John Anderson

Executive Director
Kier Living

John is Executive Director of Kier Living Ltd, the Kier Group private & affordable house builder and residential contractor with activity spanning the UK.

With over 30 years of property development and house building experience John joined Kier in October 2010.

John held a number of senior positions in the industry prior to being asked to join Kier including Group Sales and Marketing Director of Taylor Woodrow, Managing Director of Taywood Lifestyle Homes a subsidiary of Taylor Woodrow Plc (now Taylor Wimpey) and CEO of Princegate Estates Plc, a specialist land development business. 

Anne-Marie Simpson

Head of Midlands & Central
Homes & Communities Agency

Anne-Marie is the HCA Head of Midlands Central area.Involved in a number of Midlands and national initiatives, she leads the team responsible for delivery of HCA programmes across the West Midlands. Working with private sector developers, house builders, housing associations, local authorities and LEP’s she takes a strategic view of activity to help achieve the aspirations for Midlands Engine for Growth. Ensuring HCA assets and programmes support housing and growth, aligning land and investment to help ensure maximum impact she leads the local team in support of delivery of locally identified growth priorities. She is an active member of the Midlands Urban Land Institute Committee which works collaboratively to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities.

Anne-Marie’s team are responsible for delivery across the Midlands, working closely with local authority partners and LEPs to align investment and support delivery of local growth programmes. Anne-Marie led for HCA on discussions with Birmingham City Council and Greater Birmingham Solihull LEP in respect of the City Deal agreed in July 2012. She worked closely with BCC, DCLG and Cabinet Office to help devise a partnership approach to align public sector assets and investment to unlock growth and help address the significant housing need that Birmingham has identified.  Currently working with Birmingham CC and Solihull MBC to maximise the regeneration benefits of HS2, Anne-Marie is focussed on a comprehensive approach to housing and economic growth in a place based approach. 

She is a member of the Midlands senior management team and is part of the HCA national leadership network.  Prior to joining the HCA, she worked in both local government and for a number of urban regeneration vehicles over 20 years.

Samuel Stafford

Strategic Land Director
Barratt Developments plc

Sam is a chartered town planner with experience gathered from across the consultancy, housebuilding and local government. Sam’s current role at Barratt Developments involves working with the Barratt and David Wilson businesses in the North West, West Midlands and South Wales on their strategic land portfolios. 

Clive Skidmore

Head of Regeneration and Development
Birmingham City Council

Clive Skidmore has been Head of Regeneration and Development at Birmingham City Council since July 2008.

He has led the development of the biggest Council house building programme in the city for 30 years through the Birmingham Municipal Housing Trust (BMHT).

He has built up the programme from a standing start at the beginning of 2009 to a position where the Council currently has over 5,000 homes on site, and is starting 500 new homes for rent and sale a year, a development programme larger than any RSL or private developer in the city.

BMHT was the biggest single housing developer within the City of Birmingham in 2014-15, and since 2009 has built more new homes (over 2,000) than any other Local Authority within the UK. In addition through this work over 300 training apprenticeships have been created and 40 young people supported through a scholarship programme. Finally the programme has also won 7 major national awards for innovation and design.

He has also set up a new vehicle for the delivery of Private Rented Sector homes on Council owned land and the first scheme in the programme will start on site later this year. 

Originally a classicist, he holds a first class combined honours degree from Exeter University and a PhD in Classics. He has also published an academic book on Latin literature.

Duncan Sutherland

Group Regeneration Director
Sigma Capital Plc

Duncan set up Inpartnership Ltd in 2001 which was key in developing the overall Sigma Partnership model, working with local government partners, and has been at the forefront in setting up the successful partnerships currently on the company's books, such as in Solihull, Salford, and Liverpool. Duncan works closely with the government promoting this innovative approach to achieving regeneration and investment. Sigma has also completed on two innovative funds for substantial new private rented sector housing throughout the UK.

Previously, Duncan was Director of City Development for Coventry City Council where he introduced innovations such as Coventry and Warwickshire Partnerships, city centre management, integrated community development and chaired the West Midlands Strategic Sites Working Group. He also achieved city centre projects such as Coventry Canal Basin, Coventry University Science Park, various leisure and retail schemes and was heavily involved in the initial regeneration efforts in Hillfields working closely with the local community. Duncan Sutherland also worked at Inner City Enterprises PLC, and was also the Chief Executive of The EDI Group Ltd, a specialist regeneration/property investment company owned by the City of Edinburgh Council.

Duncan is a Non-­‐ Executive Director on the Board of HS2, a Non Executive Director on Scottish Canals, a member of the Regeneration Investment Organisation Advisory Board (part of UKTI) and a Trustee of the South Bank Sinfonia.