Alison Condie was appointed Managing Director for Barratt Redrow Scotland in 2024, bringing over 30 years of experience in the housebuilding industry. Originally from Paisley, she began her career with Kelvin Homes before holding senior roles at Beazer and Persimmon Homes. She joined Barratt in 2005 as Technical Director, later leading the East of Scotland division from 2013. Alison now oversees Barratt’s Scottish operations and its Oregon Timber Frame business, focusing on expanding delivery and tackling the country’s housing crisis. Her leadership builds on decades of expertise in development, commercial management and strategic growth.

Alison has been Director of Shelter Scotland since 2020, having first joined the organisation in 2002. She is committed to ensuring that the lived experience of the housing emergency shapes Shelter Scotland’s work, with a clear focus on the structural change needed to end homelessness for good: more social homes. Alison has served on several policy/strategy groups, including the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Action Group, the COSLA: Scottish Government’s Homelessness Prevention Strategy Group, and co-chaired the Scottish Government’s Task Group on Temporary Accommodation.

Alison has spent most of her career in the Digital Sector in Scotland.  She has held leadership roles in both public and private sector, in organisations large and small, and is a former elected Chair of the trade body, ScotlandIS.   

In the last 3 years she has been more actively involved in the Housing Sector with her appointment to the Board of Wheatley Group.  She is also Chair of Wheatley Solutions and member of the Group Audit Committee.

Cllr Ruairi Kelly is City Convener for Housing, Development, Built Heritage and Land Use at Glasgow City Council, where he leads on housing policy, planning and regeneration. First elected in 2022 to represent the North East ward, he also serves on the board of Wheatley Homes, Scotland’s largest housing association, and represents the council on Transforming Communities Glasgow. With a professional background in health and safety management in construction and industry, Cllr Kelly combines sector knowledge with a focus on practical delivery to help meet Glasgow’s housing needs. 

Jane Wood has been Chief Executive of Homes for Scotland since 2022, leading the organisation’s work to increase housing supply and support the delivery of more homes across the country. She previously held senior roles as UK Nations and Regions Director at BT Group, CEO in Scotland and UK Executive Director at Business in the Community, and Head of Corporate Affairs for Scotland and Northern Ireland at Walgreens Boots Alliance. With extensive experience in government, regulation and business, Jane brings a strong focus on inclusive growth and sustainable development, championing policies that align housing delivery with wider economic priorities.

John Alexander is Chief Executive of Hillcrest, one of Scotland’s largest housing and social care organisations. He was previously Head of Local Authorities at SSEN Transmission and served as Leader of Dundee City Council, as well as a board member of NHS Tayside and member of the National Advisory Council. With extensive experience across local government, utilities and community leadership, John has a strong track record of driving inclusive growth and social impact. At Hillcrest, he is focused on expanding the organisation’s role in providing high-quality housing and services that help people live better lives.

Josiah Lockhart is Chief Executive of Changeworks, a leading social enterprise focused on decarbonising Scotland’s homes to tackle the climate emergency and ensure a just transition to net zero. With over 18 years’ experience in purpose-led business and social enterprise, Josiah has helped shape Scotland’s support landscape for scaling social ventures. Previously Group CEO of FirstPort, FirstImpact Business, and Impact Investment Partnership, Josiah led the creation of a £15m venture fund and supported thousands of enterprises through key growth stages. Josiah is also a non-executive director at Warmworks and chairs its strategic business development committee. 

Josiah’s expertise spans clean energy deployment, fuel poverty reduction, and climate-focused business development. He remains dedicated to mentoring the next generation of climate entrepreneurs advancing a just transition. 

Professor Duncan Maclennan is one of the UK’s leading housing economists, with a career spanning academia, government and international advisory roles. Born in Glasgow and educated at the University of Glasgow, he founded the ESRC Centre for Housing Research and Urban Studies and has held senior posts at St Andrews, Berkeley, Ottawa and Melbourne. He has advised Scottish and UK governments, served as Chief Economist in Australia and Canada, and sat on commissions for RICS and local authorities. His research focuses on housing affordability, stability and productivity, with recent work on city deals, regeneration, and housing’s role in inequality. 

Kirsty Parry is Sales and Marketing Director at Urban Union, part of Robertson Group, where she leads on large-scale, housing-led regeneration projects across Scotland. With over a decade at Urban Union, she has played a key role in delivering award-winning mixed-tenure developments such as Pennywell Living in Edinburgh and Laurieston Living in Glasgow, designed to bring long-term benefits for local communities. Her career began in conveyancing with Falkirk Council and private practice before senior sales roles at CALA Homes West. Kirsty brings extensive experience in housing delivery, regeneration and stakeholder engagement, supporting sustainable growth and community impact. 

