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Mark LawrenceICT Service and Operations Manager < Speakers < Previous Next > Mark Lawrence ICT Service and Operations Manager Stroud District Council Mark Lawrence's career has been based around Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Mark started as an apprentice and then became a Service Desk Support Technician after a year. He then delved into the Infrastructure and Security side of the industry for the next 12 years before reaching management level. Mark's current role is ICT Security and Operations Manager. When he applied for Amplify, he was the Service Delivery Manager. The change to my job role means I am now responsible… Show More

Day One Day Two Previous Next Thursday 16 October 2025 Bury Theatre, Royal Armouries 14:15–14:55 Sub Plenary Local Power, National Plan: Delivering the 10-Year Health Strategy Chair John Clarke, Head of Client Solution – Healthcare, Netcall Speaker/s Tom Stannard, Chief Executive, Manchester City Council, and Solace Policy Lead for Health & Social Care Dr Owen Williams OBE, Chief Executive, Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust This session will examine the strategic and policy dimensions of the 10-Year Health Plan, focusing on its implications for local government leadership, planning, and delivery. As national health priorities shift toward prevention, integration, and place-based approaches, local authorities are being called upon to play a more central role in shaping population health outcomes. Expect candid discussion on leadership, collaboration, and the role of local authorities in driving health equity and innovation.

< Back Previous Exhibitor, Sponsor ICS.AI https://www.ics.ai Stand 7 ICS.AI is the UK's fastest-growing profitable AI business, transforming public sector services through our unified AI platforms, and helping LGR councils deliver safe, legal and financially viable new unitaries by vesting day. Our AI solutions are trusted nationwide, with customers including Cheshire East, Renfrewshire, and Derby City Councils. Next

Nadira HussainChief Executive < Speakers < Previous Next > Nadira Hussain Chief Executive Socitm An established ICT and change management leader, NED and coach with 30 years’ experience, Nadira has worked primarily in local government; leading the ICT and digital service, managing wider teams including business improvement, transformation and customer services. Nadira has implemented numerous complex change programmes across shared services to deliver new operating models, efficiencies and service improvement. At Socitm, Nadira is keen to support members shape and deliver effective public services through improved use and adoption of technologies, data and digital… Show More

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 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 Sarah Norman Chief Executive, Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, and Chair of the Yorkshire and Humber Councils’ Chief Executives’ Group Chief Executive of Barnsley Council since 2019 and previously Chief Executive of Dudley Council between 2015 and 2019. I am also the Chair of the Yorkshire and Humber Chief Executive’s Group, who support the Yorkshire Leaders Board to meet their priorities, explore policy issues and work collaboratively to address challenges faced by our councils and share good practice amongst our places. This includes working closely with our key partners and stakeholders, such as Yorkshire Universities. Before that my background was in Adults and Children’s services and I was previously both the DASS and the DCS at the City of Wolverhampton. I have also spent periods of time in central government agencies and the voluntary sector and did two terms as an elected member in Liverpool in the 1990s. Passionate about making a difference in our places I was delighted to see Barnsley receive the “double” win and crowned Council of the Year at both the LGC and MJ Awards in 2023 to reflect in particular our success at transforming our town centre to make Barnsley the Place of Possibilities. Thursday 16 October 2025 15:45–16:25 Public Collaborations: What are they for? Who does all the work? How long do they last? And who really benefits? Pearl Suite, Royal Armouries Go to session

Previous Next Jonathan Werran Chief Executive, Localis Prior to running Localis - an independent think-tank dedicated to issues related to politics, public service reform and localism - Jonathan worked in consultancy, communications and journalism. After five years as a reporter, commentator and features editor for The Municipal Journal (The MJ), in 2015 he became the first strategic communications officer for the District Councils’ Network. Prior to The MJ, he edited an online government property and public estate magazine and helped run communications and marketing for anti-poverty charity Elizabeth Finn Care. He began his career in online publishing and developed the groundbreaking ‘Wired-Gov’ service to repackage central government press releases. 15:30–16:30 North West Breakout: Connected Devolution: Implications for Local Government Leadership Breakout View Session Speakers: Emma Foy , Industry Lead for Local Government, TechnologyOne Jonathan Werran , Chief Executive, Localis

Previous Next Claire Trickett Workforce and Organisational Development Consultant, Blackburn with Darwen Council Claire is a Workforce and Organisational Development Consultant at Blackburn with Darwen Council with experience developing effective people strategies, strengthening workplace culture, and navigate complex people challenges. She specialises in developing and delivering leadership development programmes, enhancing organisational capability through learning initiatives and coaching, and implementing practical solutions that drive employee engagement and performance. 13:30–13:40 Rewiring the State Blackburn with Darwen: The Trojan Horse of Leadership Development Showcase View Session Speakers: Claire Trickett , Workforce and Organisational Development Consultant, Blackburn with Darwen Council Sue Featherstone , Solace Associate and Director, Developing Success 09:50–10:00 Rewiring the State Blackburn with Darwen: The Trojan Horse of Leadership Development Showcase View Session Speakers: Claire Trickett , Workforce and Organisational Development Consultant, Blackburn with Darwen Council Sue Featherstone , Solace Associate and Director, Developing Success

