Resilience for Growth
About this Event
Resilience is a topic that has increasingly come to the fore whether climatic, national, organisational, personal, energy, defence, security etc. It opens up a number of very important discussion topics both at an applied and research level.
This conference will be hosted by the University of Exeter in their Business School.
Over the coming weeks we will build a very full agenda with the University as we explore those resilience topics.
Conference Details:
Date: Friday 30th October 2026
Time: 09:00 - 14:00 (registration from 08:30)
Venue: University of Exeter Business School, Henderson Lecture Theatre
Logistics: Details of car park locations can be found at the link below, but please note that parking is very limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Travel by public transport is preferential.
Agenda:
08:30 - 09:00: Arrivals – Teas and Coffees
09:00 - 09:05: Welcome and housekeeping, Paul Coles, SWBC
09:05 - 09:10: Welcome to the University of Exeter, Chris Evans, University of Exeter
09:10 - 09:20: Steve Race, MP for Exeter
09:20 - 09:40: Clair Mills, Bank of England
09:40 - 10:00: Alex Huke, University of Exeter with Iain Fairbairn, ESG Benchmark
10:00 - 10:20: Speaker session - TBC
10:20 - 10:40: Nicky Cunningham, University of Exeter
10:40 - 1100: Panel session
11:00 - 11:20: Tea Break/networking
11:20 - 11:35: Ryan Barrett, Network Rail
11:35 - 11:50: Tom Byrne, National Grid Electricity Distribution
11:50 - 12:05: Alan Burrows, Pennon Group
12:05 - 12:25: Panel session
12:25 - 12:50: Speaker session - TBC
12:50 - 13:00: Close and conference summary, Claire Pearce, SWBC
13:00 - 14:15: Networking Lunch
The final line-up of speakers will be announced shortly.
Refund Policy:
Refunds will be allowed up to 14 days before the event.
Our conference is kindly sponsored by National Grid Energy Distribution
Jacob Wallace, National Grid Energy Distribution, commented:
“We’re delighted to sponsor this conference and work alongside SWBC and other partners across the South West to strengthen regional energy resilience. A resilient and flexible electricity network provides the essential infrastructure needed for the region to thrive, underpinning energy security and enabling long-term economic growth.”
Keynote Speaker: Clair Mills, Executive Director, Banking & Payments, Bank of England
Clair Mills is Executive Director for Banking and Payments Operations at the Bank of England. She is responsible for several divisions across Banking Services, Payments Operations, and Strategic Change and Operations (SCO).
This is a diverse operational area, which includes the Bank’s back and middle office functions, the gold vaults and notes counters, the real-time gross settlement system and CHAPS – the UK’s high-value payment system. She also oversees payments change delivery, as well as the wider change portfolio, COO and operational resilience and risk functions for the Markets, Banking, Payments and Resolution deputy governorship.
Clair began her career in retail banking before moving into operational and technological change management and consultancy. She has more than 20 years of board-level experience in financial services and has led major strategic and technological transformations across several organisations. In 2011, she joined the Financial Services Authority to lead the Twin Peaks transition to the PRA/FCA regulatory model, becoming Chief Operating Officer at the PRA in 2018. She has also been our Director for Banking, Change and Operations.
Clair is co-executive sponsor of the Bank’s Age Network and a trustee of the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investments and the Addington Fund, a farming charity.
She is a frequent keynote speaker on central banking operations, fintech, and the role of central banks in a transforming digital world.
Speaker: Nicky Cunningham, Senior Lecturer, University of Exeter Business School
Nicky Cunningham is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Exeter Business School and a specialist in resilience, systems thinking and professional education. She works with organisations including Arup, Lloyds Banking Group and the Ministry of Defence to design and deliver executive education programmes that help leaders navigate complexity, uncertainty and change.
Before joining academia, Nicky spent more than 20 years in the water and environment sector, holding senior roles in environmental planning, regulation and policy. This combination of practical leadership experience and academic expertise enables her to bridge theory and practice, helping organisations translate emerging ideas into meaningful action and meet the challenges posed by an increasingly unpredictable world.
At Exeter, Nicky teaches sustainability, resilience and systems thinking. Her current PhD research explores governance as a pathway to water security, drawing on systems thinking approaches to understand complex social and environmental challenges. She is passionate about equipping leaders with the tools and mindsets needed to build resilient organisations.
Speaker: Ryan Barrett, Programme Manager for Climate Adaptation & Infrastructure Systems Resilience, Network Rail
Ryan leads programmes that help the railway adapt to climate change, improving resilience to risks such as extreme weather, flooding, heat, and asset instability.
Working across organisational and geographic boundaries, Ryan brings together engineering, operations, asset management, environmental specialists, regulators, local authorities, and industry partners to develop and deliver practical adaptation solutions. Ryan has a particular interest in nature-based solutions and sustainable approaches that enhance infrastructure resilience while delivering wider environmental benefits. His focus is on embedding long-term resilience into planning and investment decisions, helping to create a safer, more reliable, and sustainable railway for the future.
Speaker: Tom Byrne, Head of External Affairs at National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED)
Tom Byrne is Head of External Affairs at National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED), leading NGED's external communications and public affairs activity across the South West, South Wales and the Midlands. Prior to joining National Grid, he worked in the office of Andy Street, former Mayor of the West Midlands. Tom moved into public affairs and policy following five years' service with West Midlands Police.
