Mete Coban MBE

Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy - Mayor of London's Office

Kellie Beirne

Chief Executive - Cardiff Capital Region

Kellie Beirne is the Chief Executive of Cardiff Capital Region – the partnership of ten councils working to improve the lives of the 1.5m residents in South East Wales through transforming the economy, business landscape and innovation in the Region. Kellie joined CCR in 2018 from her role as Deputy Chief Executive at Monmouthshire County Council, where she gained a reputation for promoting the entrepreneurial state. Kellie is a Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales, an Honorary Fellow of Cardiff University, a Governor at Cardiff Metropolitan University and sits on several innovation advisory boards including the Morgan Advanced Studies Institute at Swansea University, Cardiff University’s International Board and the Connected Places Catapult Advisory Group.

Andy Lord

Commissioner - Transport for London

Dame Susan Rice DBE

Chair - Forth Green Freeport

With a career spanning medical research, leadership roles in higher education and then banking, Dame Susan chairs Forth Green Freeport, attracting investment for industrial regeneration in Scotland, delivering net zero and fair work. She also chairs GEFI (Global Ethical Finance Initiative) which sits at the hub of the ethical finance movement internationally. The first woman to head a European clearing bank as Chief Executive of Lloyds TSB Scotland plc, she was inter alia senior independent director of both SSE plc and J Sainsbury's plc, chair of Scottish Water, director of Bank of England and lay member of Court at Edinburgh University. Currently a non-executive Member of the Office for Budget Responsibility, she was founding chair of Scotland's Fiscal Commission, the country’s official, independent economic and fiscal forecaster. Focused on the creation of long-term value in business and enterprise, she helped develop numerous social finance and impact investing entities in the US and the UK and advised the UK’s Place-based Climate Action Network. A persistent voice on ethics in finance, she chaired the Financial Services Culture Board and with the Chartered Banker Institute led her industry to support the creation of professional standards for bankers for the first time anywhere.

Graeme Craig

Director & Chief Executive - Places for London

Elspeth Finch MBE

Chief Executive and Founder - IAND

Andrew Carter

Chief Executive - Centre for Cities

Clare Wildfire

Global Cities Lead - Mott MacDonald

Clare is Global Cities Lead with global engineering, management and development consultancy, Mott MacDonald. Having led regeneration, low carbon and sustainable innovation projects across the world, she uses systemic thinking to push boundaries and, most importantly, improve people’s lives. With 35 years’ experience in the sector, originally as a building services engineer specialising in sustainable buildings, Clare combines a practical understanding of construction and development drivers with deep policy engagement. She brings insight into the technical, political, financial and behavioural aspects of sustainable development, and into what enables healthy, resilient, low carbon living. Clare also co created an industry led collaboration of infrastructure organisations supporting the UK’s transition to net zero. She authored the report “A place based approach to net zero”, which explores the challenges and opportunities facing city leaders in delivering a city scale transition.

Claire Charlton

Head of Open Innovation - Wincanton (now part of GXO)

Joining GXO in 2025 through the acquisition of Wincanton, Claire leads a structured Open Innovation Programme, responsible for identifying, testing, and scaling emerging technologies. Their mature labs programme provides testbeds for start-ups to develop and commercialise their products. Claire has also been involved in the Freight Innovation Fund, providing mentorship and testbeds for three cohorts, as well as supporting challenge design workshops. With 27 years’ experience in logistics, Claire’s expertise spans transport, operations, business development, digital products, and solution design. She holds an MSc in Supply Chain Management, with a thesis on AI in logistics, and is currently studying an MSc in Systems Thinking. Additionally, she serves as a trustee at the Mental Health Hospital Museum in Bristol.

Jan Ward CBE

Chair - Plymouth & South Devon Freeport

Rokhsana Fiaz OBE

Mayor of Newham - Newham Council