Building Safety Conference

With 25 years professional experience nationally and internationally, Amanda brings not for profit and private sector experience including working within a global charity championing consumer and public protection and national not-for-profit voluntary standard setting organisations for the built environment. These include the Considerate Constructors Scheme, Building a Safer Future Charter and now, in her current post leading the Code for Construction Product Information (CCPI).

Amanda brings a wealth of expertise driving ethical business practice and championing consumer protection and has achieved substantial recognition for the CCPI including from Government, OPSS, the national construction product regulator, as well as key stakeholders such as Dame Judith Hackitt and the Industry Safety Steering Group and numerous industry associations and groups.

Catherine Adams is Director of Building Systems and Insights Directorate in the Buildings, Fire and Resilience  Group at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. In this role, she oversees the stewardship of buildings, working closely with the Building Safety Regulator, keeping under review the effectiveness of the regulatory regimes and the implementation of the government’s response to the Grenfell lnquiry report.

Catherine is an experienced public policy professional, having worked in senior roles in the UK and New Zealand civil services, and as a consultant to New Zealand, Europe and the Middle East public and private sector clients.

Tim leads the Regime Development and Regulatory Support functions in BSR.  Across a thirty-plus year career as a health and safety inspector, he has been involved in a variety of industries and topics.  He also led operational delivery of HSE’s work in southern England on the major accident hazard industries and conventional safety.

Douglas is a property litigation partner at Trowers & Hamlins LLP and is head of the firm’s cross-departmental Building Safety Group. He specialises in residential landlord and tenant and was involved in pre-legislative consultation with the Government on the service charge aspects of the Building Safety Act 2022.  A substantial proportion of his work involves helping clients to understand their obligations and assisting clients in achieving compliance with the new legislative regime.

Jon is widely recognised as a leading authority on competence and regulatory frameworks within the UK construction sector. With over 20 years’ experience working across Government policy, regulatory compliance, and competency scheme development, Jon has consistently played a pivotal role in shaping safe and robust practices within the built environment.

Jon’s particular expertise is in the design and implementation of competency management frameworks, regulatory interpretation, policy impact assessment, and stakeholder engagement. Jon is also an advocate for cultural and behavioural change across industry.

Jon served for five years as a member of BRAC, under the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (now MHCLG). He has been actively involved with the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) since June 2021 and was appointed Chair of the Industry Competence Committee in July 2023, where he leads work on improving competence across all roles in the built environment.

Lorna’s career in Public Service Building Control spans over 30 years, holding roles from building control surveyor up to senior managerial positions. Lorna joined LABC in 2008 as Business Development Director, advancing to Deputy Managing Director in 2015 and Chief Executive in 2019.

Lorna is an enthusiastic and innovative leader with the ability to form strong working relationships. Her key strengths are her drive, commitment, and determination to succeed. She is dedicated to fostering a culture of professional and ethical standards within the building control sector and in raising the profile of public service building control. Lorna has a proven track record in delivering complex projects and strategic reform.  She successfully led the government grant funded recruitment and training of 150 new entrants into building control and is leading a second wave of delivery in autumn 2025.

Lorna works closely with MHCLG, the BSR, the HSE and sits on various professional committees focussed on improving standards and outcomes in the construction industry. She sits on the Industry Competence Committee (ICC) and the Fire Protection Board. Lorna is a Board Director of LABC, the Construction Industry Council (CIC) and the Building Safety Competence Foundation (BSCF).

Petronila is qualified Projects Professional with key international experience in the implementation and delivery of large and complex projects and programmes of over £300 Million. This covering the full building lifecycle from development, construction, capital works to remediation and disposal. Petronila has worked in strategic advisory, mixed use, residential, commercial, retail, education, manufacturing, and public sectors. Currently, she is leading the building safety remediation team at Notting Hill Genesis(NHG) in the delivery of the NHG’s building safety programme. Petronila has developed an exceptional delivery team with a strong bias for action along with successfully establishing and implementing processes and procedures that have ensured building safety remediation has moved from a reactive part of the business to business as usual.

Eve Blezard is Policy Lead at the Chartered Institute of Housing, where she leads work on repairs and maintenance, building and fire safety, housing quality, and decency. Her policy approach is grounded in cultural change and the belief that the lived experience is crucial to developing practice and systems. She holds a PhD in the Built Environment from The University of Salford and has worked in housing for over 15 years, and has previously held roles at Housing Quality Network and Progress Housing Group. Eve is currently a board member of the Housing Studies Association and The Greater Manchester Good Landlord Charter Governing Board.

