LUCI Cities & Lighting Summit
London
Plenary Sessions
Fatiha El Moudni, Mayor of Rabat and LUCI President
Born in Rabat in 1981 and originally from Tafraout, Fatiha El Moudni has been involved in political and civic life from an early age. She was appointed Mayor of Rabat on March 25, 2024, after holding various positions in local and international organizations.
She previously served as Secretary of the Rabat City Council and was a substitute at the UCLG World Council. Over the years, she has chaired commissions and participated in multiple forums focused on urban governance.
El Moudni has held leadership roles in international networks, including Co-Chair of the Strong Cities Network, President of Metropolis, and is currently the acting LUCI President.
She also serves as Treasurer of UCLG and is a member of the LRG Advisory Group to the UN Secretary-General. Her international experience includes engagements in England, Turkey, Ireland, the UAE, Germany, and South Korea.
Beyond politics, she has been active in civil society, founding the African League for Leadership and serving as vice president of the Association of Youth People for Social Development in Souissi.
She has received recognition for her work, including the “New Leader for the Future” award in 2015 and the “African Young Leader” award in 2019. She continues to advocate for sustainable development, social inclusion, and gender equality in Rabat and beyond.
Ari Alatossava, Mayor of Oulu
Ari Alatossava has been serving as the Mayor of Oulu City (Finland) since April 2024. He transitioned to this role from his position as the Director of Finance, Strategy and Corporate Governance division, which he has held since February 2022.
Mr. Alatossava has over twenty years of leadership experience. Prior to his current role, he served as the Mayor of Municipality of Ii for seven years, and before that, he held the position of CEO for 15 years, working in various capacities related to business development, technology centers, and regional development. He holds a Master of Science degree from the University of Oulu.
Sarah Gaventa, Trustee and former Director of the Illuminated River Foundation
Sarah Gaventa MA (Royal College of Art) is a public space expert and public art champion and is currently the Creative Director of the London Borough of Ealing. She was previously the government’s advisor on public space as Director of CABE Space at the Commission for Architecture and Built Environment, advising on creating well designed, inclusive and sustainable public spaces.
As the former Director (now a Trustee) of the Illuminated River Foundation she led a pan London capital project on public sector structures, with multiple stakeholders, working with over 50 community groups and developing a programme of public events and projects.
She has chaired both the Elephant and Castle Community Forum and the Elephant Park Advisory Group for many years during the development of Elephant & Castle.
Sarah curated Historic England’s first major exhibition “Out There: Our Post War Public Art” at Somerset House. She is an Honorary Fellow of both the Royal Institute of British Architects and the Landscape Institute and a Freeman of the City of London.
Ian Hughes, City Operations Director for the City of London Corporation
As the City Operations Director, Ian Hughes has strategic responsibility for all the operational activities on the City’s streets, including the key front line services of street cleansing, highway maintenance, street lighting, domestic waste collection and parking enforcement.
Ian also has overarching responsibility for road safety, transportation and public realm schemes maintaining the Square Mile’s tress and green spaces and supporting the City’s major on-street parking events such as the Lord Mayor’s Show.
With over 25 years in the industry, Ian uses his experience to develop a long term sustainable approach to managing the Square Mile for future generations.
Elizabeth Johnston, Executive Director at European Forum for Urban Security
As Executive Director, a position she has held since 2012, Elizabeth Johnston is responsible for the European Forum for Urban Security’s (Efus) strategy and development, in conjunction with the Executive Committee, as well as of overall management.
Her decades-long experience at Efus as well as previously at the World Bank and various public organisations gives Elizabeth a deep understanding of the security challenges facing European cities, coupled with long-standing, close relations with many of Efus’ members and partners.
Elizabeth is in charge of partnerships with national, European and international governments and institutions, and is also a member of the National Council on Cities, consultative to the Prime Minister of France, a visiting Teacher at Sciences Po Paris, and an Advisory Board member of the Global Parliament of Mayors.
She regularly intervenes in conferences in Europe and beyond on issues related to urban security.
Mark Major, Director of Speirs Major Light Architecture
Mark Major trained and practised as an architect before choosing to focus on the relationship between light and architecture. He formed Speirs Major Light Architecture with Keith Bradshaw in 2010. Today the firm is recognised as being one of the world’s leading independent lighting design practices.
