Alison is a district council Chief Executive with over 40 years local government service and experienced Board Member with a wealth of expertise in leading services that enhance quality of life for communities. Experienced in whole systems working and partnerships, and committed to objectives-led, evidence-based and outcomes-focused approach blended with public engagement her experience includes  Strategic Planning: driving organisational strategy and strategic planning across a wide array of complex, user-based services (including housing, economic development, community safety and wider community support services).  Place-based Leadership: guiding spatial policy and development of place-based approaches that improve quality of life for borough communities, fostering strong partnerships for delivery of integrated public sector and community services.  Fiscal Responsibility: leading alignment of medium-term financial strategy to align with corporate priorities ensuring efficient use of resources and implementing value-for-money strategies.  Governance & Assurance: embedding robust governance frameworks that assure accountability, transparency and rigorous performance management. 

Amy is Corporate Director of Regeneration Economy and Growth for Durham County Council, one of the largest local authorities in the UK. Amy has previously held senior roles in local government in two large metropolitan authorities in the West Midlands and South Yorkshire. Amy is committed to delivering outcomes for communities and our potential for real inclusive economies. Amy has also held senior combined authority roles including, TfN, South Yorkshire MCA and Transport for Greater Manchester. Amy is responsible for a wide range of Council front line business and community services and broad portfolio of regeneration themes, including transport, leisure, culture, corporate property, planning, commercial investment and housing as well as regional devolution. Amy has a breadth of experience in delivering major projects, commercial developments, influential strategy and key front-line services, she is an active member of SOLACE and ADEPT committed to the DE&I agenda, community wealth building and advocate of the positive role that local government should play in place leadership and empowering communities.

Andy has been CEO of East Staffordshire BC since 2009 when he became England’s then youngest council CEO. Andy counts his and the council’s achievements as: introducing a new generation social service into a district council setting, supporting young parents; working with the University of Birmingham to roll out a post graduate officer development strategy which has seen 6% of the workforce graduate; facilitating a new sixth form college in the Council’s Town Hall building; advising/supporting the Council’s founding status of the Greater Birmingham LEP, including an equal seat at the table; encouraging and supporting inward investment into Burton-Upon-Trent from the Football Association, National Forest, National Brewery Centre as well as retaining investment from key employers such as Molson Coors; working to deliver improved connectivity, new enterprise/skills development and profiling hidden heritage, through the Burton Towns Fund; and supporting the council transition through 6 leaders/7 administrations in 15 years.

Ann Carruthers is Director of Environment and Transport for Leicestershire County Council and has previously worked with a number of local authorities across Scotland and England covering the highways, transport, environment and growth agendas. Ann also spent a number of years with Transit New Zealand responsible for introducing sustainable transport options and new ways of working across New Zealand’s state highway system. Ann is President of the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport (ADEPT), a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Highways and Transportation, a member of the Highways Sector Council and Chair of Midlands Highway Alliance+, a collaboration of 36 local highway authorities providing routes to market, sharing best practice and driving up standards across our highways work.

Arthur Charvonia became Chief Executive of Babergh District Council and Mid Suffolk District Council in January 2017. He is a barrister by profession but has worked directly within Local Government at a senior level since 2005, both in London and elsewhere in Suffolk. For further information about Arthur and his passions please search for him on LinkedIn or Twitter @acharvy Email: arthur.charvonia@baberghmidsuffolk.gov.uk

Carolyn has 40 years experience in the development and regeneration sector, including the planning, financing and delivery of major projects, regeneration, inclusive growth, placemaking and development of cultural strategies and programmes. She is a highly experienced Non Executive Director. She is currently on the Boards of the Jersey Development Company, The Connected Places Catapult and the Institute of Couriers. She is a Commissioner with the National Preparedness Commission, a Fellow of the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation, and a Member of the Institute of Directors.

