Event Speakers

Andreas Markides

Vice-Chair, AoU, and Chairman, Markides Associates

Andreas is a chartered civil engineer with a masters in Transport Planning from Imperial College. Past Chairman of Colin Buchanan and Partners, he is now chairman of Markides Associates, a consultancy which employs 35 transport planners and engineers. In 2013 Andreas led the Government’s Planning Commission for the island of Cyprus and he was the President of the Chartered Institution of Highway and Transportation (CIHT) in the UK during 2017/2018.

He has appeared as expert witness at many public inquiries and has led several town centre regeneration as well as urban extension projects. He has written many learned papers and presented at numerous conferences.

Syreeta Bayne

Syreeta joined Muse as the Head of Social Value and Sustainability in 2023. Prior to this, Syreeta was working at JLL as their EMEA Head of Social Value as part of the Global Sustainable Operations Team.

With circa 15 years’ experience, six of which were in the construction sector working at Interserve and BAM UK, Syreeta has created and led various social and sustainability projects in partnership with private and public sector clients including Aviva, Legal and General Investment Management, La Salle and Homes England.

Chris Brown

Founder, Igloo Regeneration

Chris founded Igloo Regeneration, widely regarded as the UK’s leading ethical developer, the UK’s first real estate B Corps and the co-founder of the world’s first responsible real estate fund (according to the UN), nearly a quarter of a century ago.

He has recently moved to Climatise, an organisation entirely focussed on tackling the Climate and Nature Emergencies by using blended finance for Rewilding, Retrofit and Renewables.

Mandy Franz

Mandy is an Architect, Conservation Architect, Associate Director at MICA Architects and Steering Group Member of Architects Declare. She is leading conservation and regeneration projects from feasibility to completion. Her focus in practice is a holistic, measured, and transparent understanding of the impact that projects and their wider socioeconomic setting have on the environment and subsequent responsiveness in research, design, and execution. Her work centres around the revitalisation of city centres, cultural and educational institution through analysis, rethinking and regeneration of their built assets. At MICA Architects she is leading conservation and regeneration projects from feasibility through to construction. She is an educator and gardener at home when time allows.

Kyle Gray

Kyle has over seven years of experience working in the sustainable built environment. He is passionate about driving positive change in the construction and real-estate industries. Kyle previously studied Sustainable Development and Mining Engineering.

He developed his interest in energy, sustainability, and resource management during university and summer placements at gold mines in Burkina Faso and Mali. Kyle currently works as the Energy Efficiency and Carbon Manager at The Crown Estate, where he focuses on asset-level net zero carbon plans, enterprise net zero trajectories, energy and carbon management, building refurbishments, and GHG reporting.

Previously, Kyle worked as a sustainability consultant at Hoare Lea and other firms. There, he conducted energy assessments, sustainability appraisals, carbon analyses, and provided advice on topics like circular economy and whole life carbon. He has experience with standards like BREEAM, SAP, and Passivhaus.

Kevin Logan

Kevin is an urbanist, and Director of Maccreanor Lavington Urban Studio. Leading many of the office’s award winning large-scale urban and regeneration projects, he brings experience in the production of urban strategies, policy, large-scale masterplans, urban regeneration and mixed-use projects.

His work is defined by a multifaceted approach to solution development, which considers the dynamic interaction and fluidity of urban conditions in cultural, social, political, and economic contexts. Kevin’s research activities focus on the creation of liveable cities in socio and economic terms, and urban resilience tools in light of resource pressures and climate change, with a focus on urban food, water and energy.

He is a member of Architects Declare’s Steering Group and an Academician of The Academy of Urbanism.

Sue Riddlestone OBE

Chief Executive and Co-founder, Bioregional

Sue is an award-winning social entrepreneur who has championed zero-carbon affordable homes and communities for 25 years. She co-founded the social enterprise Bioregional in 1994, and initiated the iconic BedZED eco-village in London in 1997. Bioregional drew on this experience to develop the One Planet Living® sustainability framework, which has been used in over $30bn of real estate development, and by businesses and communities across the world.

Sue was a London Sustainable Development Commissioner from 2002-20014, during which time she supported the government’s emerging eco-town policy and co-wrote the sustainability strategy for the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Sue was recognised by the Academy of Urbanism with an Urban Reinventor award in 2021. In 2013, Sue received an OBE for services to sustainable business and the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.