Greater Manchester HS2

Bev became Leader of Manchester City Council on 1st December 2021.

First elected in 2011 as a Burnage Councillor she held a range of responsibilities on Manchester City Council including as Executive Member for Adult Social Care and Health and Deputy Leader.

Since becoming Leader her focus has been on Manchester’s ambitious plans to build a more inclusive and sustainable economy, increasing investment into neighbourhoods across the city, better outcomes for children and young people, tackling inequalities, building more housing and working to meet Manchester’s net zero ambitions.

Bev is a Deputy Chair of the Local Government Association and Chair of Core Cities UK. In Greater Manchester she holds a range of responsibilities on behalf of the city including leading on the Economy, Business, and International Portfolio for the Combined Authority.

Originally from Belfast, she moved to Manchester in 2003 for university. After graduating from the University of Manchester she began her career in Local Government, before working in higher education and then a national trade union leading on social care. She holds postgraduate degrees from Warwick Business School and the University of Manchester. Outside of politics she enjoys sports and being outdoors, music, culture and enjoying all that Manchester has to offer.

Andy Clarke is the Head of Corporate Affairs at Manchester Airport. As a member of the airport’s senior leadership team, he is responsible for ensuring corporate affairs activity meets the priorities of the airport. He focuses on crisis response, resilience, HS2/NPR and decarbonisation. He is the main interface between the airport and political and business leaders, focusing on developing strategic partnerships to further the airport’s goals. He is also Co-Chair of the MAG Disability Colleague Resource Group and a member of the Board of the Fragile X Society, a national disability charity.

​Adam has been working within the transport sector in Greater Manchester for almost 20 years. He supports local authorities and transport bodies to deliver their transformational and challenging projects and has been involved in Northern Powerhouse Rail, Stockport Station redevelopment, Cheadle Station, HS2, Northern Hub, the redevelopment of Manchester Victoria, Metrolink upgrades, Altrincham Interchange and a whole host of other local projects.

He is the Chair of the pro-manchester’s Transport & Infrastructure Sector Group and leads a team of Project and Programme Management Advisory specialists within Mott MacDonald.

Jessica joined Bruntwood in 2016 helping to support the company’s ambitions for long term growth. As a member of the Group Board her focus is particularly on the businesses external relationships with city partners and Bruntwood’s ESG and social value agenda.

Previously Jessica spent 15 years in Whitehall before moving to Manchester City Council as head of City Policy supporting work on devolution, the Northern Powerhouse and the ‘Our Manchester partnership Strategy.

Amongst other external roles Jessica is a member of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership ExCo, NWBLT, GM’s Cycling and Walking Board and is a Trustee for a start-up orchestra Manchester Baroque.

Simon Warburton is the Transport Strategy Director at TfGM, leading on the development of a forward transport policy, investment and funding strategy that will support the city region’s ambitious growth programme and dovetail with major national interventions including the Greater Manchester HS2/Northern Powerhouse Rail Growth Strategy and the forthcoming Clean Air Plan.

During his 19 years in transport policy work for Greater Manchester, Simon has been involved in the development of four Local Transport Plans, the Greater Manchester Transport Innovation Fund debate and the Greater Manchester Transport Fund, which has supported the £2 billion investment programme that is now coming to a conclusion. In recent times, his work has included the establishment of Greater Manchester’s transport devolution policies, in preparation for the recently elected Mayor, the city region’s Growth

Deal investment programme and the development of Transport for the North. Much of this work has now culminated in Greater Manchester’s forward-looking 2040 Transport Strategy, which provides an innovation-led blueprint for a future transport system that will meet the economic, social and environmental needs of the fast-growing city region.