2024 Speaker line up

Explore the line up for the 2024 TechFest conference


If you are interested in speaking please contact Lydia Katsipi. 

Lydia.Katsipi@emap,com

digital and Daa standards manager
Environment Agency
managing director - UKI capital projects and infrastructure practice
Accenture
features editor
Construction News
director of civil infrastructure
Mind Foundry

As Mind Foundry’s Director of Civil Infrastructure, Tom works in close collaboration with clients, partners and technologists to drive innovation in the built environment. This includes looking at how artificial intelligence will help address the most important problems in civil infrastructure management, delivery, and assurance.

As a civil engineering graduate with a strong track record in delivering valuable software, Tom’s experience spans various major projects and asset management. He has been at the forefront of digital transformation for over a decade including achieving an Engineering Doctorate in BIM for project delivery. Before Mind Foundry, Tom worked at Jacobs and WSP, accelerating and ensuring a complex programme delivery throughout the UK and Europe.

National Digital Technology Manager
SES Engineering

Specialist in procurement, standardisation, and technological implementation, I drive strategic initiatives to enhance operational efficiency and innovation within the construction industry. With a robust background in establishing company-wide ISO19650 standards, I now focus on leveraging advanced technologies at the enterprise level to streamline processes and support organisational growth. My commitment to mentoring emerging leaders ensures a forward-thinking and skilled workforce, ready to tackle the challenges of digital transformation.

head of tunnel technology
National Highways
civil engineering degree apprentice
AtkinsRéalis
global digital services leader
Arup

Dr Will Cavendish joined Arup in February 2018. He is Arup's Global Lead of Digital Services and is responsible for leading Arup’s work to support clients to take advantage of the major transformation in their world that is being brought about by digital and other advanced technologies. While at Arup, he has worked at senior level with clients around the world, and in sectors as varied as property, cities, aviation, rail, highways, energy, and technology.

Previously he was Applied Strategy Lead at DeepMind, responsible for understanding the ground breaking developments taking place in Artificial Intelligence, and working with key partners to apply them for public good in areas such as health and energy. Before that he was a senior civil servant, including roles as Director General for Innovation, Growth and Technology at the Department of Health; Director General, International Energy and Climate Change at DECC, and head of the Prime Minister’s Implementation Unit, working directly to then-PM David Cameron. As a result, he has wide-ranging experience of achieving change in areas such as digital, health, education, energy and climate change, cybersecurity, growth and innovation.

When in government, he also led the creation of the world's first network of What Works Centres, set up to provide proper evidence on effective uses of public money, and pioneered the use of transparency and crowdsourcing in policy making. Will has also served as a World Bank economist; has lectured at Oxford University and Imperial College; has a doctorate in economics; and was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath by the Queen in 2015.

lead information manager
HS2
strategic advisor
Mott MacDonald

Mark is a keen champion of outcomes-focused systems-thinking, collaborative delivery models, digitalisation, connected digital twins and the circular economy in the built environment. Mark is the Royal Academy of Engineering Visiting Professor in the digitalisation of the built environment at the University of Cambridge. As Strategic Advisor at Mott MacDonald, Mark provides advice to key clients on digitalisation and broader industry transformation. Previously, Mark was the CTO of Mott MacDonald and the Director of the Centre for Digital Built Britain, where he was the Head of the National Digital Twin programme. Mark was the lead author of the Infrastructure Carbon Review, published by HM Treasury.

senior programme director, global data centres CoP lead
Arcadis

Christian is a seasoned Senior Programme Director in the Technology Sector at Arcadis, specialising in Data Centre Delivery Solutions globally. With over 20 years of experience, Christian has honed expertise in Business and Programme Leadership, Major Project Controls, and Cost & Commercial Leadership across various sectors including Technology, Infrastructure, Pharmaceutical, and more.

Having obtained an MSc in Major Programme Management from the University of Oxford - Said Business School, Christian brings a unique blend of academic knowledge and practical experience to the professional arena. His prowess lies in orchestrating international major construction and infrastructure programmes, driving excellence through effective leadership and stakeholder consultation

data scientist
Mott MacDonald
graduate civil engineer
Frankham Consultancy Group
emerging tech lead
Severn Trent Water
director infrastructure, enterprise & growth
IPA

Jon is the Director of Infrastructure, Enterprise and Growth at the Infrastructure and Projects Authority, (the government's centre of expertise for infrastructure and major projects). He advises on project delivery across half of the government's major projects; his £350bn portfolio includes all major transport, industry, energy, housing, foreign affairs, environmental and digital. Prior to joining the IPA, Jon spent ten years in executive roles within the utilities sector for Thames Water, BT Openreach and Clancy. Responsibilities included business strategy, transformation, capital programmes, operations, commercial, international supply chain and logistics. Jon pioneered long-term collaborative alliance contracts and behavioural procurement techniques, winning national awards as both Client of the Year and Supplier of the Year. A chartered quantity surveyor, Jon spent the early part of his career successfully managing large construction and infrastructure projects and later in executive operational, commercial and procurement roles for two of the UK's largest and fastest growing tier 1 infrastructure businesses.

