Lara has over 25 years' experience in property and development. Having worked with many of the UK’s biggest landowners, agents and developers, Lara has held a number of strategic leadership and board positions.

Her experience of property deals and complex capital investment projects for government education capital programmes underpinned her determination to bring commercial insight and rigour to education sector acquisitions, disposals and developments. Lara’s vision for LocatED has brought together a team of experts able to bring both experience and pace to all kinds of government estate efficiency programmes.

Lara is also Senior Sponsor for the Government Property D&I Shadow Board and cares passionately about increasing diversity in the profession.


Having been the first in her family to go to university, social mobility is very important to her, but she works effectively both inside and out of LocatED to ensure all those from different backgrounds, with and without protected characteristics, know what a career in property could look like and are able to progress with fulfilling and interesting careers.

Mark works across the real estate, housing and construction markets here and abroad. He is Strategic Adviser to Handley House, an international group of architects and designers. He is the Independent Chair of Saltaire Housing Ltd, overseeing the delivery of the UK Government's Affordable Housing Guarantee Scheme.

Mark also chairs the Joint Group for Non-Standardised Construction Products which is seeking to improve the regulation in the construction sector. In additional to this, he mentors several PropTech start-up businesses and is a qualified executive coach.

He spent 18 years as the MP for Hertford & Stortford (2001-2019) and is a former Minister of State serving as both Business & Enterprise Minister and Housing & Local Growth Minister in the Coalition Government.

Alyson is a Public Financial Accountant and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply. Most of her career has been in commercial roles in the public sector and include, Director of NHS Commercial Development, Head of Procurement for the Department for Education, Deputy Director for Risk Analysis for the Education Funding Agency and latterly Director of Financial Accounting, Operations and Procurement for the Funding Agency Shared Services team, part of the Education Funding Agency.

Caroline has enjoyed an executive career as a Chartered Surveyor, Compliance Officer and Chartered Secretary. She has operated at board level for over 20 years including ten years as Company Secretary to Grosvenor Limited and six years as Board member then Chair at Women’s Pioneer Housing Limited. She spent eight years on the Board at A2Dominion Housing Group, where she chaired Governance & Remuneration Committee then Strategic Development & Asset Management Committee. Currently, she is as non-executive director at Wynnstay Properties PLC.

Simon Holden has a distinguished career in NHS finance and leadership. He currently serves as a Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Audit Committee at Wrightington, Wigan & Leigh NHS Trust. Holden's experience includes roles as Chief Finance Officer and Deputy Chief Executive at the Countess of Chester NHS Foundation Trust, as well as being the first Chief Executive of NHS Property Services. His expertise combines deep financial knowledge with broad public sector experience.

David Hunter is the Director of Housing at Clarion Housing Group, bringing extensive leadership experience in housing and property management. His background in the housing sector is diverse, having previously held roles such as Director of Resident Services at The Hyde Group and Operations Director at Sage Housing as well as working in the private housing sector and for a local authority. He is an experienced non-executive having sat on the board of both not-for-profit and for-profit housing organisations.