Steven Condie is a commercial and public lawyer practicing in the area of government contracting, particularly public procurement. He brings many years’ experience in advising on the legal risks arising from government contracting, particularly novel and contentious procurement approaches. Steven works with government and private sector clients to create effective long-term contracts. He has advised key UK public sector bodies on all aspects of contracting and public procurement. Before joining DLA Piper, Steven was a deputy director in the Government Legal Department.

Rebecca Rees – Partner and 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.

Tiia Sammallahti is the CEO & founder of whatimpact.com, the UK’s leading social value matchmaking & management platform. whatimpact.com increases efficiency in social value partnerships between VCSEs and companies by reducing the cost and time spent on administrating locally relevant, tangible and contract specific social value. whatimpact offers also public sector social value brokerage and reporting solutions for procurement related social value. Addition running whatimpact tech startup, she is an active content writer and collaboration initiator in social value industry.

Dr Ian Brotherston is Head of Government Levers at Innovate UK. Ian is responsible for the delivery of Innovate UK’s ‘Government Levers’ strategy, specifically the role of government and public sector procurement in stimulating innovation, including delivery of the SBRI Programme, and the role of regulation and standards in promoting the adoption and diffusion of innovative solutions. Previously Ian was responsible for Innovate UK’s relationships with colleagues in Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, their governments & agencies, UK Government departments, and other strategically important stakeholder organisations. Ian also ran the Knowledge Transfer Partnerships Programme for Innovate UK. Prior to joining Innovate UK Ian worked in both the private and higher education sectors in roles related to the commercialisation of research.

Andrea joined YPO in 2024, from her role as ICS Procurement Director at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS and South Yorkshire ICS. Previously, Andrea was Head of Procurement at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS and University Hospitals of Leicester NHS. As a proficient commercial leader with 25 plus years experience, Andrea has spearheaded strategic and operational improvements in commercial and procurement realms, spanning public and private sectors. A CIPS Fellow and engaged in regional and national procurement circles, Andrea's dedication shines as an HCSA Council member, nurturing future Healthcare leaders.

Ben is a partner in PwC’s public sector consulting practice and leads PwC’s public sector operations transformation practice. Ben’s work focuses on commercial and procurement transformation, delivering tangible benefits from improvements in how a procurement function operates and the commercial arrangements an organisation puts in place with their supply chain. He brings extensive experience working across central government, arm’s length bodies, healthcare, and the private sector.

Richard is the Deputy Director for commercial shared services, tasked with establishing a shared commercial function to support activities across two Government Departments; the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero, and the Department for Science, Innovation, & Technology. Richard previously led the Commercial Sustainability & Policy team for the Department for Business, Energy, & Industrial Strategy after joining the public sector from the private sector, having previously held procurement roles at the John Lewis Partners, Heathrow Airport, and British Airways.

The GCF was formed in 2015 and incorporates around 4,000 people working in commercial roles, predominantly within central government departments and some Arm’s-Length Bodies. The commercial teams in departments are supported by a central team based in the Cabinet Office which provides cross-cutting functional coordination support, as well as specialist services and expert advice on complex transactions, key suppliers and market stewardship. This helps to ensure that the Government can effectively leverage its significant scale, benefit from greater efficiency and drive improved value for money from its suppliers and the wider supply chain.

The GCF was formed in 2015 and incorporates around 4,000 people working in commercial roles, predominantly within central government departments and some Arm’s-Length Bodies. The commercial teams in departments are supported by a central team based in the Cabinet Office which provides cross-cutting functional coordination support, as well as specialist services and expert advice on complex transactions, key suppliers and market stewardship. This helps to ensure that the Government can effectively leverage its significant scale, benefit from greater efficiency and drive improved value for money from its suppliers and the wider supply chain.

