Heritage That Works: Delivery, Skills & Value in Conservation

Victoria Hills is Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB). She comes into this role having previously served as CEO of the Royal Town Planning Institute and with more than 25 years of experience in senior leadership roles.

Her previous experiences have most recently been in the membership sector, covering planning, transport, regeneration and regional government. Working for all three Mayors of London, her projects included establishment of the UK’s second Mayoral Development Corporation, the Old Oak & Park Royal Development Corporation.

While at the Royal Town Planning Institute, she advocated for resourcing planning and putting the discipline at the heart of delivery for quality places. She also drove the RTPI’s Strategic Plan for their 27,000 members, both domestically and globally, raising the profile of the work of planners and supporting efforts to attract a diverse and inclusive profession. In her time at the RTPI, Victoria oversaw an 8% growth in membership.

Victoria currently sits on the Advisory Board of Black Professionals In Construction (BPIC) and the Transport Knowledge Hub Advisory Board. Victoria also is a Commissioner on the Essex Climate Action Commission and is a member of the Worshipful Company of Paviors.

In 2024, Victoria was awarded an Honorary Degree Doctor of Technology.

Outside of work, Victoria enjoys time with family, fitness and horse-riding.

Andy Beardsley MRICS is a Chartered Geospatial Surveyor and Consultant with over 32 years’ experience delivering complex survey and monitoring solutions across the built and historic environment. He is the Founder and Managing Director of Terra Measurement Limited, a UK-based consultancy specialising in high-accuracy geospatial surveys for heritage buildings, infrastructure, and complex structures.
 

Throughout his four-decade career at Selectaglaze, Colin has supported countless architects, main contractors, and clients with heritage-led solutions that pair exceptional design with high performance. He has worked on thousands of window retrofit projects across multiple sectors. His extensive portfolio includes bespoke secondary glazing installations for Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace, the University of London, UCL and many of the major London Estates such as Grosvenor, Cadogan and Portman, to name just a few. Colin delivers a wide range of CPD sessions and is particularly passionate about demonstrating how secondary glazing can enhance energy efficiency and contribute to sustainability goals. A strong advocate for cross-company collaboration and an experienced construction specialist, Colin consistently promotes early engagement in the design process. His approach helps architects and main contractors explore sensitive retrofit solutions that honour heritage values while meeting modern performance requirements and addressing practical considerations.

Lynda is an experienced Chartered Building Surveyor and Project Manager specialising in construction within the historic Environment. With a background in Archaeology and Historic Building Conservation, Lynda’s interests include the impact of climate change on historic fabric, and the best means of protecting our heritage for future generations.

Ed McGregor is English Heritage’s Volunteer and Engagement Manager for the West Region. His team has operational responsibility for 125 scheduled ancient monuments and historic visitor destinations; from Chester Castle in the North, to Cromwell’s Castle on the Scilly Isles, in the south.  

For the last 20 years Ed has worked in Volunteer, Community and Engagement roles at The Churches Conservation Trust, The National Trust, Oxfam and Christian Aid. Ed is based in Bristol where he also enjoys making music and swimming.  

Timothy Senior is founder and Director of Supersum (supersum.works) - a Wicked Problems innovation agency. Operating since 2019, Supersum helps creative practitioners, community partners and cultural organisations to work better together around important shared needs, particularly when ‘business as usual’ needs a rethink. Supersum has worked with Historic Royal Palaces, National Museums Wales, English Heritage and Churches Conservation Trust, on everything from partner development through programme design to evaluation practice.

Kasia Howard has been with The King’s Foundation for over 4 years and has been instrumental in developing the craft training delivery at Highgrove Gardens, home to His Majesty the King Charles III. She manages the flagship Building Crafts and Conservation Programme which has been creating opportunities for people to upskill and focus on traditional heritage crafts for over 15 years.  Prior to this, Kasia worked for The Landmark Trust for 13 years, delivering the engagement and training programmes for award winning conservation projects across the county including the Stirling Prize winning scheme for Astley Castle in Warwickshire. Kasia completed her MA in Conservation of the Historic Environment at Birmingham City University.