Chris McLoughlin OBE initially worked as a qualified nurse at Manchester Royal Infirmary in the 1980s and subsequently became a social worker based in a community team in central Manchester.  She held a number of key leadership roles in Manchester City Council in Children and Family Services (1987 - 2009). Chris joined Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council in 2009 as Service Director for Social Care and Health. In 2012 she became the Director for Safeguarding and Prevention.  Then in 2018 became Stockport’s Director of Children’s Services. As of 2022 Chris is the Executive Director for People and Neighbourhoods, responsible for all children’s services and oversight of adult’s services. Chris Chairs the Greater Manchester School Readiness Board and is co-Chair of the Greater Manchester Children’s Health and Wellbeing Executive. Chris is a Non-Executive Director at the Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, and she also holds the position of Senior Independent Director for the Trust. Chris represents Greater Manchester Directors of Children's Services on the Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership Board.

Claire McColgan CBE is a loyal public servant and creative entrepreneur who has received numerous awards for her outstanding work in leading Liverpool’s cultural and visitor economy offer. She has achieved many accolades over the years including the Innovation in Business Award and Woman of The Year Award. With a career spanning over twenty-five years Claire is an expert in culturally led regeneration, supporting cities across the country and world in telling their stories. This has seen her head internationally significant campaigns from European Capital of Culture to being at the forefront of the pioneering national Events Research Programme, which saw Liverpool host the first club night and festival during the pandemic. Always looking to the future, Claire is a master at securing events of national and international calibre. Most recently, she delivered an unparalleled Eurovision on behalf of Ukraine using her exceptional diplomatic and creative vision to deliver something extraordinary for the UK. At her side and throughout this since 2008 is her multi award-winning team who have achieved global recognition for their work. Highly regarded in her field, Claire is a trusted advisor for the wider city region, a non-executive board member for Visit Isle of Man and The Carnegie Trust and deputy chair for the UK City of Culture Competition 2025.

Colm is Head of Public Affairs and Stakeholder Engagement for the Local Government Association leading a busy team supporting engagement with parliament, parliamentarians, and stakeholders. His experience includes roles across the public, private and political sectors. Before joining the LGA he worked for a communications agency as Director of Public Affairs, and at the Shadow Strategic Rail Authority, KPMG, and Accenture. At the London Development Agency, as Head of Engagement and Research, he led on stakeholder engagement for major initiatives including The Thames Gateway, the Mayor’s Economic Development Strategy, and the Crystal Palace Park Masterplan. In addition to working for a London MEP and for the European Commission as a Human Rights Expert, he is a trained Election Agent and Election Observer. Away from public affairs Colm has been part of founding teams behind two digital startups, including a social network that remains one of Apple’s most popular apps.

Currently Chief Executive of Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council in Kent Previously Chief Executive at Surrey Heath Borough Council in Surrey Chief Operating Officer at Epsom and Ewell Borough Council And before that, Chief Officer roles at Waverley Borough Council, Tower Hamlets Borough Council, Croydon Borough Council and Islington Borough Council including lead roles for Corporate Strategy and Performance, Service Transformation and ICT, Economic Development and Partnerships. Formal study: BSc (Hons) Psychology and Mathematics and Masters in Business Administration (MBA) and a qualified therapist I've been lucky enough to have the opportunity to lead the work that won the MJ Award for Workforce Transformation in 2017, and previously the MJ Award for Total Place after coordinating one of the national Total Place pilots. Before that had a central role in winning a number of separate national Beacon Awards including Community Cohesion, Local Strategic Partnerships and Local Area Agreements. I'm passionate about local government, public service reform, unlocking the true potential of our workforce, and working closely with partners in the public, private and voluntary sectors to deliver tightly integrated solutions that are aligned to local need.

Dawn Hudd is the CEO of Arun District Council in West Sussex, a role she started in July 2024. Following a career which started in banking, after running a series of companies, Dawn joined local government in 2004 as the Economic Development Manager for Canterbury City Council. Roles followed in Maidstone, Medway, Guildford and Waverley where she was Strategic Director – Place. Dawn has a wealth of experience in strategic leadership, regeneration, place shaping and organisational change as well as a broad knowledge across a wide range of council services. She is passionate about helping the Arun district achieve its full potential and working with her staff, elected members, partners and stakeholders to do this.

