Professor Francis Livens is Director of the Dalton Nuclear Institute, responsible for coordination of nuclear research and education across The University of Manchester. He is particularly focused on the linkages between Science & Engineering and Humanities, addressing the societal, cultural and organisational aspects of implementing nuclear technologies in modern societies. He was Nuclear Theme Champion at the Henry Royce Institute from 2017 to 2021. Francis has worked for over 30 years in environmental radioactivity and actinide chemistry, starting his career with the Natural Environment Research Council, where he was involved in the response to the Chernobyl accident. He has worked in many aspects of nuclear fuel cycle research, including effluent treatment, waste immobilisation and actinide chemistry. He has been a member of NIRAB since 2018, is a member of the Office of Nuclear Regulation Independent Advisory Panel, and has recently been appointed as Non-Executive Director of NDA. He has also performed numerous other important advisory roles in the UK and internationally, as a recognised expert in radiochemistry in particular plutonium and nuclear materials.

Kirsty Armer is the Director of Westinghouse Government Services UK and brings over 25 years’ nuclear experience in a wide variety of leadership roles encompassing commercial sales, nuclear fuel manufacturing operations, decommissioning and waste management, quality and continuous improvement, and health physics and safety – in the UK and globally within Westinghouse. She has been a board director of Springfields Fuels Limited for over 10 years and has extensive experience in nuclear site operations. Kirsty holds a BSc degree in Physics from Manchester University, an MBA from Lancaster University and is a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt.

Alyson Armett is the Strategy and Planning Director for Sellafield Ltd, the company responsible for the operation and clean-up of the UK’s largest nuclear site. She is responsible for setting the strategic direction for the business and developing its strategic and delivery plans in line with Government policy and Nuclear Decommissioning Authority strategy. Prior to joining Sellafield Ltd, Alyson worked for the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and has a thorough knowledge of the challenges associated with decommissioning the UK’s civil nuclear sites.

Alyson is a highly experienced portfolio and programme manager with experience of delivering and assuring complex portfolios and programmes of work in highly regulated environments in the public and private sectors. She is a chartered engineer and registered project professional; has a degree in physics from the University of Edinburgh and a MBA from Warwick University; and is a high-risk review team leader for the Cabinet Office’s Infrastructure and Projects Authority. Prior to joining the nuclear industry, Alyson worked in engineering, operational and technical consultancy roles in the rail and steel industries.

Professor Gregg Butler read Metallurgy and completed a PhD on uranium alloys at University College Swansea. He worked for British Nuclear Fuels plc in R&D, planning, commercial, plant and general management posts in fuel manufacture, centrifuge enrichment, reprocessing, waste treatment and disposal. Gregg was Deputy Chief Executive from 1993-1996, a Director of UK Nirex (1990-1994), and MD of Pangea Resources Australia Pty Ltd (1998/99). He was a member of the Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee (1994-2004), and of the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (2012-2019).

Gregg is now Head of Strategic Assessment at the Dalton Nuclear Institute and directs Integrated Decision Management Ltd. He has published extensively on a broad range of nuclear topics, recently centred round the role of ‘nuclear energy in general and AMRs in particular’ in ‘Carbon Net Zero by 2050’, and the need for a ‘Level Playing Field’ in assessing the UK’s various possible decarbonisation paths.

Alun Ellis is an independent member of the EdF Generation Nuclear Safety Committee and an independent assessor for the University of Cumbria nuclear engineer and nuclear scientist apprenticeship scheme. He worked for 40 years as an engineer, manager and director in the civil nuclear industry. As well as operational positions at Wylfa and Trawsfynydd he managed technical projects to support operation of the Magnox power stations and directed research, development, and community engagement activities to progress the establishment of a geological disposal facility for UK higher activity nuclear wastes. Alun is a Chartered Engineer and a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

Malcolm Joyce is Professor of Nuclear Engineering at Lancaster University and Associate Dean for Research (Cross-faculty). His industrial experience includes Smith System Engineering Ltd., BNFL plc. and Hybrid Instruments Ltd. He specialises in nuclear instrumentation, particularly radiation imaging with robots and neutron detection. He is a Chartered Engineer, a Fellow of the Nuclear Institute, Editor on the journal ‘Progress in Nuclear Energy’ and Associate Editor for IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science. He led the Nuclear Lessons Learned study, on behalf of the Royal Academy of Engineering and Engineering the Future, and is co-investigator of the management group of the National Nuclear User Facility (NNUF). He received a higher Doctorate (DEng) in 2012, was awarded the James Watt medal by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) in 2014 and a Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award in 2016. In 2017 he completed the text: ‘Nuclear Engineering: A Conceptual Guide to Nuclear Power’.

Mike Lewis is a chartered nuclear engineer with over 40 years experience in the nuclear sector in the UK and internationally (Europe, Canada, Middle East). He brings knowledge and insight from positions in nuclear design, engineering, operations, and expert services, for established and new build nuclear facilities. Mike’s principal technical expertise lies in the technology, safety and risk assessment, and licensing of nuclear power stations. In addition to leading a number of key projects in these areas during his career, he now provides expert advice to a UK nuclear safety committee and to organisations on the potential applications of nuclear technology.

Mike was previously Head of Nuclear Technology at Horizon Nuclear Power, Head of a team delivering international nuclear services, consultant to the IAEA, and is now the Director of Lewis Risk Consulting Limited.

John Stairmand is the Technical Director of the Technology & Cyber Solutions business of Jacobs. He is a fellow of the IChemE and has worked on nuclear fuel cycle R&D, and subsequently in the pharmaceutical and petrochemical industries. He was Director for the Jacobs Materials Science and Structural Integrity business, developing several reactor-facing internationally leading technologies, and managing the establishment of the “High Temperature Facility”. In his current role he has technical oversight of Jacobs laboratories and associated engineering services with a focus on SMR, AMR, fusion, current class reactors and decommissioning.

John has been an active member of the EPSRC peer review college for about 25 years, and is a member of their Strategic Advisory Network. He is a visiting Professor at the Dalton Nuclear Institute of Manchester University and the Nuclear Futures Institute of Bangor University.