Howard joined the FPA in 1992 and has held a multitude of roles as the organisation has grown including Training/Information Officer, Director of Operations, and Deputy Managing Director. He trained formally as a land surveyor before spending 8 years in the construction industry in his early career and has since spent considerable time in the FPA’s fire advisory division. He is among our most experienced and respected fire risk assessors. 

In 2024 Howard decided to take semi-retirement and stepped down from the FPA Board to focus his efforts on technical fire safety projects, predominantly for our fire and risk services department and RISCAuthority on a part time basis. His varied and thorough knowledge ensures that the needs of our customers and the industry remain the focus of the FPA’s initiatives to move the fire safety agenda forward. 

Howard has a BEng (Hons) in Fire Engineering and is a Member of the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE), a Fellow of the Institute of Fire Safety Managers (IFSM), and is registered on the Nationally Accredited Fire Risk Assessors Register (NFRAR) at Tier 3. 

Mark is Senior Partner at Devonshires and heads up the Construction, Engineering and Procurement team.  

Mark specialises in dispute resolution work which involves litigation in the Technology and Construction Court, adjudication and arbitration. This work covers all aspects of construction and asset management. Mark also advises clients on all aspects of European procurement law and regularly acts for contracting authorities and economic operators in procurement disputes. 

 Mark also has experience advising clients on health and safety law and assists with accident investigations, prosecutions and drafting health and safety policies and procedures. 

Anthony has worked in both the public and private sector within the built environment and has a career which includes working in insurance and as a risk manager for a global tour operator.  

Anthony serves on the Industry Competence Committee (standing committee of the BSR), CPB/1 ( the BSI's committee for oversight of  standards across the built environment), and is Chair of the Building Safety Alliance. He also serves on a number of professional body's H&S/Fire safety committees. 

It is most important that we raise individual competence, across the sector, and the volume of competent people. Anthony is heavily involved in developing standards for Organisational Capability - ( the management of competence across an organisation or project) - in order to clarify what it means, how an organisation may put a system in place and evidence that it works, and how organisations will be expected to respond in the near future.

Andrew is a director Elmhurst Energy and current Chair of the Property Energy Professionals Association (PEPA).  He has extensive experience working across the industry to champion the work and value of energy assessment, EPCs and DECs.  With a background as an energy assessor, he now works across Government and with industry steering groups to drive the use of EPCs and DECs in government energy efficiency initiatives, policies and regulation.  He also advises on improvements in technical documentation and standards. More recently, Andrew has been heavily involved with the launch and development of PAS 2035 and has been involved in the creation of the retrofit assessor standard (BS40104). 

Andrew continues to voice the importance of taking action for climate change and is looking to assist government with their objectives towards achieving Net Zero, Decent Homes and minimum energy efficiency standards, and to improve the methodologies used for energy assessment and retrofit.  He is also keen to help the wider industry understand how energy assessment and retrofit can benefit homeowners, occupants and other key stakeholders. 

Retrofit information support and expertise (RISE) Delivery Support Manager, and Sustainable Communities Team Principal Consultant, Turner & Townsend.

Janey is a Principal Consultant within Turner & Townsend’s Real Estate Sustainability Team with over 20 years' experience developing and delivering innovative sustainability projects across a range of sectors, including housing, academia, local authorities, SME’s and corporate business and clients. 

Janey currently works as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) and Delivery Support Manager (DSM) on the Warm Homes programme, supporting Grant Recipients to deliver successful retrofit projects. Janey leads RISE’s Sustainability Program Partner service, supporting housing providers to compile their environmental performance data for their annual submission to the Good Economy’s Sustainability Reporting Standard (SRS). 

Neil has worked for HSE for about 25 years.  In his time as a health and safety Inspector, he has regulated a range of sectors including 6 years in construction.  He joined the building safety programme in November 2020 applying his regulatory experience to developing the new regimes for HRBs.  He now leads the team providing procedural and legal support to BSR’s operational building control function.  His team also leads BSR’s work around ongoing development of the HRB building control regime. 