Previous Next Victoria Derbyshire Journalist and BBC Topical News Presenter Victoria Derbyshire is a well established journalist and BBC topical news presenter. First working for a local radio, Victoria Derbyshire was a keen journalist and clearly was passionate about media and communications. Derbyshire then joined BBC Radio 5 Live in 1998 as a co-presenter for the breakfast show, which also featured Julian Worricker. In 1998 and 2002, the programme won Gold Sony Awards . Shortly after this, Worricker left the breakfast show and Derbyshire was partnered with Nicky Campbell. After a spell of maternity leave, Derbyshire then took over the news programme in 2004. An extremely trusted and collected person, Derbyshire's relationship with viewers was something that nobody had ever seen before. Some very personal and dark experiences were shared with Derbyshire on air. One memorable example of this was when an alcoholic GP called Rachel, described her descent into alcoholism as she opened a can of beer live on air. Derbyshire has also worked on multiple television news and political programmes including Newsnight, This Week, Watchdog and regularly on the BBC News channel. Additionally to this, Derbyshire hosted a sports chat show on Channel 4 on Saturday mornings called SportsTalk. Since joining 5 Live, Derbyshire has been sent to cover some of the biggest global news stories there has been. This includes 9/11, The Paris Concorde Crash, General Elections, World Cups and also Olympic Games. Derbyshire's programme was the first to broadcast a show live from Zimbabwe, in 2009 following President Mugabe's lifting of restrictions on international journalists. Derbyshire's programme made radio history when it became the first to broadcast live from an abortion clinic in 2012, and later that year broadcast from an animal testing laboratory. In October 2011 Derbyshire made her debut on Have I Got News For You . In autumn 2013, under the new editorship of Ian Katz, Derbyshire began occasionally presenting Newsnight while continuing to present her daily 5 Live programme. Her final Radio 5 Live show was broadcast on 5 September 2014. Her current affairs programme began airing on 7 April 2015 on BBC Two and the BBC News Channel. Most recently, she appeared on the 2020 series of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! . 10:30 Main Stage Conference Commences Compere View Session Conference Compere: Victoria Derbyshire , Journalist and Topical News Reporter, BBC 10:55–11:45 Main Stage Stronger Standards, Stronger Leadership, Stronger Places Keynote View Session Speakers: Kath O'Dwyer , Solace Group Board Chair Cllr Hannah Dalton , Leader, Epsom and Ewell Borough Council Rachel McKoy , Executive Director, Association of Monitoring Officers (AMO) 11:45–12:45 Main Stage Local Choices, National Consequences: What May’s Elections Tell Us About Britain’s Democratic Future Keynote View Session Speakers: Sir John Curtice , British political scientist and professor of politics at the University of Strathclyde Sam Hartley , Director of Policy, Research and Voter Engagement, The Electoral Commission

Previous Next Pam Smith Chief Executive, Newcastle City Council and Solace Policy Lead for Economic Prosperity Pam joined Newcastle City Council as Chief Executive in January 2022 having been Chief Executive at Stockport Council since 2017. Prior to that, she was Chief Executive at Burnley Council and has also worked for the Audit Commission and in the private sector. Pam is the Solace lead spokesperson for Economic Prosperity and a Fellow of the RSA. In April 2024 Pam was appointed Visiting Professor of Practice at Newcastle University, within the School of Geography, Politics & Sociology. Pam is known for building strong teams that deliver for residents. She led the University Town transformation in Burnley and the £1bn regeneration and transformation of Stockport including being a champion of the Mayoral Development Corporation which accelerated growth and opportunities for its residents. Working collaboratively across Newcastle and the region, Pam is now leading on a £6.7m city centre redevelopment and delivering a new approach to neighbourhood regeneration; building resilient communities across the city. Pam is also leading the city through the new Green Industrial Age as it becomes a global exemplar for clean energy and sustainable growth. Pam is focused on tackling inequalities and ensuring Newcastle is the best place for residents to grow up, grow older and live their best life. 14:00–15:00 West Room Economy: The Current Landscape and the Impact on Our Place Sub Plenary View Session Speakers: Pam Smith , Chief Executive, Newcastle City Council and Solace Policy Lead for Economic Prosperity (Chair) Danielle Gillespie , Executive Regional Director, North West, Homes England

All Speakers Vicki Bates Assistant Director, Governance and Monitoring Officer, Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council Vicki Bates joined Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council as its Monitoring Officer in October 2019, having spent 17 years as a solicitor and senior leader in private practice law firms in Manchester.   Vicki joined Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council after advising the council during 2018 and 2019 on the collapse of Carillion.  Vicki’s remit now covers Legal Services, Democratic and Electoral Services and Information Governance.   Since arriving in Stockport Vicki has overseen the strategic upskilling and investment to save into the legal team, growing it to 50 plus colleagues, leading to a reduction in spend on external legal advisors and a better retention and recruitment rate and reduction of locum spend.  Vicki has also led on the implementation of a trainee and paralegal programme in the legal team, the introduction of a work experience programme (now consistently oversubscribed) and were the first legal team in Greater Manchester to offer T Level placements to two under 18 year olds.  The legal team were highly commended in the Legal Team of the Year, Lawyers in Local Government Awards (LLG) 2024 and won the LLG Award for Excellence in Training Award in 2025.   In 2021 Vicki led the successful integration of the Democratic and Electoral Services teams into one shared service team increasing resilience and efficiency.  In 2023 Vicki took over the lead of the Information Governance team and also became the council’s Deputy SIRO.   Vicki won the LGC Workforce Head of Service Award in 2024 for her approach to culture change and workplace wellbeing.  Vicki is a non-executive Director for the council’s public realm company, the council’s strategic lead on Wellbeing, Prevent and our Armed Forces Covenant and a Board Member on the North West Legal Consortium.     Vicki’s most important role is being a mum and biggest cheerleader for her 16 year old daughter. 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