Summit Speakers

Ala’ Salem

Lecturer in Pharmaceutics, Kingston University 

Ala’ Salem is a Lecturer in Pharmaceutics at Kingston University. She holds a PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Pécs in Hungary, an MSc in Pharmaceutical and Biopharmaceutical Formulations from the University of Sunderland, and a Pharm D from the Jordan University of Science and Technology. Her experience spans academia, industry, NGOs, and pharmacy practice. Her research focuses on novel drug delivery systems, including mRNA delivery via polymer nanoparticles and the creation of cocrystals for tuberculosis drugs. Ala’ is passionate about pharmaceutical innovation. She received a proof-of-concept grant to design and evaluate a novel floating drug delivery system, and her scanning electron microscopy image of tuberculosis drug-drug cocrystals won an image contest.

Alex Elkins

Director of Research and Innovation Services, London South Bank University 

Alex has over 15 years of experience within the University sector and has worked across four institutions including; Hertfordshire, LSE, City University of London and more recently London South Bank University.

In his current role, Alex leads a team of 50 research and innovation professionals to support LSBU’s thriving academic community to drive impactful research that contributes to local and global challenges.

Prior to this Alex held the position of Director of Entrepreneurship at City, University of London, where he led the design and delivery of the institutional strategy for entrepreneurship, providing all students and graduates with the opportunity to gain entrepreneurial skills with a focus on social entrepreneurship.

Alex is also an experienced lecturer and academic programme designer. He regularly delivers lectures and workshops focussing on entrepreneurship, purpose-led innovation and design thinking.

A keen community builder and contributor, Alex has also been a trustee and more recently has founded Startup Higher, a network for entrepreneurship enthusiasts which hosts the annual Startup Higher Summit, attracting over 100 entrepreneurship educators, accelerator and incubator managers from across HE and beyond.

Ali Porteous

Locality Manager Southwest London Skills for Care.

Ali has been the Southwest London Locality Manager for the last 18 months, prior to that she was supporting care providers in Surrey working with the Local Care Association. With nearly 40 years of experience in the care and support field, Ali has worked in front-line service, manager and operational roles as well as teaching and mentoring people to get the most out of their chosen carer.

Ali is passionate about the outcomes for people who experience care and support, by ensuring the right people with the right skills are in the right roles at the right time.

Alon Stoerman

Product Management Consultant and Mentor, re:Action Health Technologies

Alon is an entrepreneur with success delivering world-class products and enjoys connecting people and technology as a product management expert, Mentor and Consultant for companies and individuals. Alon established re:Action Health Technologies (formerly Memo360) based on first-hand experience with dementia and after following provided solutions for dementia for many decades. 

re:Action is a technology startup with the mission of improving the lives of individuals with dementia. We specialise in creating interactive exergaming platforms designed specifically for people with dementia. It combines the essential evidence-based 4 pillars – physical activity, cognitive stimulation, social interaction and wellbeing support. By empowering individuals with dementia to maintain active lives, we can significantly reduce the burden on carers and healthcare systems.

Dr Ambalika Batra-Penny

Head of Enterprise, Innovation & Contracts, City St.George’s University of London

As an experienced innovation leader, Ambi brings a strong track record in building impactful partnerships, driving change, and commercializing intellectual property within higher education and NHS Trusts. Currently serving as Head of Enterprise, Innovation and Contracts at City, St George’s University of London, she leads strategic knowledge exchange initiatives, manages a diverse portfolio of research contracts and fosters entrepreneurship among researchers and clinicians. 

Ambi’s experience spans various leadership roles, including at St George’s University of London and the University of Surrey, where she successfully drove the commercialisation of cutting-edge technologies ranging from medical diagnostics to sustainable energy solutions.  With a PhD in Virology, she combines her scientific expertise and practical experience to facilitate the translation of research into real-world applications.

Andrew Brown

Chief Executive Officer, Croydon BME Forum

Andrew Brown is a distinguished Director at the Croydon BME Forum, where he has been instrumental in transforming the organisation over the past six years. With expertise in coaching, strategic planning, business development, curriculum development, and public speaking, Andrew’s career reflects a deep commitment to community development and empowerment.

At Croydon BME Forum, Andrew has driven significant initiatives that reflect his passion for community engagement. He has led key events such as ‘Cut it Out’, a Cancer Conference, and numerous Black History Month celebrations, bringing vital conversations to the forefront of the community. His efforts have been crucial in establishing two community centres: The Wellness Centre and The Health and Wellbeing Space at the Whitgift Centre, both of which serve as essential resources for local residents.

