91����

Muniya leads 91����’s Policy, Campaigns and Communications team, with responsibility for our impact, influencing, thought leadership work and membership. She supports our CEO John Dickie in the running of the business and has responsibility for developing the overall business strategy. She was previously Managing Director of Policy and Strategy, and before that, she ran our Corporate Affairs team. Before she joined 91����, Muniya’s previous senior roles included Managing Director of Corporate Affairs at the award-winning public and communications agency Newington Communications and at the business lobby group, the CBI, where she held the roles of Director of Corporate Communications and Head of News. Muniya began her career as a business reporter at the Liverpool Daily Post before going on to produce news bulletins for ITV News London, CNN and the BBC. Muniya is an independent governor at London Metropolitan University and sits on its finance and resources committee. She was previously a trustee at the Campaign for Better Transport.

John Dickie is the Chief Executive at 91����. Formerly the organisation’s Director of Strategy and Policy, he was responsible for the business membership organisation’s public policy development and its member management team. A former Deputy Leader of Camden Council in London, John was a member of the current Mayor of London’s London Finance Commission, the previous Mayor’s Infrastructure Delivery Board and is a member of the King’s College Commission on London. 

His previous senior roles include Head of Corporate Affairs at the BBC, Regulatory Affairs Director at the European Competitive Telecommunications Association and Managing Director of consultancy Prima Europe, later GPC London, where he provided political and policy advice to major international businesses. John started his career at Swiss Bank Corporation International and has degrees from Oxford University and the London Business School.

Joe Powell is the Member of Parliament for Kensington and Bayswater. He serves as Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Anti-Corruption and Responsible Tax, sits on the Housing, Communities and Local Government Select Committee, and is a member of the Labour Growth Group. Prior to his election in July 2024, Joe was Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Open Government Partnership (OGP), a global initiative co-founded by President Barack Obama, where he worked from 2016 to 2024.

Joe’s career has focused on international development, transparency, and anti-corruption. From 2009 to 2013, he was Senior Policy Manager at the ONE Campaign. Before that, he worked as an online editor at Independent magazine in Uganda (2008 �ē�ĉ2009) and as a policy adviser at ActionAid (2007 �ē�ĉ2008). In 2022, he co-founded the ​‘Kensington Against Dirty Money’ campaign, calling for stronger action against illicit finance. Joe was named the inaugural Obama Foundation Europe Leader in 2020.

Peter Arnold is the Chief Economist at EY in the UK & Ireland providing knowledge, analysis and insight to help businesses and governments understand the economic environments in which they operate. He leads EY’s Economic Advisory policy team and has over 20 years of experience in advising public and private sector clients, both in the UK and internationally, on economics, policy, competition and regulation. 

Peter is the sponsoring partner for EY’s Economics for Business Programme which includes the EY ITEM Club, the UK’s leading independent economic forecast, and EY’s Attractiveness Surveys, recognised as a leading independent analysis of FDI performance. Peter started his career at PWC, having graduated from the London School of Economics, and spent time at Ofcom the UK’s communications regulator, before joining EY in 2004. 

Thomas Woldbye took up the role as CEO of Heathrow in October 2023, after 11 years at the helm of Copenhagen airports. As CEO, Thomas is focussed on driving innovation, improved customer service, sustainability and growth at the UK’s hub airport. This includes overseeing the airport’s multi billion pound investment plans to upgrade existing facilities, expand capacity and provide an even better service for passengers. Thomas is a member of His Majesty’s Sustainable Markets Initiative, the BritishAmerican Business Advisory Board and the Jet Zero Council. Under Thomas’s stewardship, Copenhagen Airport was consistently rated as one of the world’s top airports, both in terms of customer and retail experience as well as efficiency and profitability. Previously, Thomas worked for A.P. Møller-Maersk for 27 years. He started his career as a management trainee in 1983, and over the next 20 years, held several management positions in Indonesia, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, the Netherlands and Denmark. 