Mark has led a wide range of award-winning lighting projects including the Millennium Dome, 30 St. Mary Axe, and the re-lighting of the interiors of St. Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Abbey. Recent award-winning projects include The Macallan Distillery, and Battersea Power Station.
He is a specialist in the field of urban lighting and acted as the Lighting Design Advisor to the Olympic Delivery Authority for London 2012. Projects include the Lighting Masterplan for the King’s Cross Redevelopment and the Lighting Strategy for the City of London.
Mark was honoured as a Royal Designer for Industry in 2012 and is a corporate member of the Royal Institute of British Architects, a Fellow of the International Association of Lighting Designers and a Fellow of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland.
Katie Stewart, Executive Director for Environment at City of London Corporation
Katie Stewart is the Executive Director Environment at the City of London Corporation and is responsible for helping sustainably develop the Square Mile’s built environment, as well as managing the City’s highways, waste and public protection services and the 11,000 acres of green spaces for which the City has responsibility within and beyond its boundaries.
She also is second Vice President of the Association for Directors for Economy, Environment, Planning and Transport (ADEPT), and a co-chair of the ADEPT Southeast Board.
Katie is American by birth and moved to England 20 years ago. In her spare time, Katie is an amateur runner and when not running around nearby Richmond Park, is found running around after her five-year old son.
Benz Roos, Associate Partner at Speirs Major Light Architecture
Benz Roos studied Architectural Design at the Royal Art Academy, The Hague in The Netherlands. During this time he developed a passion for lighting design and consequently went on to study for a Masters in Architectural Lighting Design at the University of Wismar in Germany.
He joined Speirs Major Light Architecture in 2008, and in 2020 he was made Associate Partner. His ambition is to bring more imagination into the experience of a space – if applied to fantastic architecture and public realm, light can make the experience for people even better.
Benz has worked on a number of projects including the multi-award winning Gasholders London in the King’s Cross development, the City of London Lighting Strategy, and the innovative Lights over Kruunuvuorenranta in Helsinki, Finland. He was also integral to the design for ‘In Lumine Tuo’, an animated light installation in Utrecht, The Netherlands, which won the top prize in lighting design, the IALD Radiance Award, in 2014.
Benz has a keen interest in research and development, helping to design the award-winning street lighting luminaire Aeroblades which was developed with Cree Inc. He was a key member of the design team for the Third Age of Light research project and led the design for the ground-breaking “Our Time on Earth” climate exhibition at The Barbican Centre.
Alison Gowman CBE, Alderman in the City of London Corporation
Alison Gowman is a City Lawyer who has specialised in commercial real estate at DLA Piper. She was their first female partner and remains an active consultant. She has senior expertise in development, landlord and tenant matters, insolvency and waste management.
She has been an elected member of the City of London Corporation since 1991 being first a Common Councillor and, since 2002, the Alderman for Dowgate Ward.
She has served on most of the City’s committees including as Chair of the City Bridge Trust and of the City of London School for Girls.
Alison has a long involvement with environmental matters and is now the City’s policy lead on sustainability/climate action, biodiversity and urban greening. The City Corporation is delivering an ambitious net zero plan. This led to her founding the Livery Climate Action Group that boasts over 100 members who are crafting their own plans and advocacy on climate issues.
Alison became a Lay Canon and member of Chapter at St Paul’s Cathedral in October 2023. She recently stepped down after 10 years of service as a Governor of the London Museum and a trustee of Trust for London. She was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Civil Law by Durham University and was honoured with a CBE in the King’s Birthday Honours – both in 2024.
Daniel Blyth, Senior researcher at Publica
Daniel Blyth is a senior researcher at Publica, a London-based urban design and research practice. He was a member of the team that researched and wrote the Mayor of London’s Good Growth by Design guidance for designing gender inclusive public spaces that support the safety of women, girls and gender diverse people.
He has also researched and written guidance for the Mayor of London to support local authorities to develop Night Time Strategies, setting out examples of best practices for the planning and management of night time activities in London.
Daniel continues to work with the GLA 24 Hour London team to support boroughs developing holistic night time strategies and provides training for built environment professionals to better include women’s safety and night time considerations in their public realm proposals.