Andrew’s leadership extends beyond the organisation’s growth. His collaboration with Macmillan Cancer Support on a project addressing ethnic inequalities in health and social care stands out as a testament to his dedication. This project focuses on supporting, engaging, and empowering individuals within BME communities affected by cancer, ensuring that care is person-centred, culturally appropriate, and effective.

One of Andrew’s most recent achievements is guiding the Croydon BME Forum to be selected from over 400 charities across the UK as one of the 10 winners of the 2023 GSK IMPACT Awards. This prestigious award, delivered in partnership with The King’s Fund, highlights the Forum’s exceptional contribution to the community under Andrew’s leadership.

Andrew Brown is not just a professional; he is a visionary leader with a genuine heart for helping others. His work embodies the values of education, empowerment, and inclusivity, making a lasting impact on the Croydon community.

Anisha Mayor

UK Head of Healthcare, WSP

Anisha is the UK Head of Healthcare at WSP bringing with her over 20 years of experience within government and healthcare infrastructure investment.  Most recently she worked within the NHS as the Redevelopment Project Director, leading the New Hospital Programme redevelopment of St Mary’s Hospital for Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and working closely with Westminster City Council in reducing healthcare inequalities across the borough. Prior to this, she worked for 14 years as Development Director at Balfour Beatty Investments on a number of healthcare, higher-education and mixed-use regeneration  projects including on the Olympic Park in London.

Anisha leads the New London Architecture (NLA) Healthcare Expert Panel driving forward the NLA’s Agenda on Thinking Beyond Boundaries, which is fundamental to creating healthier populations across the country. She understands the opportunities and challenges faced by the healthcare sector today and how important it is to invest across sectors both within social and economic infrastructure to optimise the Core20Plus5 approach to reducing healthcare inequalities.

Anna King

Commercial Director, Health Innovation Network (HIN) South London

Originally qualified as a Chartered Accountant with PricewaterhouseCoopers, where she advised health and social care clients such as GSK, Roche and Aventis; Anna has previously held several senior NHS regional commercial and improvement roles, including Commercial Programme Director at the London Commercial Support Unit. Joining HIN in 2013, Anna focuses on building relationships between NHS and industry. A founder of DigitalHealth.London, she also developed the DigitalHealth.LondonAccelerator Programme.

Dr Anne Blackwood

Chief Executive, Health Tech Enterprise 

Dr Anne Blackwood is currently Chief Executive of Health Tech Enterprise (HTE), a leading NHS innovation and technology consultancy based in Cambridge. Anne has been actively involved in intellectual property management and commercialisation of life science technologies for over 25 years.

Anne is also Chair of the Medtech Accelerator, a joint venture with public sector partners that awards funding to develop clinically-led medical technology innovation projects. She was formerly Chair and co-founder of Medovate, a medical device development company and a women’s health technology company.

Prior to joining HTE, Anne spent 4 years with Cambridge Enterprise, the technology transfer arm of the University of Cambridge. Anne holds a PhD in chemistry from Strathclyde University.

Chris Baker

Director, Studio Zao

Chris is an experienced Innovation Director and Consultant, supporting clients, organisations and ecosystems from across sectors and industries to make innovation happen and develop the right environment for collaboration and growth. His clients include Torbay and Croydon Councils, as well as BIG South London, the NHS, Pfizer, Discovery, Burberry, BT and Sport England. 

His focuses are on aligning around the priorities and activities needed to enable innovation, the practical end-to-end delivery of new projects and initiatives, and supporting the development of intrapreneurial and entrepreneurial talent and capacity in ecosystems.

Dr Chris Flood

Professor in Healthcare Practice and Research, London South Bank University

Dr Chris Flood is a Professor in Healthcare Practice and Research, collaborating with Central London Community Health Care Trust and LSBU to help build research networks across academia, the NHS, the third sector and industry. My work focuses on expanding research capacity, often by assisting in making connections between NHS clinicians, researchers, and engineers in health tech. My research includes economic evaluations in AI, cardiology, mental health, and patient safety, using methods like cost-utility and cost-benefit analysis. Beginning as a General and Mental Health Nurse 35 years ago, Chris later managed Research and Evaluation at the National Patient Safety Agency. Chris’s recently completed projects include an economic evaluation of transformative justice interventions for Women with Convictions and the communities they live in funded by the Nuffield Foundation, and NHS England funded work evaluating the use of AI in augmenting cardiologist clinical decision making. Since 2021, Chris has served as a Non-Executive Director for ‘Just’ (formerly London Cyrenians Housing) a specialist housing provider for people with mental health problems and other vulnerable groups.