Appointed as Chief Executive of Somerset County Council on 3rd October 2022, and as Chief Executive of Somerset Council from 1st April 2023 Duncan continues to work to bring together the new council to deliver better outcomes for Somerset and its residents. Before this, Chief Executive of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead and heavily involved in many national profile events including a significant role in delivering Operation London Bridge. Previously held a number of local government chief executive roles alongside a portfolio of non-executive board positions. Whilst a generalist by background originally brought into local government to deliver large scale economic growth and regeneration, particularly estate, town, and city centre programmes.

Greg Fell is the Director of Public Health in Sheffield. He graduated from Nottingham University with a degree in biochemistry and physiology in 1993. He has worked as a social researcher in a maternity unit; a number of roles in health promotion and public health before joining the public health training scheme. Greg worked as a consultant in public health in Bradford in the PCT then Bradford council. Since Feb 2016 he has worked for Sheffield City Council as the Director of Public Health for the city. Greg was also appointed to the role of Vice President to the Association of Directors of Public Health (ADPH) in December 2021 and then became President in October 2023.

Ian is the Managing Director of Westco Communications – a marketing and PR agency for public service with an ethos of maximising social good through creative, strategic communications. He has developed strategic communications in the social good sector for over 20 years working at Director and Head of Communications level. He is dedicated to the continuous development of marketing and communications in the public sector and has been a member of both the PRCA Council and UK Government GCS council and judged national awards for the sector. Ian has co-authored national reputation guidance in the UK and helped drive strategic communications improvement through development of best practice models. He has also led the development of the innovative Campaign Hub at Westco designing and delivering creative campaigns for issues of national priority. He provides C-suite advice and guidance on creative, digital and strategic communications and crucially how to translate that into high performing teams.

Ian Thomas CBE is the CEO of City of London Corporation. The Corporation is the government of the Square Mile, a multibillion-pound organisation representing the UK's financial and professional services sector globally. Since commencing in role in February 2023 Ian has worked with Members and his talented team to deliver a new Corporate Plan, People Strategy and Digital and Data Strategy, providing the foundation for the next ‘fantastic five years’. Prior to this, he was CEO of Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames and in 2019 he was made a Commander of the British Empire for leadership in local government.

Jackie Yates is Chief Executive of Reading Borough Council. A Cipfa member and ex S151 Officer, Jackie has worked in local government throughout her career and believes passionately in the difference local government can make to people’s lives. With significant senior leadership experience across all tiers of local government, Jackie has extensive expertise in leading service transformation and a track record of implementing and embedding both cultural and structural change as well as effective partnership working, and facilitating regeneration and delivery through alternative governance structures to deliver improved outcomes for customers and residents. Jackie is also trustee of a mental health charity, Response.

Jacqui joined Liverpool City Council in January 2022 to lead on improvement and transformation, with responsibilities for corporate services including policy, insight, strategy, EDI, communications, customer services, HR and organisational development, ICT/digital. She led on the development and implementation of the new neighbourhood model and culture change at the Council. Prior to joining Liverpool, Jacqui was Chief Executive of the Centre for Governance and Scrutiny (CfGS), the national centre of expertise on governance and scrutiny. Jacqui oversaw CfGS’ work with a range of sectors including local and national government, health, housing, police and the voluntary and private sector. Previously, Jacqui was Corporate Director of Strategy and Customer Services at Staffordshire County Council and has worked in health, sport and the civil service, with a professional background in communications and marketing. She is also a proud Board Member of New Local, a national membership and research organisation focused on community power.

Jon Rouse is Chief Executive of Stoke-on-Trent City Council. Previously, he was Chief Officer at the Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership, co-ordinating the delivery of Greater Manchester’s strategy for the transformation of health and care services. Other previous roles include: o Director General for Social Care, Local Government and Care Partnerships, Department of Health o Chief Executive, London Borough of Croydon o Chief Executive, Housing Corporation o Chief Executive, Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment He has also held a wide range of non-executive positions, including on the Board of the Department of Health and as Chair of Shaw Education MAT. He currently sits on the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICS Board as a partner member. He is the executive champion for children’s health. Jon is also currently the SOLACE national lead for Housing, Planning and Infrastructure and is a member of the Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods. 