Leonardo Williams, Mayor of Durham, NC
Mayor Leonardo Williams is a former teacher and school administrator. He was elected to Durham City Council in December 2021 and sworn in as Mayor in December 2023.
While serving on the City Council, Mayor Williams continues to apply his experience and passion in education, entrepreneurship, and commitment to addressing deep social issues to make Durham a united community that provides safety and prosperity for all. Mayor Williams has been a champion for small businesses, workforce development, and strengthening youth engagement in Durham.
In 2024, he launched the Bull City Future Fund, in collaboration with community partners, to provide direct investments into local youth-serving organisations.
Mayor Williams was also featured as a speaker at the 2024 Democratic National Convention where he highlighted the importance of small businesses to local economies across the United States. Above all, Mayor Williams is a service driven leader interested in making Durham to the best place to live, work, visit, and play.
Nick McKeogh, Co-founder and Chief Executive at NLA
Nick McKeogh co-founded NLA in 2005, and leads the New London Architecture’s culture, vision and growth.
He is Co-Chair of the Opportunity London partnership, a Trustee of The London Society, a Director of Pipers Model Makers and an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects.
Nick studied Civil & Environmental Engineering at UCL before joining his father at Pipers in 1996, creating an interactive system for the City of London model and supporting the delivery of the London Stand at MIPIM in his early career. He subsequently ran the model-making business for seven years and managed the London Stand at MIPIM from 1998 until 2020.
He created public exhibitions ‘London: The New Millennium’ with NatWest in 1997, “New City Architecture” in 2004 for Sir Robert Finch during his Lord Mayoralty and “The Developing City” in 2012 on behalf of Lord Mayor Sir Michael Bear.
Nick led the transformation of the London Architecture Biennale into the annual London Festival of Architecture and subsequent integration into NLA in 2019. He established The London Real Estate Forum (LREF) in Berkeley Square in 2013 and continues to oversee the event as a key part of the NLA calendar.
Shravan Joshi, Chairman of the Planning & Transportation at City of London Corporation
Shravan Joshi is presently the Chairman of the Planning & Transportation Committee and a Member of the Policy and Resources Committee.
He has served since 2018 as an elected member at the City of London Corporation and has held various positions including, Deputy Chairman of the Licensing Committee, Deputy Chairman of the Streets and Walkways Sub-Committee & Deputy Chairman of the Property Investment Board.
Shravan started his career in investment banking but moved to the energy sector in 1999. He specialised in trade structuring and supply chain contracts into Central Asia, Eastern Europe, the Far East and North America. He has worked with several new energy technology companies, and currently advises firms on policy, governance and commercialisation of new innovations and solutions.
Bruno Paternot, Vice President of Montpellier Mediterranean Metropolis & LUCI Vice President
Bruno Paternot is the Vice President of Montpellier Mediterranean Metropolis and Municipal Councillor, in charge of light aesthetics, the quality of the visual environment, the eco-responsibility of public procedures, and the local currency.
Having studied at the Conservatories of Nîmes and Montpellier, as well as at Paul Valéry University, Bruno also leads a parallel career as an author and actor in theatre, film, and television.
He is currently the Vice President of LUCI.
LUCI Talks
Andreina Seijas, Researcher and Founder of Night Tank
Dr. Andreina Seijas J. is a Venezuelan researcher and international consultant with more than 15 years of experience in urban development and policy in Latin America, Europe and the United States.
Through her doctoral studies at the Harvard Graduate School of Design (2017-2020) she specialized in night-time governance and planning and launched Night Tank, an international consultancy that focuses on this novel field of research and practice. Through her company and as an independent consultant, Andreina works in projects at the intersection of research and practice and is based in Barcelona, Spain.
Previously, Andreina worked for international organizations focused on urban strategy and international development such as Gehl, IdenCity, the Housing and Urban Development Division at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and the Americas Society/ Council of the Americas. Before leaving Venezuela, she also worked as Information Manager for the municipality of Chacao in Caracas. From an academic perspective, Andreina has taught urban planning and night-time governance courses at Harvard College and the Harvard Graduate School of Design (Cambridge), the Urban School at Sciences Po (Paris), and IAAC—the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (Barcelona).