Nick Wooldridge is a housing leader with 26+ years’ experience driving asset investment and sustainability. As Head of Investment, Nick spearheads decarbonisation strategies and multi-million-pound programmes to deliver net zero goals. A Chartered Institute of Housing member, Nick blends technical expertise with bold, forward-thinking leadership to create lasting impact for communities.

Rolfe is a Senior Retrofit Consultant at LivGreen, a specialist decarbonisation contractor for social and private landlords. He has over 10 years of experience in the hospitality design and manufacturing industry, where he shaped and delivered carbon reduction strategies on an international level.

Rolfe is passionate about helping landlords achieve energy efficiency and net zero carbon emissions across their housing portfolios. He focuses on delivering high-quality, cost-effective solutions and translating long-term strategic thinking into clear, short-term plans that deliver key client objectives.

Dean is deeply passionate about the retrofit industry, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to excellence in all his endeavours. He firmly believes in the power of sharing knowledge for mutual benefit and collective growth, engaging regularly with his network to discuss industry trends and insights. As a key partner in supporting specification, design, installation, and tenant engagement, Dean actively supports the SWIP network of contractors, introducing them to SHDF schemes and Tier 1 contractors.

Moreover, Dean has consistently worked closely with new entrants to the industry, facilitating introductions to funding sources, regulatory and compliance services, industry bodies, and other essential resources for success in the retrofit space. His commitment to professional development is evident in his organisation of training courses for installers and industry professionals. In all his endeavours, Dean remains dedicated to the success of both SWIP and its network, valuing loyalty and fostering strong, enduring relationships that contribute to the long-term growth and sustainability of the retrofit industry. 

Adam is Technical Director at RiskBase, a software company that (amongst other things) clients manage their ongoing compliance and building safety obligations. He works alongside housing providers of all sizes and helps build teams to create and manage safety cases whilst building systems to automate as much of the report production as possible.

Russell James is a seasoned professional with over a decade of experience in collaborating with top healthcare architects and NHS Trusts. His expertise lies in developing new hospital designs and ensuring compliance with fire and infection control standards for doorsets. At SDS, a renowned UK manufacturer, Russell plays a pivotal role in providing specialised doorset solutions to the healthcare sector. His involvement spans from initial design discussions with architects to overseeing project completion, always prioritising durability and aesthetic appeal. Russell's passion for finding long-term solutions and partnerships reflects his dedication to enhancing healthcare infrastructure. 

Ben Laverty is the the Specification Sales manager for Mitsubishi Electric. Ben is a highly qualified and experienced renewable energy engineer with a background encompassing commercial and residential heating across multiple disciplines.  

Ben is passionate about the need to decarbonise residential heating in the UK both from a new build and retrofit perspective and strongly believe in the role Air Source Heat Pumps must play in this. He is especially driven by the need to encourage greater adoption of renewable technologies at scale within the social housing sector.  

Howard is one of the Co-Founders of Ventro Group with over 40 years of experience in the Fire Safety industry. BM TRADA qualified and an FPA-accredited Fire Risk Assessor, he has guided teams through major industry changes, particularly following the Grenfell disaster and the introduction of the Building Safety Act. Howard is passionate about compliance, knowledge-sharing, and supporting others through industry discussions, and technical insights on fire safety legislation and best practice. 

Stephen Hockin brings over 35 years of expertise in the fire safety industry and is a committed member of the Institution of Fire Safety Managers, actively maintaining his Continuing Professional Development. His career began with the London Fire Brigade, where he served for 30 years and rose to the rank of Station Officer. 

Following his distinguished service, Stephen transitioned into the media and events sector as a Fire Safety Officer, applying his operational knowledge to complex public environments. He later joined Camden Council as a Building Safety Manager, where he led safety oversight for more than 20 high-rise residential buildings. 

Since joining Firntec Consulting Ltd over a year ago, Stephen has been an integral part of the building safety team, supporting clients in understanding and fulfilling their obligations under the Building Safety Act. He specialises in the development and review of safety case reports, helping duty holders demonstrate effective risk management and regulatory compliance.