SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES
Phil Agulnik, Director, Entitledto
Phil is an expert on the UK’s benefits and tax system. He is responsible for product development within entitledto and for representing the company externally. He has worked as an economist in the Department for Work and Pensions, HM Treasury, the Financial Services Authority and in academia. He has a PhD from the London School of Economics on social security policy.
Temitope (Tope) Akinrujomu, Team Leader - Council Tax Policy Team, MHCLG
Since joining in February 2024, Tope has helped deliver policy changes including the second homes council tax premiums and related exceptions. A civil servant since 2009, she has held roles at the Department for Education and the Ministry of Justice, including leading work on coroner policy and the burials, cremation and funeral sector. She holds a Business Management degree from the University of Westminster and currently volunteers as a school governor.
Lee Anderson, Interim Chief Executive, Valuation Tribunal Service
Lee started his career in local government in 1988, working for a number of years across revenues and benefits departments dealing with domestic rating, non-domestic rating, community charge and council tax. Lee joined the VTS in a technical capacity as a hearing clerk. Since 2007 he has specialised in organisational management, holding a number of senior management positions. During his time with the VTS Lee has been actively involved in a number of organisational change programmes providing ongoing efficiency savings and realigning front line services to meet changing stakeholder requirements. Lee was appointed to his current role as Interim Chief Executive in December 2025. He holds a degree in organisation and management, and has PRINCE2 and MSP practitioner qualifications. Lee is Chair of the IRRV Qualification Management Board and a past President of the Lancashire and Cheshire Association. He sits on a number of external professional liaison groups and has presented papers at an extensive range of national conferences and seminars.
Patrick H. Bond BSc (Est.Man) FRICS Dip Rating IRRV (Hons)
Former Head of Rating Valuation at the VOA’s head office, honorary member of the Institute, sometime chairman of the RICS Rating Diploma Holders’ Section and a past president of the Rating Surveyors’ Association. Patrick had 43 years' experience with the VOA including as DV/VO for various London boroughs and Group Valuation Officer East Anglia. Since graduating from Reading University, he has taken keen interest in the special valuation practice of Rating and in 1986 obtained the RICS’ Special Diploma in Rating. He has undertaken work in the international field including advising on property tax in Addis Ababa. Additionally, Patrick is an IRRV tutor, a well-known speaker at numerous Rating, Valuation & Property Measurement events & at various international conferences and, until recently, a visiting lecturer at Bayes Business School, City University. He is co-author of ‘Rating Valuation Principles and Practice’ the textbook for students and practitioners, now in its fifth edition.
Paul Bowden, Partner, Wilkin Chapman Rollits
Paul joined Wilkin Chapman Rollits in 2009 and has been an integral part of growing the Recoveries department business, acting for a wide range of creditor clients in relation to both volume recoveries and more complex insolvency proceedings. Paul and his team currently support over 120 Local Authority Revenues teams and their lawyers (in England and Wales) to recover any debts that are owed to the Council. The Legal 500 has identified that Paul is “a great ambassador for the firm – he makes himself available when needed and has provided solid sensible solutions to difficult cases” Paul is the immediate past President of the IRRV East Midlands Association he also sits on 3 steering committees for the Money Advice Liaison Group (MALG) regional groups.
Hannah Bradley LLB (Hons), IRRV (Tech), Research and Development Director, Analyse Local
With over twelve years of experience in the rating industry, Hannah began her career following the completion of a Law degree at the University of Sheffield. Hannah currently serves as Research and Development Director at Analyse LOCAL, where she leads a team of Rating Consultants within the innovative Virtual Rates Manager (VRM) division. In this role, Hannah oversees both the delivery of consultancy services and the development of resources to support internal teams and client local authorities. Over the past seven years, Hannah has played a central role in the design, development, and strategic implementation of the VRM service. Prior to this, Hannah contributed to the creation and expansion of the widely used RV Finder tool. Hannah obtained the IRRV (Tech) qualification with a focus on Non-Domestic Rates in 2023 and is an active member of the IRRV Lancashire and Cheshire Association. Hannah has previously presented papers on key industry topics such as relief administration and rates avoidance, and she continues to value the opportunity to contribute to IRRV events, which offer a valuable platform for professional dialogue and sector advancement.
