Linda Chandler is an Industry Advisor in the Local and Regional Government team at Microsoft UK with a particular focus on Smart Places. Her interest is in the role of digital in place leadership in the 2-5 year timeframe and with that, the convergence of adjacent industry sectors of transport, built environment and energy. Linda is a returner to Microsoft having been the Smart Cities Lead for Microsoft Services at Microsoft both in the UK and APAC for 10 years.
In between her Microsoft roles, Linda was an independent smart cities advisor, working on a portfolio of projects across the pillars of built environment, energy and mobility. Prior to Microsoft, she was Chief Information Officer for the London Development Agency. Linda has experienced many facets of the technology industry in her 30 year career, having worked for systems integrators, large independent software vendors, an analyst firm and a number of start-ups.
Linda is currently part of the Design Council Expert network, an RSA Fellow and Member of the IET. She also sits on the LandAid Tech Network Steering Group.

Kelly is a seasoned strategic director with a passion for helping to structure and scale up businesses from investor relations and fund raising to operational and technical client delivery. Kelly sits as a non-executive director across a number of organisations ranging from construction, haulage, smart tech and real estate advisory and operators.

Kelly is Chief Operating Officer for UK property consultancy Bidwells where she leads their ambitious growth plans and environmental, social and economic (ESG) goals. She is also the co-founder of VervLife, specialist built-to-rent and co-living operator.

Kelly is a chartered surveyor, keen public speaker and an active advocate for diversity and inclusion, social issues and sustainability in property. Kelly was Property Week’s Entrepreneur of the year in 2022.

David Reid is an executive leader in the science, engineering, and not-for-profit sectors with significant experience of leading complex global communications and stakeholder engagement to help progressive organisations achieve policy goals and maximise their impact.

An expert in strategic communications, he is currently a member of the executive leadership team of Lloyd’s Register Foundation, a global charity that supports education, research, and innovation to make the world a safer place. His role at the Foundation is to lead on creating global campaigns to raise awareness of the world’s biggest safety challenges and to build partnerships with major international organisations and UN agencies.

Having led corporate communications and advocacy for a number of high-profile organisations with a strong social purpose, he has developed innovative global campaigns that tackle major societal challenges such as climate change, sustainable development and public safety.

David’s work over the past five years has focussed on building coalitions and leading policy and advocacy engagement with multilateral actors, regional and national governments, regulators, civil society, NGOs, and the corporate sector, to achieve equitable, sustainable change that protects people, nature, and infrastructure. David is passionate about communicating science and the need to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers.

He was the Director of The Times Cheltenham Science Festival and led public engagement for various organisations including the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). He is the founder and executive chairman of Matter PR, one of the world’s only communications agencies specialising in helping science and engineering organisations. He is also a Board Trustee of The Oxford Trust and the head rowing coach for St. Peter’s College, Oxford.

A qualified accountant with more than 30 years experience in internal audit, external audit and corporate risk management across several industries (construction, house building, manufacturing, utilities and a charity), the public sector and for a Big 4 firm. Gary has established/restructured several risk and internal audit functions including currently at Laing O’Rourke. He also has Non-Executive Director/Trustee experience in the education sector and for a charity.

Ashley is CEO at MHS Homes which owns c. 10,000 affordable homes in the Thames Estuary and will build over 900 new homes in the next three years. Ashley is a chartered surveyor by background and has worked in the regeneration and housing sectors for over 30 years. Ashley is also a Chartered Director and has extensive boardroom experience in a number of commercial and not for profit organisations.

Jonathan is a champion of good design, sustainability and place making, and has been engaged in delivering highly sustainable residential developments. He regularly contributes to the work of housing groups, is a past chair of the RIBA in Hampshire, has been a member of the RIBA housing group, is a Board Member of BCHA, and is a Non-Executive Director of SECBE.

Vicky had a long and successful career in the UK Met Office in a variety of roles – as a climate science researcher, programme manager, communicator of publicly important science, and partnership developer. She is now building a portfolio career that focuses on the issues that she particularly cares about and where she can make a tangible difference. These include protecting and enhancing the environment, improving scientific literacy in decision making and improved access to STEM careers.

Phil is Chairman of the BRE Trust Board.  He has spent 40 years working in the construction industry and is currently a Non-Executive Director of Keltbray, Wilson James and the Epsom and St Helier NHS Trust, and Chair of Trustees of the BAA Pension Scheme.

Previously Phil worked at Heathrow and became Expansion Programme Director in 2017, accountable for delivering Heathrow’s third runway along with the infrastructure to support it.  Before Expansion he was accountable for all the capital works at Heathrow, the Terminal 2 Programme and the completion of the construction of Terminal 5.  Prior to this he worked at Carillion, DHV and Mott MacDonald.