Jonathan has worked within local government for over 25 years, predominantly undertaking senior leadership roles, across a range of different organisations, Ipswich Borough Council, The London Borough of Enfield, Babergh & Mid Suffolk District Councils. Jonathan is currently Joint Chief Executive at Brentwood Borough Council and Rochford District Council. Working more widely in Essex he is also lead CEO for Housing and Infrastructure for the Association of South East Essex Local Authorities (ASELA) and a Commissioner for the Essex Climate Action Committee. Jonathan also represents Solace (Society of Local Authority Chief Executives and Senior Managers) at board level as a Non-Executive Director, and is on the DCN (District Council Network) national Chief Executive Group as a South East Region representative.

Laura joined Bedford Borough as the Chief Executive in October 2021. Bedford Borough Council is a unitary authority and is one of the few areas nationally to have an elected Mayor. Bedford Borough has the core urban area of Bedford and Kempston and a large rural area to the north. The Borough has significant housing growth and seen development of new employment sites. A key feature of the Borough is the River Great Ouse that creates a great environment but also challenges such as flooding. Starting her local government career as a trainee planner, her main experience has been in “place” related responsibilities with a particular focus on town centres, neighbourhood regeneration and economic development. Laura has always had outward facing responsibilities engaging with key partners including with the business community and on wider regional partnerships. As an example, she worked with the Government to support the retention of the Vauxhall Van plant in Luton. Laura’s last Corporate Director role was to take responsibility for Adult Social Care, Public Health and Housing during the COVID pandemic. Since joining Bedford, a key area of focus for Laura has been Children’s Services with an OFSTED inspection in her first few months, achieving a good outcome and are now providing support across the sector on SEND. Given the levels of housing growth, they are also looking at meeting the demand for school places. Laura also sits on the Integrated Care Board of Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes and is leading the “place” based work with health at Bedford.

Lisa Cotton, with a career beginning in financial and retail sectors, Lisa’s experience is renowned in supporting organisations to place their customer experience at the heart of driving better outcomes; transformation and success. With over 19 years in local government, they have since dedicated their career to helping councils navigate the complexities of digital and customer transformation ensuring seamless and engaging customer journeys; whilst driving down the cost to deliver. Lisa’s career is characterized by a deep understanding of customer needs, a passion for innovation, and a commitment to delivering exceptional results. Outside of work, Lisa enjoys living in Dorset with family and for work and South Devon with her partner where she is grateful for the amazing coast, walking, a slower and quieter pace of life. As a life-long learner she constantly seeks new perspectives and ideas to fuel creativity in and outside of work.

Matt has worked across central and local government in a range of roles. Previous to being Peterborough's Chief Executive he was the Executive Director for Place leading on the regeneration and growth agenda in Barnsley MBC. Previously he has undertaken corporate director roles and served as Assistant Chief Executive, together with a period working in the private sector on digital infrastructure. Matt has played key roles in shaping performance within local government and developing strong relationships with key partners in the business and voluntary sector to facilitate change and improvement. Matt has a real passion for driving up standards and performance and realising better outcomes and improving the culture within the organisation. Having worked in the National Audit Office he has a very good understanding of finance and since then handling large and complex budgets. He currently has responsibility for overseeing and driving the improvement plan at Peterborough City Council.

Maxine is the Chief Executive and Head of Paid Service of Breckland Council where she guides an organisation of over 300 employees to provide the essential services for the Breckland District. With over 25 years’ experience as a Senior Leader in both the Public and Private Sector, a background in Human Resources and a Fellowship of the CIPD, Maxine is passionate about people, performance and change. Max led a transformational change programme for Breckland in 2021 which resulted in a fit for purpose modern workplace complimented by a modern working policy and laid the foundations for a modern working environment for a commercial Council of the future. Since the transformation, Maxine has worked extensively with other Local Authorities and their officers, advising them on workforce transformation and mentoring senior officers into leadership. Maxine previously held the role of Monitoring Officer for more than a decade, providing considered advice to Members and Officers, she remains Returning Officer for Breckland. In 2023 Maxine was voted onto the Chief Executive board for the DCN and in June 2024 Maxine won the prestigious MJ Chief Executive of the Year award for her work in transforming the workforce and workplace at Breckland and leading a change in the way local authorities can work with partners enabling them to provide targeted and effective services for their communities.