Sir Andy Street served as the first Mayor of the West Midlands from 2017 to 2024, helping to establish the West Midlands Combined Authority and oversee a huge influx of public and private investment into his home region. Prior to that he was managing director of John Lewis (having started his career there as a graduate trainee), guiding the employee-owned business to one of the most successful spells in its history – culminating in the department store chain being named the most trusted brand in Britain. He currently chairs Birmingham Repertory Theatre, and previously chaired the Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership. He has also served as the lead non-executive director for the Department for Communities and Local Government, as well as a member of the Prime Minister’s Business Advisory Group. He was awarded a CBE in 2015 for services to economic growth, and was knighted in 2025 for services to public service.

Quentin is the Market Leader and Senior Partner for London, PwC UK’s largest geographical market. He is responsible for setting the strategic direction for the London Market and strengthening PwC’s presence and identity in the capital. In addition to overseeing the firm’s London based priority clients, Quentin acts as Senior Relationship Partner on a number of key client accounts and Alliance partnerships and is the lead for the Palantir Alliance. He continues to advise and support clients with significant financial challenges, complex cost reduction, crisis management and major transformation programmes. 

Ruth is one of the world’s leading experts in place partnership, with a 30-year career that has included the development of many successful place-based organisations to drive urban growth. To that end Ruth’s work has leveraged over £80m of private sector funding, which has been the catalyst for generating more than £6bn of further investment. Ruth advises governments and developers internationally on the development of successful private sector-led partnerships. In addition to her roles at Primera and London HQ, Ruth is Chair of the Management Committee for the Guards Museum and Wellington Barracks, Chair of The Passage Trading Services Board, a member of The Goring Hotel School Management Committee, a member of the Bank of England’s Decision Maker Panel and a member of the NLA’s New London Sounding Board. In 2018 Ruth was awarded an OBE for Services to Business.

Sir Andy Street served as the first Mayor of the West Midlands from 2017 to 2024, helping to establish the West Midlands Combined Authority and oversee a huge influx of public and private investment into his home region. Prior to that he was managing director of John Lewis (having started his career there as a graduate trainee), guiding the employee-owned business to one of the most successful spells in its history – culminating in the department store chain being named the most trusted brand in Britain. He currently chairs Birmingham Repertory Theatre, and previously chaired the Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership. He has also served as the lead non-executive director for the Department for Communities and Local Government, as well as a member of the Prime Minister’s Business Advisory Group. He was awarded a CBE in 2015 for services to economic growth, and was knighted in 2025 for services to public service.

Alison Griffin is Chief Executive of London Councils — the collective of London local government — the 32 London boroughs and the City of London Corporation. Alison took up her role at London Councils in 2021 working on a cross party basis with Leaders and directly-elected Mayors across London to deliver their agreed Shared Ambitions; promoting borough and partner collaboration for the benefit of London and Londoners. 

Before joining London Councils, Alison was Chief Executive at Southend-on-Sea Council from July 2017- July 2021. She was instrumental in developing Southend 2050, the resident and stakeholder led ambition for the borough. Prior to that Alison was director of finance and corporate services at the London Borough of Bexley (2014 �ē�ĉ2017) and has also worked at the London Borough of Camden (2004 �ē�ĉ2014) where amongst other roles she was Assistant Director Communities and Deputy Director of Finance. She is a Fellow of the Charted Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA)

John Dickie is the Chief Executive at 91����. Formerly the organisation’s Director of Strategy and Policy, he was responsible for the business membership organisation’s public policy development and its member management team. A former Deputy Leader of Camden Council in London, John was a member of the current Mayor of London’s London Finance Commission, the previous Mayor’s Infrastructure Delivery Board and is a member of the King’s College Commission on London. 

His previous senior roles include Head of Corporate Affairs at the BBC, Regulatory Affairs Director at the European Competitive Telecommunications Association and Managing Director of consultancy Prima Europe, later GPC London, where he provided political and policy advice to major international businesses. John started his career at Swiss Bank Corporation International and has degrees from Oxford University and the London Business School.

With over 25 years of business experience, she took over the role of CEO of the company in 2012, having held other positions of major responsibility in the companies of the family-run multinational. Internationally renowned as a virtuous example for the whole Italian ceramics district, she works constantly to promote environmental sustainability. Her vision and strategic planning, along with her extensive, in-depth knowledge of the subject, have allowed her to create and develop several revolutionary solutions in the ceramics sector. Her actions have always been based on the Group’s founding values: innovation, sustainability and excellent quality.