Chris Chaplin-Roberts, Assistant Director, LG Futures
Chris is a CIPFA prize-winner and a financial analysis and modelling expert and has recently finished an economics degree under the University of Kent apprenticeship programme. He leads on LG Futures support to local authorities and pools on risks regarding business rates retention and the associated implications for medium-term financial planning. Chris has previously worked for County, District, and London Borough councils, including, most recently at the City of London Corporation where he supported the London Business Rates Pilots in 2017/18 and 2018/19.
Amy Collins, President, CIVEA
Amy is the Managing Director of Rundles, one of the UK longest-established enforcement and debt resolution providers, working in partnership with more than 80 local authorities and public-sector organisations nationwide. With over 24 years industry experience across operational, client, and strategic leadership roles, Amy combines deep sector knowledge with a people-first approach to ethical and effective collections. Amy began her career on the phones, taking calls from customers and developing a strong understanding of the challenges individuals face when managing debt. Her ability to lead with empathy and deliver results saw her progress through client management and senior operational roles before being appointed Managing Director in 2020. This journey gives her a grounded, end-to-end understanding of both customer experience and client priorities. As Managing Director, Amy oversees Rundles national client portfolio, driving innovation, performance, and service excellence. She acts as Board Sponsor for several key local authority clients, working closely with them to co-design solutions that meet the needs of their communities. Amy is passionate about changing the narrative around enforcement, promoting a sector built on fairness, transparency, and respect. She actively challenges misconceptions about enforcement by highlighting the professionalism, training, and empathy that underpin modern practice. As President of the Civil Enforcement Association (CIVEA), Amy continues to advocate for reform, raising standards and strengthening trust between, local authorities, industry stakeholders and the communities they serve.
Charlotte Crane, Operations Manager (Income), Southwark Council
Charlotte is an experienced local government revenues professional with over 30 years’ experience across council tax, business rates, income collection and debt management. She is currently an Operations Manager (Income) at Southwark Council and is on secondment as Head of Transactional Finance, providing strategic oversight of income, payments and financial transactions. Charlotte is an active IRRV member, conference contributor and trusted peer across the revenues profession, with a strong commitment to collaboration and sharing good practice. She has extensive experience working with policy teams, welfare and debt advice partners and operational services. Charlotte has contributed to key projects exploring the impact of debt on residents’ health and wellbeing, using insight and partnership working to support more compassionate, sustainable recovery approaches. She is also Co Founder and President of Women in Revenues and Enforcement (WIRE), championing professional networks, leadership development and cross sector collaboration.
Paul Dalling FRICS, Dip Rating, IRRV(Hons)
Paul retired from the Valuation Office Agency in 2024 after a 36-year career. For the last decade he served as a rating specialist with the National Valuation Unit, providing technical advice, direction, guidance, and support to ensure consistency across the VOA network for large shops, restaurants, and garden centres. His responsibilities included assisting with complex rating casework and representing the Agency as an Advocate or Expert Witness at Tribunals. Additionally, Paul facilitated and chaired the Class Coordination meetings and authored several sections of the Rating Manual and Practice Notes. He played a key role in negotiating values centrally and aiding the progression of casework and appeals throughout the Agency. Paul has also contributed significantly to the Institute of Revenues Rating and Valuation (IRRV), serving as a member of the Qualifications Management Board and an examiner for the Rating Valuation paper. He continues to be involved in delivering the RICS Rating Diploma study course and is an active committee member and treasurer of the Section. Since retiring, Paul has begun working with a Trust that holds the freehold of approximately 100 buildings. In this role, he assists with various property issues, including landlord and tenant matters, maintenance, access, title enquiries, and disposals.