The GCF was formed in 2015 and incorporates around 4,000 people working in commercial roles, predominantly within central government departments and some Arm’s-Length Bodies. The commercial teams in departments are supported by a central team based in the Cabinet Office which provides cross-cutting functional coordination support, as well as specialist services and expert advice on complex transactions, key suppliers and market stewardship. This helps to ensure that the Government can effectively leverage its significant scale, benefit from greater efficiency and drive improved value for money from its suppliers and the wider supply chain.

The GCF was formed in 2015 and incorporates around 4,000 people working in commercial roles, predominantly within central government departments and some Arm’s-Length Bodies. The commercial teams in departments are supported by a central team based in the Cabinet Office which provides cross-cutting functional coordination support, as well as specialist services and expert advice on complex transactions, key suppliers and market stewardship. This helps to ensure that the Government can effectively leverage its significant scale, benefit from greater efficiency and drive improved value for money from its suppliers and the wider supply chain.

The GCF was formed in 2015 and incorporates around 4,000 people working in commercial roles, predominantly within central government departments and some Arm’s-Length Bodies. The commercial teams in departments are supported by a central team based in the Cabinet Office which provides cross-cutting functional coordination support, as well as specialist services and expert advice on complex transactions, key suppliers and market stewardship. This helps to ensure that the Government can effectively leverage its significant scale, benefit from greater efficiency and drive improved value for money from its suppliers and the wider supply chain.

NEPO's procurement solutions are the result of extensive consultation with the public sector, suppliers and end users, so that we deliver positive outcomes for the communities we serve. NEPO procure a wide range of goods and services which means their procurement solutions feature suppliers of all shapes and sizes, from SMEs to large multinationals.

Martin is a subject matter expert in Dun & Bradstreet’s Third Party Risk and Compliance line of business. For the last 15 years, he has worked in the information industry, helping clients to make the most of their data and analytics. At Dun & Bradstreet, Martin helps clients better understand who they are doing business with and where risk lies at a global level, accurately and efficiently. His areas of expertise include due diligence, beneficial ownership, screening, sanctions, and more.

For almost 200 years, Dun & Bradstreet has helped clients and partners grow and thrive through the power of data, analytics, and data-driven solutions. Our more than 6,000 employees around the world are dedicated to this unique purpose, and we are guided by important values that make us the established leader in business decisioning data and analytical insights. Our data & insights are valuable at all phases of a business lifecycle and whatever the economic environment.

Shamayne is an established procurement professional with over seven years experience delivering compliant Frameworks. With a proven track record in leading the design of strategic procurement approach, driving innovation through effective sourcing and relationship building, Shamayne is able to provide you with expert procurement support for both our established frameworks and new opportunities.

Mark has been working with BiP for 5 years and is the Business Development Executive for Delta eSourcing. He is responsible for supporting customers within the public, private and third sector across the entire UK (excluding London and the South East). These include central government, NDPBs, local government, education, NHS, charities and private entities.

Gareth Rhys Williams was most recently Chief Executive Officer of PHS Group, a leading provider of outsourced workplace services in the UK. Gareth is an experienced CEO and Non Executive Director, with a consistent record of reinvigorating and reinventing listed and private equity backed companies through creative growth strategies. He has a strong record of driving transformational change in large, complex and federated organisations. Before joining PHS, Gareth was CEO of Charter International, the FTSE 250 engineering group, until its successful sale to Colfax Corporation in 2012. Prior to that, he was CEO of Capital Safety Group Ltd, since sold to KKR, and CEO of Vitec Group plc, the supplier of broadcast and photographic equipment and services.

Paul began his career in public sector housing working for Newark and Sherwood Homes in Nottinghamshire, where he spent 8 years, starting as a temporary finance admin officer before working his way up to procurement manager. Having managed tenant insurance, leaseholder properties, customer service, careline services and procurement he moved into the framework sector with Consortium Procurement in 2019. Today he works for national framework provider LHC, specialising in Construction, as the Regional Procurement Manager. Paul is passionate about procurement and helping to change the way procurement is done to open the public sector to the very best suppliers available.