Alys Denby is Opinion and Features Editor of City AM. She has appeared on the BBC Politics Live, Sky News, LBC, Times Radio, Talk TV GB News and written for The Telegraph, the i newspaper, The Critic, The Big Issue and CapX

Steve oversees the strategic direction of Ballymore’s residential, retail, and commercial projects in London. As a Fellow of the RICS, with over 30 years’ experience in the property industry, Steve has led mixed-use projects with a combined GDV in excess of £6bn, both in the UK and internationally. Today, Steve is focussed on securing planning consent and delivery for over 14,000 homes in London. 

Steve led the delivery of London City Island and Goodluck Hope, close to Canning Town. He was also responsible for the design and delivery of the new home for English National Ballet, and several years on from completion continues to maintain close links with the organisation to ensure the community benefits and social impact are far-reaching. Steve is also leading the partnership between Ballymore and LLDC in Stratford, where they are jointly delivering 700 new homes adjacent to East Bank, and around 650 homes at Bridgewater Triangle. 

Nick Brindley is a Senior Planning Partner in the Planning and Development team at Newmark. He has nearly 30 years’ post qualification experience working as a private sector town planning consultant across London. He leads teams working across strategic development projects throughout London and in all sectors and is heavily involved in policy formulation and influence across London for Business LDN and the London Property Alliance.

Projects that Nick is particularly proud of include advising Grosvenor on their office and residential redevelopment at South Molton Triangle in the Oxford Street District, advising Derwent London on their strategic sites in Baker Street, and for Urbanest’s leading education and student housing developments in Canary Wharf, Waterloo and Battersea.

Pete Gladwell, leads on public sector investments (>£5bn) for Legal & General and Productive Finance across Legal & General Group. His team drive the growth of L&G’s investments that benefit society. A former youth worker, Pete is heavily involved in local community projects in West London, an Honorary Professor at University College London, a Freeman of the City of London, a member of the government’s Social Impact Investment Advisory Group, and a Trustee of the Fairness Foundation.

Joanne is Executive Director of Housing and Regeneration at LB Enfield and co-chair of the London Housing Directors Network. She has worked in housing across the UK for central, regional, and local government, for housing associations and a national social justice charity driving transformation and the delivery of better outcomes for people, places, and the planet. At Enfield she leads a large-scale housing business and regeneration agenda. Enfield is also co-lead Borough for the London Council’s pan London Climate Change programme for warmer and greener homes through housing retrofit.

Anna is the London Office Senior Partner for KPMG, Chair for the London Region and a Vice Chair of the UK firm. She leads our work with Private Enterprise clients out of London, and our Professional Services client base across the UK. In addition to chairing the ​‘London Leaders’ Circles’ Anna is responsible for building strong relationships with a broad range of organisations across London Prior to this role, Anna held COO roles and from 2017 – 2020, was Head of People for KPMG in the UK and Executive Board member. She was responsible for the strategic and operational aspects of HR, Learning and Culture with in the UK, enabling KPMG’s ambition to be a Magnet for Talent through attraction, development and retention of talented people at all levels of the organisation.

Manish Gupta is the Group Corporate Finance Director at Transport for London (TfL), which he joined in March 2025. In this role, Manish plays a key role in strategic financial management of one of the most complex integrated transport networks globally and an important facilitators for London economic growth. Previously, Manish worked for 19 years at EY LLP in London, where he was one of the lead Infrastructure sector Partners. He has also worked with the US Infrastructure developer Bechtel Enterprises in London and Mumbai. 

Throughout his 30+ years of career in Infrastructure development and financing, Manish has worked with Governments, Corporates and Infrastructure Funds advising on Strategy, Project Structuring, M&A and Capital Raising. As an Infrastructure professional, the projects and businesses Manish has been involved with have a direct positive impact on living standards and contribute to long-term economic growth.