Carolyn Dawson, Chief Executive, Valuation Tribunal for Wales
Carolyn is the Chief Executive of the Valuation Tribunal for Wales, bringing decades of public service experience and a deep understanding of the organisation to the role. She joined the service in January 1988, at the busy and memorable time leading up to the implementation of the Community Charge, beginning her career as a Clerical Officer. Since those early days, Carolyn has worked her way steadily through the ranks, gaining invaluable insight into every level of the organisation along the way. Appointed Chief Executive in July 2023, Carolyn’s career progression reflects both her commitment to public service and her practical, hands on approach to leadership. She is also a member of the IRRV Wales Association Executive, contributing to the wider profession and sector.
Paula Dixon, Director of Operations, Valuation Office Agency
She has worked at the VOA since 1991, holding a wide range of frontline and senior operational roles, and has developed deep expertise in operational delivery, performance management and organisational leadership. Paula is a qualified Chartered Surveyor (MRICS) and Chartered Manager (MCMI), and a member of both the Government Property Profession and the Operational Delivery Profession. As Director of Operations, she leads the delivery of the Agency’s core operational services, with a strong focus on customers, colleagues and sustained performance improvement.
Matthew Dolben, Partner, Rating Team, Newmark
Matthew is a Partner in the Rating Team covering a wide range of property classes including industrial, retail and offices representing various clients on Valuation Tribunal and Upper Chamber cases. He also has extensive experience in licenced leisure premises and particularly in ‘over-trading’ premises. Matthew began his career at the Valuation Office becoming a Senior Surveyor and Office Head and acting as a lead valuer for licenced leisure and industrial premises in the West Midlands. Matthew then moved to BNP Paribas Real Estate acting as account manager for JD Wetherspoon, Stonegate and the Government Property Agency (GPA). Matthew moved to Newmark Gerald Eve LLP in 2025 where he has continued to represent a variety of licenced leisure clients. Matthew has extensive experience in rating valuations across a diverse range of premises including public houses, restaurants, industrial, office and retail premises.
Elliott Donazzan, Founder and CEO, Payble
Elliott has almost a decade of experience working with local governments across Australia and New Zealand to improve payment collection outcomes. He has led the design and delivery of payment optimisation strategies for more than 50 councils, supporting the management of over $5bn in local government payments annually across rates, infringements, utilities, and other statutory charges. Elliott works closely with CFOs, Directors of Finance, and revenues teams to improve on time payment performance, reduce avoidable arrears, and lower administrative workload, while maintaining fair and supportive approaches to residents. His experience spans large metropolitan councils through to regional authorities operating across vast and complex geographies. The practical outcomes achieved through this work have attracted strategic investment from the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, recognising the scalability and relevance of these approaches within the public sector. Elliott is a regular speaker and advisor on public sector payments, revenue optimisation, and financial operations, with a particular focus on translating strategy into practical, frontline change.
Clare Elliott, Head of the Local Authority Partnership, Engagement and Delivery Division, DWP
Clare will be reaching for 40th anniversary as a Civil Servant in September having accepted a one year posting as an economist in 1986. She is now head of Local Authority Partnerships, Engagement and Delivery where she is responsible for supporting LA delivery of Housing Benefit across GB and a range of other grants, including the Crisis and Resilience Fund in England. She is a strong advocate of local and central government collaboration and codesign to ensure we continually improve to meet our shared customer needs.
Matthew Evans, Head of Service Revenues & Benefits, Wrexham County Borough Council
Matthew is Head of Service for the Revenues and Benefits service, and has over 20 years of experience in Revenues & Benefits in a number of different roles. Matthew is the current chair of the Welsh Revenues & Benefit Manager Group and is involved in a number of working groups relating to Revenues and Benefits both locally and nationally and works closely with Welsh Government in relation to regulations and policy development in this area. Matthew is a past president of the North and Mid Wales Association.
Mark Fearn, Customer Engagement Lead (Revenues, Income Recovery & Debt), Walsall Council
Mark has worked within the Revenues arena for almost forty years and are currently the Customer Experience Lead (Revenues, Income Recovery & Debt) at Walsall MBC. His previous posts have included Revenues Manager at Milton Keynes Council, Head of Revenues at North West Leicestershire DC and Revenue Collection Manager at South Derbyshire District Council. Mark is a Council Member of the Institute of Revenues Rating and Valuation (IRRV) and is currently Chair of the institutes Local Taxation and Revenue Faculty Board. He is a regular speaker at the IRRV national events had articles published in the Institutes journal and carried out training across the country.
