GM Leaders Plus Mentors
Each Leaders Plus candidate is paired with a senior mentor from our cross-sector network. These mentors provide a ‘safe space’ sounding board for candidates, as well as invaluable experience and insights from their own careers. See here for more about mentoring.
Alex Atkinson – Senior Director, Identity Consult
Alex joined Identity Consult in 2017, after 10 years of working for a Registered Provider and delivering a variety of regeneration schemes. Alex leads a team of 25 people across 2 offices, delivering strategic development projects across the Northwest. She has worked on multiple large scale capital projects, including Project Managing multi-use developments, extra care and bespoke, highly sustainable homes. Since joining Identity Consult Alex has grown both the Preston and Salford offices increasing profitability and expanding the range of projects delivered.
Caroline Baker – Partner (North West), Cushman & Wakefield
Caroline advises public-sector clients to understand their development markets, how to reposition areas and how to unlock development through working with the private sector. She has led Cushman & Wakefield’s North West office for over five years, with oversight of all aspects of the development industry as well as working with urban designers, engineers and other specialists. With nearly 30 years in the industry, Caroline still gets excited about getting involved in the next regeneration project. She is a proud resident of Manchester.
Simon Bedford – Principal, Bedford Advisory
Simon is an experienced development professional who specialises in large scale regeneration and investment planning. Simon has worked across the UK and overseas on a wide variety of projects. He is passionate about urban change for the better and works extensively to produce and deliver new projects and programmes designed to improve and enhance the urban environment.
Laura Blakey – Director of Strategic Finance & Investment, GMCA
Laura is a qualified Chartered Accountant and spent the first part of her career at KPMG before moving into the public sector in 2013. In Laura’s current role she oversees investment for GMCA across all areas and direct investments made from the Greater Manchester Good Growth Fund. This sits alongside a wider strategic finance role focused on aligning funding with strategic priorities. Laura is also a Trustee for UK-Med, a humanitarian medical aid charity.
Matthew Bulmer – Project Director, Sportstown & Northern Roots, Oldham Council
Matt was appointed to his current leadership role after serving as Director of Education, Early Years & Skills in Oldham. Prior to that, he held various other roles in the Department for Education, as well as operational leadership roles at HM Prisons & Probation Service, the RAF and a building society.
Chris Cheap – Principal, Avison Young
Chris is a highly experienced real estate professional with an outstanding track record in the development and leasing of workspace across the UK for multi-disciplinary global property advisors Avison Young. Chris has held several leadership positions within the business, having been a member of its UK Executive for some seven years and most recently devising and delivering its Transformation & Growth programme.
Katrina Davis – Director of Communications & Culture, Civic
Katrina is responsible for managing the reputation of the business, overseeing all internal and external communications. A communications professional with over 25 years experience, Katrina has worked across the public and private sector for companies such as Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service where she was Head of Corporate Communications and at a premiership football club. She works across the breadth of the communications mix and has particular experience providing communications advice to senior management and board level, crisis communications support and media training.
Simon Donohue – Associate Director, SEC Newgate UK
Head of SEC Newgate’s Northern office in Manchester, Simon is a strategic communications professional and former journalist with extensive public and private sector experience. He joined SEC Newgate from Transport for Greater Manchester, where he supported the rollout of the Bee Network and led communications for the revised GM Clean Air Plan. Before joining TfGM, Simon was Content Curator at Marketing Manchester, telling the city-region’s story internationally. An NCTJ-qualified journalist, Simon worked at the Manchester Evening News for 15 years, including editing the MEN’s award-winning business magazine, Greater Manchester Business Week. Simon is a keen photographer and live music lover.
Jacqueline Esimaje-Heath – Growth Director, L&Q
Jacqueline is part of L&Q’s Development & Sales leadership team. She oversees New Business, Development & Regeneration, Development Partnerships and Communities teams, operating nationally. Architecturally trained, Jacqui has held senior roles in the public and private sectors and has a passion for creating exciting new places to live. In previous roles at East Thames, Moat, Capita, Tribal Group and Guinness Trust, she led residential property development, housing & management consultancy, regeneration, private sector renewal and residential sales & marketing. Jacqui is also a skilled mentor and non-executive director, with 20+ years providing strategic leadership in the not-for-profit sector. She is currently a NED of Yorkshire Housing Ltd and Chair of its Growth & Investment Committee.
Kim Grieveson – Principal, Avison Young
Kim is an experienced property professional who has worked on many complex regeneration projects across the UK. Having recently relocated from the South she is now based up in Manchester and forms part of the body of professionals driving development across the Northwest. Kim is a Principal within the Place Team at Avison Young and brings a wealth of experience mentoring and supporting others to meet their personal and professional goals. As a mother to two small children, she can also relate to those juggling lots of commitments.
