Liz Nicholson, MD, Nicholsons
Liz Nicholson is Managing Director of local environmental consultancy and contracting company Nicholsons which she has run with her husband Niel for over 30 years.
Employing 200 people, Liz ensures the business has positive impact in terms of climate and nature and societal well-being. Liz is a council member of the RHS and enjoys judging gardens at the RHS shows. Above all, Liz is a passionate environmentalist fundamentally believing that sound economics are underpinned by climate to nature.
Dominic Hare, CEO, Blenheim Palace
Born in Liverpool and studied Law at Oxford, Dominic qualified as a Chartered Accountant with KPMG & spent the next 10 years in corporate finance and investment banking (with Paribas and Barclays Capital), specialising in the media and telecoms sector. At Blenheim, he and the team are delivering an energetic vision of the evolved role of a landed estate today, not an historic anachronism but on the powerhouse of the local economy, custodians and innovators in carbon management and the heartbeat of local life.
Sarah Haywood, Managing Director, Advanced Oxford
Sarah Haywood is a leader, working in innovation policy, support and ecosystem development.
Sarah is Managing Director of Advanced Oxford, a not-for-profit group of senior leaders from Oxfordshire’s major knowledge-intensive businesses, working together to support the long-term development of the Oxford region as a dynamic and prosperous place to work and live. Sarah joined Advanced Oxford in July, 2019. She sits on the advisory boards for TheHill Oxford, the University of Oxford IDEA Programme and The Chemistry Department, Imperial College. She is a Visiting Fellow at University of Oxford’s newest college, Reuben College.
Sarah started her career in the NHS and undertook the NHS General Management Training Scheme in NHS Wales. She worked in a number of NHS Trusts, including Great Ormond Street NHS Trust, prior to moving into the pharmaceuticals industry, where she had the role of Operations Head for a drug discovery unit within Novartis Pharmaceuticals. Sarah then moved into government, working as a senior civil servant in a number of policy teams. Sarah led the Department for Business Bioscience sector team, now part of the Office for Life Sciences, and when working in the Labour Market team, she was responsible for the design and legislation that led to the shared parental leave system and the right to request flexible working for all. Sarah remains a committed advocate and supporter of flexible working arrangements and was recognised as one of the Timewise Power 50 Award winners in 2017.
Sarah studied Biology at the University of Oxford and also has a Post-graduate Diploma in Management (Health) and an MA in Human Resources Management and Strategy. Sarah is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute and regularly works as a mentor and advisor across a number of innovation related programmes. Sarah was named on the Progress 1000 for 2019, The Evening Standard’s list of the most influential people in London, for her work with MedCity, the life sciences cluster organisation for London, which she helped to set up and led.
Katy Tuncer, Leadership Coach & Speaker, Horizon 37
Accredited coach and coach supervisor (APECS). Inventor of the Scale-up Institute accredited HorizonMethod, and associated learning pathways for Horizon37 coaches, based on expertise developed and refined over a decade working as a coach in the functional areas of leadership that deliver business results at pace. Speaker on business leadership e.g. at Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Deep Tech Labs, Barclays Eagle Labs, CAMentrepreneurs, the Bessemer Society, Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Manchester, The Leaders Council. Author of 7 books on leadership performance in scale-ups written on annual retreats since 2018.
Patrick Whetter, Head of Real Estate Oxford, Freeths
Patrick is a highly experienced property lawyer specializing in various aspects of commercial property. He has particular expertise in commercial landlord and tenant matters, freehold acquisitions and disposals, and comprehensive property portfolio management. Recently, he successfully completed the complex sale of Monument Business Park in Chalgrove.
As the head of the Real Estate department in Oxford, Patrick also leads the Real Estate Life Sciences team. He advises both investors and occupiers, bringing extensive experience in the life sciences sector.
Patrick is well-versed in the unique challenges and opportunities within the life sciences industry, understanding its specific property needs and requirements.
Recently, Patrick advised Swailes Suites on the development and letting of the Oxford Superlab. He also provides ongoing property advice to Perspectum and Aimmune Therapeutics in the UK.
Tom Bridgman, Deputy Chief Exec - Place, Oxford City Council
About Tom's talk
- How Oxford can set the standard for city centre regeneration in the UK
- Innovative approaches to infrastructure, sustainability, and public realm enhancements
- Capturing the opportunities from the Oxford – Cambridge arc.
- What lessons can be learned from other leading cities, and how can Oxford do better?
Tom is a town planner who has worked across the public, private and social enterprise sectors. He joined Oxford City Council is April 2019 as the Executive Director of Development, where he has responsibility for planning, property, housing supply, regeneration, economic development & city centre management and in February 2025 became Deputy Chief Executive – Place, which includes additional responsibilities for regulatory services, selective licensing, HMO enforcement and clienting.
He is also a director of Oxford West End Developments (OXWED), which is the Council’s joint venture with Nuffield College, currently taking forward the Oxpens redevelopment.
