granicus Jonathan Bradley, Senior Experience Partner, Granicus As Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) continues to reshape the public sector landscape, many conversations understandably focus on governance, efficiency, and cost-saving. But what about the people these changes are ultimately meant to serve? This roundtable explores LGR through a different lens—that of the resident. While councils are working hard to manage complex transitions, there remains a widespread challenge: many residents are unclear about what LGR means, how it affects them, or even who their new council will be. This isn’t a failure of intent—it’s a call to strengthen communication and engagement strategies. As councils grow in size and scope, the need to segment audiences and deliver timely, relevant, and accessible information becomes more critical than ever. In this session, we’ll explore: Why resident understanding and engagement must be central to any successful LGR strategy. How to ensure residents feel informed, included, and supported throughout the LGR process. The role of digital engagement and human-centred design in building trust and clarity. Practical strategies for delivering the right message to the right people at the right time. How councils can balance internal transformation with external transparency. Join us for a thought-provoking discussion on how to make LGR not just a structural success—but a human one. Together, we’ll explore how councils can continue to lead with empathy, clarity, and purpose. Delivered by