Caroline Simpson

Corporate Director for Place
Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council

Caroline Simpson has worked in regeneration for over twenty years developing strong partnerships across the public and private sector. As the Corporate Director for Place at Stockport MBC she is currently responsible for a growth and place agenda and in particular leading a major £1bn transformation programme to redevelop the town centre. As well as leadership of development, regeneration, planning and transport she is also leading the delivery and reform of frontline place management services.  She also has responsibility for the delivery of the Public Health agenda within Stockport and promoting active communities across the Borough.

Previous roles include:

Executive Director of Economic Growth and Prosperity for Cheshire East Council with responsibility for an ambitious economic growth agenda, leading place–based services and corporate property & development functions. 

Other roles include the Development Director for a Housing Association; Head of Regeneration and Partnerships for Northwest Development Agency and regeneration based roles at Advantage West Midlands.   Her career started in Liverpool delivering community-based regeneration projects with a particular focus on work and skills.

David Glover

Director
Peel Holdings (Management) Limited

David spent the first 10 years of his career with Interserve Plc in the UK and overseas and joined Peel in London as a Regional Construction Manager in 1988. He was then promoted to Head of Construction in 1992 and in 2002 joined the Peel Board as Construction Director and in 2014 became Peel’s Operations Director. 

Most notable construction projects are intu Trafford Centre, Peel’s airport assets and most recently MediaCityUK.

Will Lewis

Founder
OBI Property

Will is a founding director of OBI Property, and specialises in advising landlords and occupiers as part of OBI’s Transactions and Asset Management Team.

Will has advised a number of property companies and institutions on the implementation of tailored disposal strategies that have proved successful in the city centre and regional markets, winning recognition

through a string of regional and national awards. He also advises a variety of occupier clients on a national basis and has a strong track record for delivering successful business relocations, with occupier clients including AO.com, Zuto, NCC Group and Rentalcars.com.

Since its formation in 2010, OBI has gone from strength to strength and now employs 20 people at its headquarters in Mosley Street, Manchester. It provides full national and international coverage for clients, with the application of the “OBI Difference,” utilising OBI’s building consultancy and workplace consultancy teams hand in hand with its transactional advisory work, being a strong selling point.   

Jessica Bowles

Director of Strategy
Bruntwood

Jessica joined the business in April 2016, a new role to support the company’s ambitions for long term growth.  Previously Jessica worked at Manchester City Council as head of City Policy.  Most recently she developed the 10 year Manchester Strategy ‘Our Manchester’ with partners across the city, lead work on the Northern Powerhouse with Richard Leese and other city leaders across the North and took a central role in the devolution agenda.  Before coming to Manchester Jessica spent 15 years in Whitehall in a diverse range of roles related to transport and local government.