Simon Hawkins

Development Director
Urban & Civic plc

A chartered surveyor, Simon joined Urban and Civic in 2008 and specialises in retail and leisure development throughout the UK. Prior to that, Simon spent the five years as a partner at Knight Frank in Leeds with previous employers including Gerald Eve and Christie and Co.

Waheed Nazir

Chairman
Arden Cross

Waheed has over 20 years of experience in planning, development and regeneration. He has held senior positions at Birmingham City Council, and more recently was appointed as the Non-Executive Chairman of Arden Cross Limited. He also advises public and private sector clients on regeneration and development projects across the UK. He is a visiting Professor at Birmingham City University and in 2017 was awarded an honorary Doctorate by Aston University. In October 2020, Waheed was awarded a Fellowship from the Academy of Social Sciences and in November 2020 was announced as the Property Personality of the Year for the Midlands. In 2019, he wrote and edited a book titled Regenerating Cities, which explores how leadership, vision and partnership working has shaped the development of UK cities over the last 30 years. Through this book he brought together some of the UK’s leading figures in the development sector, each providing their own unique and personal insight into their journeys and roles in leading some of the country’s biggest projects, including London 2012, the development of King’s Cross, estate renewal in London, and the rise of Manchester and Birmingham. He is passionate about helping young people grow and develop to unlock their potential. This has included establishing a number of programmes to provide mentoring, bursary initiatives, internships and graduate programmes in the built environment profession.

Andreas Lindelof

Managing Director Development
Skanska UK

Andreas, with more than 20 years’ experience in creating and leading development teams in new operating areas, is the managing director of Skanska’s UK commercial development operation. Previously Andreas held the position of President of Skanska Romania (Development & Construction), where he identified a new market for speculative commercial development, particularly in Bucharest. During his tenure, Andreas set up two operating units in the region – commercial development and construction, which are highly successful.

Andreas also spent time in the Central European Region, as President of Skanska Hungary, where he secured a significant land bank portfolio and ensured the delivery of a number of prime office schemes.

Starting his construction career in his native Sweden, Andreas managed residential development projects across the nation’s southern region.

Laura Shoaf MRTPI

Managing Director
Transport for West Midlands

Laura Shoaf has more than 20 years’ international experience in delivering integrated economic and spatial regeneration. 

After leaving her native USA, Laura became Head of Strategic Planning and Implementation at the Black Country Consortium and was instrumental in the creation of the Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership

(LEP). As Black Country Director of Transport, Laura championed and led the area’s transport agenda, directly advising Chief Executives, Leaders and the LEP.

In 2015, Laura became Strategic Director for Transport at

the West Midlands Integrated Transport Authority and then in June 2016 took up her current position where she is responsible for key initiatives across the

metropolitan area such as Midlands Connect, the HS2 Connectivity Package and the region’s Strategic Transport Plan, liaising with Government departments and regional agencies for the benefit of the West Midlands. She is also responsible for delivering a £4billion transport package over the next 10 years underpinning economic regeneration in the region.

Laura is a Chartered Member of the Royal Town Planning

Institute and a committee member of both UITP and EMTA, highly-respected international and European organisations dedicated to promoting public

transport and the dissemination of best practice.