Gemma Gilley, Head of Benefits and Financial Welfare, Medway Council
Gemma Gilley BA(Hons) Pg DIP IRRV(Hons) is the Head of Benefits and Financial Welfare at Medway Council in Kent. Gemma has worked in Revenues and Benefits since 2003, starting as a Revenue Assistant at a district council and has been a Systems Officer, Training Officer, Team Leader before becoming Benefits Manager in Medway in 2017. Gemma became the Head of Benefits and Financial Welfare in 2022 with strategic and operational responsibility for Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction, Crisis and Resilience Fund, Housing Related Support, Financial and Welfare Advice, and Supported Housing Team. In 2025, Gemma became a member of the IRRV Benefits Faculty Board.
Chris Grose, Director, Business Rate Team, Hartnell Taylor Cook.
Having joined the business rates world in the run up to the 1990 revaluation Chris has dealt with appeals on many different property types in every Revaluation since including a spell in the Valuation Office although specialises in the "bulk" (Office, industrial, retail) classes. He has wide experience from advising small businesses up to FTSE 100 companies. Chris has had articles published in the national press and spoken at a number of IRRV conferences and meetings often advocating for a council tax revaluation. Chris is IRRV Junior Vice President, Chair of the IRRV Valuation Faculty, and Secretary of the London & Home Counties IRRV Association.
Corin Hammersley, Head of Advice & Benefits, Royal Borough of Greenwich
Corin started her career in Welfare Rights and worked in various organisations including private sector (under legal aid contracts) and in local government. Corin is the London committee member for NAWRA (National Association of Welfare Rights Advisers, and chairs the LGA Social Security Advisers Group. Through her career at Royal Greenwich, Corin has covered various roles within the Advice & Benefits Service at Royal Greenwich, and is now Head of Service for the department, with oversight of the benefits assessment service and the advice and discretionary payments service. Corin has particular experience in delivering discretionary payment schemes including Local Welfare Assistance and Household Support Fund, and integrating the support with in-house advice provision, and is a strong advocate for local authorities being well placed in providing effective in-house advice services.
Andrew Hatcher, Council Tax, Benefits and Welfare Manager, Folkestone & Hythe District Council
After working as a teacher, Andrew joined Folkestone & Hythe District Council in 2006 as a Benefits Officer; then moving into roles as part of the Training team, Revenues and Benefits Senior Officer, Benefits Manager and is currently the Council Tax, Benefits and Welfare Manager. Andrew is responsible for Council Tax, Benefits, Fraud and Welfare at the Council and has introduced local Council Tax schemes and many welfare support schemes to support low-income households; leading the Council to IRRV recognition in recent years. He obtained his IRRV qualification in 2010 and has acquired other professional qualifications such as a Post-Graduate Certificate in Strategic Leadership.
Zoe Hawthorne, Senior Business Rates Policy Adviser, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Zoe is an experienced policy professional, having worked at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government for eight years across business rates, financial risk and local economic growth policy. Zoe also has extensive communications experience, providing communications advice for S&P 500 companies.
Zoe Kent, Revenues & Benefits Manager Swale BC and Interim Head of Revenues & Benefits Mid Kent Services
Zoe’s career started at the DHSS working on Supplementary Benefit and then Income Support. After a career break she moved into Local Government in 2003 working on the frontline of the Housing Benefit team at Swale Borough Council, then moving on to the roles of Training Officer, Assistant Revenues and Benefits Manager and from 2015 Revenues and Benefits Manager. Zoe worked with the DWP to set up the Kent Overpayments Network, to ensure that overpayment officers were able to meet, to discuss good practice and bring in new initiatives. She obtained her full IRRV qualification in 2010 and has been on the IRRV SE Association executive for many years becoming an IRRV Council Member in October 2018.
Cain Ormondroyd, Barrister, Francis Taylor Building
Cain specialises in the law of rating and the council tax. He has appeared in many of the leading VTE and UT cases over the past 15 years. He is the author of The Rating and Council Tax Pocketbook and an editor of Ryde on Rating.
