Two Keynote Panel sessions coming up at the iNetwork 19th Annual Conference on the 28th November!
This years annual conference is fast approaching, and with that we would like to introduce the keynote panel sessions that will be happening on the day!
The first Keynote panel discussion taking place in the morning is titled ‘Leading the Public Sector through Change’. The session will be chaired by iNetworks chair Alison McKenzie-Folan OBE and will have three esteemed speakers: Ted Twaalfhoven, Emily Sullivan, and Robert Ling.
Alison McKenzie-Folan OBE is the Chief Executive from Wigan Council, Alison has worked in local government for 11 years following 18 years in the civil service. Passionate to drive a change to residents and communities with public services, Alison is recognised as one of the nine most influential digital leaders in Greater Manchester. Ted Twaalfhoven is the founder of Engage Process, our headline sponsor of our 19th Annual Conference, and the CEO of The Engage Process Platform. Ted has also worked as Co-Manager at Business Review BV, where they implemented process-workflow solutions for large firms in the Netherlands, previously following his role as CEO of Xibbix BV, a division of Indivers. Emily Sullivan is the Head of Product at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, having previously worked as a Service Manager for eight years at Nottinghamshire County Council. Robert Ling is the Director of Resources and Organisational Change at Central Bedfordshire Council. Robert has a proven track record in successful project management, where recently he was responsible for the merger of eight North Yorkshire Councils to create a new £1.4bn council on 1 April, 2023.
This session will provide delegates the opportunity to get to know these speakers on a personal level, understanding their leadership style and how they are leading their organisations through changing times. We will be asking about the challenges and barriers of leading through change and hear about their personal experiences. We will discuss the importance of culture in leading organisations through change and how leaders can create the conditions for innovation. We hope that delegates, following this session, will have an understanding of what they themselves can do to support their organisation through changing times.
Keynote Panel 2
The second Keynote panel discussion taking place in the afternoon is titled ‘What would it take for real digital innovation in the public sector?’. The session will be chaired by iNetworks deputy chair Sarah Bullock, with Sarah joined by Phil Swan, Rebekah Wilson, Stephen Curtis and Alison Young.
Sarah Bullock is Deputy Chief Executive at Chorley Council and South Ribble Borough. Prior to this, Sarah was the Director of Policy and Change at Cheshire East Council where she specialised in Programme Management and Change Management. Responsible for taking an open, innovative, and connective approach to ‘doing digital differently’, Phil Swan is the Director for Digital at the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, leading the next chapter in Greater Manchester’s ambition to be recognised as a world-leading digital city region. From the Local Government Association, Rebekah Wilson is the Programme Manager of Cyber, Digital and Technology. Rebekah has leveraged over ten years of experience in the field of research, data, and insight into her role at the LGA. Stephen Curtis has extensive leadership practices operating nationally with experience working with the senior civil service and in Parliament, and locally driving service transformation. Having previously delivered new services to better support vulnerable people, Stephen is committed to driving a major digital programme of change in East Riding of Yorkshire Council, centred around the needs of the local residents. Alison Young is the Associate Director Local Public Service at TechUK. Previous to this, Alison has her own consulting business and was Head of Global Investment with the Connected Places Catapult. Within this role Alison led on Foreign Direct Investment and helped facilitate projects internationally, whilst working with colleagues in the UK to support economic growth and looking to support investment into innovation across the UK.
In this session we will understand what is meant when we talk about ‘real’ digital innovation and how we can achieve this. We will discuss technologies, enablers of digital innovation such as culture and leadership as well as the impacts that come with digital transformation. We will reflect on the true potential of real digital innovation and debate about in what ways data is important to digital innovation. We will reflect upon issues such as digital exclusion and equalities, diversity and inclusion in digital innovation and the importance of bringing everyone along with us.
This year the conference will be held on the 28th November 2024 at the Hyatt Regency in Manchester. Check out our Annual Conference website here where you can find the agenda for the day, our speakers, sponsors and exhibitors as well as register for the event. Just a reminder that this event is open to all those in the public sector and is not restricted to iNetwork members! We look forward to you joining us on the day!