Andreina has a Communications degree from Universidad Catolica Andres Bello, an MSc in Social Policy and Development from the London School of Economics, a Master in Public Administration and Non-Profit management from New York University, and a Doctor of Design (DDes) degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Design. She is also the recipient of several awards, including the Chevening and Fulbright Scholarships, the P.E.O. International Peace Scholarship and the Lawrence H. and Marla G. Curtis Fellowship Fund.
Lars Ocklund, Head of City Lighting, Urban Environment Administration at City of Gothenburg
Lars Ocklund has extensive experience working with lighting and illumination in the urban landscape, from the early stages as Master Plans to lighting tests and all the way down to “nuts and bolts level”. Always in a fine balance between function and aesthetics with a focus on the people who will use the space.
Lars has a Master in Fine Arts in Interior Architecture, from HDK-Valand – Academy of Art and Design, University of Gothenburg.
Christina Vildinge, Research & Innovation Manager, Urban Environment Administration at City of Gothenburg
Christina Vildinge has a long experience working with designed living environments and collaboration in city development, with a focus on sustainability, aesthetics, and value creation.
As Associate Researcher at HDK-Valand – Academy of Art and Design, University of Gothenburg, she explores light as material at the intersection of design, organisation and urban studies.
Sara Castagné, Lighting designer and CEO of Concepto
Lighting designer since 1996 and CEO of Concepto studio, Sara Castagné holds a master’s degree in visual arts and Space Design (museography option).
She has been running Concepto since 2018, an agency in which she learned the trade at the beginning of her career alongside Roger Narboni. She received the AWARDS Lighting Days 2019 in the Lighting Design category and the Excellence Award and Peer Award at the international LuxFuturum competition in 2024.
She drives nocturnal strategy, and dark infrastructure studies and develops research on lighting eco-design, bringing together reflections on consultation, the circular economy and inclusive light. The lighting design project for the public spaces of the Olympic Village was the starting point for the agency’s global reflection on sustainable light and led to the publication of Concepto’s manifesto for dark infrastructure conducive to living.
Maelle Tertrais, Lighting designer at Concepto
Maelle Tertrais is a lighting designer and project manager. After gaining a Master’s degree in architecture at the Paris Val de Seine school, she began her career in lighting design by lighting shops and restaurants, before moving on to urban lighting at the Coup d’éclat agency.
Now at Concepto agency, she is responsible for the development of various projects (parks, urban planning, architectural lighting, dark infrastructure and lighting plan of cities). For 2 years she directed the lighting of public spaces at the Olympic Village in Saint Denis.
Expertise: Reuse and circular economy. Since 2023, Maelle has been specialising in the issues of reuse and the circular economy, both in the projects she works on and as part of a working group led by the AFE to draw up a new document proposing tools and monitoring the development of practices in this field.
Parallel Sessions
Farhad Rahim, Associate Director at Buro Happold
Farhad Rahim is an Associate Director at Buro Happold, with over 35 years of experience in the industry. He is responsible for technical design development, collaboration of multi-disciplinary services delivery, providing advisory consultation and managing internal and external client relationships.
Experience includes the development of lighting designs for a wide range of projects, ranging from large residential, commercial, and retail developments to art galleries, educational institutes, hotels, and light art installations.
Delivering a very ‘hands on’ approach to projects from concept to completion, and a keen involvement with the training, development of staff and the promotion of the lighting industry, together with public addresses at key lighting events, conferences, and coverage in publications.
The ability to provide sound lighting designs, which embrace creativity and art, whilst also ensuring practical applications of designs to include energy efficacy, electrical systems, and controls to support schemes. Providing complete lighting design solutions catered specifically for the individual requirements of each project, with consideration for both people and use of spaces are key to his designs.
Jean Hewitt, Technical Lead in the Inclusive Environments team at Buro Happold
Jean Hewitt is an accessibility and inclusion specialist with 25 years’ experience. She is Technical Lead in the Inclusive Environments team at Buro Happold, an international and multi-disciplinary consultancy practice.