Monica Fogarty is Chief Executive of Warwickshire County Council. With over thirty years’ experience in local government, Monica has held a number of senior roles. Prior to her current post, Monica was Strategic Director for Communities leading the ‘place’ agenda for Warwickshire and prior to that she was Assistant Chief Executive for Warwickshire Winner of the MJ Chief Executive of the Year 2022, Monica has also held a range of local government Director posts including Policy; Performance, and Change Management. Particular areas of expertise are Economics, Strategic Infrastructure, Partnerships and Organisational Change. With Irish roots, Monica is a graduate of Trinity College Dublin and lives in Kenilworth, Warwickshire.

Niall Bolger is Chief Executive for the London Borough of Hounslow who were awarded the LGC Council of the Year 2021. He is Lead CEO for Infrastructure and Climate Change for the West London Alliance and lead CEO for Environment and Climate Change for the Chief Executive London Committee. He Chairs the Heathrow Strategic Planning Group Chief Executive’s Board, which coordinates the planning of the country’s largest port. He chairs the Health Equity Board for the NW London ICS, that leads on tackling health inequality in the largest Integrated Care System in the country. He also chairs the Program Board for the UK Cities Climate Investment Commission, 3Ci, which is in the vanguard of bringing funding and finance to the net zero challenge in local government. Niall is a Trustee for the Centre for Local Economic Strategies, the national “think-do” tank for fair and just economic development. He was the SOLACE spokesperson for Commissioning and Innovation from 2018 – 2020 and chair of the London Counter-terrorism Board (Prevent Board) from 2018 – 2023. Prior to his role with Hounslow, he was Chief Executive of the London Borough of Sutton for eight years. Niall’s professional background is in urban planning, regeneration and environmental management and he has held a number of board level roles in local government over the last two decades leading these areas and implementing organisational change. In all of his roles he has held, he is passionate about making a difference to communities and securing social justice. He is a graduate of Queen Mary, University of London, London Southbank University and Warwick University.

Pam joined Newcastle City Council as Chief Executive in January 2022 having been Chief Executive at Stockport Council since 2017. 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 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.

I'm having a great time leading an organisation that is striving for excellence in the things it does. Monmouthshire is a stunning investable border County. We have built a commercial portfolio and have the wherewithal to be primary or co-investors. We are equally interested in community wealth building. If we can blend these approaches together we have a chance of building sustainable, resilient communities. We are the gateway to South Wales and the largest municipality in the Cardiff Capital Region. To our east are the vibrant cities of Bristol, Bath and Swindon. I am a visiting Professor at Cardiff University, a Governor of Cardiff Metropolitan University, Innovation and Business Engagement lead for the Cardiff Capital Region, SOLACE Wales lead for Economy and Digital, Board Member of SRS (Wales), Member of Wales Digital Advisory Panel, and Clerk to the Lord Lieutenancy of Gwent.

Paul Orders has been Chief Executive of Cardiff Council since 2013, working with successive political administrations to help deliver the ongoing transformation of Cardiff as a European Capital City, the growth and renewal of the Cardiff Capital Region, and a step-change in the performance of local public services. He is a Director of the Millennium Stadium plc; and has played a key role in the delivery of Cardiff’s major events throughout the last decade. Previously Paul was Chief Executive of Dunedin City Council in New Zealand’s South Island, where he helped lead the Council through a period of financial retrenchment. He is an Honorary Visiting Professor in the School of Geography and Planning at Cardiff University; and holds a doctorate in History from the University of Cambridge. Paul is an avid fan of rugby, football and music; and is married with three children.

Paul Sesay is the Founder and CEO of Inclusive Companies Limited, the National Diversity Awards, the Inclusive Top 50 UK Employers List, Inclusive Awards and D&I recruitment company Precedent Group. Paul’s business acumen has mainly been with a social focus. With over eighteen years’ worth of experience Paul is a leading figure across the Diversity, Equality and Inclusion sector, having worked with some of the largest organisations in the world on their D&I profiles. Passionate about inclusion across all protected characteristics, Paul continues to work holistically with diverse communities and inclusive organisations across the UK, encouraging and supporting individuals and groups from various backgrounds to achieve, empowering disadvantaged groups across the nation. Paul’s initiatives have helped thousands of organisations and individuals get recognised for their hard work and dedication to the diversity agenda.

