My City: Newcastle

My City: Newcastle

This is where we are today and this is how we make a better future - together we are place shaping -together we lead the change.

Join Insights North East for the inaugural lecture of Pam Smith, Chief Executive of Newcastle City Council and now Visiting Professor of Practice at Newcastle University, within the School of Geography, Politics & Sociology.

Pam's lecture will focus on where we are today in Newcastle and how to make a better future for the city and all its residents. Pam will reflect on the role of local leadership and place shaping in all its forms, and how we can work together to lead the change.

Pam will be joined by chair, Professor Jo Fox, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and Dr Emma Ormerod, Senior Lecturer in Economic Geography at Newcastle University for a fireside chat.

About Pam Smith:

Pam joined Newcastle City Council as Chief Executive in January 2022 having been Chief Executive at Stockport Council since 2017. Prior to that, she was Chief Executive at Burnley Council and has also worked for the Audit Commission and in the private sector. Pam is the Solace lead spokesperson for Economic Prosperity and a Fellow of the RSA.

Pam is known for building strong teams that deliver for residents. She led the University Town transformation in Burnley and the £1bn regeneration and transformation of Stockport including being a champion of the Mayoral Development Corporation which accelerated growth and opportunities for its residents.

Working collaboratively across Newcastle and the region, Pam is now leading on a £6.7m city centre redevelopment and delivering a new approach to neighbourhood regeneration; building resilient communities across the city.

Pam is also leading the city through the new Green Industrial Age as it becomes a global exemplar for clean energy and sustainable growth. Pam is focused on tackling inequalities and ensuring Newcastle is the best place for residents to grow up, grow older and live their best life.

About Professor Jo Fox:

Professor Fox joined Newcastle University in June of 2025 as the Pro-Vice-Chancellor for the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Jo is Professor of Modern History specialising in propaganda, disinformation, and psychological warfare. She is the author of several books and articles on these subjects and regularly appears in the media to discuss the impact of disinformation in contemporary society.

She is a National Teaching Fellow (2007), a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society (FRHistS), and a Fellow of the Royal Society for Manufactures and the Arts (FRSA). From 2019-2023, Jo was Chair of the Humanities Early Career Research Awards panels at the Wellcome Trust.

Beginning her career at Durham University, Jo started as a lecturer in Modern European History. She became Durham History Department’s first female professor in 2010 and its first female Head of Department in 2016. In 2018, she became the first female Director of the Institute of Historical Research, the UK’s national centre for History, and in 2020, Pro Vice Chancellor (Research and Public Engagement) at the University of London and Dean of its School of Advanced Study, a national centre for the promotion and facilitation of humanities research.

A committed advocate for gender equality and social mobility in Higher Education, Jo has contributed towards Athena Swan success and established social mobility programmes in North East England.

About Dr Emma Ormerod:

Emma is a Senior Lecturer in Economic Geography in the Centre for Urban and Regional Development (CURDS) at Newcastle University. Her research focuses on sub-national governing, politics and power. Emma is currently exploring gender inequality in local and regional development which raises critical questions about place leadership, devolution and power.

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Host or Publisher Centre for Urban and Regional Development Studies (CURDS)