Adrian Attwood ACR is Chairman of DBR (London) Limited and an Accredited Conservator with the Institute of Conservation (ICON), with over 35 years’ experience in the conservation, repair and regeneration of historic buildings. He entered the conservation sector in 1987 as a Trainee Surveyor, working for both a major management contractor and a specialist masonry firm. He joined DBR in 1991 as Operations Manager, becoming Executive Director in 1999 while also completing a Postgraduate Diploma in Conservation at Bournemouth University. He was appointed Company Secretary in 2010 and Chairman in 2023. Adrian has led and advised on major conservation projects at nationally and internationally significant heritage sites, including the Palace of Westminster, Nelson’s Column, the Old Royal Naval College, Westminster Abbey, and Chichester Cathedral. His specialist expertise lies in masonry cleaning and repair, employing both traditional and advanced techniques such as poulticing, laser cleaning, lime-based methods, and emerging nano technologies. He has extensive experience delivering complex works within listed buildings and scheduled monuments, often acting as a hands-on Projects Director in live and highly sensitive environments. Alongside his project work, Adrian is a regular lecturer across the UK and Europe on historic building conservation techniques, fire safety in heritage settings, and the importance of traditional craft skills. He actively champions skills development within the sector through initiatives including QEST and DBR’s Year of the Master Craftsperson programme, promoting the sustainability of heritage conservation for future generations.

Working as a conservation accredited chartered building surveyor for over two decades, Meriel has worked for Historic England, English Heritage, The Georgian Group and currently looks after an estate of 120 ancient buildings for the Churches Conservation Trust.

Deborah became CEO of the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST) in 2018. 

Since 1990, the Charity has been championing craft and conservation skills, transforming the careers of talented and aspiring makers across the UK by funding their training and education in their chosen field. Through key partnerships, created over the past few years, QEST has been building a more inclusive and sustainable sector by investing in pathways and essential support for careers in craft and conservation. At the heart of this work is a commitment to reducing barriers to craft and conservation careers, empowering individuals and communities to lead creative, fulfilling lives.

Deborah is a passionate advocate for creating accessible pathways into craft and committed to upholding the highest standards across all QEST activities, from its reputation to its transformative impact on craftspeople throughout the UK.

Stonemason and member of the QEST Youth Board

Charlotte is a stonemason and aspiring sculptor who finds great satisfaction in working with stone and embraces the fact that her pieces will likely outlive her. 

She has completed a three-year stonemasonry course at Bath College and is driven to refine her carving and letter-cutting skills and aims to continue this by shadowing more experienced makers in the field.

Charlotte is currently undertaking a Cathedrals’ Workshop Fellowship course, developing her stone carving skills and knowledge while based at Wells Cathedral. 

Mark Hosea is the CEO of London Historic Buildings Trust (LHBT), specialising in heritage-led regeneration to save at-risk historic buildings to benefit communities across Greater London and beyond. Mark was formerly Director of Estates and Conservation at the Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich, and also held Project Director roles for The Canterbury Journey at Canterbury Cathedral and for York Minster Revealed at York Minster. Prior to these roles, Mark worked in the private sector advising multiple clients across England.

Mark is Chair of the CIOB Heritage Advisory Panel and a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Planning and Development) with an MSc in Urban Regeneration. Mark is also a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Glaziers, where he is Vice-Chair of the Education and Training Committee. In addition, Mark is Chair of The York Glaziers Trust and Chair of the Stained Glass Museum. Mark acts in an advisory capacity to numerous other heritage focussed funders, projects and institutions.

