RICS Global Ethics Conference

Dame Judith Hackitt DBE FREng

Dame Judith Hackitt is an independent consultant. She is a chemical engineer by training and spent the first half of her career working in the chemicals industry . She is a former President of the Institution of Chemical Engineers and is a Fellow and Trustee of the Royal Academy of Engineering. Throughout her career she has championed the importance of Engineering in delivering solutions which provide benefit to society and has published several articles on Ethics in Safety and Engineering for which she has received awards. She cares deeply about safety in the workplace and more broadly. From 2007 to 2016 she was Chair of the UK’s Health and Safety Executive. In 2017 she conducted an Independent Review for UK Government into Building Regulations and Fire Safety in the wake of the Grenfell Tower disaster and has stayed closely involved in driving culture change.

Baroness Margaret Hodge

Prime Minister's Anti-Corruption Champion, UK Government (appointed by and reporting to the Prime Minister)

Baroness Margaret Hodge is the Prime Minister’s Anti-Corruption Champion and one of the UK’s leading campaigners against corruption, illicit finance and economic crime. She works with Ministers and officials to strengthen the UK’s anti-corruption efforts and engages across Parliament, business and civil society on issues of integrity and transparency. A former Cabinet Minister, she served in a number of ministerial roles before becoming the first elected and first female Chair of the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee in 2010. Baroness Hodge has spent much of her public career championing greater transparency and challenging corruption both in the UK and internationally.

Flora Page KC

Flora Page KC practices from 23ES Chambers with a focus on corporate wrongdoing. She represented a group of subpostmasters in their criminal appeals in 2020-21, and thereafter in the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry. She acts for those involved in whistleblowing, regulatory misconduct and crime, both bringing cases and defending them. She is Chair of the Institute of Business Ethics.

Detective Superintendent Jim Halkett

Detective Superintendent Jim Halkett is a Senior Investigating Officer (SIO) and PIP Level 4 accredited investigator with extensive experience leading complex investigations across serious and organised crime, financial crime, cybercrime, counter-terrorism, and corruption. A key contributor to the development of the Domestic Corruption Unit (DCU), Jim has helped shape innovative approaches to identifying, preventing, and investigating corruption, while strengthening organisational integrity and resilience. His work focuses on addressing corruption risks within policing and wider public sector environments through intelligence-led and partnership-based approaches. Jim holds a Master's degree in Fraud and Financial Crime and is currently completing a further Master's degree in Anti-Corruption Studies and Integrity Management with the International Anti-Corruption Academy (IACA). He is also a Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), bringing expertise in cyber-enabled threats, information security, and insider risk. Jim combines strategic leadership, operational experience, and academic expertise to advance anti-corruption capability and deliver effective responses to emerging corruption threats.

Yasmin Underwood

Yasmin Underwood is the Partnership and Outreach Officer for the City of London Police (CoLP) Domestic Corruption Unit (DCU), where she leads stakeholder engagement and partnership development across law enforcement, government, and industry to strengthen anti-corruption capability. Previously a Fraud and Cyber Intelligence Analyst, Yasmin developed her expertise in economic crime through intelligence assessment and threat analysis relating to cyber-enabled fraud, financial crime, and emerging risk. Before joining the police, Yasmin spent seven years in the defence sector, advising organisations on regulatory compliance and the ethical development of advanced technologies. Her experience spans both public and private sector environments, supporting organisations to navigate complex challenges and deliver strategic outcomes.

Alex Katon

Executive Chair, GIACC-UK

Alex Katon is co-founder and Executive Chair of GIACC-UK. He is also the founder and CEO of Arc Energy Consulting, a UK-based electricity and infrastructure market consultant for the UK, Middle East and Africa. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales and a member of the Institute of Directors. During his career he worked in infrastructure project development and operations in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region for companies such as International Power and Engie. He was latterly CEO of Summit Global Power, Sumitomo Corporation’s MEA infrastructure business. He also worked in investment for UK government-funded organisations including CDC (now British International Investment), Globeleq and InfraCo Africa (a project development company for Sub Saharan Africa infrastructure). He was CEO of InfraCo Africa, implementing ISO 37001anti-bribery management system to help manage corruption risks in project development and construction.

Charles Golding MRICS

Head of Professional Standards, RICS

Charles Golding MRICS is a senior specialist in valuation and investment advisory at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). His main role is developing professional standards and practice guidance for valuers globally, including RICS Red Book Global Standards. Prior to joining RICS, Charles was a practising valuer, specialising in development and investment valuation, local taxation and lease advisory. He has worked in private practice, for government and as an expert witness in the UK Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber). Charles sits on the International Valuation Standards Council’s – Tangible Assets Board. Charles has recently returned from a secondment role as interim Head of Professional Standards for RICS, where he led the development of conduct standards, rules and frameworks, many of which had a focus on ethics.

Prof Luke Bisby

Professor, School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh

Prof Luke Bisby is Personal Chair of Fire and Structures within the School of Engineering at The University of Edinburgh. He has extensive experience of fire safety and structural engineering research and consultancy, instruction as expert witness, university teaching and administration, promotion of public understanding of science and engineering, and wide-ranging professional activities. His work has been particularly influential at the interface between structural engineering and fire safety engineering, and Luke advises industrial and government fire safety research organisations and regulatory bodies internationally on these and related matters. He is Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Institutions of Fire Engineers and Structural Engineers, and the Royal Society of Edinburgh. He has appeared as presenter in a range of television and online engineering documentary programmes, including “Impossible Engineering”, “When Big Things Go Wrong”, and “Disaster Autopsy”.

Ade Williams

Ade Williams MBE FRSA is a multi-award-winning pharmacist, health system leader, and experienced governance professional with a strong track record in service design, research, and innovative practice He serves on the General Pharmaceutical Council and has held senior board roles across multiple NHS organisations, including as Deputy Chair of the NHS Dorset, NHS Somerset, and NHS BSW ICB, and has also contributed to strategic oversight and policy development at the national level as an expert contributor. Recognised for his ability to shape pragmatic, scalable solutions to complex challenges, Ade brings a collaborative, person-centred approach to standards development. His contributions have been widely acknowledged, including an MBE for services to the NHS, fellowships from leading professional bodies, and honorary academic doctorates.

Lynda Rawsthorne FRICS

Government Head of the Property Profession

Lynda Rawsthorne was appointed Government Head of Property Profession and Director, Property Capability, Sponsorship & Standards, in August 2023. She leads the Government Property Profession, providing professional guidance across government departments and arms-length bodies that deliver the government's property ambitions. Lynda is responsible for the Government Property Strategy and the Government Property Functional Standard, shaping how the public sector estate is acquired, managed and disposed of to support efficient, sustainable public services. With over 25 years' experience across the property lifecycle, Lynda has led major programmes including the £4.4bn Priority School Building Programme, prison infrastructure expansion at the Ministry of Justice, and land and property interface work for High Speed Rail. She began her career in Local Government before joining the Valuation Office Agency's graduate programme. A Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and the Association of Project Management, Lynda is a graduate of the Major Project Leadership Academy at the University of Oxford. As a military wife, she has lived in four countries while raising three children alongside her career.