She is a longstanding committee member at the British Standards Institute and a regular author and contributor to standards and publications, including technical authorship of guidance on neurodiversity (PAS6463 and other guides), accessible sports facilities and inclusive stakeholder engagement.
Alongside her role at Buro Happold, Jean is currently an Honorary Associate Professor at UCL, and the UK Government Disability Access Ambassador for the Built Environment sector, which is a voluntary role appointed by the Cabinet office to promote awareness and action in this field.
Rob McNicol, Assistant Director of Planning Policy and Strategy at the City of London Corporation
Rob McNicol and his team develop policies, guidance and projects that deliver the City of London Corporation’s vision for the future of the Square Mile – creating a highly sustainable city centre for business, and transforming the City into a destination for everyone to drive growth.
Rob is an experienced public sector planner, having worked at local authorities in and outside London. He previously managed the London Plan team at the GLA. His work addresses the big challenges urban areas face, from retrofit and net zero to the future of city centres in a post-Covid world.
Rob and his team are at the forefront of championing sustainable commercial development, delivering guidance on carbon options, developing policies that support retrofit first, and pushing forward a programme that aims to deliver a net zero built environment in the Square Mile by 2040.
Heike Besier, Deputy Director, Public Space Design at the City of Leipzig
Heike Besier is the Deputy Director for Public Space Design at the City of Leipzig. She is an Urban Planner who has been working for the Department for Urban Development and Construction in the field of Urban Planning and Urban Design for many years.
She is responsible for the design of public space, the organisation of urban design competitions, for Leipzig’s lighting masterplan and various lighting projects. She has been representing the City of Leipzig in the LUCI Association since the foundation of the network.
Paco Bunnik, Chief Urban Designer for the City of Amsterdam
Paco Bunnik is an experienced architect and urban designer. Currently he is the Chief Urban Designer for the department of Urban Planning and Sustainability of the City of Amsterdam.
The work of the City of Amsterdam’s department integrates the higher levels of regional and long term planning into the details of urban planning and public space design. The department searches for new approaches and stimulates bottom-up processes to integrate solutions in the field of urbanisation, architecture, mobility and water management in multidisciplinary teams.
Paco Bunnik is supervising large urban development projects in Amsterdam, like the Waterfront, Zuidas and Bijlmer. Besides urban design and architecture, he takes strong interest in urban lighting and light & art projects as an active member in the LUCI network.
Sarah Banham, Head of Communities & Sustainability at Battersea Power Station Development Company
Sarah Banham is Head of Community & Sustainability at Battersea Power Station, the 42-acre mixed-use neighbourhood centred around the iconic Grade II* listed landmark.
Having worked on the project for over 18 years, and a Battersea resident herself, Sarah Banham is responsible for the overall delivery of the sustainability vision for the project, in particular stakeholder and community engagement, local employment and skills, business procurement, and environmental management and biodiversity.
The Communities and Sustainability Team at BPSDC plays a long term and pivotal role in the placemaking vision for the new riverside neighbourhood being created at Battersea Power Station.
Working in partnership with contractors and local stakeholders, the team ensure that the benefits of the regeneration project have meaningful and positive impacts within the wider community.
Guillaume Aniorté, Executive Director at Quartier des spectacles International
Guillaume Aniorté is a recognised leader and strategic advisor in the media and creative industries. He co-founded Tribal Nova, a pioneering digital content company for children, and has held executive roles in several innovative organisations at the intersection of culture and technology.
He currently leads Quartier des spectacles International, where he contributes to the international reach and economic impact of public art and creative placemaking.
Actively involved in shaping the future of the sector, he sits on the boards of institutions such as CBC/Radio-Canada and La Piscine, and regularly speaks at international forums focused on the cultural and creative economy.
Julieta Cuneo, Policy Lead, 24 Hour London, at the Greater London Authority
Julieta Cuneo is an experienced urban policy professional with a deep passion for 24 hour cities and the Night Time economy.
She has an MSc in Sustainable Cities and a MA in Journalism and has spent the past 3 years leading on Policy and Night Time Strategies at the Greater London Authority’s 24 Hour Team.
Before that she worked for a number of London-based think tanks; was a sustainability adviser for a Member of the UK Parliament and, before moving to the UK, was involved in setting up the Undersecretary of Creative Economy at the Buenos Aires City Government.