Rachael Shimmin is the first CEO for the unitary council of Buckinghamshire, an organisation which was created on 1 April 2020 bringing together the five predecessor councils in the county. This has created a council with a gross budget of over £1bn and is the 5th largest unitary council in the country. Rachael came to Buckinghamshire in September 2016 and led the County’s bid and subsequent implementation of the first county based unitary for 11 years. Rachael has served on a wide range of regional and national bodies and boards and is currently a Director of the Helen Kennedy Foundation, a mentor for students at the University of Durham, the County Council network CEO lead on adult care and health, a Board member of the Association of Local Authority Chief Executives, a member of BOB ICB, and a member of a number government advisory boards. Rachael is a qualified Executive Coach and is a lead Peer Reviewer for the Local Government Association.

Rachel is an experienced senior leader within the legal and governance space. She qualified as a solicitor in 2005 and specialised in the field of planning law for over 17 years. Throughout her career, she has worked both in local and central government, on complex strategic schemes and national infrastructure projects. This has provided her with significant experience across multiple commercial legal disciplines. Ensuring good governance has been key to each role she has held and is pivotal to the role she currently holds as Monitoring Officer and Director of Law & Governance at the London Boroughs of Newham and Havering (One Source). Additionally, Rachel holds a number of sector roles including: Immediate Past President of Lawyers in Local Government and Advisor to the Board (LLG); NED and Solicitor to Board of the Society of Local Government Chief Executives (SOLACE); Chair of the Professional Conduct and Disciplinary Committee BCS (Chartered Institute for IT), Lay Trustee (Legal & Governance) Westminster University Student Union and is a former Chief Projects Assessor and Law Society Advisory Academic Board Member (Diploma in Local Government Law and Practice). This experience provided her with a unique national insight into the current challenges and opportunities within the local government context. Rachel utilises these platforms to raise awareness of the principles of good governance, whilst championing the work undertaken by local government lawyers, and Monitoring Officers within this space. This has involved her contributing to multiple strands of assurance work and publications, in collaboration with several sector partners (LGA, Grant Thornton, LGiU, Solace, and CIPHA), to bolster the importance of the “Golden Triangle” and role of the Monitoring Officer.

Rishi Shori is the current Deputy Managing Director and Director of Intervention Response at Birmingham City Council. Rishi joined Birmingham in July 2019, having enjoyed an extensive career across local government in corporate and political leadership roles. He has held numerous senior roles at Birmingham with a focus upon supporting the council’s operational and political leadership with advice in the areas of corporate strategy, external affairs, and strategic relationship management. Rishi was appointed by Commissioners to lead the council's response to government intervention. Rishi has also held senior political roles in local government having previously served as the Leader of Bury Metropolitan Borough Council and as a member of the leadership team of Mayor Andy Burnham at the Greater Manchester Combined Authority. Before working in local government, Rishi practised as a solicitor with over a decade's experience, specialising in Commercial Dispute Resolution.

Rob has been Chief Executive at CPCA since June 2023 and previously was Chief Executive of North Northamptonshire Council and Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council. Rob has overseen the successful implementation of a wide range of projects and initiatives, including the establishment of North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) as a new unitary authority. As a successful strategic leader, Rob has driven positive cultural change. He has an approachable and personable style and believes in creating cultures that allow people to be their very best. Rob has also led on regeneration, external investment and transformation and is passionate about improving public services and the place where people live. Under Rob’s leadership as a local authority Chief Executive, the combined authority and councils have made progress on ambitious modernisation and improvement programmes to deliver better services for local residents, businesses and communities.