The Seven Force Strategic Collaboration Programme was established 2015 and is working across the Eastern Region to develop and implement successful collaborative solutions to protect the front-line local delivery of policing. The police forces that form the collaboration are Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and Kent. The Programme covers a geographic area of more than 9,000 square miles, serving nearly 8 million residents. This makes it one of the most ambitious police partnership programmes ever undertaken. The Seven Force Procurement Team is a new shared procurement service supporting the 7 police forces across the east of England. This collaboration is responsible for third party spend of approximately £230m per annum, making the 7 Force Collaboration the second largest police procurement collective after the Metropolitan Police. Procurement influence on this scale has the potential to attract significant financial benefits through market shaping and economies of scale. This also enables 7 Forces to use its buying power to secure wider social, economic and environmental benefits

Lisa has been with Haringey Council for over 16 years. Lisa’s procurement experience spans multiple sectors ranging from care, supplies and services, and construction. Since 2018 Lisa has established and led a dedicated team created to manage the Councils extensive portfolio of DPS systems and Framework, providing engagement with all stakeholders and suppliers. Lisa is also responsible for leading on the London Construction Programme (LCP), a virtual organisation hosted by Haringey Council. The LCP is the one-stop-shop for procurement of public sector construction projects ranging from Professional Services, Minor Works and Major Works schemes across London and the Home Counties. Now, over 40 public sector organisations are benefitting from efficient, compliant procurement processes that the LCP offers. Lisa has been instrumental in leading innovation in end-to-end procurement practices and more recently developed a full end to end technology to procure, contract and performance manage all contracts awarded via the LCP Framework.

The Government Commercial Function (GCF) is a cross-government network consisting of: around 6,000 civil servants procuring, or supporting the procurement of, goods and services for government commercial experts who support departments in managing important commercial contracts and planning for future commercial needs GCF aim to improve the commercial capabilities of the Civil Service. This will make significant savings for the taxpayer and deliver improved public services. GCF support the network to develop the knowledge and skills needed to compete successfully in commercial environments on behalf of government.

Alison started her Procurement career as a graduate with BAE systems working on complex and collaborative international joint ventures. This was a fascinating intro to the world of strategic supplier relationships and organisational partnering to achieve great success – both collaboration and excellence have continued to be at the heart of Alison’s values. As a working mum she sought out an equally challenging role, minus the international travel, in NHS procurement with the North West Collaborative Procurement Hub, later acquired by NHS SBS in 2011. She now has over 20 years experience in the complete procurement lifecycle, specialising in collaborative procurement and commissioning. Alison has always been immensely passionate and proud to be a leader in developing her approach to effectively procuring healthcare services. This led her to create NHS SBS’s Healthcare Improvement Solutions service designed to enable collaboration whilst navigating procurement law, which she believes is fundamental to transformation for ICSs.  In 2019 as a strategic partner to Greater Manchester, she led the procurement support for NHS SBS to create the Nightingale hospital, building on years of service and partnership to this vast and complex ICS. With years of experience working with commissioners and providers nationally, across the whole patient pathway, Alison continues to support NHS systems in navigating procurement legislation and policy to achieve effective integration. In her role as ICS Solutions lead for NHS SBS, she is now also responsible for advising ICS finance and procurement leaders to design and create single integrated procurement functions to maximise the use of technology and data to unlock strategic procurement value. Outside of work, Alison is a major advocate for holistic wellbeing for everybody around her. She is an active yogi, student of nutrition and metabolic health and often seen chasing sunsets, breathing in the forest or braving a cold-water dip!

Emily has lead Bevan Brittan LLP’s procurement team for many years, and is Band 1 ranked in the legal directories as a Leader in the Field for Public Procurement. She has particular expertise in the resolution of public procurement challenges, advising both suppliers and contracting authorities across a wide range of sectors. She has acted on some of the most complex and high profile public procurement challenges in the High Court, and leads a team of specialist public procurement litigators who act for clients at all stages of the disputes process.

