Thank you to our 2025 speakers
Jane Lynch
Director - Centre of Public Value Procurement
Jane is a Professor in Procurement for the Logistics and Operations Management (LOM) section of Cardiff Business School, Cardiff University. Jane’s subject areas for research and teaching include innovation and social public procurement, supply chain management, and collaboration. Jane is the strategic lead for Procurement Labs in a WEFO funded project, Infuse (Innovation of Future Public Services). Jane is Programme Director for the UK Government funded 'Help to Grow Management' programme delivered at Cardiff Buisness School aimed at supporting SMEs with business growth. Additional Roles: Member of IRSPP (international research study on public procurement) Branch Chair of the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) South Wales Associate Director (MICW) of Institute for Collaborative Working (ICW), Cymru.
David Kershaw
Founder & Managing Director
David is a globally recognised procurement leader specialising in using his experience of Digital-era methods to modernise public procurement. He is respected for his notable work applying agile ways of working to public procurement, AI procurement, moving from ‘spending’ to ‘investing' public money through public procurement and contracting and helping organisations improve their market engagement approaches ensuring contract exit is thought through from the start.
He has advised and led some of the most innovative digital and technology procurement activities of recent times in the UK Public Sector and overseas governments, centred around the needs of all users, being an expert on all Digital, Data and Technology commercial-procurement and public procurement’s link to the well-being of future generations.
Joanna Dahlgren
Head of Social Value & SROI
Joanna has been a driving force behind the creation and management of the social value function in London Borough of Waltham Forest, since its inception in Dec 2020.
With over 20 years’ experience leading on various investment and regeneration initiatives that promote inclusive growth and community wealth building, under Joanna leadership the Council has transformed the way it maximises social impact through its contracts for services, regeneration, and construction works.
Over the past four years, the collaborative efforts of the Council and its supply chain have yielded over £50 million in delivered social value, laying the foundation for a substantial pipeline of future benefits.
Holds Master’s Degree in Finance, Banking & Insurance from Finance Academy in Warsaw and BA Degree in Banking, Corporate Finance & Securities Law
Also holds the following qualifications: • Social Value & SROI Accredited Practitioner, Social Value International 2019 • SCRUMstudy Agile Master Practitioner in Public Services, Basis 2019 • Mental Health First Aid, (MHFA) England 2017 • Management Development Programme, JSB Consulting 2011 • AET Award in Education and Training, City & Guilds 2010 • L3 Certificate in Recruitment Practice (CertRP) 2007 • 2020 – 2021
John Wallace
Director of Procurement
John began his career as a laboratory assistant before becoming a qualified Master Brewer. Having spent 10 years in brewing production, John moved onto various procurement roles in the industry prior to spending 2 years in the food industry working for one of the country’s leading chilled food producers. In 2006, he joined the NHS being involved in the growth and development of two regional procurement organisations before joining Anchor 2 years ago in the role of Head of Procurement and Purchasing.
Kevin Lewis
Senior Business Development Manager
Kevin Lewis is a Senior Business Development Manager at Delta eSourcing, where he has spent over five years helping organisations navigate the complexities of digital procurement. He is responsible for supporting clients across the public, private, and third sectors throughout London and the South East of England. Kevin works with a diverse portfolio of organisations, including central government departments, local authorities, NHS trusts, and educational institutions, providing them with the eSourcing and supply chain tools needed to drive effective and compliant tendering.
Phil McCabe
Merseyside and Cheshire Development Manager
In his present role Phil is responsible for supporting the FSB's volunteer activists and other small business members, and representing their policy positions and other interests in Merseyside and Cheshire. This includes chairing the Liverpool City Region Business Group of leading membership organisations and representing FSB in the media. He also project manages the development of the FSB's various activities. He has regularly represented the FSB on television and radio, notable appearances being the BBC’s Panorama, The One Show, Working Lunch, BBC News, Sky News and BBC Radio Four and Five.
Zuzanna Briant
Director & Practice Lead - Contract & Commercial Management
Zuzanna Briant is the Director and Practice Lead for Contract and Commercial Management (CCM) at World Commerce & Contracting. In her role, she serves as an ambassador and advocate for efficient, effective contracting, focused on building high-performing, trusted business relationships. She joined WorldCC from Virgin Media, bringing extensive experience in procurement and leadership of commercial and contract management teams.
Her innovative thinking and strategic approach have delivered multi-million-dollar cost savings and revenue gains. Her earlier career spans the financial services and aviation sectors, and she holds a Master’s degree in Finance.
Rikesh Shah
Head of the Innovation Procurement Empowerment Centre (IPEC)
Rikesh Shah is a Head of Innovation Procurement Empowerment Centre – IPEC at Connected Places Catapult since October 2023. Previously, Rikesh was an Open Innovation and Open Data expert at PA Consulting, and prior to that he was the Head of Open Innovation at Transport for London where he created the organisation’s first Innovation Hub, recognised as one of the best in the public sector in Europe, and he also oversaw the organisation’s world-renowned open data initiative bringing £130m worth of value per annum.
Rikesh is a guest lecturer at the Royal College of Arts and a Mobility Tech Innovator at Harvard University. He is a non-executive advisor at Cities Today, London Transport Museum and See.Sense. He also previously served on the Mayor of London’s Smart London Board, co-chaired the Data and Digital Board at the Institute of Civil Engineering.
Mana Sadeghipour
Working Group Secretary
Mana is a public policy professional with over 9 years of experience supporting organisations in navigating complex challenges, with experience in establishing regulatory frameworks for new industries, advocating for policy and regulatory reform, and delivering meaningful results in corporate social responsibility.
Since September 2023, Mana has been Working Group Secretary at the IEEE Standards Association, contributing to the development of the P3119 Standard that establishes a uniform set of definitions and a process model for the procurement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Automated Decision Systems (ADS) through which government entities can address socio-technical and responsible innovation considerations to serve the public interest.
Catherine Proudlove
SME Lead - Defence Commercial
The Ministry of Defence protects the security, independence and interests of the United Kingdom at home and abroad. We work with our allies and partners whenever possible.
Our aim is to ensure that the UK’s Armed Forces have the training, equipment and support necessary for their work, and that we keep within budget.