Professor Dan Frings

Professor in Social Psychology, London South Bank University

Dan Frings is Professor of Social Psychology at London South Bank University.  He has over twenty years of experience exploring the interplay of social connection, social identity and wellbeing (both physical and psychological). His work has helped shape the sector’s understanding of identity processes in addiction, and his current focus is on both the strengths and limitations of using social connection as a public health process.

Alongside this research programme, Dan works with SMEs, community builders, local authorities and 3^rd sector organisations to deliver rigorous service evaluation and clinical trials This has helped dozens of companies (from start-ups to multi-trust intervention providers) understand and showcase their efficacy. Dan is also the Associate Dean for Research and Enterprise at LSBU’s School of Applied Sciences and a psychotherapist working in private practice.

Darren Challender

Director Healthcare, Hitachi Healthcare & Life Sciences 

Darren is based in the UK and works within Hitachi’s global healthcare team, where he leads the work with service providers. He is focused on creating and building future healthcare systems with clients that drive enhanced clinical and operational performance through the use of AI, GenAI and Digital technologies.

Darren has over 20 years of experience in healthcare and has a background in organisational design, improvement and capability building and he is passionate about how technology can change the delivery of healthcare and improve outcomes for patients and their families.

David Randall

Co-operative, Crystalisr

David Randall is on a mission, via his co-operative Crystalisr, to build community wealth in South London. This involves dealing with members of BIG South London knowledge exchange as well as NHS anchors, housing providers and large enterprises that have, or wish to have, an impactful civic mission. 

The strategy is built upon 5 pillars or ‘principles’: progressive procurement, fair markets for labour (good jobs), democratic ownership (setting up more co-operatives), fair use of land and property, and access to capital to fund local enterprises.

David’s role has involved stakeholder engagement, designing and delivering training on the topic of supplier readiness, and initiating activities like South London Ventures and the Eco Workforce Partnership. David also runs two local flexible workspaces, Maple Works and Canbury Works.

Deborah Bowen

Director of Croydon Campus, London South Bank University

With more than 25 years of experience within higher education settings, Deborah started her career delivering pastoral care and academic guidance to undergraduate students. She then went on to manage student support teams and has since developed and delivered expertise in change management within centralised and decentralised student support and professional services teams within university settings. 

Deborah was part of a team that delivered a new postgraduate campus on the Olympic Park, with responsibility for the delivery of all professional services and for embedding a quality control process. Most recently, Deborah joined LSBU as Director of the Croydon campus with a remit to develop and deliver a new vision to take the campus to its new phase of growth.

Devi Kolli

Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder, i3 Simulations

Devi Kolli is the CEO and Co-founder of i3 Simulations, a leading company specialising in Extended Reality (XR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) for healthcare education. With over 17 years of experience in tech startups across sectors like retail, entertainment, and education, Devi has a proven track record of driving global growth and successful exits for bootstrap startups, with a combined valuation exceeding GBP 200 million. In 2019, inspired by the transformative potential of AI and XR, she co-founded i3 Simulations to democratise medical simulation training and revolutionise healthcare education. The company’s cutting-edge AI and XR technologies are redefining traditional training methods, providing practice-led applied learning that equips professionals with the skills needed to excel in their fields. Devi’s relentless pursuit of innovation and her commitment to leveraging emerging technologies have earned i3 Simulations global recognition as an award-winning leader in the industry.

Beyond her role at i3 Simulations, Devi is a Chief Advisor to MergeXR Studios, further extending her influence in immersive technology. As a passionate advocate for entrepreneurship and social impact, she also dedicates her time to non-profit organisations focused on education and social welfare.

Elizabeth Harris

Head of Inward Investment, Sutton Borough Council

Liz is a regeneration and economic development specialist, with experience in the public and private sector.

After securing her Masters in City Regeneration, Liz joined Tribal Consulting where she managed business support projects. She moved to Camden Council’s Economic Development team where she took on a range of roles including managing the apprenticeships team.

Liz led on employment and skills at Cross River Partnership – a public private partnership delivering environmental, economic and community-focused projects. She worked closely with business improvement districts, landowners and developers to help meet their skills needs and designed new projects to help unemployed and economically inactive residents back to work.

Since joining Sutton Council in 2018, Liz has been an integral part of the programme team which has secured over £30m grant funding and progressed major regeneration schemes. The team’s achievements include the leasehold sale of the council’s site on the London Cancer Hub to Aviva Capital Partners to create a world leading cancer research and treatment hub; and delivery of the Future High Street Fund scheme in Sutton Town Centre which has brought vacant buildings back into use. She has recently taken up the role of Head of Inward Investment, working to attract more businesses and investment to the borough.