As a journalist, she wrote daily about her hometown of Buenos Aires and other cities.
Imran Alam, Councillor at Glasgow City Council
Councillor Imran Alam was elected to Glasgow City Council in May 2022 representing the Govan Ward, on behalf of the Scottish Labour Party.
He is the Vice Convenor of the Operational, Performance and Delivery Scrutiny Committee, member for the Education, Skills and Early Years City Policy Committee and has also been elected on to the Planning Committee, allowing him an opportunity to have a bigger say in planning projects, including lighting, across the city.
In June 2022, he was nominated to be the LUCI Association representative and is honoured and privileged to represent the City of Glasgow in such a prestigious and international network.
Outside of his council duties he has his own highly successful hotel and property investment company based in Glasgow.
Don Slater, Associate Professor at London School of Economics & co-director of Configuring Light
Don Slater is (emeritus) Associate Professor (Reader) in Sociology at the London School of Economics, and co-director of the Configuring Light/Staging the Social research group.
His current research focuses on light and lighting as core elements of urban fabric, and aims to foster dialogue and collaboration between social research, lighting design and urban planning, particularly in public realm space and infrastructure.
Slater’s Configuring Light projects include a four-year EU Horizon 2020 study of the impact of lighting on the health and well-being of older people in three European cities; a study of gender equality in London’s Olympic Park; social housing and lighting studies with Peabody housing trust, Southwark council, and City of London; after-dark ethnography of Place des Fetes (Paris) for the Marie de Paris; and a 7-year tracking study of ‘publicness’ in Elephant Park, Southwark.
Prior to this, Slater worked for many years on information technology, media and digital culture in development contexts, including the South Asia, West Africa and Latin America, with projects for UNESCO and DFID (publications included New Media, Development and Globalization, Polity 2013; and The Internet: An Ethnographic Approach, Berg, 2001, with Daniel Miller). Other book-length publications include The Technological Economy (Routledge, 2005, with Andrew Barry); Consumer Culture and Modernity (Polity, 1998); and Market Society (Polity 2002, with Fran Tonkiss).
Harriet Bell, Access Advisor for the City of London Corporation
Dr. Harriet Bell is the City’s Access Advisor based in the Design and Heritage team, in Planning. She works alongside Morgan Wild in advising how to remove and reduce barriers and make new development more accessible and inclusive.
Her work extends across a range of City of London Corporation functions including planning, highways, urban design, City Corporation property, events, and awareness-raising and training.
Before moving into inclusive design Harriet worked for over 30 years in the built heritage sector at the Georgian Group and a number of local authorities. Her doctoral research was into expressions of value in the conservation of post-war heritage.
Harriet is a wheelchair user and fiercely committed to drawing on the lived experience of disabled and neurodivergent people to shape design that is inclusive of the greatest range of people.
Harriet is co-Chair of the City Corporation’s staff Disability and Wellness Network. She is a lay assessor for Architects Accredited in Building Conservation (AABC) and a full member of the Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC). She has published on performed value in conservation practice and the role of imagination, in travel, as a disabled person.
George Burciaga, Managing Partner at The U.S. Roundtable
George Burciaga, a proud Chicago native, is an internationally acclaimed thought leader and architect at the forefront of urban digital transformation. His expertise lies in enhancing citizen engagement, transforming city infrastructure, and optimizing funding strategies for municipalities, while also providing strategic advice to mayors across the United States.
Currently, George launched and serves as the Managing Partner at The U.S. Roundtable, LLC, a firm dedicated to advising and fostering collaboration among mayors in the technology sector.
His visionary leadership has been instrumental in architecting innovative solutions and partnerships among city mayors. Additionally, he leads Elevate Cities, a subsidiary of The U.S. Roundtable, specialising in advancing project deployments to address critical city issues. These projects have collectively reached a value of $1.2 billion, achieved through implementing efficiencies, sustainability, and profitability measures within smart city deployments.
George’s influence extends beyond the United States, actively spearheading collaboration initiatives in countries such as Colombia, Mexico, and Spain.
Charles Begley, Chief Executive of the London Property Alliance
Charles Begley has been the Chief Executive of the London Property Alliance since 2014.