Aly Heald – Partnerships Director, L&Q
Alyson has worked in Social Housing for 20 years, joining the sector as an Anti-Social Behaviour Officer in 2004 and proceeding to manage a wide cross section of teams including Business Intelligence, Transformation, Contact Centres, Information Technology and Policy and Research. In her current role of Partnerships Director, Alyson represents L&Q in the North West, working with key stakeholders from a wide variety of sectors and businesses to ensure that the needs and ambitions of the communities and places L&Q work within are effectively listened to and understood, placing customers at the heart of decision making both locally and nationally.
Rebecca Heron – Strategic Director of Growth, Manchester City Council
Becca Heron is the Strategic Director of Growth and Development at Manchester City Council and has a key role in the delivery of the ambitions set out in the Our Manchester strategy, building on the successes of the last two decades to drive inclusive growth that will ensure the city continues to be one of the most exciting destinations in Europe to live, work and play. Formerly Director of Economy and Skills at Wigan Council, Becca’s career has included a number of different public sector roles, including previous positions within both Manchester City Council and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA). During her time with the GMCA, Becca led on a series of high-profile and complex initiatives, including the development of 2014 Devolution Agreement. At Wigan, she took on the economic development and regeneration brief, playing a pivotal role in bringing key sites forward for development and kickstarting the redevelopment of Wigan town centre.
Max King – Director of Project Management, Clarion Latimer
Max is a senior coach and mentor with deep industry experience across real estate, regeneration and growth-led businesses. He has held director-level roles at Deloitte, PlaceFirst, Muse and Latimer, where he led complex regeneration programmes, scaled operations for successful exits, and built consistently high-performing teams. As a mentor with GM Leaders Plus, he combines strategic insight with practical delivery, helping leaders sharpen judgment, lead through change and translate ambition into results. Known for clarity, challenge and trust, he supports leaders to navigate complexity, make confident decisions and deliver lasting impact across public and private sectors, from strategy to execution.
Kirsten Powell – National Director – Consulting, GC Insight
Kirsten is National Director – Consulting at GC Insight, a social enterprise that works with its clients to generate bigger positive impacts. Kirsten has worked in economic development and regeneration for 25 years and spent much of her career working within GM. She enjoys supporting clients in both the public and private sectors to tackle challenges and exploit opportunities that bring lasting benefits for places and people. Internally, Kirsten enjoys supporting the progression of colleagues through project opportunities and providing guidance to help people build confidence and skills to take the next step in their careers.
Paul Richards – Deputy Chief Executive, Stockport Council
Paul took on the Deputy CEO role in 2024 after serving as CEO of Stockport Mayoral Development Corporation since its creation in 2019. At the MDC, he has led its strategic vision and the delivery of high-profile regeneration schemes, creating a new neighbourhood for the town. Since 2017, Paul has also been Stokcport’s Director of Development & Regeneration, responsible for its £1bn transformation programme across retail, leisure, office, residential and light industrial uses, reflecting the council’s direct interventionist approach to changing Stockport. Before that, he was Property Director for Findel PLC, Homeform Group and Wine Cellar, roles which involves managing large occupational/ investment portfolios and capital works programmes.
Graham Ritchie – Commercial Banking Director, MetroBank
After leaving Aldermore Bank as head of real estate North in December to join Metro Bank’s expansion plans, Graham has 39 years in the banking sector. He is MCIBS-qualified and has worked for several of the large clearing banks, building societies and challenger/ specialist banks. For over 25 years, he has specialised in commercial real estate finance, covering investment and development funding for clients with debt requirements from £3m – £100m. Before joining Metro Bank, Graham had real estate roles at Aldermore, Bank of Scotland, Yorkshire Bank and Nationwide, from loan origination, portfolio management & oversight, debt restructures and workout. He also held senior leadership roles covering Risk, Compliance and Governance.
- Follow this link to see the mentors from the current Leaders Plus round in London.
- Follow this link to see the mentors from the current GM Future Leaders round.
Recent Events
July 1 – Summer Celebration + Alumni Awards
Our summer celebration brought that network back together. Alongside recognising our alumni award winners, we heard from bursary recipients on the vital role of the voluntary and community sector in shaping better places. Congratulations to our award winners, recognised for their leadership in Inclusive Growth, Impact, Collaboration, Climate & Resilience and Innovation. Their work is creating stronger communities, more sustainable places and better outcomes across Greater Manchester. See more.
May 13 – Mentor Dinner: How do we help people and places feel safe(r) in such volatile times?
Caroline Field, partner at event sponsor PA Consulting, led an insightful discussion to our full house of mentors at new venue Elnecot in May. Coming just before UKREiiF, this was timely chance to make new friends, share thought leadership with an influential audience & have a lovely meal with our brilliant volunteers. See the write-up here.
For details on our events and for early invitations, join our mailing list.