Gil Pennant

Health and Wellbeing Coach, Happy Feelings App

Gil Pennant combines his background in management, neurolinguistics programming, and over twenty years of management experience to create impactful self-help and personal success programs. He’s the founder of Manage Yourself to Be Valuable in the Workplace and Getting into the Happiness Zone—a transformative program that’s inspired both a book and, more recently, the innovative Happy Feelings App.

With a focus on harnessing emotions for personal success and happiness, Gil empowers individuals to create their own lifetime happiness action plans. He also offers specialised empowerment training on navigating and overcoming workplace racism, helping individuals thrive in diverse environments. Gil, as a volunteer facilitates training for Action for Happiness charity, worked as a youth offender panel volunteer, and as a community mediator.

Throughout his career, Gil has partnered with a broad range of organisations—including a government department, NHS trusts, a mental health and a homelessness charity, and local authorities—to position happiness as a powerful tool for enhancing mental and physical well-being, social inclusion, health, and career progression. His dedication to fostering growth and resilience has positively impacted countless individuals, and he continues to drive change with the upcoming Happy Feelings App—a new way to bring his life-changing principles to a wider audience.

Gosbert Chagula

Head of Programmes, Startup Discovery School

Gosbert is the co-founder and Head of Programmes at Startup Discovery School (SDS), an innovation agency that designs and builds accelerator and incubator programmes focused on addressing the climate emergency. Through this work, SDS has collaborated with organisations such as HSBC, Unilever, Innovate UK & KTN, Samsung, the UK Government, and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).

Gosbert has spent a decade working across the startup ecosystem in Europe and Africa, with a particular focus on supporting startups tackling climate change through funding, training, and access to networks. His extensive experience includes serving as a Director at the Africa Technology Business Network, where he played a pivotal role in launching innovation camps in Accra, Ghana.

In addition, Gosbert is a member of the UK Department for Business and Trade’s SME Engagement Group. In 2022, Gosbert was honoured with an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list for his services to business.

Gregory Odia

Local Business Procurement Manager, Richmond and Wandsworth Council

A passionate public sector professional with over 20 years of experience dedicated to the enhancement of people, places, spaces and communities. Gregory brings a track record of local and national project and programme delivery with an eye on legacy change, impact investing, regeneration, sustainable services, innovation leadership and community empowerment.

Gregory is strongly committed to serving residents through the design, development and implementation of strategic leadership and management models that support the creation of an inclusive economy for all, challenging wealth inequality at the root cause. It is his strong belief that wealth generated stays within the communities that created it and that new incoming wealth from external sources/investment is democratically decided and has the involvement of residents. To deliver on this ideology, his work focuses on eight key pillars to effect change; inclusive procurement, employment and skills, commercial innovation of land and property assets, finance and investment, ownership, placemaking, economic impact, and business development.

His current role for the London Borough of Richmond and Wandsworth, sits within the economic development, place and culture directorate, delivering a strategic innovation programme which seeks to utilise procurement as a tool to challenge wealth inequality, impact economic growth and create social value.

Heba Elsharkawy

Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Architecture and Landscape, Kingston School of Art

Heba is a Professor of Architecture and Head of the Department of Architecture and Landscape at Kingston School of Art, with over 20 years of experience in higher education. A registered Architect in the MENA region, Heba holds a BSc in Architecture, an MSc in Architectural Studies, and a PhD in Architecture from the University of Nottingham, UK. She is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA), a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA), and a Fellow Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (FCIAT). 

Heba’s research focuses on environmental design and sustainability, with extensive publications in high-impact journals and conferences. She is currently leading a British Council-funded project on Net Zero Carbon Campuses and co-investigating a Medical Research Council-funded project on Healthy Energy Efficient Dwellings. Heba has also served as an External Examiner at multiple universities and leads climate literacy initiatives as part of the SCOSA Council.

Howard Dawber

Deputy Mayor, Business and Growth

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 (2013-2022) 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.

He lives in London and is married with a daughter.

Professor Issa Chaer

Associate Dean, Built Environment and Architecture, London South Bank University

Issa is a Chartered Engineer and a Professor of Thermal Energy Systems. He has over 20 years of combined academic and research experience. Issa also has industrial experience and has worked in different technical and leadership positions within the cooling systems manufacturing sector.

Issa’s areas of special interest include heat transfer, energy conversion, combined Heat, Power and Cooling Technologies, Building decarbonisation and its benefits for public health.