Morwenna Slade is a Visiting Professor at the University of the West of England (UWE) and Director of Hennacliff Consulting, a specialist conservation consultancy delivering thoughtful, high-quality, and climate-responsive solutions for the historic built environment. A conservation-accredited Chartered Building Surveyor, she is a leading voice on climate change adaptation and energy efficiency in heritage and traditional buildings.
Known for her ability to translate complex technical and policy challenges into practical, achievable outcomes, Morwenna brings together deep technical expertise with strategic leadership to support owners, practitioners, and organisations in responding to a rapidly changing climate while safeguarding cultural significance.
Previously Head of Climate Change Adaptation at Historic England, Morwenna has also held roles with the National Trust, Churches Conservation Trust, and the Sustainable Traditional Buildings Alliance, influencing national guidance, professional practice, and sector-wide approaches to conservation and resilience.
 

Jo has worked for the National Trust for over 17 years starting her career in the Trust coordinating a low carbon project at the village of Coleshill – a community based project installing a biomass boiler and upgrading the tenanted properties. After this project, the role expanded to oversee the Trusts approach to the introduction of MEES (Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard) in 2018 across the Trust’s vast let estate. Jo now works in a national role as Project Manager Low Carbon Estate within the Rural Asset Management Team where her role covers a wide remit including providing guidance and advice to regional colleagues with regards to EPC & MEES compliance, carbon reduction in line with the Trusts net zero target, as well as heating system advice and trouble shooting. Jo chairs a national Historic Estates Group, works closely with Government departments and is the current chair of the STBA board.

Steve joined the Centre for Sustainable Energy in March 2023 as a Retrofit Project Manager, working on domestic retrofit projects such as Bristol Mission Net Zero, Bristol Heat Pump Ready and the West of England Local Energy Advice Demonstrator (LEAD), as well as non-domestic community building retrofit projects carrying out assessments and providing training to various other organisation and social investors. He has also co-developed and delivered training workshops for Historic England and local authority staff on adapting historic buildings for energy and carbon efficiency.

With over 20 years’ experience in the built environment across England, Wales, and Ghana, Steve has worked in roles from labourer to project manager on projects ranging from mud huts and new housing developments to schools, lodges, and listed buildings. He holds a range of practical and academic qualifications, from heritage plastering to an MSc in sustainability and adaptation in the built environment and has previously worked as a guest lecturer and practical tutor at the Centre for Alternative Technology. He has also collaborated with the Tywi Centre and Carmarthenshire County Council to deliver a Level 2 award in domestic retrofit and contributed to reviewing various national occupational standards for earth building, plastering, and domestic energy assessment.

Sarah Dowd is a dynamic force in the cultural and creative sectors, seamlessly blending strategic acumen with a bohemian spirit. As the founder and guiding visionary behind The Tricolor Collective, Les Raconteurs, and Heritage, Culture & Crafts for All (HCCA), Sarah has dedicated over 25 years to creating strategic programmes that balance the sustainable transformation and management of heritage assets, as well as pioneering heritage and culture into resilient, inclusive and accessible experiences and businesses.
Navigating life with late ongoing diagnosis of ADHD, Sarah champions neurodiverse leadership, turning perceived challenges into catalysts for innovation. Her podcast, History For F***'s Sake, aims to move history and culture back into the hands of the public by inviting them into the stories not often told, from the weird to the wonderous, via honest conversations - bringing history into the everyday through pop culture connections.
Sarah is a recognised expert in heritage and culture business strategy, governance, entrepreneurship, fundraising and change management, and has guided many projects through governance transitions, leadership changes, and organisational development, ensuring teams are aligned and prepared for long-term sustainability. Sarah was the lead Masterplanner on Wentworth Woodhouse, the Hull City of Culture legacy programme - Maritime Hull, led the change programme at Durham Cathedral, and launched the consultancy support offer to grantees on behalf of the National Lottery Heritage Fund during the pandemic. She is the Programme Director for one of England's largest and most successful heritage asset transfer programmes for Historic Chapels Trust, working directly with Historic England and National Lottery Memorial Fund.
Sarah believes the goal of the sector should be that heritage has a future and that the next generations have a future in heritage. This means having a use, a purpose and a community or business that will cherish it - reinforcing that heritage for heritage’s sake is no longer a viable option.