Simon is the most senior officer at YPO is the Managing Director who working closely with the management committee and lead authority provides provide leadership, strategic direction and operational management to ensure the delivery of all services.

Darren leads a team of twenty-three procurement staff responsible for all procurement activity at Durham County Council. In 2016 Darren was awarded the Cabinet Office’s first ever award for Social Value Leadership for an Organisation. He is Chair of the Local Government Association’s National Advisory Group for Local Government Procurement and is the Chair of the National Social Value Taskforce.

Adecco has been supplying high calibre professionals to the Public Sector for over 30 years. As preferred supplier to some of the UKs leading employers, you can be sure that the people we place come with a competitive edge. We can manage your entire recruiting process, or just one or two aspects.

Benjamin Taylor is an adviser, consultant, coach, lecturer and speaker with wide experience in service organisations and local public service. He is excited by international, innovative, interesting opportunities.

Johnny has led a number of PUBLIC's government consulting and advisory projects, including working with the Dutch government to design a GovTech strategy, and the Cabinet Office on its civil service reform programme. With expertise in procurement of technology and innovation, he sits on the UK government procurement advisory panel, and has led procurement transformation projects with a number of European governments. Before PUBLIC, he worked with a number of universities on behavioural science and startup-related projects.

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 Head of Procurement Reform, Ben is responsible for leading the MOD’s defence and security elements of the Cabinet Office led Procurement Bill. Working closely with the Cabinet Office, Ben leads a multi-functional team, bringing together commercial, legal and change delivery expertise ensuring the provisions within the Procurement Bill meet the requirements of Defence and that these provisions are fully scrutinised via the Parliamentary Process. An equal priority for Ben focuses on preparation for implementation of the new rules. Working alongside colleagues within the MOD and CO, but also with colleagues from industry, Ben recognises the success of the new rules is dependent on sufficient training, understand and preparation ahead of the go live date. Ben is a career civil servant, working in the MOD for the past three years programme managing the development of the Defence and Security Industrial Strategy before joining Defence Commercial. Prior to the MOD Ben spent 10 years in the Ministry of Justice working in a variety of fields, including policy, strategy, operations, Private Office and estates. Ben has a proven track record of working in high-profile and pressured environments, bringing his enthusiasm and positivity to those challenges and always delivering on time.

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.

Guy Battle is passionate about the contribution that business can make to improve our society. This has been one of the driving motivations behind Social Value Portal, which he set up in 2015 to provide an online solution for measuring, procuring, and managing social value. Guy is also the creator of the National Social Value Measurement Framework (The National TOMs) that have become the most widely used methodology for measuring and reporting social value in the public sector. Outside of his work with SVP, Guy chairs the ESG committee for the British Council for Offices, focusing on environmental sustainability within office developments, and also chairs Riversimple, a zero-emissions mobility solution that builds and operates a growing fleet of hydrogen-electric vehicles.

Lorraine leads STAR Procurement which is a very successful, high performing public sector shared service that is leading collaborative change and transformation through procurement and Social Value. STAR supports four Greater Manchester Councils and now two Liverpool City Region Councils that joined STAR in 2023. Lorraine has led STAR for almost seven years and in 22/23 they supported the retention of 78.9% local spend within Greater Manchester for her four partner Councils. STAR have continued to improve the Social Value captured as added value through procurement securing 38.5% accumulatively of the collective contract value since April 2019. The National Social Value Taskforce is a ‘coalition of the willing’ of public, private and voluntary sector representatives who act as advocates and creators of this ‘Social Value Movement’. Lorraine has been part of this since its formation in 2017 as was appointed as Chair in June 2023. Lorraine received a national award ‘Best Council to do Business With’ historically which she received at No.10 Downing St. She personally contributed to the improvement of Public Contract Regulations 2015 and Lord Young’s Reforms as she attended a Select Committee in the House of Commons to respond to a Public Procurement Review. Lorraine was also highly commended in Leadership at the National Social Value Conference 2020 and STAR won an award for embedding Social Value into the procurement processes in 2021.