Jade Appleton

Director of Corporate Affairs, London & Partners

Jade Appleton is Director of Corporate Affairs at London & Partners – London’s Growth Agency.

Her role is focused on leading a corporate strategy around high-growth sectors – supporting international and domestic businesses in high-growth sectors to scale through our investment, trade, growth and innovation programmes. Small businesses – providing expert support and resources to London’s small and micro businesses to help them thrive. Visitor economy – attracting visitors and events, and developing London as a world-class destination. London brand – growing London’s global reputation to support economic growth and Partnership and ventures – creating partnerships and profit-making ventures to reinvest into our economic growth activity.

Her previous roles include advising Government Departments, Parliamentarians, political parties and trade bodies. Jade has also held the role of a Councillor in the London Borough of Croydon and her academic background is focused on strategy, climate and economics.

Mayor Jason Perry

Conservative Mayor of Croydon

Jason Perry is the first directly elected Mayor of Croydon, and he has been serving his community as a member of Croydon Council since 1994. As the Mayor, he has pledged to overhaul the council’s operations and improve its financial management. Being born and raised in Croydon, he has a deep passion for the place and works hard to promote it as a great place to live and work. 

His business plan for Croydon revolves around the regeneration of Croydon and restoring pride in the borough. Jason is also a married father of two and serves as the London Council’s Executive Member for Business, Economy, and Culture. He recently co-hosted the launch of engagement on London’s Growth Plan alongside the London Deputy Mayor for Business, Howard Dawber.

Jason was also recently appointed to the Local Government Association Executive Board. During his free time, he can be seen cheering on his lifelong team, Crystal Palace Football Club, from the stands of Selhurst Park.

John Byrne

Chief Medical Officer, NHS South West London Integrated Care System

Born in Dublin, Dr Byrne graduated in medicine from University College Dublin in 1994 before serving for six years as a doctor in the Royal Army Medical Corps. Three years after being appointed Locality Medical Director for Hampshire Community Healthcare in 2008, Dr Byrne became Clinical Director for Integrated Care at Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust and then Clinical Director and Accountable Officer for the Southampton and West Hampshire Division in 2012. 

By 2017 John was appointed as Executive Medical Director at Humber NHS Foundation Trust and in 2019 he became the Senior Responsible Officer for the Yorkshire and Humber Care Record. Dr Byrne completed a Master’s degree in Quality Improvement at Ashridge Business School in 2014 and is a Health Foundation GenQ leadership fellow. In 2022 John joined SWLICB as the Chief Medical Officer where he is the executive lead for Digital, Medicines optimisation and Health Improvement teams.

Jo Rixon

Acting Deputy Dean Healthcare Education, University of Roehampton

Jo is currently the Acting Deputy Dean Healthcare education at the University of Roehampton.

As a registered nurse she worked in a range of clinical and managerial roles within the NHS for 20 years.  For the past 18yrs Jo has worked with in Higher Education, predominantly within pre-registration nursing but more recently taking on a wider remit to include allied healthcare professional programmes.

Jo has an interest in widening participation, facilitating alternative career pathways and is experience in delivering healthcare apprenticeships.  As a member of the Editorial Board for the British Journal of Nursing, Jo is the Nursing Associate Series Editor.

Julie Agbowu

Director, All Inclusive Training

Julie is an FMAAT-qualified accountant. Throughout her career, she has established strong partnerships within the community, third sector, private sector, government, and international sectors. As a result, her business support and development expertise is multi-sector and has built strategic partnerships with employers.

Julie is dedicated to sharing her knowledge and expertise by offering finance and business advice to varied audiences.

She aims to empower individuals on both a personal and professional level to gain a better understanding of finance. She is committed to offering professional business and financial advice and training to contribute to a more prosperous and inclusive economy.

Lorissa Page

Chief People Officer, South West London Integrated Care System

Lorissa Page is the Chief People Officer at the South West London Integrated Care Board. Lorissa is an established professional with a portfolio spanning Workforce Transformation, Organisation Development and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.  An experienced leader with a creative, dynamic and personable approach to strategy development and transformation.

Over the past 20 years, Lorissa has held a variety of Director level roles with recognised success and has supported challenged organisations through her Consultancy working with senior leaders across a range of sectors and businesses to improve their workspaces, leadership potential and impact with diverse workforces.

As a thought leader, Lorissa is invited to speak at public events and conferences, most recently at the CloudWorld Tour 2024 at the ExCel.

