This page will be updated regularly with speaker profiles.
Joining us as host of the Big Conversation 2025 is Steven Jenkins, Director, Head of Education at AECOM, who will also be be facilitating two key sessions: ‘The Journey to Net Zero’ and ‘The Big Question: The Reality & The Solution.
Paul has been involved in the Estates Management Record for 18 years in Estates and Facilities roles at Director level at three universities.
Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute, Member of the Energy Institute and an Incorporated Engineer. Paul has held Director positions at three Universities over the past 18 years, with a background in local government and consulting engineering.
Paul leads the Capital Development and Estate Operations Teams at Lancaster University, delivering significant capital investment in recent years and overseeing a wide range of complex projects. He has a passion to drive efficiency and effectiveness through asset management, partnership delivery, master-planning and property based solutions with an ever increasing sustainability focus.
As Regional Director, Scott oversees teams with a focus on lifecycle and strategic responsibilities to ensure client requirements are not only met but exceeded, from pre-construction through to design and completion. He has extensive experience managing low carbon and renewable projects, including Newcastle Airport, New Cross Hospital, Welsman Building, Castle Park, Queens Quay, Swansea Hospital, Elstow, NDEE Dundee, St Andrews University, and Cardiff Refit. Scott is instrumental in helping projects achieve their strategic objectives while supervising design and engineering deliverables to meet project timelines. With over 20 years of experience in the construction and engineering industries, he is a proven leader passionate about delivering excellence on every project.
Kit Gillibrand is Managing Director of HermeticaBlack and a leading advisor on the commercial structuring of decentralised energy and efficiency projects. With extensive experience across the public and private sectors, Kit has led the commercial development of large-scale heat networks and on-site generation and efficiency schemes. With a particular focus deliverability, Kit brings deep insight into investment, risk management, and delivery strategy for low-carbon infrastructure.
Syd is the Chair of AUDE, NW Regional Chair and member of the AUDE EDI and Professional Development Groups. He is in his tenth year at the University of Liverpool following on from six years within the NHS and prior to that at Edge Hill University for over eleven years.
Syd's honours degree is in Building Surveying. Now, with over 30 years in the construction, estates and facilities sector, Syds breadth and depth of experience is demonstrated by the range of professional qualifications he holds: Fellow of the Chartered Association of Building Engineers, Chartered Environmentalist, Chartered Builder and Certified member of the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management along with project management, H&S and business continuity qualifications.
Whilst in the NHS Syd was active within the Health Estates & Facilities Management Association and was also NW Regional Chair for the Chartered Association of Building Engineers.
