08:30–10:15 Summit Delegates: Optional Pre-Conference Walking Study Tours Leeds South Bank Regeneration City Square Regeneration, Culture and Public Art City Square 2025 Programme Day One Day Two 09:15–09:30 Springboard Registration Spring and Summer 25/26 cohorts only Pearl Suite, Royal Armouries 09:30–10:30 Springboard Session Spring and Summer 25/26 cohorts only Pearl Suite, Royal Armouries Facilitator: Liz McQue , Solace Associate Guest Speaker: Robin Tuddenham , Solace President and Chief Executive at Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council 09:15–09:45 New to Summit? First Time Delegates Welcome and Registration Foyer, New Dock Hall 10:00–11:00 Registration All Delegates Foyer, New Dock Hall 10:00–11:00 Exhibition and Refreshments Exhibition, New Dock Hall 11:00–13:15 Featured Compère and Chair: Kirsty Wark Speaker, award-winning journalist and presenter Kirsty Wark will be leading the following sessions. Exhibition, New Dock Hall 11:05–11:15 Welcome from Leeds City Council Main Stage, New Dock Hall Guest Speaker: Ed Whiting , Chief Executive of Leeds City Council 11:15–11:25 Solace President's Opening Speech Main Stage, New Dock Hall Speaker: Robin Tuddenham , Solace President & Chief Executive at Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council 11:25–11:35 Keynote: Finding Home in Halifax: Stela’s Story Main Stage, New Dock Hall Speaker: Stela, service user at St Augustine’s Centre, Halifax 11:35–12:15 Equity and Purpose – Progress, Possibility, and the Path Ahead Main Stage, New Dock Hall Speakers: Chris Naylor, Solace Lead for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Nazeya Hussain , Solace Lead for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion 12:15–13:15 International Perspective Main Stage, New Dock Hall Speakers: Mike Land , President Elect, International City/County Management Association (ICMA) Brenda Orchard , President of CAMA and Chief Administrative Officer, Lennox and Addington County Craig Swift-McNair, General Manager, Woollahra Council, Sydney, Australia 13:15–14:15 Exhibition and Lunch Exhibition, New Dock Hall 14:15–14:55 Sub-Plenary A: Local Power, National Plan: Delivering the 10-Year Health Strategy This session will be held under Chatham House Rule. Bury Theatre, Royal Armouries Chair: John Clarke , Head of Client Solution – Healthcare, Netcall Speakers: Tom Stannard , Chief Executive, Manchester City Council and Solace Policy Lead for Health and Social Care Dr Owen Williams , Chief Executive, Northern Care Alliance Sub-Plenary B: 1.5 Million Homes: Ambition, Action, and Accountability This session will be held under Chatham House Rule. Pearl Suite, Royal Armouries Chair: Jon Rouse CBE , Chief Executive, Stoke on Trent City Council and Solace Policy Lead for Housing, Planning & Infrastructure Speaker: Joanna Key , Director General, Regeneration, Housing and Planning, MHCLG 15:00–15:40 Roundtable 1A: Investing in Place to Build Financial Resilience Aire Suite, Royal Armouries Roundtable 1B: Shaping Communities – How Leaders Unlock Social and Economic Value Barton Suite, Royal Armouries Workshop 1A: Amplify – Future Ready Councils: If We Can Share a Problem, We Can Share a Solution Bury Theatre, Royal Armouries Workshop 1B: Navigating Local Government Reform: Lessons from the Digital Frontline of Devolution Pearl Suite, Royal Armouries Workshop 1C: Cross-party Working Against a Backdrop of No Overall Control Royal Armouries Hall A, Royal Armouries Workshop 1D: Life Safety First: Turning Risk into Assurance Royal Armouries Hall B, Royal Armouries 15:45–16:25 Workshop 2A: The Leader’s Mirror: Defining the Legacy You Leave Behind Bury Theatre, Royal Armouries Workshop 2B: Public Collaborations: What Are They For? Who Does All the Work? How Long Do They Last? And Who Really Benefits? Pearl Suite, Royal Armouries Workshop 2C: Leading with Purpose: Exploring the Nexus of Strategy and Leadership in Local Government Royal Armouries Hall A, Royal Armouries Workshop 2D: Delivering Together: How Local Authorities and Strategic Authorities Are Jointly Driving Place-Based Transformational Growth Royal Armouries Hall B, Royal Armouries Roundtable 2A : Local Government Reorganisation: Practical Advice and Support Aire Suite, Royal Armouries Roundtable 2B: The Silent Stakeholder: Why Residents Deserve a Seat at the LGR Table Barton Suite, Royal Armouries Roundtable 2C: Test, Learn and Grow: How Do We Build a Movement? Hotot Suite, Royal Armouries Main Stage, New Dock Hall Speaker: Lemn Sissay OBE FRSL , British Author and Broadcaster 16:30–17:30 Keynote: Empowering the Vulnerable: Lemn Sissay’s Journey of Advocacy and Change 17:30–18:15 Drinks Reception Exhibition, New Dock Hall Kindly sponsored by Transform. 18:15 Day One Close Exhibition, New Dock Hall 19:15–20:00 Presidential Drinks Reception Asia and Africa Gallery, Royal Armouries Kindly sponsored by Zellis. 20:00–00:00 Summit Charity Dinner Royal Armouries Hall, Royal Armouries Proudly supporting YoungMinds and St. Augustine's Centre. Please give generously . Dinner drinks kindly sponsored by Newtrality.

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.