Lotus Qi

Head of MedTech, Capital Enterprise

Lotus Qi is the Head of MedTech at Capital Enterprise, where she heads the Cancer Tech Accelerator. CTA is a Cancer Research UK-funded specialist program that supports innovative cancer tech spin-outs and startups by providing training, mentorship, grant funding, and connections to investors and industry to accelerate their development. The MedTech team at Capital Enterprise have over 200 health tech founders in their community and frequently facilitates introductions to VCs focused on early-stage health tech businesses through investor events. Previously, Lotus worked at Post Urban Ventures, a deep-tech venture builder that creates and invests in AI startups.

Martin Ellis

Chief Digital Information Officer, South West London Integrated Care Board

Martin is a seasoned leader in digital health, driving transformative change within the South West London Integrated Care System (ICS). 

As the Chief Digital Information Officer, he oversees the implementation of digital strategies that enhance planning, commissioning, and care delivery. Martin is passionate about leveraging technology to improve patient outcomes and create a more sustainable healthcare system.

With a strong background in nursing and healthcare IT, Martin brings a unique blend of clinical expertise and technological acumen to his role. His leadership experience spans both the NHS and the private sector, where he has successfully led large-scale digital initiatives.

Martin is committed to fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing among partners to build a robust digital ecosystem. He is dedicated to ensuring that the benefits of digital transformation are realised for both healthcare professionals and patients alike.

Matthew Hamilton

Director, South London Partnership

Matthew Hamilton started as Director of the South London Partnership in January 2023. He has previously worked in local government both at the Local Government Association (LGA) when he oversaw the delivery of the LGAs £20 million improvement programme. Matthew has also led membership organisations for district councils and universities delivering nursing and AHP education. Prior to this, he worked at the Department of Health where he worked as a Private Secretary with ministers and took through the bill that created the Care Quality Commission.

Professor Michael Bewick

Interim Foundation Dean of Medicine, St Mary’s University, Twickenham

Having qualified as a doctor in 1980 and completed a depth and breadth of roles across the health service, Michael has an unwavering commitment to enabling medicine to progress in line with patient needs. Working with the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), Edge Hill University, and Anglia Ruskin University, he helped to develop their new public Medical Schools.

St Mary’s is embarking on a new way of delivering Medical degrees; setting up a new and innovative medical degree encompassing the latest digital technologies in medical education alongside more traditional teaching may have wider benefits and be applied to future Medical School modelling, and this approach will be a key differentiator for St Mary’s University.

Michelle McCann

Chief Sustainability and Innovation Officer, NHS London Procurement Partnership (NHS LPP)

Michelle oversees the strategic direction for Sustainability and Social Value at NHS LPP. She is responsible for leading the approach across NHS member trusts and Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) in London to enable them to support sustainability initiatives that will positively contribute to the delivery of NHS Net Zero target by 2040, and embed, track and measure social value in procurement activity to maximise the impact achieved for local communities.

Natalia Gruzina

Innovation & Growth Specialist and Procurement Advisor, Newable Ltd

Natalia Gruzina is the Innovation and Growth Specialist and Procurement Adviser at Newable Ltd. With over 15 years of experience as an entrepreneur, she founded and scaled two food manufacturing companies, gaining expertise in new product development, sales and marketing, supply chain, growth strategy and funding.

Natalia is currently delivering an Inclusive Supply Programme in London and Get Ready 2 Supply in Birmingham, working with a cohort of 70 SMEs.

Professor Nicki Thomas

Professor of Kidney Care, London South Bank University

Nicki Thomas is a registered kidney nurse and Professor combining experience across clinical practice, education, quality improvement and research and was the first nurse to be awarded a professorship specifically for kidney care. 

Her particular research interest is the care and management of early kidney disease in primary care, especially self-management. She has worked in partnership with many voluntary and charitable organisations to help people know their risk of kidney disease and high blood pressure.

Oliver Brady

Programme Lead for Long-Term Conditions, Health Innovation Network (HIN) South London

Oliver has worked in healthcare since 2006, most recently leading the diabetes transformation programme at South West London Health and Care Partnership. He has an interest in digital health and long-term conditions and led the South London “You & Type 2” project under the NHS Test Bed Programme. Previously, he has worked in operational management in the NHS and as a health tech SME.

Paul Kirkbright

Head of Knowledge Exchange and Partnerships, South London Partnership & BIG South London

Paul Kirkbright is Programme Director at BIG South London, which leads the development of a world-class ecosystem of innovation and enterprise based collaboration to stimulate knowledge-based growth and improve productivity right across the South London region.