Manish also serves as a Non-Executive Director & Chair of Audit and Risk Committee for Translink (Northern Ireland) and is Treasurer/​Board Member for Pratham UK, a highly reputed India centred charity with a primary focus on child education.

Hannah Vickers joined Mace Group in July 2021 as Chief of Staff. Hannah works directly with the Mace Executive Board to embed the company’s 2026 Business Strategy. In her role, she is driving growth, innovation and the company’s net zero carbon agenda. Hannah was also appointed as a non-executive director to Monmouthshire Housing Association in 2020, where she chairs the association’s Development Committee. Prior to Mace, Hannah served as Chief Executive of the Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE), since 2018, where she led the creation and delivery of ACE’s ​‘Future of Consultancy’ programme , reshaping the future of the built environment consultancy sector.

Hannah’s extensive industry knowledge and experience have been key to her role as a member of the Construction Leadership Council’s (CLC), where she led the creating of ​‘ConstructZero’ — the construction industry’s change programme to address carbon emissions and spearheading the launch of the industry-wide skills platform, the Construction Talent Retention Scheme. Her continuous work and commitment to innovation across the built environment sector, led to her being recognised on the Women’s Engineering Society 2021 list of ​‘50 ���Բ����Ա������Բ�&�Բ�����;�����DZ��’.

Prior to moving to the private sector Hannah had a 12 year period in Government, latterly at Infrastructure UK, part of HM Treasury as an advisor to ministers on infrastructure, working closely with the Commercial Secretary and the Chancellor of the Exchequer. As part of this role, she developed and delivered successful training programmes on infrastructure planning, appraisal, and delivery to the governments of Indonesia, Argentina, Indonesia, China, Egypt, and Brazil. 

A Civil Engineer by profession Hannah started out her career as an apprentice in River and Coastal Engineering, before progressing her career at the Environment Agency in a number of roles over a ten-year period.

Neil has worked in the electricity industry for more than 20 years, the last 15 years supporting customers connect to the UK Power Networks electricity distribution network. This includes working with customers and wider stakeholders to support the delivery of their decarbonisation strategy bringing innovative solutions to market to ensure that network operators are facilitating the Net Zero transition.

Tunde Olayinka is the Executive Director for Communities and Skills at the Greater London Authority (GLA), where he plays a pivotal role in shaping London’s social and economic development. A seasoned executive with a distinguished career spanning local government, the Civil Service, and the voluntary sector, Tunde is known for translating complex social policy into impactful delivery.

Earlier in his career, while working for Central London Connexions, Tunde significantly reduced youth unemployment in some of London’s most deprived communities. He achieved this by forging a powerful alliance between businesses, skills providers, and employability support services — an approach that remains influential today.

At the GLA, he leads on tackling systemic inequalities, strengthening civil society, supporting young Londoners, and ensuring that businesses can access the skilled talent they need to thrive — while helping Londoners into good work. His strategic oversight of London’s skills agenda directly supports the Mayor of London’s commitment to building an inclusive and future-ready economy.

Tunde’s track record also includes leading the UK’s largest diversity and inclusion programme across the Civil Service, and overseeing critical national and local responses — from Brexit to Grenfell recovery. 

He also serves as a trustee of London Funders and, outside of work, is a proud 

Jennie is Head of ESG and Sustainability at Landsec, leading the implementation of the sustainability strategy across the company’s £11bn portfolio.

A 20-year veteran of corporate sustainability, Jennie has helped companies translate ESG opportunities and challenges into actionable advice and real results. Jennie’s roles have been varied, from Responsible Business Director at Capita to sustainability roles at RSA Insurance Group, Kent County Council and Linklaters.

Ed Green is Sustainability Director for Grosvenor’s UK property business. In this role, he is responsible for the delivery of GPUK’s Environmental and Social Impact strategies including climate, nature, waste, community wellbeing and supporting socially positive businesses.

Prior to his current position, Ed co-led the delivery of GPUK’s corporate venture capital strategy and spearheaded the project to redesign Grosvenor Square into a biodiverse urban garden. His approach emphasises proactive delivery and innovation, focusing on integrating sustainability into core business operations and fostering a culture that encourages experimentation and learning.