The London Property Alliance brings together the Westminster Property Association (WPA) and the City Property Association (CPA) to provide a unified voice for the leading owners, developers, investors and professional advisors for real estate across the City, West End and their neighbouring commercial districts.
The London Property Alliance makes representations to policymakers, publishes thought leadership research and hosts a wide range of events to help members stay engaged, connected and informed.
Charles has a background in policy and communications and has worked across both the public and private sector.
Johan Hugues, co-CEO at Blachere Illumination
Johan Hugues is the co-CEO of Blachere Illumination SAS, a family group based in Provence (South of France) for the past 52 years. The company specialises in festive lighting, creating, manufacturing, and supplying cities, municipalities, shopping malls and events all over the world, through its 28 branches worldwide.
Johan joined his uncle Jean-Paul Blachere, founder of the company, 32 years ago as an industrial designer.
Over the years, he oversaw AD and Innovation and then developed the international network. Together with his cousin, they’re managing the group in tandem for 10 years (consolidated turnover over 100M€, more than 600 employees).
Johan is still designing and creating every day: “Innovation is in our DNA and sustainability is a total part of it”.
LEDs, smart control systems, giant 3D printers with recycled plastic, Blachere Illumination has patented numbers of inventions which are revolutionizing the festive lights industry.
Recyprint® (recycled PET bottles), Bioprint® (biodegradable bioplastic), Flexiprint® (soft and flexible made of recycled plastics) are perfect examples of a sustainable global circular economy.
Clarisse Tavin, Group Manager/Major Programmes and Projects, City Public Realm at City of London Corporation
Trained in France and Italy, Clarisse Tavin is a chartered Architect with over 10 years’ experience of delivering public realm enhancements in a very dynamic and complex urban environment, with the emphasis of creating the highest possible quality of environment for people.
Clarisse manages a team of professional Project Managers, and her expertise is in the realisation and delivery of public realm enhancement, public art and place-making strategies including the recently adopted City Lighting Strategy and the “Look and Feel” Strategy for Culture Mile.
John Roberson, Chief Operating Officer for the City of Chicago
John Roberson currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer for the City of Chicago. In this role, Roberson oversees the day-to-day operations of 37 departments with an annual budget of $16.2B.
Prior to this role, Roberson served as Deputy Chief of Staff to Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle where he managed Government and Legislative Affairs and strategic operational departments and initiatives. Roberson has had a long career in both the public and private sector.
He has served as Chief of Staff to 17th Ward Alderman David Moore, Managing Principal with Electronic Knowledge Interchange (EKI), a Chicago based technology company as well as VP for Strategic Partnerships with the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce.
Roberson’s career also includes serving in several senior executive roles under former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley. Under Mayor Daley, Roberson served as Commissioner of the Department of Aviation, Commissioner of Buildings, Commissioner of Sewers, Chief of Development for CHA and the first Executive Director of the Department of Construction and Permits.
Mr. Roberson is an Air Force Veteran who received commendations for his service during the Persian Gulf War.
Dan Caroselli, Connectivity Policy Manager for the Bureau of Street Lighting of the City of Los Angeles
Dan Caroselli is a Senior Management Analyst for the Los Angeles Bureau of Street Lighting, serving as the Bureau lead for Connectivity Policy. In this role, Dan advances the deployment of Bureau assets and capabilities to meet local and regional connectivity infrastructure needs. Most notably, this includes the strategic planning and high-level management of newly-initiated Bureau fibre optics and wireless projects.
Working in partnership with other City departments, County and State agencies, community-based organisations, and the private and non-profit sectors, he ensures that these projects contribute to shared goals around next-generation City services, digital inclusion, and equitable community development.
Dan has been a policy analyst and project manager with the City of Los Angeles since 2010, with the majority of this career spent with the Mayor’s Office leading departmental change and performance management initiatives. Dan has an educational background in Urban Planning.
Morgan Wild, Design and Access Officer at City of London Corporation
Morgan Wild is a Design and Access Officer at the City of London Corporation, where she is part of the Design and Heritage team in the Planning Department. Joining the City two years ago, Morgan has since broadened her expertise in accessible and inclusive design, collaborating closely with Harriet Bell.
