Next steps panel debate: Who pays the price? Exploring alternative options for funding Britain’s infrastructure system

Julie Wood

Julie is vice president of the Institution of Civil Engineers.  

She is a director of Mott MacDonald, joining in 2024, where she leads complex programmes and projects. She is currently the technical services and delivery director for the Interim Delivery Partner on the National Hospital Programme.  

Prior to this she was a director at Arup and major projects specialist leading large multi-disciplinary teams across organisations for over 20 years - with 10 years in an executive position with profit and loss responsibility for a c£40m business in Arup. Major projects include TransPennine Upgrade, HS2 Euston Station and The Francis Crick Institute.

She is Chartered Fellow of the ICE, an Honorary Fellow of the Association of Project Management. In 2020 she was made a Freeman of the City of London and in 2021 she was recognised as one of the top 50 Women in Industry (WES). Additionally with over 18 years of non-executive board experience across a number of sectors. 

James Alexander

James Alexander joined UKSIF as chief executive in October 2020, with a strong vision and mandate to further enhance the organisation’s key role in promoting and expanding sustainable investment and finance in the UK.

James has a background in international climate finance and infrastructure finance as well as many years’ experience in leadership roles in membership organisations. Most recently, James supported global megacities to overcome the substantial barriers to financing climate action as director of the city finance programme at the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group and head of the C40 Cities Finance Facility – a project preparation facility he developed, now supporting cities across the world to structure nearly a billion dollars of sustainable infrastructure transactions. James has worked on international climate finance issues at the UN level and supported cities across the world to invest their pensions and reserves more sustainably.

James is treasurer of Eurosif, the European Sustainable Investment Forum, a member of the Green Technical Advisory Group (GTAG) providing advice to the UK Government on implementing a UK green taxonomy and a member of the Disclosures and Labels Advisory Group (DLAG) providing advice to the FCA on the UK’s SDR and fund labelling regime.

Andrew Rose

Andrew Rose has a portfolio of roles as chairman, non-executive director, trustee and advisor across various sectors including infrastructure, housing, and social impact investing. 

In his executive career he was a multiple CEO of companies in both the public and private sectors. Andrew’s CEO roles included being chief executive of Infrastructure UK (IUK) in HM Treasury. Following this he was CEO of The Homes & Communities Agency, the country’s housing, land, and regeneration agency, now known as Homes England. Most recently he was the inaugural chief executive of the Global Infrastructure Investor Association (GIIA), the leading membership body representing investors in global infrastructure and advisers to the sector. 

Andrew’s other private sector roles have included managing director, Investment Banking, CIBC World Markets, where he established and led the Canadian bank’s European infrastructure investment banking practice, and where he worked for 17 years in both the UK and USA. 

Julia Prescot

Julia Prescot CBE is deputy chair of the National Infrastructure Commission which provides expert, impartial advice to Government on long-term infrastructure planning. The NIC’s work is built around delivering a National Infrastructure Assessment once in every parliament, with recommendations to government on the UK’s infrastructure needs.

Julia is an expert in global investment with over 30 years’ experience in financing and delivering major projects. Julia co-founded Meridiam, one of the world’s leading infrastructure funds, and continues to serve boardroom roles across a number of Meridiam’s UK and European assets. Julia is also the deputy chair of the Port of Tyne.

Julia co-founded the Women Leaders in Infrastructure Group and is passionate about creating a more inclusive and diverse sector so that infrastructure can better reflect the needs of those who use it.

Julia Prescot was awarded a CBE in the King’s Birthday Honours List 2024, recognising her contribution to public service.

Dr Darryl Murphy

He is responsible for infrastructure transactions for the infrastructure debt strategy. Darryl is responsible for a portfolio of around £12bn of debt investments across the UK and Europe.

Prior to joining Aviva Investors, Darryl was a partner at KPMG in the Global Infrastructure Advisory practice. He has over 29 years’ experience in infrastructure financing and investment having also worked at Hambros, SG, Newcourt Capital, RBC and was head of European Project Finance at HSBC. He has structured, advised and arranged on a wide number of projects globally. Darryl holds a PhD in Mathematics from Exeter University. He is the UK Council Chair of the International Project Finance Association.

David Hawkes

David is head of policy at the Institution of Civil Engineers. Having joined the ICE in 2018, David leads on insight transfer from ICE’s global experts to policymakers in order to support improved public decision making on infrastructure. As part of this, David provides advice and analysis on political, economic and social issues affecting the infrastructure system. He has researched and authored policy papers on infrastructure planning, regulation, devolution, decarbonisation, and assuring the whole-life safety of infrastructure.

Prior to joining the ICE, David held various policy roles at the Chartered Institute of Building where he was responsible for developing positions on skills, building safety, and low carbon construction.