Mete Coban MBE became the Deputy Mayor of London for Environment and Energy in July 2024, overseeing the Mayor’s world-leading climate action plan for the capital.
Before becoming Deputy Mayor, Mete was a Councillor and Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Environment, and Transport in the London Borough of Hackney, delivering a £61 million Green New Deal to tackle the climate crisis. He is best known for pioneering Hackney’s Community Energy Fund, providing clean, green, community-owned energy to 39 not-for-profits.

Mete is widely credited with making politics more accessible to young people as the Founder of the youth-led charity My Life My Say. He received an MBE for services to young people in the New Year’s 2020 Honours List in recognition of his efforts to make politics and democracy more accessible to the younger generation.

Temi is a dynamic systems thinker and transformational leader with over a decade of experience driving complex infrastructure projects across energy, rail, and construction. With a Mechanical Engineering background, a Master’s in Construction Management, and an Executive MBA from Cranfield, he blends technical expertise with strategic vision and a strong focus on execution. 

At The Nichols Group, Temi leads the Environment business, advising clients on Energy Transition, Net Zero strategies, and climate risk mitigation. His people-focused approach rooted in emotional intelligence, systems leadership, and collaboration empowers organisations to address sustainability challenges with clarity and impact. A visiting fellow at Southampton Business School and a member of the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Skills Committee, he actively contributes to shaping the future of sustainable infrastructure. His recent studies at the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership further reflect his commitment to advancing sustainable business practices. Temi brings insight, experience, and inspiration to the panel on building climate-resilient futures.

Muniya leads 91����’s Policy, Campaigns and Communications team, with responsibility for our impact, influencing, thought leadership work and membership. She supports our CEO John Dickie in the running of the business and has responsibility for developing the overall business strategy. She was previously Managing Director of Policy and Strategy, and before that, she ran our Corporate Affairs team. Before she joined 91����, Muniya’s previous senior roles included Managing Director of Corporate Affairs at the award-winning public and communications agency Newington Communications and at the business lobby group, the CBI, where she held the roles of Director of Corporate Communications and Head of News. Muniya began her career as a business reporter at the Liverpool Daily Post before going on to produce news bulletins for ITV News London, CNN and the BBC. Muniya is an independent governor at London Metropolitan University and sits on its finance and resources committee. She was previously a trustee at the Campaign for Better Transport.

Zephaniah is a Director in the Local Public Services team at Microsoft UK, overseeing mayoral regions and councils across England. With over a decade of experience in the technology industry, he is deeply passionate about inclusion, community, and the economic impact of technology and digital skills in transforming communities, cities, and nations. 

At Microsoft, Zephaniah has held several impactful roles. He served as the Business Manager for the CEO of Microsoft UK, led the UK Data business, leading the commercial business, marketing and partnership strategy. He also spearheaded the commercial distribution business for Microsoft Surface hardware devices. 

In addition to his professional contributions, Zephaniah is committed to fostering inclusion and diversity. He is the Chair of the EMBRACE Employee Resource Group at Microsoft UK, which champions ethnicity and cultural diversity within the workplace. 

• Zephaniah also serves on multiple advisory boards, including:
• The United by 2022 board, overseeing the legacy of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham
• London’s, Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP)
• Kubrick Consultancy, Data Advisory Board, providing strategic guidance to in data, AI, and next-generation technologies Born and raised in London, Zephaniah is an alumnus of Aston University. 

He now resides in the West Midlands with his wife and two young children.

Richard Punt is the global legal leader at Deloitte. He brings an extensive track record in legal market strategy having worked with a broad range of firms and other participants over the last 20 years. 

At Allen & Overy he was CEO of consultant lawyer business Peerpoint and developed the firm’s Advanced Delivery capabilities in legal technology and regulatory consulting. He was Chief Strategy Officer at Thomson Reuters with a particular focus on building their legal software capabilities including the introduction of AI. 