Robin Porter has been the Chief Executive for Luton Council since May 2019. In this role Robin is responsible for more than 2,700 staff and the delivery of circa 730 services, as well as a budget of £500m – all focused on supporting Luton’s vibrant and diverse 231,000 population, and working with partners to deliver the collective 2040 ambition to eradicate poverty. Robin is also the Shareholder Representative for all of the Council owned companies who in part manage the Councils £3.5bn of commercial investments. Robin has now been part of the Luton community for 17 years. Before taking up his current appointment he held a number of roles including Deputy Chief Executive; Director of Transformation; and Chief Operations Officer for London Luton Airport Limited. Before joining Luton Robin worked as a senior manager in the private sector in the project finance industry and before this he was a British Army Officer.

Robin Tuddenham, Chief Executive, Calderdale Council and Place Lead, West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board Robin has been Chief Executive at Calderdale Council, in West Yorkshire, since June 2017, and in a joint role for the NHS as Calderdale’s Accountable Place Lead for the West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board since June 2022. He leads the Council’s and NHS workforce, supports system leadership across the area with public, private and voluntary sector leaders in support of Calderdale Vision 2024, and oversees a £550m capital programme across the borough’s market towns. He is lead Chief Executive for Migration/Asylum and Workforce for Yorkshire and Humber, and Chair of West Yorkshire Chief Executives Group. Robin led the redevelopment of the multi-award-winning Piece Hall and new Central Library in Halifax, and prior to that worked in senior roles for LB Waltham Forest and LB Barking and Dagenham. Robin was elected lead spokesperson for Solace (Society of Local Authority Chief Executives) for Economic Prosperity in October 2020, is a member of Solace Policy Board, and has led been an LGA Peer leading a wide range of reviews over the past decade. Robin is an honorary life member of the Faculty of Public Health, and a Trustee of Belong: Cohesion and Integration Network.

Rose Rouse has been Chief Executive of Pendle Borough Council since 2021. Rose is passionate about improving outcomes for the people and communities she serves. Rose represents the interests of Pendle on a wider stage in her role as Vice-Chair of the District Councils’ Network (DCN) Chief Executives’ Group and as Chair of the Lancashire Chief Executives’ Group. Prior to this, Rose was Chief Executive of Eden District Council in Cumbria. Rose started her local government career in community development, policy and performance, and went on to lead large front-line services and regeneration. She has worked in senior roles for district councils in Yorkshire, the West Midlands and the North-West. In a regional local government role, Rose led on council improvement, social care policy and environmental strategy. Rose has run her own businesses in consultancy/coaching and property development. Early on in her career Rose taught English in Turkey.

Ruth has worked as the Director of Public Health, Education and Inclusion at Solihull Council where her role includes public health & leisure services, emergency planning and resilience, education and special educational needs. Ruth is a member of Birmingham and Solihull’s Integrated Care Board and Partnership. She has worked across a range of sectors, including the European Parliament, Audit Commission and King’s Fund, has held lay and non-executive appointments within the NHS in London and was previously Director of Public Health for Leicester. She trained in public health in the West Midlands and during this time developed the internationally recognised Warwick Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale. Ruth is on the Board of the Association of Directors of Public Health, NHS Prevention Board and has held national advisory roles with NHS Test and Trace during the COVID pandemic and the Ministerial Taskforce on Personalised Prevention.

Sharon Kemp is Chief Executive of Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council. Being appointed by Government Commissioners and the Council in 2016 to lead improvements which has seen powers return and a ‘Good’ Ofsted rated children and young people’s services since 2018. Since Sharon became Chief Executive, the Council has been on a journey of continuous improvement. Dedicated to serving people and places, Sharon has worked in the public sector for over thirty years across community safety, neighbourhood management, community cohesion, performance, and partnerships. Sharon has been recognised in the King’s Birthday Honors list for her services to business and to the community in Rotherham and South Yorkshire and was awarded an OBE in June 2024.

Chief Executive of London Legacy Development Corporation

Sheila has been a Chief Executive for over 10 years, firstly at North Norfolk District Council and for the last 7 years at Great Yarmouth Borough Council. A qualified accountant and experienced leader, Sheila’s passion is for place-based regeneration and growth, equalising the life chances of all. In her role Sheila works with elected members and a wide range of partners to maximise opportunities for Great Yarmouth residents and businesses to drive economic growth in the area, broaden the tourism offer, promote Yarmouth’s cultural heritage, and find sustainable ways to address complex challenges to meet the needs of local communities. Health and wellbeing is high up her agenda both in her public role and private life, having completed five Ironman triathlons and a keen marathon runner and actively promotes healthy lifestyles and sport tourism.

