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- Open Meeting 2005: Speakers' Biographies
Open Meeting 2005: Speakers' Biographies
5 October 2005
British Library, London
Margaret Ford
Chairman, English Partnerships
Margaret Ford was appointed Chairman of English Partnerships in April 2002 and reappointed for a further three years from April 2005. She is a Non-Executive Director of Serco plc, Thus plc and Deputy Chairman of Good Practice Ltd, the publishing company that she founded. She spent her early career in a variety of roles in the public sector and as an adviser to Government. She has worked extensively in housing and regeneration and is a specialist in public-sector reform and leadership development.
Yvette Cooper MP
Minister for Housing and Planning
Yvette Cooper, MP for Pontefract and Castleford, was appointed Minister for Housing and Planning at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister on 9 May 2005.
Yvette Cooper previously held the position of Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. From May 2002 to June 2003 she was Parliamentary Secretary at the Lord Chancellor's Department and from October 1999 she was Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Public Health.
She has been MP for Pontefract and Castleford since 1 May 1997. Before being appointed as Health Minister, Ms Cooper was a Member of the Education and Employment Select Committee and the Intelligence and Security Committee.
Ms Cooper was economic columnist and Leader writer on the Independent newspaper. She worked as Policy Advisor to Labour's Treasury Team in opposition between 1990-94 and as Policy Advisor to the Bill Clinton Presidential Campaign in 1992.
She was educated at Eggars Comprehensive, Alton Sixth Form College, Oxford University, Harvard University and the London School of Economics. She is married to Ed Balls, MP for Normanton, and they have three children.
Sir Graham Hall
Chair, Northern Way Steering Group
Sir Graham Hall is currently the Chairman of the Northern Way Steering Group and a Non-Executive Director of the Bank of England.
He served as Yorkshire Forward's Chairman until 2003 where he led on a number of national issues on behalf of all Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) including liaison with the Treasury, the Trade Union Congress and relationships with the CBI and the Local Government Association.
In January 2003, Sir Graham was awarded the honour of Knights Bachelor.
David Higgins
Chief Executive, English Partnerships
David Higgins joined English Partnerships in March 2003 having previously been Group Chief Executive of the Lend Lease Group since 1995. He graduated from the University of Sydney with a degree in civil engineering, and subsequently qualified from the Securities Institute of Australia. He then spent time working in the United Kingdom, Africa and Europe. In 1985 he returned to Australia to join the Lend Lease Group. He became CEO of the Group’s Property Construction and Development subsidiary in 1990. Mr Higgins is a member of the Milton Keynes Partnership Committee.
Alison Nimmo CBE
Director of Transitional Delivery, Interim Olympic Delivery Authority
Alison Nimmo has been appointed as the interim Director of Delivery for the IODA. Prior to this she worked for London 2012 Ltd, advising on the property and regeneration aspects of London’s successful bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.
Alison is a chartered surveyor and town planner specialising in regeneration and is best known for her capacity to manage and deliver complex city centre projects. In Manchester she played a central role in delivering the award-winning regeneration of the city centre following the 1996 bomb. She was then appointed as CEO of Sheffield One – one of three pilot Urban Regeneration Companies – to spearhead the successful city centre regeneration programme. Her early career was spent in both the public and private sectors with KPMG, Drivers Jonas and Westminster City Council.
In 2004 Alison was awarded a CBE for services to urban regeneration in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours list. Later that year she was awarded an honorary degree from Sheffield Hallam University.
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