His current role represents a return to Deloitte. Before joining A&O in 2014, Richard was a consulting partner with the firm for 15 years holding a number of senior roles both globally and in the UK, including Managing Partner first for Strategy & Planning and subsequently for Clients & Markets. He has recently undertaken work in collaboration with 91���� on the reskilling challenges for London posed by AI

With more than 17-years in the telecommunications sector, Mark Toman stands as a seasoned professional renowned for his expertise in crafting mobile networks ranging from 3G to the latest 5G technologies. Mark’s proficiency extends to the intricacies of Edge MEC (Multi-Access Edge Computing), showcasing his commitment to staying at the forefront of technological advancements. 

Mark’s diverse experience spans collaboration with Hyperscalers, navigating partnerships with large corporations, startups, and small businesses alike. His unwavering commitment to utilising technology for practical solutions is underscored by his focus on collaborations and partnerships, creating a sense of community within the industry and driving positive change.

Carmine Ventre is a Professor of Computer Science and Chair in Computational Finance in the Department of Informatics, King’s College London. He gained a Laurea degree and a PhD in Computer Science, both from Università di Salerno. He subsequently worked at the University of Liverpool, Teesside University and the University of Essex before joining King’s in September 2019, to lead the Finance research hub in the Department of Informatics. Since July 2023, he is the director of the King’s Institute for AI. Since August 2024, he is the Head of the Department of Informatics. Professor Ventre’s research interests include algorithmic game theory, microeconomics and the internet, AI for algorithmic trading and finance and cryptography and security.

Charlotte Hill OBE became CEO of the Felix Project in January 2022. Prior to that Charlotte was the Chief Executive of Step Up To Serve, the organisation that coordinated the #iwill campaign, from 2014 to 2020. From 2010 to 2014 she was the Chief Executive of UK Youth. 

After studying Political Science & Philosophy at Birmingham University and working part time for Richard Burden MP during her studies, Charlotte started her career working in Parliament for Rt. Hon. Harriet Harman QC MP in a number of roles. After five years with Harriet Harman, Charlotte moved to the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) as their Parliamentary Advisor. After the NSPCC, Charlotte moved to Australia and worked for a Government Relations & Communications Consultancy and for a children’s charity in Sydney. She then worked in Cambodia on her way back to the UK, teaching English. She joined UK Youth in April 2009.

Charlotte is an RSA Fellow, a Board member of Westminster House Youth Club in her local area and also sits on the board of the YOTI Foundation. In 2012 Charlotte received the award of ​“Rising CEO Star” at The Charity Times Awards, in 2016 she became Alumna of the Year at the University of Birmingham, in 2019 she was ordained into the Order of the British Empire for services to young people and in 2024 Charlotte received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Birmingham. 

Advising Sir Richard Branson and the Virgin Group, Matthias Stausberg leads public advocacy on a broad range of global issues, including human rights, criminal justice, and drug policy reform. He also works closely with Virgin Group companies around the world, developing strategies and programmes to translate advocacy into tangible corporate engagement. 

Matthias joined Virgin in 2012, after more than a decade at the United Nations Global Compact, the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative. A native of Germany, he holds a master’s degree in mass communication from the University of North Carolina’s School of Journalism. 

Richard in the CEO for Change the Race Ratio, the UKs leading business campaign to accelerate racial and ethnic minority representation on boards and in executive teams. 

Change the Race Ratio (CtRR) is the campaign partner to the government backed Parker Review, they regularly convene business leaders and support progress through the sharing of good practice and lessons learnt. CtRR also provides members with a strong voice to policy makers in government and key regulators. 

Richard has a strong track record of leading businesses that provide career and professional development for business leaders and senior ED&I and HR professionals. Richard led the CBI’s business engagement work on the Future of Work, he was a director in a boutique staffing firm and the CIPD’s Chair for Cambridgeshire and an Executive Officer for CIPD in the East of England

Alex is the Chief Customer & Strategy Officer and has over thirty years’ experience in transport planning in London. He joined TfL in 2007 and has held several Director positions in the organisation since then. Most recently he was the Director of City Planning where he managed the single integrated planning function for TfL, including working with the Mayor of London to develop and deliver his Transport Strategy. He also played a key role in obtaining the consents and funding to deliver major projects such as the Ultra-Low Emission Zone, tube extensions and new river crossings. 

Prior to joining TfL, Alex also held several Chief Officer roles at the London Borough of Camden and Ealing respectively. 