Steve James is an Executive Director at Breckland Council, which spans over 500 square miles in the heart of Norfolk and is one of the largest district councils in the country. Prior to joining the Public Sector, Steve worked for over 10 years in a customer service environment in the Private Sector, undertaking a variety of management roles. Since joining Breckland Council he has taken opportunities from being a Performance Manager, Project Manager, and a variety of Service Management roles. He has now developed into a confident Executive Director giving strategic direction to a wide range of front-line services including Environmental Health, Housing, Customer Services, Environmental Services and Community Services. More specifically, amongst his current duties, Steve is responsible for the delivery of the council’s Inspiring Communities corporate priority, which focuses on helping some of Norfolk’s most vulnerable residents.

Stuart has been Chief Executive at Westminster City Council since 2018. His previous role was Executive Director for City Management and Communities. He is the co-chair of the Chief Executive’s London Committee’s Tackling Racial Inequality Group London and a Business In The Community mentor. Under his leadership the following initiatives have been launched in Westminster City Council: • Diverse shortlisted candidates • Inclusive recruitment • Reverse mentoring • The Black on Board governance training programme designed to mentor junior council officers Stuart has ensured that the council publishes all of its pay gaps, not just the gender pay gap and has used this to address the gender and ethnicity pay gaps that exist in the organisation. During Stuart’s time as chief executive the demographics of the council have changed significantly to represent the communities it serves and representation at senior levels in the organisation has improved significantly. Stuart’s focus as chief executive is on people and culture, with equity, diversity and inclusion being at the core.

Tina led the Energy Superhub Oxford project for Oxford City Council, creating the most powerful EV charging hub in Europe, as well as supporting Taxi and Oxford City Council fleet electrification. She now leads the wider team, delivering on Oxford's Sustainability targets (NZ City by 2040, NZ Council by 2030 & Environmental Quality Actions including those under Flooding, Ecology & Biodiversity, Air Quality & Land Quality).

Tom Stannard is a UK local government professional and Chief Executive of Salford City Council. He supports the directly elected City Mayor, delivering local public services and improving the lives of Salford’s fast growing and diverse 270,000 population, leading an organisation of over 3,500 staff, with a net revenue budget of £220M and a capital investment programme of £115M p/a. Tom leads our City-wide integrated health and social care system as the designated Place Lead for Salford in the Greater Manchester Integrated Care System (ICS). Tom’s professional background is in regeneration, economic development and skills. Tom is a Chartered Surveyor, a Member and Chair of the UK Institute of Economic Development (MIED), a Commissioner on the Living Wage Foundation for the UK, and policy lead and spokesperson for SOLACE (Society of Local Authority Chief Executives) currently Health and Social Care.

Victoria is the Chief Executive of Islington Council and has been in the role since January 2024. Islington is focused on creating a more equal future through five missions. Before joining Islington Council, Victoria was Executive Director of Environment, Culture and Customer Services at Hounslow Council, and was an Executive Director there since July 2019.

Will Tuckley Will has been the Chief Executive of Slough Borough Council since March 2024. Prior to this he spent a year as the interim Chief Executive of the City of Brighton and Hove. He was the Chief Executive of Tower Hamlets Council from October 2015 until March 2023. He became Chief Executive in the London Borough of Bexley in 2008 and was previously Deputy Chief Executive in Croydon. Will has been the Chair of a large housing association, served on the Board of London Marathon Events, led the London Serious Youth Violence Board and, having Chaired the London local authority Chief Executives Group, was for many years the London lead chief executive on health. He is currently a non-executive director on the Board of Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust. 

William has been Chief Executive of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council since 2009. Prior to that he was Deputy Chief Executive and has held a number of senior manager roles in local government. His background is in international development, and he spent three years with the International Development Select Committee in the House of Commons and a period of time working within the voluntary sector. William is a spokesperson for the sector on finance issues and chairs the Kent-wide grouping of chief executives and is a Fellow of the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (FRSA).