Other key projects being led by Tom include the Blackbird Leys estate regeneration, major improvements to the Covered Market, plans to reopen the Cowley Branch Line, and a refresh of masterplan for Oxford train station.
Prior to joining Oxford City Council, Tom was the Assistant Director for Area Regeneration at Lambeth Council, where he delivered a range of workspace, public realm and meanwhile projects. He joined Lambeth from AECOM Design + Planning, where he led numerous masterplanning, regeneration and infrastructure planning projects.
He has also worked for the Greater London Authority, establishing the Royal Docks Enterprise Zone, and working as part of the team that secured the funding package for the Northern Line Extension. Tom began his career at Renaisi, a social enterprise based in east London, where he led the Woodberry Down and Stamford Hill Single Regeneration Budget programme.
Victoria Collett, Devt Director, Thomas White Oxford North
About Victoria's talk
- Positioning Oxford North as a world-class innovation district—what will set it apart?
- How to attract top global talent and businesses to make Oxford North a leader in research and enterprise
- What gaps still need to be addressed to ensure long-term success?
Victoria Collett joined Thomas White Oxford, the development company of St John’s College, as Development Director in April 2022 to deliver Oxford North, the £700 million new global innovation district.
Victoria joined from Legal & General Capital where she headed development for its Suburban Build to Rent business, building-up a portfolio of projects with its sister companies and local authority partners including the North Horsham masterplan in West Sussex. Victoria is a chartered surveyor with 20 years’ development and regeneration experience specialising in development management and financial advisory for the public and private sectors.
Victoria has worked across England and Wales as a consultant, including at CBRE and Navigant Consulting, acting for many public bodies and third sector organisations, to achieve their real estate objectives through projects including the Canning Town & Custom House masterplan and the regeneration of South Kilburn. She spent eight years in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, as lead advisor to Abu Dhabi Municipality’s Investment Office, with a development portfolio of more than forty projects. She delivered projects including Al Qana and Sheikha Fatima Park, which represented step-changes in the city’s real estate offer.
In 2022, Thomas White Oxford entered into a 50:50 joint venture partnership with Canadian-based Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, with developer Stanhope to deliver Oxford North with one million sq ft of laboratories and workspace, along with amenities and infrastructure on Central and Eastside. This is in addition to its residential development partnership with Hill Group to deliver 317 new homes on Canalside, to the south of the A40.
Ashley Maltman, Head of Planning, Pye homes
About Ashley's talk
- Raising the bar in housing design, sustainability, and community integration
- What more can be done to fast-track high-quality, affordable housing delivery?
- How Oxfordshire can be a leader in future-proof housing solutions
Ashley Maltman is the Head of Planning at Pye Homes and Blenheim Estate, where he has been driving strategic growth and development across the Real Estate business. A graduate of Newcastle University, Ashley began his career at the Environment Agency, where he gained valuable experience in public sector planning. He later transitioned to the private sector before joining Pye Homes and becoming Head of Planning across the Blenheim Estate.
Hayley Beer-Gamage, CEO, Experience Oxfordshire
About Hayley's talk
- How Oxfordshire can lead the UK in cultural and experiential tourism
- What world-class destinations and experiences are we missing?
- How can we strengthen Oxford’s brand as a premier destination for investment and visitors?
Working in destination management for 25 years across the public, private and voluntary sectors, Hayley currently leads Experience Oxfordshire as the Chief Executive of the award-winning Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) and destination management organisation (DMO).
Whilst in situ she has continually developed their business model through the successful introduction and implementation of commercial services. Prior to this she was the Director of Oxfordshire Cotswolds’ Tourism Services where she developed and implemented a Cotswold wide Destination Management plan and has worked in numerous Local Authorities across Oxfordshire and Gloucester, having started her career with a tour operator.
She has held various non-executive director roles including those at Tourism South- East and the Tourism Society. Hayley is also the former Chair of the Tourism Society for which she served on their board of directors for nine years and is now a Fellow of the Society. With a strong background in marketing and partnership development, Hayley is passionate about continuous improvement, relationship building and raising the profile of the importance of the visitor economy sector. Hayley is highly engaged at a national level across trade bodies and government and currently sits on the national Visit England English Tourism Week Steering Group and is a member of the newly re-formed All Party Parliamentary Group for Events (APPG).
Dominic Hare, CEO, Blenheim Palace
About Dominic's talk
- How Blenheim’s solar development is setting a benchmark for renewable energy in Oxfordshire
- The role of historic estates in driving sustainability and supporting regional energy needs
- What more can be done to integrate large-scale renewable projects into Oxfordshire’s growth strategy
Born in Liverpool and studied Law at Oxford, Dominic qualified as a Chartered Accountant with KPMG & spent the next 10 years in corporate finance and investment banking (with Paribas and Barclays Capital), specialising in the media and telecoms sector. At Blenheim, he and the team are delivering an energetic vision of the evolved role of a landed estate today, not an historic anachronism but on the powerhouse of the local economy, custodians and innovators in carbon management and the heartbeat of local life.