Daniel Pearce, Director of Service Development & Sales, Telsolutions
With 32 years’ experience in designing and delivering services that simplify and automate business applications, Daniel has a background in producing innovative communications, techniques and strategies that reduce costs and improve productivity. Our advanced services reduce the cost of customer engagement, promote self-serve freeing up resources. Specialising in debt recovery and customer engagement applications for local government and enforcement, our services are industry proven and award winning. Daniel now develops AI services merging behavioural science and technology to improve outcomes based on current public behaviours and habits with the objective to improve outcomes for both parties more effectively.
Rebecca Pyle, Council Tax Manager, Buckinghamshire Council
Rebecca brings over 20 years of experience in local government, beginning her career at Chiltern District Council within the fraud team before progressing through roles in benefits, council tax, NNDR, and recovery. She was involved in a recovery project within the shared service initiative with South Bucks District Council and later supported the transition from a two tier authority to a unitary council in 2020. In 2021, Rebecca became Council Tax Manager at Buckinghamshire Council, where she has been instrumental in merging four district services into a single Revenues & Benefits operation. Her work has included resolving complex system issues and developing new processes and ways of working to support the newly integrated teams.
Nick Rowe, Assistant Director Revenues & Payments, London Borough of Ealing
Nick has worked in Local Government for over 40 years. Starting in 1986 in General Rates and progressing through Community Charge and Council Tax/NNDR. He was subsequently also involved in Benefits for the past 15 years. He has also worked in the private sector and during that time worked on a number of Revenues and Benefits sites. He is currently Assistant Director - Revenues & Payments for the London Borough of Ealing. Nick is Chair of the London Revenues Group and he has also represented local authorities on a number of central government working parties and is an LGA advisor for Revenues. He has been a member of the Institute of Revenues, Rating and Valuation (IRRV) for a number of years, having originally studied for the technician exams back in 1991. He then progressed to corporate level in 2005. He is currently President of the IRRV London and Home Counties Association and a member of the IRRV Revenues Faculty Board. He has spoken at a number of conferences and presented training days for the for a large number of organisations. Nick has been on IRRV national council since 2011 and was the National President in 2023/24.
Jonathan Savigar, Business Development Manager, Dukes Bailiffs Limited
Jonathan has worked closely with local authorities across the revenues and enforcement landscape, supporting councils to procure and deliver services that best meet their operational needs. Having previously worked within a sector supplier role before joining Dukes Bailiffs Limited in 2024, he has developed a strong understanding of the pressures faced by local authority revenue teams, including capacity, compliance and financial constraints. Jonathan works with authorities to ensure enforcement services are effective, up to date and aligned with local priorities, while also spending significant time reviewing tender submissions and supporting transparent procurement processes. He sits on the Executive Committee of the Yorkshire IRRV Association and has presented at regional IRRV events. Jonathan has a strong interest in ethical practice and improving outcomes for councils and residents.
Francesca Smith, Senior Research Officer, Money and Mental Health Policy Institute
Francesca is a Senior Research Officer at the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute, where she works on understanding and improving the experiences of people with mental health problems who are in financial difficulty. Francesca is particularly passionate about tackling the toxic cycle between money and mental health problems among marginalised communities. She is an author of the Institute's report: 'In the Public Interest: The psychological toll of local and national government debt collection practices.
Laura Anne Smith, Director of Client Relationships, Excel Civil Enforcement
Laura has spent her entire career to date within the industry, starting out in revenues and benefits management within local government, before transitioning into civil enforcement. She joined Excel in 2018, before moving to Civica as Business Development Director to promote CivicaCollect Single View of Debt Solution and Enforcement case management software, where she learned a great deal about the technology side of our industry. Laura returned to Excel in 2023, as enforcement is where her passion lies. Her current role entails looking after Excel’s clients across England and Wales. Her focus is threefold: winning new client contracts, driving the adoption of technology throughout the business to assist the debtor journey and supporting the industry. In 2024, Laura was elected to the IRRV National Council and, earlier this year, was invited to join the Regional IRRV Wales Executive.