Laura Citron is CEO of London & Partners, business growth and destination agency for London. Laura leads London & Partners in its mission is to create economic growth that is resilient, sustainable and inclusive. She runs inward investment and trade for the capital, supporting thousands of innovative businesses to grow in London and internationally. She leads London’s tourism industry to develop the destination and win visitors and events, including the Let’s Do London campaign and VisitLondon. 

Laura is a global advocate for London, regularly appearing in international media and events. Laura has been CEO of London & Partners since 2017, leading through both Brexit and covid. Before that she spent nearly a decade at WPP, where she was Managing Director of the Government & Public Sector Practice. 

Amanda is responsible for the development and implementation of Imperial’s Strategy, Science for humanity. Amanda has responsibility for communications, international relations, public affairs and the Imperial Policy Forum. Amanda is also Chief of Staff to the President.

Amanda joined Imperial as Head of Public Affairs before being appointed Chief of Staff to the President and Director of Public Affairs. Prior to joining Imperial, Amanda held senior communications and external affairs roles at a Westminster think tank and the Russell Group, and she was previously a broadcast journalist producing a range of documentary, political and current affairs programming including the UK’s first General Election Debate. She started her career working in policy and adviser roles in the Australian and UK Parliaments. Amanda is an Associate Fellow at Chatham House, the Royal Institute of International Affairs, and is a member of the Mayor’s Grow London Advisory Board.

Craig McWilliam became The Arch Company’s first Chief Executive Officer in January 2022. The Arch Company is the UK’s largest landlord to small and medium sized enterprises, with a diverse portfolio of approximately 5,200 properties across England and Wales, concentrated in metropolitan areas. 

He joined after spending a year as Programme Director of the NHS’s new hospitals programme. Prior to this, Craig was Chief Executive of Grosvenor Britain & Ireland from 2017 �ē�ĉ2020, having joined the business in 2010 as a board member. Prior to Grosvenor, Craig held roles in investment banking and private equity. Craig studied Land Economy at the University of Cambridge and is a Fellow of the RICS.

Craig is chair of the University of Greenwich, and a member of the endowment committees of Church Oxford and St John’s College, Cambridge.

Gavin Poole is the CEO of Here East, a dedicated campus for the technology and creative sectors which is now home to over 6,500 people. Built out of a bid to transform the former international press and broadcast centre used during the 2012 London Olympic games, the vision for the campus has positioned it as one of the most successful Olympic re-developments.

Gavin is also a Director of Plexal, the innovation centre at Here East which is focused on utilising technology to deliver national security and prosperity. He also sits on the Tech London Advocates and Global Tech Advocates advisory board for Russ Shaw CBE.

Before starting Here East, Gavin served for over twenty years in the Royal Air Force, starting as an aircraft engineering apprentice and retiring as a Wing Commander. He also ran the Centre for Social Justice, a think tank in Westminster.

James Thomson is the current Deputy Chair of Policy and councillor at the City of London Corporation. James was first elected as a Common Councillor in 2013.

Outside of his duties in the City, James holds board roles with the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners and the Serious Fraud Office. He was formerly chair of the City of London Police Authority Board, chair of the National Cyber Resilience Centre Group and a non-executive Chairman of MJ Gleeson plc, a UK-based housebuilding and land development company focused on delivering affordable homes and unlocking land value through strategic planning. 

He has over 20 years of industry experience, including leadership roles at Keepmoat, DTZ Holdings, and Smiths Group. James is a chartered accountant and spent his earlier career in financial services with PwC, HSBC and Deutsche Bank.

James was recognised with a CBE for services to Policing and Inclusion in the 2025 New Year Honours list.

James Rees boasts more than 35 years’ experience in event organisation and major venue management.

A recent ICCA President (the International Congress and Convention Association), James is currently the Executive Director of Conference & Events at Excel London, the UK capital’s largest event venue. 

His career began as a conference organiser for UK-based Water Research Centre organising a variety of national and international events. This was followed by a move to Wembley Stadium Ltd, managing international conferences and exhibitions, as well as concerts for artists such as Madonna and Michael Jackson, and also the FA Cup. 