All Speakers Andrew Ferrier Chief Executive, Test Valley Borough 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

Day One Day Two Previous Next Thursday 16 October 2025 Bury Theatre, Royal Armouries 15:00–15:40 Workshop Future-Ready Councils: If we can share a problem, we can share a solution Speaker/s Diksha Vyas, Head of Digital Change and Service Improvement, Bracknell Forest Council Tracey Anderson, Head of Scrutiny and Ward Forums, London Borough of Hackney This session sets out a bold new approach: a federated, public sector-led consultancy model that brings councils together to co-design scalable solutions to shared challenges. Grounded in shared expertise, co-creation, and equity, this model aims to eliminate duplication, level the playing field, and accelerate progress for all—empowering a more collaborative, future-ready public sector. We believe the future of local government delivery lies in enabling people across our councils to lead change with shared purpose, and to collaborate across organisational and geographic boundaries. Big Idea: A Sector-Led Consultancy Model for Shared Challenges Let’s ask some difficult questions: How much is each council spending on software, consultants, and bespoke solutions to tackle the same problems? How many of us depend on “luck”—a good account manager, a standout hire, or a place in a central government pilot—to make progress? What happens to councils that miss out, but still face the same pressures? And what about the systems and services we tolerate—not because they work, but because the cost or risk of change feels too high? Now imagine a future where: Councils pool their talent, experience, and creativity to design common solutions. A national challenge, such as improving EHCP outcomes or reducing housing pressures, is tackled by a multi-disciplinary team drawn from across authorities. These solutions—whether new processes, policy frameworks, or digital prototypes—are freely shared, adapted locally, and scaled. No council is left behind, because innovation is a shared sector asset, not a privilege. This model functions as a public sector “think-and-do tank,” built from within by the people who understand the challenges best. It’s practical. It’s equitable. And it’s entirely achievable. Takeaways A compelling new vision for collaborative delivery across local government Inspiration from leaders who have embraced courage, purpose, and systems thinking Practical pathways to get involved—from digital participation to secondments Energy, ambition, and momentum to help shape a shared delivery future Delivered by

All Speakers Jonathan Bradley Senior Experience Partner, Granicus Jonathan Bradley leads the UK arm of Granicus’ Experience Services, where he partners exclusively with public sector organisations to design modern, meaningful customer experiences. As a Senior Experience Partner, he’s passionate about making public services more accessible, intuitive, and impactful—helping people get what they need, when they need it, with ease. With over 25 years of experience across the public sector, Jonathan brings deep insight and a human-centred mindset to digital transformation. His mission? To help organisations shift from process-driven systems to people-first solutions that genuinely improve lives and strengthen communities. Outside of work, Jonathan finds harmony in music—he’s a proud member of the Mousehole Male Voice Choir, where he lends his voice to a tradition that celebrates community, culture, and connection. Thursday 16 October 2025 15:45-16:25 The Silent Stakeholder: Why Residents Deserve a Seat at the LGR Table Barton Suite, Royal Armouries Go to session

Vicky WillettDirector for Policy and Transformation < Speakers < Previous Next > Vicky Willett Director for Policy and Transformation St Helens Borough Council Vicky is Director for Policy and Transformation at St Helens Council with responsibility for ICT and Digital, organisational transformation, people management and performance improvement. Vicky is a people-focused leader, passionate about leveraging data and technology to achieve better outcomes for people and places.

All Speakers Rosa Foster Director, Yorkshire and Humber Climate Commission Rosa is a climate and environment specialist with over 20 years’ experience in leading operational programmes, including partnership-led major infrastructure schemes. As Director of the Leeds and Yorkshire & Humber Climate Commissions, she works at the nexus of stakeholders — government, academia, industry and communities — to translate evidence into practical climate policy and action. Thursday 16 October 2025 15:00–15:40 Shaping Communities – How Leaders Unlock Social and Economic Value Barton Suite, Royal Armouries Go to session

Day One Day Two Previous Next Thursday 16 October 2025 Hall B, Royal Armouries 15:00–15:40 Workshop Life Safety First: Turning Risk into Assurance Speaker/s Lee Goodenough, Executive Director, Harmony Fire Lord Gary Porter, Political Leader and National Voice on Housing Safety Kevin Bolt MBA, Managing Director, Step-Change Management Eleanor Kelly, Former Chief Executive Session Outline and Objectives How do you save £20 million and shave six years off your building safety programme—without cutting corners? That’s exactly what Edinburgh Council achieved using the Life Safety First Framework : a board-level toolkit that turns unknown risk into full assurance, with resident safety at its core. In a post-Grenfell world, regulators, residents, and boards are demanding answers. Downgrades, budget chaos, and blind compliance are leaving councils exposed. And while AI and smart tech promise breakthroughs, without a solid safety framework they can create more confusion than clarity. This high-energy panel brings together: Lee Goodenough , CRO, who shaped the framework now transforming safety across the UK. Lord Gary Porter , political leader and national voice on housing safety. Takeaways A proven roadmap – how downgraded councils can restore credibility and regulatory confidence. Smarter investment – the £20m/6-year lesson: spending the right money on the right risks. Future-ready safety – why AI and smart tech only work when built on a strong, accurate analytical base. Come curious, leave equipped : this is not another policy talk—it’s a practical, regulator-aligned framework that could transform your council’s safety strategy, balance sheet, and reputation. Delivered by

All Speakers Lee Goodenough Executive Director, Harmony Fire Lee Goodenough, Executive Director at Harmony Fire, has been instrumental in shaping the framework now transforming safety across the UK. With a proven track record of leadership and innovation, Lee drives change that ensures compliance, strengthens resilience, and raises safety standards, influencing the way organisations and communities protect people nationwide. Thursday 16 October 2025 15:00–15:40 Life Safety First: Turning Risk into Assurance Hall B, Royal Armouries Go to session