BIG South London brings together knowledge and expertise to support the growth, development and success of all South London-based businesses, charities, and third-sector organisations through its partner universities and further education colleges.

Dr Paul Riley

General Practitioner, South West London

Paul is an experienced general practitioner and healthcare leader passionate about working collaboratively to understand and improve population health outcomes and reduce health inequity. Paul is particularly interested in the development of sustainable, high quality organisational processes that improve value, and the practical application of personalised care approaches and population health principles to address our burden of acquired cardiovascular disease. He is currently studying part-time for a Masters in Population Health at University College London.

Dr Phillip Crilly

Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice and Digital Public Health, Kingston University

Philip Crilly is an Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice and Digital Public Health at Kingston University. He holds a Master of Pharmacy from Queen’s University, Belfast, and a PhD in digital public health from Kingston University, London.

Philip is a member of the NICE Medical Technologies Advisory Committee and a consultant for co:nexus, an innovative free 4-week programme dedicated to empowering Lambeth residents to turn their ideas into successful businesses. His research is at the forefront of patient-centred digital health, focusing on how health businesses can better consider the needs of patients and the public when designing digital resources for their users.

Philip is a member of the General Pharmaceutical Council and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. He is also a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

In addition to his academic work, Philip also continues to work part-time as a community pharmacist and does freelance writing for the online newspaper, The Conversation.

Polly Persechino

Head of Economy, Skills and Employment, South London Partnership

Polly Persechino is Head of Economy, Skills and Employment at South London Partnership and is responsible for the implementation of the South London Local Skills Improvement Plan, a strategy to ensure a robust and effective skills system is developed to strengthen the businesses and the economy in South London.  Polly worked for 15 years in Further Education, specialising in apprenticeships, and improving routes to work-based and lifelong learning, before moving into local government. 

Polly now heads up a range of skills and employment programmes, including the South London Careers Hub and the South London Green Skills Academy, working with a wide range of stakeholders, both strategically and operationally to deliver high-quality skills and employment support to South Londoners.  Polly has a keen focus on ensuring that education, skills and training are developed equitably and in response to current and future sectoral and occupational demands, to improve productivity and support local growth.

Professor Rachel Allen

Dean of Health and Medical School, City St.George’s University of London

Rachel Allen is Interim Executive Dean for (St George’s)  School of Health and Medical Sciences. As a Professor of Practice in Research Capacity Building at St George’s, University of London, her academic background includes strategic leadership of undergraduate education, postgraduate education and research training.  

She leads the Capacity building theme of the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration South London, which delivers training and development for researchers and non-researchers to develop research capacity and capability. 

Dr Rishi Das Gupta

Chief Executive Officer, Health Innovation Network (HIN) South London

Dr Rishi Das-Gupta is the Chief Executive of the Health Innovation Network (HIN South London. He has worked to improve healthcare, patient experience and outcomes for over 20 years in a variety of roles focused on shaping and implementing government policy, working with health and care providers and redesigning services. He is passionate about the use of technology to enable clinical and operational change and to empower patients to manage their own conditions. Rishi’s experience spans UK and US healthcare systems and he is a fellow of the Sciana programme collaborating with German and Swiss healthcare leaders.

Before this role, he held executive roles at NHS trusts as CITO, Director of Innovation and Director of Operations and worked as a medical doctor. Rishi also has experience working as a strategy consultant at Oliver Wyman and McKinsey and Company. In addition to his primary medical qualification (M.B., B.S.). Rishi holds an M.A. in Law (University of Cambridge) and an M.B.A. (London Business School).

Roderick Cameron

South London Programme Lead, Branduin Business Support

Based in Merton, he has worked in professional services and across numerous industries (from mining to medical) over his career, as a corporate lawyer, strategic communications advisor and business growth strategist. 

At the core of Roderick’s work is defining a client’s Value Proposition: what does the customer truly value? He works with the owners of ambitious SME businesses to help them understand the perspective of the investor, the employee, the sales prospect, and provide what they need. That approach changes the owner’s relationship with the business, and enables the business to become more systematised and sustainable, as well more enjoyable to run.

Roderick is currently delivering Branduin Fit to Bid TM. Programmes in Wandsworth and Ealing Boroughs, working with a cohort of 50 SMEs.

Professor Rodney Day

Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research & Innovation, London South Bank University

Professor Rodney Day is the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research & Innovation) at London South Bank University (LSBU), where he oversees the university’s research, innovation, and business engagement activities.

