Salford City Deputy Mayor Jack Youd heads up a team of senior officers from Salford City Council attending this year’s MIPIM event.
The team’s focus will be once again raising the profile of the city and positioning Salford as an innovative, forward-thinking city on a global stage. There’ll be opportunities to highlight the unique growth potential and the range of current regeneration projects in scope across the city.
Heading out to Cannes, France, from 11-14 March for the event presents the team with the chance to meet with developers and public sector officials from cities and regions across the world.
Jack Youd, Deputy City Mayor and Lead Member for Finance, Support Services and Regeneration, said:
“As always, MIPIM presents an important opportunity for the city, and as a first-time attendee, I’m excited to experience everything the event has to offer.
We’ve laid out our commitment to delivering good growth and creating places where people want to live via our council’s Corporate Plan. Our strategy of achieving positive and beneficial growth through regeneration is vital for our city and our residents. The connections made and developed at MIPIM are central to achieving our goals.
Our focus will be to continue the positive work that’s already taken place. We need to build the profile of the city further and ensure potential investors and partners have Salford in the forefront of their minds.”
Salford City Council has long identified MIPIM as an important opportunity to share the city’s regeneration story and highlight the city’s vision for the future with those who have the potential to help deliver and achieve it.
This year, there’s plenty for the team to highlight. Salford has experienced significant growth and investment in recent years, and this is now having a positive knock-on effect. Investment attracts further investment and leads to future development opportunities throughout the city. Current priorities include the new ambitious visions for the town centre redevelopment of Eccles and Swinton and the upcoming Strangeways and Cambridge Strategic Regeneration Framework. The new emerging Mayoral Development Zone at the Western Gateway, future plans at MediaCity and the importance of affordable social housing through Derive all present opportunities for developers and investors.
The key objectives for attending MIPIM are: raising the city’s profile on an international stage, highlighting the exciting development opportunities on the horizon, and making those connections with potential developer partners.
The Salford City Council team is:
Jack Youd, Deputy City Mayor and Lead Member for Finance, Support Services and Regeneration
Jack was elected in 2021 to represent Walkden North ward and also serves as the election agent for the directly elected City Mayor, Paul Dennett.
On election, Jack was made the Executive Support for Procurement and Social Value, overseeing a large increase in the number of Foundation Living Wage accredited employers in Salford. In 2022, Jack was promoted to the Lead Member for Finance and Support Services.
In 2024, Jack was appointed to the position of Deputy City Mayor and added the Property & Regeneration portfolio to his roles and responsibilities. Jack also substitutes for the City Mayor at Greater Manchester Combined Authority and sits on the Greater Manchester Economy Board and Greater Manchester Pension Fund.
Jack is also chair of the Board of Directors of Salford Credit Union and has been a non-executive director on SCU for 10 years.
John Searle, Executive Director Place
John has 25 years’ experience in the public and private sector in economic development and physical regeneration across Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside with direct experience of implementing urban regeneration schemes and commercial property development. John joined Salford in November 2021 and is responsible for regeneration, property, development and investments, planning and building control, highways and technical services, operational services and employment and skills. This involves a gross revenue budget of over £90m and a capital programme of over £100m for 2022/23.
He is currently overseeing Salford’s ambitious growth plans to deliver 40,000 new jobs and homes by 2040 by building on the city’s four strategic growth locations (City Centre Salford, Salford Quays and MediaCity, Greater Manchester Western Gateway, including Port Salford and Salford’s Town Centres).
John previously worked for 15 years at Rochdale Council/Rochdale Development Agency on the £400m investment programme in Rochdale Town Centre, the development of the 420-acre Kingsway Business Park and the GM Spatial Framework proposal known as Northern Gateway.
Stephanie Mullenger, Interim Director Property and Housing
Steph has been working in Property since she was 16 and started as an estate agent in London. She completed her and RICS qualifications whilst working and has been involved with all aspects of the industry across all asset types and in several different countries.
She moved to the Northwest from London in 1997 and has over 25 years’ director and board level industry experience with a track record of success in developing multi-site retail, office leisure and residential estates and award winning, high performing teams.
She has worked for the Co-op, London Regional Transport, Global Property Consultants, and Banks and has been MD for Manchester Airport Group Property and Urban Splash. She also ran for 10 years her successful property consultancy before joining Salford City Council in 2023.
In March 2024, Steph was appointed as the Interim Director of Property and Housing.
Sarah Ashurst, Head of Partnerships and Investment, Salford City Council
Sarah has extensive experience in delivering the city’s regeneration ambitions during her time working for the council.
She leads a team of officers with a focus on driving the growth of the city, working with a range of public and private sector development partners, funding agencies, Greater Manchester partners and international investors and has a portfolio covering the whole of the city.
Full programme with Salford-attended panel sessions
Place North Stand
8:30 - Welcome from Northern Local Authorities Featuring: Stephanie Mullenger, Interim Director Property and Housing.
The Manchester Stand
10:30 - Place based sustainable growth: How the Manchester city region is unlocking and supporting development
Featuring John Searle, Executive Director, Place
The Manchester Stand
14:30 - Two cities and a river: Strangeways Strategic Regeneration Framework Featuring Jack Youd, Deputy City Mayor and Lead Member for Finance, Support Services and Regeneration
MIPIM UK Stage
15:00 - Faster, bigger, better - How can the North become the UK's development driver?
Featuring John Searle, Executive Director, Place
Canopy by Hilton
08:00 - Place North MIPIM Breakfast Conference Featuring John Searle, Executive Director
The Manchester Stand
14:00 - Beyond Old Trafford: Exploring wider regeneration opportunities in Trafford and Salford
Featuring Jack Youd, Deputy City Mayor and Lead Member for Finance, Support Services and Regeneration