She offers guidance on making spaces more inclusive, such as reducing physical barriers in listed buildings, advising on the design of new public spaces with a focus on neurodiversity, and ensuring the safety and accessibility of existing and proposed alleyways.
Before her role at the City, Morgan worked as an architect, primarily focusing on large-scale residential projects across the UK.
Throughout her architectural career, she has worked with local communities to help facilitates meaningful community engagement and co-design.
Zoltán Pap, Managing Director at Budapest Municipality BDK Budapest Flood and Public Lighting Ltd
Zoltán Pap graduated in 1983 as Master of Economics in Budapest. He joined as managing director BDK Budapest Flood and Public Lighting Co Ltd in 2011. BDK is a joint venture company of the Municipality of Budapest and its Public Utility Company BKM (Stadtwerke).
BDK is responsible for the operation and reconstruction of the public lighting, decorative lighting and Christmas lighting of the Capital of Hungary.
Under his leadership the company has significantly contributed to the increase of the energy efficient lighting reconstructions of the city, through an increasing ledification program.
With his contribution the city approved a Lighting Masterplan in 2016. He is representing Budapest in LUCI since 2011 and as participated in many joint LUCI projects.
Olli Markkanen, Head of Unit, Urban Environment at City of Helsinki
Olli Markkanen graduated in 2001 with a Master of Science from the Helsinki University of Technology. In 2002 he started as the manager of the outdoor lighting network in Helsinki. Today, he is responsible for all the municipal networks and devices in the public area.
Previously, he was also responsible for the lighting design of neighbouring cities and the Vuosaari harbour. He has also been involved in developing information systems, substation automation and electric car charging point operations.
Moderators
Emily Gabb, Head of Strategic Partnerships at NLA
Emily Gabb is Head of Strategic Partnerships at NLA, London’s Built Environment Community. She joined the business in 2015 and now leads on engagement with public sector including the GLA and London Boroughs across the NLA portfolio of programmes.
Emily has also worked at London & Partners in the role of Urban Lead, supporting international cleantech, proptech and smart mobility businesses to scale and set up in London before re-joining the NLA team in her current role in 2022.
Patricia Brown MBE, Director at Central
Patricia Brown is Director of Central, a niche consultancy largely centred on the dynamics of cities and the process of achieving change.
Patricia’s strategic advisory and non-executive work spans disciplines, sectors and geographies. The common thread is connecting: ideas and possibilities, places and people, opportunities and ambition, as well as building the partnerships needed to shape better cities and experience.
Her work has been a significant catalyst in urban change, beginning in 1990’s London where she leveraged private sector interest, especially real estate partners, in active stewardship in the improvement of the built environment. This led to game-changing initiatives, including landing BIDs into the UK, and championing tangible action on public realm, critical to liveability and quality of life, and fundamental to London’s economic competitiveness.
She sits on a range of profit and not-for-profit boards and is a strategic adviser to a range of land owners, developers, local authorities and infrastructure bodies as well as chairing a variety of partnership boards. While much of her work is strategic, Patricia believes that attention to detail is paramount to our experience of place and that light can play a transformative part.
Elettra Bordonaro, Founder and creative director at Light Follows Behaviour
Elettra Bordonaro is founder and creative director at Light Follows Behaviour, a lighting design studio with the aim to design with people and for people. In addition to being awarded a PhD in 2006 from the University of Architecture in Turin, Elettra also has a background as an architect.
She has focused her attention on light and has worked as a lighting designer and consultant on masterplans, exterior and public realm lighting projects in the UK and internationally.
She has led courses at the University of Rome, Milan and Turin and was visiting professor at Rhode Island School of Art and Design (RISD), Providence, USA.
She has a Senior Policy Fellow at the London School of Economics, Sociology Department, as a team member of the Configuring Light Research group.
Leni Schwendinger, Creative Director at Leni Schwendinger Light Projects
Leni Schwendinger is a published, award-winning, authority on city lighting issues, with more than 20 years of experience, creating worldwide illuminated environments.
This work is shared through Leni’s public speaking and envisioning engagements, including “NightSeeing™, Navigate Your Luminous City” international program.
In practice, her projects focus on infrastructure and public art at sites such as subways and large-scale bridges, among others.