Building safety: culture, risk and innovation

Henry Duncomb is a Senior Structural Engineer at Expedition Engineering, with experience in the assessment and design of bridges and complex structures. He has worked on complex projects including modular station footbridges and urban developments, alongside low-carbon design initiatives. Henry is particularly interested in how innovative materials and collaborative design approaches can improve structural safety outcomes.

Rob has 10 years of experience as a structural engineer, working on a range of large-scale residential and commercial projects, including both new-build and existing structures. He leads structural design teams throughout all project stages. Rob is also heavily involved in the training and development of junior engineers, delivering in-house training and supporting the wider industry through mentoring, reviewing final-year university design projects, and contributing to broader outreach initiatives.

Kate Lennard is the team leader of the Research Strategy Team in the Education Estates Directorate at the Department for Education. She has a wide-ranging civil service career including policy, programme management and operational delivery within the Department for Education, Ofsted and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Eva is a chartered structural engineer with nearly 20 years of experience, recognised for her creativity and innovative thinking. Her specialist generalist approach has enabled her to contribute significantly to pioneering regenerative projects, including the Eden Project in Scotland, national policy development for ageing infrastructure with the Royal Academy of Engineering, and systemic forensic engineering. She leads numerous R&D initiatives at Expedition and is a frequent contributor to industry events and publications. In addition, Eva serves as a Trustee for the UK Green Building Council and as a member of the Executive Board of the Useful Simple Trust.

Charlie Pugsley KFSM is the Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Building Safety Regulator. Prior to his appointment in autumn 2025, Charlie was a Deputy Commissioner of the London Fire Brigade, with a portfolio including fire safety regulation, health, safety and well-being operational policy, strategy and risk. Charlie served as the on-site forensic fire service investigation lead reporting to the police in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire. He brings this first-hand experience of the Grenfell tragedy to his role at BSR, focusing on delivering safer homes and peace of mind for residents. Charlie’s portfolio at the London Fire Brigade included implementing major cultural and organisational change. He has brought this transformative approach into the BSR, working collaboratively with partners across government and industry to drive change and unblock obstacles to growth and improvement in the construction sector.

Rob is Head of Building Safety at the Department for Education, advising ministers and senior leaders on emerging risks across the school and college estate. He leads research into historic and emerging construction technologies. He drafted new structural standards in the 2026 DfE Technical Manual. Prior to joining the Civil Service, Rob spent 13 years in the private sector delivering a range of projects including surveys in Bangladesh following the Rana Plaza factory collapse.

Oana is a Chartered Engineer and Principal Consultant at Expedition Engineering, specialising in engineering-led strategic improvements on major UK infrastructure projects. Part of her work focuses on reducing errors in construction through a systemic and behavioural change approach, based on tools developed by the Get It Right Initiative (GIRI). She also sits on the GIRI Executive Board, where she leads the scaling of these approaches across the industry.