In his current role, Professor Day led the development of LSBU’s 2030 Research & Innovation strategy, designed to realise the university’s vision of delivering distinctive research and innovation that positively impacts both local and global communities. This strategy led to the creation of five new research and innovation centres: Health & Wellbeing; Bioscience & Bioengineering; Energy, Materials & Environment; Building Future Communities; and Digital & Data. 

During his tenure at the University of Hertfordshire, Professor Day played a key role in transforming researcher development over the course of 20 years. His efforts helped the university earn the prestigious “HR Excellence in Research” Badge from the European Commission, recognising its commitment to advancing research.

Professor Day is a Chartered Engineer and a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology, the Institution of Civil Engineers, and the Higher Education Academy. He also serves as an Executive Member of Research and Enterprise Network for Universities (RENU). Throughout his career, Professor Day has collaborated with businesses on numerous knowledge transfer partnerships and has actively promoted research excellence across the fields of engineering, computing, and physics.

Rui Barros Silva

Entrepreneur Manager, South Bank Innovation

Rui Barros Silva is the Entrepreneurship Manager at South Bank Innovation, part of London South Bank University. 

With nearly a decade of experience in enterprise education, Rui is dedicated to championing entrepreneurship and supporting early-stage entrepreneurs and startups. His extensive expertise is complemented by a strong passion for fostering innovative thinking and entrepreneurial skills.

Samantha Mason

Health and Care Programme Lead, South London Partnership

Sam leads the South London Partnership Health and Care Team where she facilitates South West London boroughs to work together and with partners – especially in the NHS and as part of the South West London Integrated Care System to improve health and social care services and outcomes for residents and get better value for councils.

Sam has been in this role since 2016 having developed the role considerably in response to changing priorities and organisation of the health and care system.

Sam is an analyst by background having worked in central government departments and the NHS for 20+ years leading large programmes of research and analysis on regeneration, early childhood and higher education including and using this to inform policy development and delivery.  Her areas of interest are evaluation, using evidence and data well to improve services and outcomes, and effective capture and sharing of good practice and learning. 

Professor Sandra Dudley-McEvoy

Professor, London South Bank University

Sandra is a Professor of Communication Systems at the School of Engineering. Receiving her PhD in Physics from the University of Essex, her interests lie in communication systems,  low-power and remote sensing schemes which led her to adaptive optical-wireless systems research and the development of smart strategies for inherent physical networks, in particular a world-record with BT research on lowest power broadband systems for last mile access broadband.

Investigating wireless systems, remote sensing, non-wearable technology, and imaging for several applications in both the health and energy sectors with her team, she has extensive experience in remote sensing, low-power systems and applied AI for communications at all levels. Securing over £13M worth of projects at UKRI, EU and IUK calls and having over 100 technical journals, she is also a reviewer for IEEE, MPDI and Elsevier journals.

Tom Dolby

Chief Technology Officer, i3 Simulations

Tom Dolby is the CTO at i3 Simulations. Tom specialises in the design and development of mobile/2D/3D interactive XR (Extended Reality) applications. Also holds a PRINCE2 qualification and has over 15 years of valuable commercial experience in delivering immersive simulation and AI applications. Throughout his career, Tom has been actively involved in research and development, gaining expertise in creating commercially scalable training simulations and deploying innovative technologies in museums. His vast experience in both immersive simulation and AI applications enables him to lead cutting-edge projects that push the boundaries of XR technology.

Tracy Monday

Global Solutions Executive, Verizon

Global Solutions Executive – Verizon, Co-Founder and Commercial Director of Xeocom, Judge and Commercial Trailblazer for TechTrailblazers Global Startup Awards Programme, proud recipient of the Jill R. Mervin Business Leadership Award and Mentor on the Global Women Mentoring Programme.  A mother of 3, Tracy has been in the IT Industry for over 3 decades, working in various sales, marketing, commercial, and operational senior management positions.  In that time working with some of the best in the industry, Tracy has built up a breadth of experience and understanding of the challenges, interdependencies, and end-to-end business processes and functions across multiple business sectors and the public sector.  Technical transformation is inevitable and focused on ensuring technology adoption and transformation are aligned with our customer’s business goals and aspirations and drive quantifiable customer and business outcomes.

Valerio Ficcadenti

Associate Professor of Business Research Methods, London South Bank University

Valerio Ficcadenti is an associate professor of business research methods at the London South Bank University, Business School, where he also leads the “Inclusive Supply Chain” programme. With a strong background in quantitative analysis, his research and teaching focus on applying statistical and mathematical methods in business contexts. His work continues to bridge academic research with practical business applications, fostering sustainable and inclusive economic growth.