Highways Leadership Forum Agenda

For highways leaders, devolution and reorganisation under the new government have direct implications for accountability, investment decisions, service delivery, collaboration and the ability to take a genuinely network-wide approach. This session provides an opportunity for a candid, top-tier discussion, from leading experts in government, media, and policy, which will cut through the noise and analyse how the sector can seize the opportunity of the current landscape.

This debate is designed to test assumptions. It is not simply an Oxford Union style debate: it is designed to explore different perspectives in order to leave the audience with a sharper understanding of the asset management challenges, as well as new perspectives on where resilience can be built into the wider system.

Veena Hudson, head of public affairs and policy at Balfour Beatty and Mark Reynolds, Operations Supervisor, will give an update on collaborative industry efforts to tackle the scourge of roadworker abuse.

For senior leaders, the key question is not simply: what can the technology do? It is: where can it make a meaningful difference, and what will organisations need to change to use it effectively? The true value of modern tools like AI will depend on how confidently and intelligently the sector adopts them. This session provides an opportunity to explore these questions with people already grappling with the cutting edge of the debate.