James’ next move was to London Arena as Sales & Marketing Director working with the executive team to establish the venue, before in 2003 moving to join Hilton Hotels and being responsible for booking £30 million worth of conferences worldwide annually.

Shortly after this he joined the Excel London team where he’s also a member of the leadership team.

During his career he’s also been Chair of the UK & Ireland Chapter of ICCA, an ICCA Board Director and President of JMIC (Joint Meetings Industry Council).

 

Patricia became CEO of VisitBritain/​VisitEngland in 2022.

Patricia is responsible for the day-to-day running of VB/VE overseas and its global network of offices. She is focused on building partnerships to grow the value of tourism across Britain and supporting and developing tourism businesses She works to ensure that overseas tourism is high on the political and economic agenda, and oversees the Media and Tourism Affairs teams. Patricia is also the Accounting Officer for the organisation.

Starting her career as a journalist working on research and technical publications, Patricia moved to edit Holiday Which? where she led on all of its research, campaigning and public affairs work in tourism, travel and transport. She launched and edited the Which? Guide to Hotels for many years.

Patricia is the Chair of the Tourism Industry Emergency Response group (TIER) which coordinates the tourism industry, developing plans and responses during specific crises. She is an observer on the board of the Tourism Alliance for VisitBritain/​VisitEngland.

Photo credit to Rachel Adam

Dee Corsi is Chief Executive of New West End Company, the UK’s largest retail, leisure and hospitality Business Improvement District. It represents over 600 property owner and occupier businesses across the West End, and is anchored by Oxford Street, Regent Street and Bond Street. Working alongside its members, New West End Company delivers transformational projects, sustainable place management, destination marketing, advocacy, and commercial insights, all in service of maintaining the West End’s global reputation as a flagship destination.

Paul is B2B and Indirect Sales Director at Eurostar Group. Eurostar is the high-speed rail company connecting 5 key Northern European markets, transporting 19m business and leisure customers per year. There is a clear ambition to grow to 30m by 2030 with sustainability and modal shift as a key objective, through route enhancement and connections to rail and air. 

Paul joined Eurostar in 2019 and has delivered a new sales and distribution strategy that became the foundations for the Eurostar Group as part of the merger between Thalys and Eurostar. As part of the new Eurostar Group implementation in 2023, Paul brought together the Eurostar and Thalys sales teams into a single new organisation supporting over 300 distribution partners as well as moving to them to the new inventory system and implementing the new Eurostar brand through their channels.

Prior to Eurostar, Paul has a background in FMCG sales and marketing with Unilever, Mars and Energizer where he was passionate about brand and customer propositions. More recently Paul has held senior Commercial management positions in Travel Retail with Heathrow express, Heathrow Airport and Travelex where strong commercial performance and change management was his key focus.

Paul is passionate about team performance both professionally and through rugby, having coached, mentored, refereed, and played for over 30yrs. In addition, Paul loves to embrace a culturally diverse approach to the business world, having lived in UK, France, Switzerland and Russia and travelled extensively across Australasia, Asia, Middle East and Americas. 

Howard was appointed Deputy Mayor for Business and Chair of London and Partners in December 2023.
 
Before joining the Mayor’s team, Howard worked in business for thirty years, spending 17 years as Managing Director for Strategy of the Canary Wharf Group. At Canary Wharf, Howard was involved in the development of the Elizabeth Line and supporting the 2012 Olympic Bid and Olympic Legacy as well as commercial inward investment projects in tech, health and life sciences, and financial services.
 
He has been an active member of business organisations including Business LDN, London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, TheCityUK and the London Property Alliance. 
 
He is a trustee of ​“The Line” art walk along the River Lea. Formerly Chair of the East End Community Foundation (2013 �ē�ĉ2022) he is now a patron of the charity, and a patron and former Vice-President of UK Youth. 
 
Howard was Chair of the Business Advisory Board for the University of East London School of Business and Law and has been a visiting lecturer at the School.
 
Howard was a Parliamentary Candidate for the Labour Party and is the Chair of Labour Friends of Bangladesh and Labour Friends of USA.