Summit Speakers

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.

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.

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.

David Randall

Crystalisr Co-operative

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.

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.

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.

Jonathon Clark

Interim Chief Executive Officer, Capital Enterprise

Jonny Clark is a founder and angel investor, coming from a background in technology policy and economic development. He has worked alongside senior politicians and bluechip industry leaders to drive forward technology entrepreneurship in the UK. He has backed category-defining SaaS businesses throughout the entirety of the UK, and served on a range of boards and steering groups dedicated to advancing the tech economy in order to spread wealth and improve people’s lives. He currently serves as the Interim CEO at Capital Enterprise, where he leads a team of experts dedicated to preparing the UK’s regional economies for the age of exponential technology.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.