Lindsay is the Head of Engagement for Procurement Team at the Cabinet Office. She joined the Government Commercial Organisation in 2016, initially working as senior category leader for employment and labour market in DWP and subsequently as Head of Small Business Policy at Cabinet Office, working with all central government departments and SMEs to break down barriers to entry. Prior to joining the civil service, she gained 10+ commercial experience from the private sector, working in the Aerospace, property management and FMCG sectors for both large multinationals and SMEs, including spending 5 years abroad in Germany, Netherlands and Canada working on complex projects.

Zuzanna Briant is the Director and Practice Lead for Contract and Commercial Management (CCM) at World Commerce & Contracting. In her role, she serves as an ambassador and advocate for efficient, effective contracting, focused on building high-performing, trusted business relationships. She joined WorldCC from Virgin Media, bringing extensive experience in procurement and leadership of commercial and contract management teams. Her innovative thinking and strategic approach have delivered multi-million-dollar cost savings and revenue gains. Her earlier career spans the financial services and aviation sectors, and she holds a Master’s degree in Finance.

Carl has a wealth of public procurement experience, having previously led the award-winning procurement team at one of Wales’ largest housing associations. Before joining Welsh Government, Carl worked for the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS), where he taught procurement and contract management best practice to public and private sector organisations across the globe. Carl also played an important role in CIPS’ work post-Grenfell, and supported the work of Working Group 11 to agree specific procurement competence levels for people involved in the construction of new higher risk residential buildings. In his current role, Carl is responsible for developing Welsh Government’s wider Procurement Reform engagement activity, working closely with stakeholders across the Welsh public sector to ensure that they are ready to maximise the opportunities arising from procurement reform.

Joanna has been a driving force behind the creation and management of the social value function in London Borough of Waltham Forest, since its inception in Dec 2020. With over 20 years’ experience leading on various investment and regeneration initiatives that promote inclusive growth and community wealth building, under Joanna leadership the Council has transformed the way it maximises social impact through its contracts for services, regeneration, and construction works. Over the past four years, the collaborative efforts of the Council and its supply chain have yielded over £50 million in delivered social value, laying the foundation for a substantial pipeline of future benefits.

Cabinet Office supports the Prime Minister, and ensures the effective running of government. As the corporate headquarters for government, in partnership with HM Treasury, Cabinet Office take the lead in certain critical policy areas. They are responsible for: • supporting collective government, helping to ensure the effective development, coordination and implementation of policy • supporting the National Security Council and the Joint Intelligence Organisation, coordinating the government’s response to crises and managing the UK’s cyber security • promoting efficiency and reform across government through innovation, better procurement and project management, and by transforming the delivery of services • promoting the release of government data, and making the way government works more transparent • creating an exceptional civil service, improving its capability and effectiveness • promoting social action and National Citizen Service, and growing the social investment market • political and constitutional reform

Ben is a researcher working with the Institute for Government's general election team. Before joining the Institute, Ben studied medicine at university and continues to practice as an NHS doctor, and has also published research in a number of medical journals.

Rebecca Rees is a Partner and the Head of Public Procurement at the international law firm, Trowers & Hamlins. Rebecca is a leading national expert in public procurement law and has significant experience in advising clients in the public, private and third sectors on public procurement, subsidy control and building safety strategy issues. She advises clients on procurement strategy and structures, how to conduct flexible and compliant procurement procedures and compile objective and transparent evaluation models and guidance. With particular interests in value-led procurement, social value and building safety, Rebecca is a member of the Working Group 11 for Procurement Competency, DLUHC’s Procurement Advisory Group, and HACT’s National Social Value in Housing Taskforce. Rebecca is also a Visiting Fellow at the Centre of Construction Law at Dickson Poon School of Law at Kings College London and is currently undertaking a PhD in public procurement, focusing on price evaluation models at the University of Nottingham.

Kieran is a consultant solicitor and legal trainer, specialising in public procurement law. He advises clients on public procurement, commercial contracts, grant funding, and subsidy control (previously State aid). For most of the past decade he has worked in-house within local government legal teams. Since June 2023 he has been operating as a consultant solicitor. Kieran also sits on the executive committee of the Procurement Lawyers' Association (PLA), a membership body for procurement lawyers across the UK. He was previously the National Lead for Procurement Law within a membership body for local government lawyers.

Rikesh Shah is a Head of Innovation Procurement Empowerment Centre – IPEC at Connected Places Catapult since October 2023. Previously, Rikesh was an Open Innovation and Open Data expert at PA Consulting, and prior to that he was the Head of Open Innovation at Transport for London where he created the organisation’s first Innovation Hub, recognised as one of the best in the public sector in Europe, and he also oversaw the organisation’s world-renowned open data initiative bringing £130m worth of value per annum. Rikesh is a guest lecturer at the Royal College of Arts and a Mobility Tech Innovator at Harvard University. He is a non-executive advisor at Cities Today, London Transport Museum and See.Sense. He also previously served on the Mayor of London’s Smart London Board, co-chaired the Data and Digital Board at the Institute of Civil Engineering.

Having spent 15 years in global buying roles in industrial distribution, Emma moved to the Housing sector 4 years ago to work for MTVH. Her experience means she has led multi-disciplinary, customer-focussed teams across multiple geographies, where her strengths have been establishing common goals and joint aspirations together with a strong team ethos and sense of purpose. Emma is also vice-chair of the G15 Procurement Leadership Group, where they come together to share best-practice and explore opportunities for collaboration across London’s biggest Housing Associations.

Mike is an award-winning chartered construction manager with over two decades of experience in the construction sector, particularly in procurement, project management, contract administration, and sustainability. He is the national sustainability lead for the National Association of Construction Frameworks, and as YORhub's Performance and Improvement Manager he specialises in working with public sector organisations on their procurement of construction works and services, advising on procurement solutions and the administration of NEC contracts.

Esther Beaumont – Head of Category Management & SRM at 7F Commercial Services MCIPS qualified, with over 25 year’s commercial experience & 17 years working in Public Sector Procurement, within Local Authorities and the Emergency services sector. In my current role, I am responsible for a team of 28 people, directing & leading commercial activities, tendering & supplier relationship management activity across 7 Police Forces in the Eastern region. Key category areas include ICT, Construction & FM, Frontline Operational requirements, Corporate Services & Community Based services. I have a particular passion for embedding Sustainability and Social Value into the procurement process, continually expanding upon this in contract and am currently focusing on the contribution our supply chain makes to supporting our Net Zero Carbon targets.

As the National Head of Public Sector at Trowers & Hamlin, Amardeep is a recognised expert advising all levels of government, public bodies and UK and international businesses on transformation and business critical projects, including joint ventures, public/private partnerships, complex supply chain arrangements, regulatory matters and large-scale procurement exercises. He has extensive experience across a range of sectors including digital technology, leisure, transport, health, logistics waste, major events, housing, education, outsourcing, regeneration and aviation.