A warm welcome to this year's delegates

Prof Lucelia Rodrigues is the Chair in Sustainable and Resilient Cities of the University of Nottingham, the Head of the Department of Architecture and Built Environment and the Deputy Director of the Energy Institute.

Lucelia is a passionate, global leader in the resilience of communities and buildings in a changing climate, involved in several major sustainability projects focused on energy, carbon management and comfort with a combined value over £87m and circa 150 associated publications.

Her teaching and research are very cross-disciplinary, aiming to inform the sustainable practice of architecture and enhance the quality of the built environment. Her talk will look at how retrofitting our homes could support our journey to carbon neutrality, and how feasible that approach is.

Stuart is a highly respected figure in the Energy Assessment industry, renowned for his significant contributions to the development of energy assessment calculations. As the Managing Director of Elmhurst, he spearheads the organisation's efforts to stay at the forefront of technical and legislative advancements, and consistently delivers market-leading products and services.

With extensive experience in this rapidly evolving sector, Stuart's expertise encompasses all facets of the industry, including his pivotal role in the creation of the original RdSAP and Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs). He has been an integral part of various government and industry Working/Steering Groups for Part L, BR443 U-Value Calculations, and PAS 2035.

Stuart's leadership also extends beyond his role at Elmhurst. He currently serves as the Chair of the Energy Assessor Scheme Operating Board (EASOB) and is a member of the NHBC Foundation Expert Panel, the SAP Scientific Integrity Group (SAPSIG), and the Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE). His contributions and insights have helped shape the industry and continue to drive its growth and development.

Joel is the founder and director of JG Consulting. He established the business after 14 years in the industry to help clients understand the environmental impact of their projects and is driven by a desire to improve the performance of the built environment.

Having completed a PhD in atmospheric chemistry, he entered the environmental design and engineering industry to maximize the positive impact of his work. He is motivated by real world outcomes. Joel is based in Cambridge and has worked across a range of sectors within the local area and beyond. Many of his projects have set important precedents that support reducing the environmental impact of the built environment.

Kate Faulkner OBE is one of the UK’s leading property experts. She is passionate that most of the problems in the residential property market can be solved if the media, industry and government worked together to educate consumers on how to carry out property projects. To aid this, Kate has set up a free consumer education site Propertychecklists and working groups for Home Buying and Selling and The Lettings Industry Council which are attended by DLUHC.

Kate regularly features on BBC TV and radio including You and Yours and Moneybox. She has also appeared on ITV’s This Morning and co-hosted LBC’s Property Hour. Kate works closely with journalists all over the country to help ensure their work is accurate and up to date. This is not easy when housing policies differ between Scotland, NI, Wales and England

With over 35 years of experience as a surveyor, Ian fulfils the role of Chief Surveyor at SBVS. He is also Managing Partner at Shepherd Chartered Surveyors, and has a wealth of experience contributing to committees, task forces and working groups within the surveying industry. Notably, he was previously Chairman of RICS Scotland and a longstanding member of the RICS World Regional Board (UK & Ireland).

Simon is Managing Director at SDL Surveying, having joined the business in 2007. He has over 30 years of experience in the financial services industry having worked in various roles at HSBC, before progressing to become Chief Operating Officer of Aon's retail division and subsequently operations leader at internet bank, Egg.

As well as leading the business at SDL, Simon regularly contributes thought leadership to the mortgage industry press and, in recent years, has twice scooped the 'Business Leader' award at the prestigious British Mortgage Awards.

Adam was Regional Sales Manager for Barbers Estate Agents in Shropshire, before joining SDL Surveying in 2005. Across his career, he has amassed over 35 years of experience in the residential property market in a range of locations.

Today, Adam fulfils the role of Field Surveying Director at SDL, managing a team of around 140 people comprising both area surveyors and regional managers. He is passionate about people, collaboration with colleagues, and providing SDL's clients with exceptional customer service.

With a career in property and financial services spanning over 20 years, Rachel is passionate about building trusted business partnerships. Having joined SDL Surveying in 2016, her role encompasses identifying, maintaining, and growing third-party relationships to scale the firm's surveying capacity and home survey sales.

Adrian began his surveying career at Kimmitt & Robert Estate Agents in the North East, before joining Shepherd Chartered Surveyors in 2009. He subsequently joined SDL Surveying as an area surveyor in 2011, meaning that he has now amassed 12 years of experience with the business and 24 years of experience in property services more generally.

Today, alongside his role as an area surveyor, Adrian also fulfils the role of training manager within the SDL Academy. In this role, Adrian’s responsibilities include: supporting junior employees who are training to attain their AssocRICS status, running a training programme for APC candidates, and leading the domestic energy and retrofit assessor training scheme within the business.