Host
Sport and lifestyle presenter
Well-known to sports fans, Mark has led ITV’s Premiership and World Cup rugby coverage, as well as anchoring their Boat Race broadcast. He followed Premiership coverage as it moved to Channel 5, whilst for Sky he’s presented European golf, international cricket, Spanish football, and the daily round-up Sky Sports Centre, as well as rugby. He also hosted Sky’s reality show The Match, which pitted celebrities against professionals in a football match.
Away from the sporting arena Mark has guest hosted This Morning and fronted Package Holidays Undercover and Wish You Were Here – Now and Then, as well as the reality show spin-offs I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here Now!, and Hell’s Kitchen Extra Portions. He’s also hosted game and panel shows for ITV and Sky 1.
Mark has presented the game show Freeze Out, the BBC London Radio Breakfast Show, The National Lottery’s Millionaire Manor, and Design Wars. He’s also hosted American Princess, a primetime reality show for NBC in the States, and written a regular column in the Metro.
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Speakers
Former MP
Harriet Harman represented the diverse inner-city constituency of Camberwell and Peckham as the Labour Member of Parliament from 1982 to 2024. In 2024 she was appointed to the House of Lords as a life Peer.
Harriet joined a House of Commons which was 97% male and has been politics’ most prominent champion for women’s rights throughout her career. She held Cabinet positions in both the Blair and Brown Governments. She was the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party from 2007-2015 and Shadow Deputy Prime Minister from 2010-2015. She has twice served as Interim Leader of the Labour Party in 2010 and 2015 and was the first woman Labour politician to answer Prime Minister’s Questions. In 2017 Harriet became ‘Mother of the House’, the UK’s longest serving woman MP.
During the last Parliament, Harriet chaired the House of Commons Privileges committee inquiry which found in 2023 that the former Prime Minister Boris Johnson misled Parliament over “partygate”.
John Newcomb, BMF CEO said:
“Harriet Harman has had the most incredible career in politics and seen huge changes during that time. It is fitting that she will share her thoughts on the current political scene at the first BMF All Industry Conference to be held with a Labour Government in power during my tenure as CEO.
“Regular attendees will know that Harriet follows in the footsteps of other political heavyweight speakers including Michael Portillo (2013), Alistair Campbell (2015), Paddy Ashdown (2017), John Prescott (2019), John Bercow (2021) and Alan Johnson (2023). Once again, this session promises to be a highlight of our Conference.”
Industry Speakers
CEO, Stark Building Materials UK Ltd
John Carter, formerly the CEO at Travis Perkins, joined the STARK Group Executive Committee following its acquisition of Saint Gobain Building Distribution (SGBD) in 2023. Since his appointment, he has embarked on a major transformation of the STARK UK businesses and is now working with his newly appointed leadership team to deliver the company’s strategic growth initiatives.
John Newcomb, BMF CEO, said: “We are delighted that John has agreed to take part in next year’s Industry Forum. The BMF All Industry Conference is renowned for bringing together leading figures from across the industry to share knowledge and discuss the latest trends and challenges. John’s extensive experience and visionary leadership make him an ideal keynote speaker, to provide valuable insights both into the challenges and opportunities facing the industry and how STARK UK is transforming to bring something new and fresh to our sector.”
Chief Executive of Taylor Wimpey PLC
Jennie brings with her over thirty years’ experience in the sector. She is passionate about the social and economic benefits that housebuilding brings to communities across the UK and is an active member of the industry federation. She has been CEO of Taylor Wimpey, one of the UK’s largest residential developers, since 2022, having previously been Group Operations Director of the company.
She is also a member of the HBF Board, a non-executive director of New Homes Quality Board Limited, and previously served as a Board member for a not-for-profit housing trust. Having begun her career in the public sector, in local authority and planning roles, Jennie has extensive experience across the housebuilding sector and has demonstrated exceptional leadership and a razor-sharp operational focus throughout her career.
Chief Executive of the Home Builders Federation (HBF)
Neil joined the HBF in 2020 and heads an organisation whose members deliver around 80% of the new homes built in England and Wales each year. He is also a non-executive director at Future Homes Hub, an organisation that he and HBF co-founded in October 2021, and that brings together the new homes sector with ways to address climate and environmental challenges.
Neil’s previous roles include Chief Operating Officer of NHBC and Chief Executive of the Zero Carbon Hub, providing leadership in the government’s vision for zero carbon homes.