Juha Kaakinen is Professor of Practice in the faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tampere.  Before retiring in 2022, he spent nine years as the CEO of Y-Foundation – the biggest NGO in Finland – providing housing for homeless people and affordable social housing with 19,000 apartments. He is an experienced developer of public administration and social and health services. He has also worked as a programme leader of the national programme to end long-term homelessness, as well as a researcher and a consultant. He has written over 50 articles and research reports on homelessness, housing and social services. He is internationally known as an experienced and passionate developer of innovative housing solutions for homeless people and affordable social housing.

Lord Haughey is the Chairman and co-founder of City Facilities Management Holdings Ltd, established in Glasgow in 1985 and now operating internationally in facilities and property management. A successful entrepreneur and philanthropist, he has also been active in housing, including a £1 billion proposal to deliver 11,000 affordable-rent homes across Scotland to help address rental pressures. His career spans business leadership, property investment, and community regeneration initiatives, with a longstanding focus on creating opportunities in Scotland’s towns and cities. 

Dr. Susan Aktemel is the founder and Executive Director of Homes for Good, Scotland’s first social enterprise letting agency, established to transform the private rented sector for people with limited housing choice. Since 2014 she has raised over £28 million in social investment, building a portfolio of more than 360 affordable, high-quality homes. Previously, she founded and led Impact Arts, a pioneering Scottish charity. Susan is also a Visiting Professor in Social Entrepreneurship at Strathclyde Business School and has received multiple awards, including the UN World Habitat Award in 2023, recognising Homes for Good’s innovative housing model. 

Màiri McAllan MSP has served as Scotland’s first Cabinet Secretary for Housing since June 2025, overseeing the government’s response to the housing emergency and roll-out of a new long-term delivery strategy. Prior to this, she held senior cabinet roles in net zero, energy and transport, and served as Minister for Environment from 2021. Before entering Parliament as MSP for Clydesdale in 2021, she was a corporate lawyer specialising in energy and natural resources, and a Special Adviser to former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon MSP. 

Graham Simpson is a Scottish politician who has served as a Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Central Scotland region since 2016. He was originally elected as a member of the Scottish Conservative Party and held roles including Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity. In August 2025, Simpson left the Conservatives to join Reform UK, becoming the party’s sole MSP in Holyrood ahead of the 2026 Scottish Parliament election campaign. Before entering politics, he worked as a journalist and served as a councillor in South Lanarkshire.

Heather is the Senior Technical Support Manager at SPA. Heather works with 140 public sector organisations and close to 300 appointed companies to support the delivery of public sector projects ranging from new build housing and internal upgrades to compliance, net zero and public buildings construction and infrastructure. The support that Heather provides ranges from representation at pre-start and progress meetings, price verifications, specifications advice and facilitating early supplier involvement sessions. Alongside this, she is actively involved with developing regionally focused frameworks from facilitating feedback sessions and conducting field research with the market to ensure SPA frameworks are fit for purpose, demonstrate a need and align with sector requirements and future aspirations.

Lesley is the Regional Director of Scottish Procurement Alliance (SPA), a not-for-profit public sector framework provider. Over the last decade, SPA has enabled the procurement of more than £2.3 billion, supporting 140 organisations, while reinvesting £6 million to develop Scottish community-led projects and initiatives.

As a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (FCIPS), Lesley’s career spans over 30 years working in a range of sectors, including the construction industry, local authorities and the oil and gas industry.

Additionally, Lesley serves as a board member of Viewpoint Housing Association and a Trustee on the board of Lintel Trust, an organisation that has been the voice of thriving housing communities.

Mark Griffin is a Scottish Labour Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Central Scotland region, first elected in 2011. He has played a prominent role in parliamentary scrutiny of housing policy, including serving as Scottish Labour’s spokesperson on housing and homelessness. His work has focused on housing supply, affordability, building standards, and the impact of poor-quality housing on health and wellbeing, alongside wider interests in infrastructure and social justice. Prior to entering Holyrood, he served as a councillor in North Lanarkshire and trained as a mechanical engineer.

John leads the Rettie Research Team, providing a cutting-edge research and consultancy function. His work informs clients on sales, lettings, investment and development opportunities. He also analyses the current status of property markets and assesses how they are likely to change. Over the last 20 years, he has worked for all the major house builders in Scotland, the Scottish Government, many local authorities and investors. He sits on Homes for Scotland’s Policy Advisory Group and is a member of the Society of Property Researchers and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

Mairi Laverty is a Director and Architect at Collective Architecture. Mairi joined Collective Architecture in 2010 after completing her Masters in Advanced Architectural Design at Strathclyde University. During her studies she spent 4 months studying at the ETH in Zurich.