Alistair Townsend, Director, Alistair Townsend Ltd
Alistair is currently IRRV Commercial Services Portfolio Holder and Council Member. He is also immediate Past President of the Institute. He has worked within Local Taxation, Revenues and Benefits throughout his career, initially working for a couple of Nottinghamshire Councils and latterly as Head of Revenues & Benefits for Milton Keynes Council. Alistair originally joined Milton Keynes, working for Mouchel in a contracted out service, and then later managed the transfer of the Service to the Council, during which time he also became Deputy Partnership Director for a Council owned LLP. After leaving Milton Keynes, Alistair joined Marston as Group Client Services Director, where he managed the Client Services function for the whole range of Group companies. After some 28 years working in Revenues and Benefits on an employed basis, Alistair established his own business as a consultant specialising in Local Taxation, Revenues & Benefits and local authority debt collection.
Rachael Walker, Founder, Better Policy
Rachael is the Founder of Better Policy and a leading voice on council tax and welfare reform. With over 20 years’ experience in local government revenues and benefits, she brings a blend of operational expertise and policy insight. Through her work with Visionary Network, Rachael specialises in CTR scheme design, modelling, and reform, working with councils and national organisations to develop fairer, more effective approaches. She has authored influential research on unclaimed benefits and council tax support practices, and is currently leading a national analysis of enforcement and debt. A regular media and social media commentator, Rachael contributes to national policy debates on poverty, inequality, and public service design. Through Better Policy, she works with local authorities, think tanks, and government to improve policy design and delivery, combining technical knowledge with a clear, practical approach.
Martin Walmsley, Assistant Director Shared Revenues and Benefits, City of Lincoln Council and North Kesteven District Council
Martin has worked in Revenues and Benefits for 35 years, at seven different local authorities - joining City of Lincoln Council in 2003 and forming their shared service with North Kesteven District Council in 2011 - where he remains to this day. Martin has the full IRRV Hons qualification, and is also an examiner for the IRRV. Martin’s proudest career achievement was undoubtedly winning the IRRV Award for Excellence in Partnership Working in 2018, which centred around a joint holistic initiative with DWP to help Universal Credit customers make and maintain their claims. He is proud to work with a fantastic team and in a service area where he can make positive differences to peoples’ lives, - in particular from the Covid-19 pandemic and into the cost of living challenges – we have been able to tailor local solutions, which have been extremely positive.
Jeffrey Waters, Partner, Knight Frank LLP
Jeff is currently a Partner at Knight Frank LLP, specialising in Business Rates and Council Tax. He has been with Knight Frank for nine years, advising a wide range of clients on complex Business Rates and Council Tax matters, and is recognised for his practical, solutions focused approach. Prior to joining Knight Frank, Jeffrey built extensive experience within the local authority sector, having worked across several councils. Notably, during his time at Luton Borough Council, he played an instrumental role in driving service improvements that led to Luton winning an IRRV award, highlighting excellence in professional standards and delivery. Jeffrey’s combined public and private sector experience enables him to offer deep insight, strong technical expertise, and a well rounded understanding of the challenges faced by both ratepayers and authorities.
Emily Whitford, Senior Public Policy Advocate, StepChange
Emily joined StepChange in October 2023. Her focus is on delivering research projects and policy recommendations designed to improve our clients' experiences of debt collection and enforcement. Previously she worked in the Campaigns team at MoneySavingExpert and for a market research consultancy, where her work centred on understanding and improving the experiences of consumers in the financial services and energy markets.
Alex Worthington, Barrister and Director, Greenhalgh Kerr
Alex was called to the Bar in 2014, joined Greenhalgh Kerr Solicitors in 2017 and became a Director in 2025. He practices across all areas of the firm's work including insolvency, asset finance and housing, with a specialist focus on Council Tax and Non-Domestic Rating. In addition to advisory work, Alex regularly appears as Counsel in Magistrates Courts on matters concerning National Non-Domestic Rating as well as in the County Court and High Court, particularly in those matters in which insolvency and rates liability overlap. His ratings practice includes appellate work by case stated and Judicial Review, as well as appearing in the Valuation Tribunal for England.