Speaker line-up for Great Northern Conference announced

TODAY we announce a stellar line-up of speakers for this year’s Great Northern Conference.
Anne Longfield, former Children's Commissioner for England, pictured at her home in Ilkley. 
Picture: James Hardisty.Anne Longfield, former Children's Commissioner for England, pictured at her home in Ilkley. 
Picture: James Hardisty.
Anne Longfield, former Children's Commissioner for England, pictured at her home in Ilkley. Picture: James Hardisty.

The landmark event, organised by the Northern Powerhouse Partnership and The Yorkshire Post’s parent company JPI Media, is set to take place at Sheffield’s Cutler’s Hall venue on Thursday October 28.

Some of the biggest names in business have leant their backing to the event which will be held as both an in-person and digitally streamed conference.

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This year, there will be sessions on digital, education and skills, net zero future, sustainable infrastructure, health, building an economy for growth, investment and development, and energy.

Speakers include Anne Longfield CBE, former children’s commissioner for England, who has spent the last three decades working to improve the life chances of children, and Jamie Reed, head of corporate affairs at Sellafield, who will lead the session on education and skills.

Mike Maudsley, group operations director at Drax Group, will speak at the session on the future of net zero.

Mr Maudsley is responsible for leading the operation of Drax’s UK portfolio of generation assets – Drax Power Station, Cruachan Power Station, Daldowie Fuel Plant and two run-of-river hydro schemes – and pellet production operations in North America. He was recently appointed as a commissioner on the newly formed Yorkshire and Humber Climate Commission.

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Prof Malcolm Morley, chair of public sector organisation Radioactive Waste Management (RWM), and Sue Ferns, senior deputy general secretary at Prospect, the union for professionals, will speak on the sustainable infrastructure session.

Prof Morley oversees RWM’s work to ensure that radioactive waste is managed safely and effectively, alongside development of a Geological Disposal Facility for the permanent disposal of higher-activity radioactive waste.

Ms Ferns’ responsibilities at Prospect include leading the union’s work across the energy sector, climate change and gender equality.

Meanwhile, Clare Bambra, professor of public health at Newcastle University and Thara Raj, director of Public Health Warrington Borough Council, will speak at a session on health.

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Ms Bambra is an interdisciplinary social scientist working at the interface of public health policy, health geography and social epidemiology. She led the Independent SAGE report on Covid-19 and Health Inequalities, the Northern Health Science Alliance report on Covid-19 in the North.

Ms Raj played a key advisory role during the 2018 Salisbury and Amesbury poisonings as a consultant in health protection and has also been Public Health England’s London lead for immunisations.

Pervinder Kaul, head of the Leeds office of Addleshaw Goddard will speak at the building an economy for growth session.

Other speakers at the event include Dan Jarvis, Mayor of Sheffield City Region, and Steve Rotherham, Metro Mayor, Liverpool City Region

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Henry Murison, the director of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, said: “Once again we have a stellar line-up of business and civic leaders from across the North who will come together to discuss priorities and shape policy ideas.

“They will address the fallout from the pandemic across a range of topics, from tackling the huge learning loss in northern schools to building a stronger economic recovery across our towns and cities.

“We are delighted that the event is able to return as an in-person conference this year and there is also the opportunity to access sessions through our digitally-streamed service.”

The event, is a must-attend event for those that want to be part of the discussion and influence the direction that the region takes as it rebuilds in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

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The headline sponsor for this year’s Great Northern Conference comes from telecommunications giant, Huawei, who will be backing the digital session.

Additional sponsorship is set to come from Sellafield for the education and skills session, Drax who is supporting the net zero future session.

Hermes is backing the investment and development session, Radioactive Waste Management is sponsoring the sustainable infrastructure session, Northern Gas & Power is backing the energy session and the Northern Health Science Alliance is supporting the health session.

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Thank you

James Mitchinson

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