Business,
Innovation
& Growth
Summit

Luan Baptista

Climate Partnership Manager, London Borough of Sutton

Luan Baptista Ribeiro is the Climate Partnership Manager at the London Borough of Sutton. In this role, he has spearheaded the development and implementation of the Green Enterprise Partnership, thought to be the UK’s first initiative to offer tax incentives for smaller, everyday businesses, to advance on their sustainability journeys.

Before joining Sutton Council, Luan worked for C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, where he led initiatives such as the City Solution Platform (CSP) and the City-Business Climate Alliance (CBCA), aimed at accelerating climate action through city-business collaboration. Notably, while working with industry partners and the city government of Rio de Janeiro, Luan facilitated the development of a tender model that allowed the city to introduce, at the time, the largest fleet of electric waste collection vehicles in the world outside China.

Luan also served as a Special Adviser for International Relations at São Paulo’s Mayor’s Office. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the Catholic University of Sao Paulo and a Master’s degree from The Bartlett Development Planning Unit at UCL. Luan also recently completed a programme study in communication at the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership and is currently pursuing a programme in sustainable finance at the University of Oxford Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment.

Michelle Reeves

Senior Manager, Policy and Programmes, GLA & London Research & Policy Partnership

Dr Michelle Reeves is Head of the GLA’s Strategy Team, and Co-Founder of the London Research and Policy Partnership (LRaPP) with Professor Ben Rogers, University of London. She is an experienced project leader, policymaker, and researcher with a track-record of delivering high-profile and complex projects in regeneration, cultural and creative industries, and sport. These include 12-years working in a variety of roles shaping the legacy of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and setting up the London Recovery Programme to address the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Peter Mayhew

Principal & CEO, South Thames Colleges Group

I’ve worked as a Lifelong Learning practitioner for thirty years now, starting out as a community education tutor in west London in 1988 before moving to manage the Basic and Key Skills provision at South Thames College. I moved to Lewisham College in 1998 as Head of Key Skills, progressing to Director of Faculty with a remit for General Education, Adult Education, Basic and Key Skills, ESOL, learning disabilities and learning support, and becoming Vice-Principal for Quality and Curriculum Development in 2006.

In April 2010 I became Principal of Kingston College and then Principal of both Kingston and Carshalton Colleges in 2011, when the two colleges federated, forming the first College group of its kind and overseeing £45m-worth of learning in south-west London. In 2013 Kingston College was graded ‘Good’ by Ofsted for the first time ever; Carshalton also secured its first ever ‘Good’ grade shortly after, in 2014. In 2017, Kingston College, Carshalton College and South Thames College merged to become South Thames financial Colleges Group. I was appointed Group Principal and Chief Executive and have led the Group since then to ‘Outstanding’ financial health and a ‘Good’ Ofsted grade in 2020.

Pru Ashby

Head of Sustainability for London & Partners

Pru Ashby is Head of Sustainability for London & Partners and is responsible for leading L&P’s urban innovation and sustainability sector work and supporting L&P’s sustainability strategy in support of L&P’s mission.

Pru has spent 16 years with London & Partners where she has developed a strong reputation in supporting companies in their globalisation. She completed a secondment at Tech City UK, the team set up by the UK Government to support Tech City, now the largest tech cluster in Europe, and is seen as pivotal to its growth. She has an extensive network of connections within the tech community in London, the USA and globally and was also based in New York for 2 years for London & Partners.

Previously, Pru studied engineering at university and lived and worked in Australia, New Zealand and China in the utilities and events sectors.

Richard Keogh

Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research and External Engagement) at the University of Roehampton

Dr Richard Keogh is Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research and External Engagement) at the University of Roehampton, where he has responsibility for the development and implementation of the University’s Research and Knowledge Exchange Strategy. He is a passionate advocate for co-produced research, social impact, and the delivery of vocational education in the community, and for the community. Richard has generated over £7m grant income to support capital development and social impact initiatives.