Page 18 - Great Northern Conference 2020: GAUA

Morning Breakout Session 2
Reinvigorating our cities and towns in the post COVID world – how do we create a shared recovery in the North?
Sponsored by
Debbie Francis, City Executive for Manchester and the North, Arcadis
Debbie Francis is Account Director and City Executive for Manchester and the North at Arcadis. Prior to her role at Arcadis, Debbie was Managing Director at Direct Rail Services Limited since 2016 following over three years at Network Rail as the Finance & Commercial Director for the LNW route. Debbie has 30 years of experience across a range of industries from IT to infrastructure maintenance to rail. She has also gained extensive experience throughout her career both in the UK and overseas in finance, systems, commercial, operations and business development. She is passionate about the north, business, diversity and equality, developing and promoting talent.
Clare Elliott, Service Director, Wakefield Council
Since February 2018, Clare has been Service Director for Economic Growth and Skills at Wakefield Council introducing a new future proofed Economic Strategy for the District which focuses on how to utilise housing, skills, adult education, business support, strategic regeneration and economic development to drive forward successful business, successful people and successful place
Jessica Bowles, Strategy Director, Bruntwood
Jessica is the Strategy Director at Bruntwood having joined the business in April 2016, a new role to support the company’s ambitions for long term growth. She is working across the Group with the teams in our existing markets to look at future opportunities and setting this in the context of the way that cities are growing and changing.
Previously Jessica worked at Manchester City Council as head of City Policy. She developed the 10 year Manchester Strategy ‘Our Manchester’, lead work on the Northern Powerhouse with Sir Richard Leese and other city leaders and took a central role in the devolution agenda. Before coming to Manchester Jessica spent 15 years in Whitehall in a diverse range of roles related to transport and local government.
Barry White, Chief Executive, Transport for the North
Barry has a wealth of experience in delivering major investment programmes. Prior to his appointment at Transport for the North, he served in the Army, led major projects for construction companies and latterly was Chief Executive at Scottish Futures Trust.
In his current role, he is responsible for transforming pan-Northern connectivity in order to improve productivity and drive economic growth. He is leading Transport for the North as England’s first Sub-national Transport Body, giving the North a strong, unified and determined voice on transport investment to benefit the region.