director of innovation
Northumbrian Water
green urbanisation innovation manager
Polypipe
editor
Construction News
data analyst
Vinci Construction
founder & CEO
FC Laboratories Ltd
head of digital engineering & BIM
WSP
editor
New Civil Engineer
managing director
Safety Tech Accelerator

Maurizio is a digital technologist and technology and innovation executive with 30 years experience. After gaining a PhD in Artificial Intelligence at Edinburgh University he joined Hewlett Packard Laboratories in Bristol and Paolo Alto, CA, where he invented, published and commercialized a variety of cutting edge imaging technologies.

After an Executive MBA, he moved on to early stage venture capital where he was in charge of deep-tech investments. After being involved in high profile projects at InnovateUK, the UK’s Innovation Agency, and the UK’s first-ever national digital innovation centre, Digital Catapult, he moved on to Lloyd’s Register as VP of Digital Innovation with the brief to create and run its first ever digital innovation practice and contributing to transforming the business.

As part of that he created Safety Accelerator, where is he now Managing Director. Maurizio has 50 patents, 35 academic publications, secured over $100m of investments for programmes and ventures and his work has featured in the FT, Guardian, BBC.

director of policy and economics
FIDIC
graduate civil engineer
Binnies
Vinci Construction
head of innovation and transformation
vice president of product
Converge
principal consultant - infrastructure performance
Useful Simple Trust
BIM Manager/Digital Engineer
Lendlease

BIM Manager, ARB Architect and Data Analyst, always striving for finding the best way to achieve the right goals. Cristina is currently part of the Digital Engineering team and the Construction division, where she supports the digital delivery of construction projects but also leads initiatives to streamline processes and reduce risks through digitisation. Her current data analyst training has allowed her to extend the reach of these endeavours through the tools for a data-driven approach, but always aware of the key role that people play in generating change – with onboarding, training, and Health & Safety as a top focus.

senior geotechnical engineer
Dr Sauer and Partners

Shawn is a Chartered Engineer and Geologist with over 15 years’ experience both in the UK and abroad, delivering ground investigation and geotechnical design for the construction of large infrastructure projects. Throughout this time, application of new technology and techniques has been a focus for Shawn. Areas of interest range from the application of new evolutions in ground investigation and ground treatment techniques, the development of surveying methods and data acquisition, through to the use of AI to support data analytics and software development.

Director, Head of Digital, Nuclear
AtkinsRéalis

Sam leads the digital transformation for AtkinsRéalis’ Nuclear sector and works with project teams and partners around the world to accelerate innovation within the sector. The portfolio spans the nuclear lifecycle supporting new build, reactor operations and decommissioning and waste management. Relentlessly driving adoption of new ways of working, Sam is passionate about investing in new solutions and bringing learning from other sectors to engineer a better future for our planet and its people. Sam is a Chartered Civil Engineer with two decades experience working in various technical delivery, management, leadership, strategy and business development roles across the Nuclear industry and wider energy sector.

senior data engineer
Vinci Construction
director of sustainability & innovation
Skanska
lead engineer
Morrisroe
Vice-Chair, nima
Managing Director, PWcom.co.uk Limited

Paul Wilkinson is a technology consultant, writer, blogger and freelance journalist with specific expertise in the UK architectural, engineering and construction industry and the ICT sector, particularly Software-as-a-Service collaboration tools and BIM. He is a vice chair of nima (formerly the UK BIM Alliance) and chairs its technology group. He is also involved with Constructing Excellence and its Digital Group and with the Chartered Institute of Public Relations construction and property special interest group (CAPSIG).

Executive Managing Director
Tony Gee

I started my career as a design engineer carrying out detailed design on a wide range of civil and structural engineering projects, later moving more specifically into rail sector in the UK. Cutting edge construction engineering and efficiencies in how we build things have always been an interest of mine. Development of young staff and emerging technologies are a key part of our business now and these are aspects that fascinate me, even if I am still struggling to fully understand the new technologies and how we might employ them. I am now Executive Managing Director for Tony Gee LLP and have a passion for people and career development. I am interested in how the industry is changing and the developments, both technically and in how we develop the way we work and the environment we work in.

2024 Innovation Accelerator Presenters

chief executive and founder
minimass (Net Zero Projects)
strategic coroporate development lead
Gscan
founder and chief executive
EMSOL
services and innovation director
Queenswood
chief executive
Space Group
chief executive and founder
SmartViz