Eve’s work focuses on the connections between place, belonging, and the value of home. Her thesis explored identity and community on a social housing estate, and she is now studying for an MA in World Heritage Studies, deepening her interest in placemaking, heritage, and the social value of housing.

Eve focus is working to bring together research, policy and practice, using insights from lived experience to contribute towards creating safer homes and to support more inclusive and equitable housing systems.

With 25 years professional experience nationally and internationally, Amanda brings not for profit and private sector experience including working within a global charity championing consumer and public protection and national not-for-profit voluntary standard setting organisations for the built environment. These include the Considerate Constructors Scheme, Building a Safer Future Charter and now, in her current post leading the Code for Construction Product Information (CCPI).

Amanda brings a wealth of expertise driving ethical business practice and championing consumer protection and has achieved substantial recognition for the CCPI including from Government, OPSS, the national construction product regulator, as well as key stakeholders such as Dame Judith Hackitt and the Industry Safety Steering Group and numerous industry associations and groups.

As a former military helicopter pilot and aviation risk specialist, Emily brings fresh perspectives on risk management to the built environment. With experience spanning civil aviation, defence, nuclear and maritime sectors, she focuses on adapting effective risk management approaches across industries. Now developing innovative building safety software, Emily sits on the IMechE ALARP working group and advises IStructE on building safety guidance aligned with BSA22 requirements.

I started my career in the fire sector as an operational firefighter before joining Kent Fire and Rescue Service full time within the Building Safety team.

Having spent most of my time as a Building Safety Inspector I finished my time in KFRS within the enforcement team assisting on preparing cases for prosecution.

I then moved to what was Lewisham Homes as a Building Safety Manager progressing to the Project Team Leader before the housing services moved back to Lewisham Council. I was then promoted to my current position of as Head of Building Safety in April 2024.

Shonagh Methven MCIPD, CMIOSH leads on safety at United Response, a top 100 charity delivering social care across England and Wales. Shonagh brings an activist approach to safety having been part of the Hazards Movement and has driven fire safety improvements across the 100s of locations where United Response provides support. She is currently working with Alex Norris MP the Minister for Building Safety, Fire and Local Growth at the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government, looking at how we can better ensure that people living in the community, however vulnerable, can always get out if a fire breaks out in the building they live in.

Phil has specialised in resident involvement and scrutiny for over 25 years. He was Chief Executive of TPAS for 10 years and Executive Director of Tenant Services at the Regulator

of Social Housing. He was a resident and Resident Board Member at NV Buildings in Salford, which had EPS cladding. Phil is a member of the Building Safety Regulator’s Statutory Resident Panel and  Vice Chair of the Guinness Partnership.

Nick’s has over 43  years’ service for the London Fire Brigade  and has spanned many roles including, Head of Fire Safety Training, Enforcement Manager and Head of Fire Safety Policy. He has helped write DCLG guides and as the Chair of CFOA Enforcement working group helped produce policies and guidance on the RRO to Fire & Rescue Services. He is currently NFCC Protection vice chair.

He is a  member of the Industry Safety Steering Group led by Dame Judith Hackitt to hold industry to account on the progress of post Grenfell change.

He is also a member of the newly formed Industry Competence Committee

He was a founder member of the Fire Risk Assessment Competency Council and also Chairs the IFE  Fire Risk Assessment Register Panel. He sits on various BS Committees. He is a Fellow and Vice President of the IFSM.

In 2019 New Years Honours lists he was awarded a MBE for services to fire safety. He has just returned to LFB after 5 years seconded to NFCC leading the post Grenfell change

With 25 years professional experience nationally and internationally, Amanda brings not for profit and private sector experience including working within a global charity championing consumer and public protection and national not-for-profit voluntary standard setting organisations for the built environment. These include the Considerate Constructors Scheme, Building a Safer Future Charter and now, in her current post leading the Code for Construction Product Information (CCPI).

Amanda brings a wealth of expertise driving ethical business practice and championing consumer protection and has achieved substantial recognition for the CCPI including from Government, OPSS, the national construction product regulator, as well as key stakeholders such as Dame Judith Hackitt and the Industry Safety Steering Group and numerous industry associations and groups.