Speaker: Claire Pearce, Chair of SWBC
Claire has over thirty years’ experience working across the public and private sectors in a diverse range of development roles, all with a key focus on place transformation, performance and delivery. With a demonstrable track record in nationally significant and complex regeneration projects, Claire has been able to create the conditions to attract investment, transform places and uplift opportunities for communities. Known for a pro-growth, pro-business approach, Claire has led and delivered considerable economic restructuring both in Reading and more recently in Bridgwater, Somerset and has left a legacy that celebrates sustained economic growth.
Formally Chief Planning Officer for Sedgemoor District Council, Claire led the public sector response to Hinkley Point C from strategy through negotiation to implementation. She has provided strategic advice on Sizewell C and has operated as the Director of Planning in the private sector for 5 years, re-imaging the planning and regeneration strategy to create the Gravity project, securing the Tata/ Agratas gigafactory into the UK.
Speaker: Paul Coles, CEO, SWBC
Paul is a strategic leader and thinker who, over the last few years, has built a portfolio career covering the commercial world, public and third sectors. He has a passion for innovation and digital, which he brings to bear to advance the South-West economy.
He has an extensive range of contacts across both the commercial and public sector built on a solid foundation of trust, passion, and delivery. Senior-level stakeholder management has been a key attribute throughout his career.
Paul recently left BT after 31 years to expand his portfolio of interests and help people and businesses navigate COVID. Paul was appointed CEO of the South West Business Council in February 2021, where he has focused on governance, stakeholder management, innovation, and business development.
Speaker: Steve Race, MP for Exeter
Steve Race is the Labour MP for Exeter, elected in 2024. He is currently a Parliamentary Private Secretary in the Ministry of Defence and has previously been a Parliamentary Private Secretary in the Department of Health and Social Care, member of the Science, Innovation and Technology Select Committee, Chair of the All-Party Group on the Great South West, Chair of the APPG for Ph*rm*cy, Chair of the APPG for ClimateTech, and Co-Chair of the APPG on Nutrition for Development.
He has previously been a local councillor for six years, including 2 years as a member of the Skills, Economy & Growth scrutiny committee, and 4 years as a member and later Chair of the Planning Committee. He has been a governor of Willowbrook Primary School in Exeter, and is currently Patron of St Petrock's, Exeter's local homelessness charity.
Steve has had a career in business, providing consultancy support in communications and policy to companies including Aston Martin, British Airways, HSBC, National Grid, and Nissan. He also spent nearly 4 years on the UK executive board of McKesson UK, owner of Lloyds Ph*rm*cy and other healthcare businesses, leading a team of 8 people covering crisis, policy, regulatory, and government communications. In this role he was involved in the team which set up the system and distributed Covid vaccines from manufacturers to dispensing points across the whole western half of the UK on behalf of NHSE.
Speaker: Chris Evans, Divisional Director, Exeter Innovation, University of Exeter
Chris is the Director of Exeter Innovation at the University of Exeter. Her team harnesses the world-leading research and education of the University of Exeter to create real and lasting impact by working with organisations of all types and sizes on their innovation journey. The team are responsible for the University’s Business Engagement Strategy and its regional strategy, including liaison with regional stakeholders and supporting the University’s role as a civic and anchor institution in Exeter and the wider South West Peninsula.
An economist, Chris joined the University of Exeter as Director of the Marchmont Observatory, established by the University of Exeter in 1999, to develop a response to issues such as lifelong learning and the development of e-learning. Establishing the first regional skills observatory with responsibility for overall strategic developments and the oversight and commissioning of research in the area of adult skills and learning. Chris also worked closely with Local Enterprise Partnerships to develop regional and local economic strategies.
Speaker: Alex Huke, Head of Environment & Clean Growth, University of Exeter
Alex is an environmental innovation and partnership leader with almost 30 years' experience working at the intersection of environment, science, policy, business and innovation, supporting the transition to a nature and climate positive economy. As Head of Environment and Clean Growth at the University of Exeter, he and his team leads a portfolio of strategic programmes, projects and partnerships that connect world-leading research with industry, government and communities to deliver real-world environmental impact.
Alex's team leads the University's flagship Green Futures Solutions platform and plays a key role in developing major strategic partnerships with organisations including South West Water, the National Trust, Natural England, the Met Office, and many others. Through these partnerships he helps create innovative programmes that deliver environmental, social and economic value at regional, national and international scales.
Alex will be joined by Iain Fairbairn of ESG Benchmark Group.
Speaker: Iain Fairbairn, Founder of ESG Benchmark & MD of Asesoria
Iain Fairbairn is founder of ESG Benchmark Group and managing director of Asesoria, the advisory arm of the group. The Group provides ESG Benchmarking Certification and Reporting Disclosure services, together with sustainability consulting services, for a broad spectrum of organisations, from SMEs to FTSE-listed multinational PLCs.
Iain and the broader team are committed to helping organisations raise their sustainability and ESG standards while reducing their emissions as part of the net-zero transition, thereby minimising the impact of climate change. Working with the broad sectoral base, he and his team assist clients across a wide range of areas, from developing sustainability strategies and reporting to addressing regulatory change, transition planning, and emissions target setting.
Through his work across sectors, he champions the need for climate adaptation and positive action, encouraging organisations to develop their resilience and continuity planning. He is also a strong advocate that SMEs and Value Chain engagement are key to accelerating our collective transition towards net zero.
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
GBP 99.00