Since qualifying as an architect in 2012, Mairi has continued to combine high aspiration and professionalism. She has worked on a variety of projects ranging from sustainable masterplans, public buildings, large scale housing, civic buildings and special care. Mairi has applied her skills towards complex, socially inclusive buildings and places across Scotland, including the Larick Centre, Tayport; the Water Row Development in Govan, Glasgow; Bilbohall Masterplan in Elgin; Sighthill Housing, Glasgow and plans for the Camphill Community/Estates, Aberdeen. Mairi’s ability to balance exceptional design with the skills required to bring clients, communities, consultants and contractors on the journey to delivering high quality projects saw her win the Scottish Design Awards ‘Young Architect of the Year Award’ in 2021.

Mairi has contributed to the development of future generations of architects through teaching, guest lectures, and participation in student design reviews. She has taught part time at Strathclyde University and acted as a guest critic at the Mackintosh School of Architecture and the University of Sheffield. In addition to teaching, Mairi has been a judge for the Glasgow Institute of Architects Design Awards and has presented as a keynote speaker at the Aberdeen Society of Architects Annual Dinner and Design Awards.

Susan joined the Bank’s Investment Origination Team in November 2020, where she led investments focusing on the Place Mission for three years. She is now developing the Bank’s market creation work in Place, working with others across the public, private and third sectors to explore new and innovative investment models to address place-based inequalities. Susan also leads on the Bank’s Equality Strategy.

Prior to joining the Bank, Susan worked on the Scottish Government’s Building Scotland Fund and as part of the team preparing for Bank launch. Susan brings significant public sector and affordable housing experience, having spent over 16 years in roles within the Scottish Government, Scottish Housing Regulator and in a community based housing association.

William Kyle is Managing Director of Urban Union, leading the delivery of large-scale regeneration and residential development projects across the UK. With over 20 years’ experience in real estate investment and development, he has a strong track record in fund management, site acquisition, and bringing complex schemes from concept to completion. William is known for combining commercial rigour with a clear social purpose, delivering high-quality, affordable homes within thriving communities. His leadership style is practical, collaborative, and firmly focused on long-term value creation.

Dr Gemma Bone Dodds is Director of Insight and Policy at BE-ST, on secondment from the Scottish National Investment Bank.

Her PhD was around the question of ‘how can you create a finance system that serves people and planet’, and she is passionate about a just transition for heat and our homes. She is also voluntary Chair of East Lothian Heat, a community approach to heat networks to ensure that ‘no heat is wasted and no home is cold’.

Chris is one of Scotland’s best known real estate advisors- with more than 35 years experience across various sectors and geographies.

He is the founder of the Dougray Round Table Series- a speaker: networking event which is now expanding into both Glasgow and London. He is well known to the public sector have been closely involved with the Scottish Cities Alliance for a number of years- and currently he sits as the vice chair of Edinburgh Development Forum; he is a Board member of Codebase-an Edinburgh HQ’d incubator and accelerator for tech start ups, which operates nationally. He is a founding partner of Adhoc Space-which generates technical meetup groups called TechTalks-the goal is to facilitate Edinburgh’s tech community and expand technical interest for people from other cities.

Chris has been appointed to represent Edinburgh at MIPIM 2026.

Chris advocates, and has a passion for, learning from other cities experience- as a frequent traveller he is always seeking new examples of development that Scotland can learn from.
Chris has successfully exited from two business he created- he has a strong interest in supporting and mentoring the start up community.

As a keen collector of contemporary art, Chris maintains strong links to the artist community and is currently engaged with both Creative Edinburgh and Edinburgh Printmakers.

Paul joined Glasgow City Council’s Housing Service (Neighbourhoods, Regeneration and Sustainability (NRS)) in 2014 and has held various posts in the Housing Strategy and Investment Groups. Paul has experience in planning and delivering the Council’s Affordable Housing Supply Programme. In his current role as Housing Strategy Group Manger, he is responsible for coordinating the Council’s response to the city’s housing emergency and leads the development and implementation of strategy/policy, housing led regeneration programmes and investment in housing retrofit.

Craig Hoy is a Scottish Conservative Member of the Scottish Parliament for the South Scotland region, first elected in 2021. He serves as the party’s Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government at Holyrood and sits on parliamentary committees including Finance and Public Administration. Before politics, Hoy worked as a journalist and in business, including co-founding Holyrood Magazine. He engages in oversight of public policy affecting local authorities and communities.

Cllr Thomas Kerr is a Reform UK councillor representing the Shettleston ward on Glasgow City Council, first elected in 2017. He served as leader of the Scottish Conservative group on the council from 2019 until his defection to Reform UK in 2025, becoming the party’s first councillor in Glasgow. Kerr has campaigned on local issues affecting his community in the east end of the city.