Meet us at UKREiiF
We’re looking ahead to the UK’s Real Estate Investment & Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF) from 19 to 21 May 2026.
You can find us at the Royal Armouries, Leeds, in the Vera Suite, for the full event. On the first two days we're hosting a number of panels. We'll be in the Vera Suite again on Thursday for attendees who would like to simply drop in to talk to us. Find out more about what we're doing at UKREiiF below:
Tuesday 19 May
Time: 10am to 11.30am
Session: Come and meet the National Wealth Fund - Coffee, cake and conversation
Discover how we work with local authorities and the private sector to unlock investment and deliver growth. The National Wealth Fund is unlocking the UK’s future by driving more than £100bn of finance to unlock long-term economic growth opportunities and accelerate the transition to clean energy.
Time: 12pm to 1.30pm
Session: [INVITE-ONLY] From Plan to Place: How the National Wealth Fund is Accelerating Regional Projects
A private networking lunch convening senior leaders and key decision-makers who are shaping the future of the UK’s regional growth agenda. Attendees will hear from CEO Oliver Holbourn on the National Wealth Fund’s Strategic Plan, with special emphases on our Regional Project Accelerator. This session will explore how the Fund is collaborating with regions to progress projects from initial concept to successful delivery.
Time: 2pm to 3pm
Session: Ports as Powerhouses: Unlocking Growth, Clean Energy and Place
Our strategic plan places ports at the centre of our approach to accelerate place-based investment and unlock growth. This session explores how investment can unlock port-led regeneration, crowd private capital, strengthen supply chains, and turn energy ambition into deliverable projects across the UK.
Chair: National Wealth Fund Director in Investment and Advisory David Gwynne
Panellists:
- Andrew Milne, Head of Associated British Ports
- Grace Rawnsley, Director of Sustainability and Net Zero Transition, Port of London Authority
- Steve Beel, CEO, Freeport East
Wednesday 20 May
Time: 10am to 11am
Session: Powering Places: Transforming Regional Growth Through National Wealth Fund Strategic Partnerships.
This session brings together leaders from Greater Manchester, Glasgow City Region, West Yorkshire and the West Midlands to explore how National Wealth Fund Strategic Partnerships are reshaping regional investment models — from pipelines and project acceleration to supply chain growth and crowding in private capital.
Chair: National Wealth Fund Senior Strategic Advisor Tony Walsh
Panellists:
- Ben Still, CEO, West Yorkshire Combined Authority
- Caroline Simpson, CEO, Greater Manchester Combined Authority
- Ed Cox, CEO, West Midlands Combined Authority
- Susanne Millar, CEO, Glasgow City Council
Time: 12pm to 1pm
Session: How we’re building our approach to place in the National Wealth Fund – join the conversation.
At the National Wealth Fund, translating place into an approach that changes outcomes is key. Come along to give your views – if you have a solution or believe our thinking is wrong, let’s have a debate!
Join us for an interactive session over lunch, as well as hearing about our specific lending offer.
Time: 2pm to 3pm
Session: Unlocking Place-Based Investment: The Players, the Pipeline, the Products
This session will demystify place-based investment, exploring the practicalities: how to build a pipeline that attracts capital, how to navigate the support landscape, and how to choose between financial products and structures for regeneration.
Chair: National Wealth Fund Senior Strategic Advisor Ashley Blows
Panellists:
- Graham Smith, Glasgow City Council
- Helen Creighton, Office for Investment
- Mark Bousfield, Aviva
- Nina Glen, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government
As well as the sessions we’re hosting in the Vera Suite, National Wealth Fund colleagues will also be appearing at a number of other sessions across the event. These are listed below:
Tuesday 19 May
9am to 10.15am: Director of Regeneration in Investment and Advisory Sean Davies will be on the panel Reimagining Urban Renewal: Aligning Infrastructure, Funding and Partnerships for Connected Outcomes in the Rider Levett Bucknall Pavillion.
9.30am to 10.30am: Director in Investment and Advisory Dom Boyle will be on the panel Glasgow: A City & Region Accelerating Transformational Delivery on the SCAPE Public Sector Stage.
1.15pm to 2pm: Director in Investment and Advisory Jeremy Barker will be on the panel From Strategy to Scale: Mobilising Public and Private Capital for Place-Based Growth in the Lloyds Pavillion.
2.10pm to 2.55pm: Senior Strategic Advisor in Investment and Advisory Ashley Blows will be on the panel Funding for Growth: Capital that Scales in the West Midlands Pavillion.
3.30pm to 4.30pm: Director in Investment and Advisory Stuart Leslie will be on the panel Domestic Retrofit - Scaling up delivery and exploring the investment opportunities in the Aire Room.
Wednesday 20 May
11am to 12pm: Director in Investment and Advisory David Gwynne will be on the panel UK Ports: The investment case for a nationally critical asset in the Great South West Pavillion.
1.45pm to 2.45pm: Chief Operating Officer Susan Urkevich will be on the panel The Northern Square Mile - Leeds powering the next decade in UK Financial services in the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Pavillion.
2pm to 3pm: Director in Investment and Advisory Stuart Leslie will be on the panel Funding the Future: Innovate Investment Models to Unlock the Future of Places in the York and North Yorkshire Pavillion.