Katie Stewart, Executive Director for Environment at the City of London Corporation, has taken over the role of ADEPT President for the forthcoming year.

In her inaugural address at the ADEPT Spring Conference and President’s Awards on the 13th May 2026, Katie outlined her Presidential theme for the year ahead: the Place Director of the future. 

The theme reflects the rapidly changing role of place leaders and the need for local government to continue evolving in response to political, technological, environmental and societal change.

Building on the foundations laid during ADEPT’s 140th anniversary year and following Angela Jones’ Presidential theme of Making the Case for People and Place, Katie’s priorities will focus on the ways in which place directors can lead confidently through uncertainty, support the next generation of leaders and strengthen the resilience and adaptability of the sector.

In summary, her priorities target three key areas:

1. Leadership and succession – developing and supporting the next generation of place leaders.
2. Skills and resilience – building the capability, confidence and adaptability that our current place leaders need for a rapidly changing world.
3. Community and support – strengthening collaboration, peer networks and opportunities for professional support across the sector.

Further information on each of the priorities is detailed below:

• Leadership and succession – the role of the place director is evolving rapidly and the sector must ensure future leaders are equipped to succeed. This includes strengthening leadership development, succession planning and diversity across the profession, while creating clearer pathways for talented people to progress into senior roles. Katie will build on ADEPT’s existing work around leadership development, recruitment, digital skills and inclusion to help ensure the profession reflects the communities it serves and continues to evolve to be fit for the future.
• Skills and resilience – today’s place leaders are operating in increasingly complex environments, balancing political change, financial pressures, technological advancement and growing public expectations. Katie’s focus will include helping place directors and their teams develop the skills needed for modern leadership, including emotional intelligence, resilience, judgement and the ability to navigate uncertainty. It will also explore how data, digital innovation and artificial intelligence can support better decision making and more effective public services.
• Community and support – In her Presidential year, Katie wants to strengthen the sense of community at the heart of ADEPT, recognising the increasing pressures facing place leaders across the country. 

She intends to continue to champion open, honest and practical conversations across the sector, creating space for members to share experiences, learn from one another and support each other through change. Strengthening peer networks and collaboration will be central to helping place directors lead successfully in increasingly demanding roles.

Katie also reflected on the significance of leading ADEPT during its 140th anniversary year, highlighting the importance of preparing both the organisation and the wider profession for the future.

Speaking about her theme, Katie said the pace of change facing local government means place leadership must continue to evolve: 

“Change is no longer something we respond to. It is the environment we work in every single day. It is the job.”

Katie Stewart concluded with a plea for a greater emphasis on team work.

“Use ADEPT as it is meant to be used. As a space to challenge, support and grow. Have the difficult conversations. Shout about what is working and what is not. And help us define, together, what the place director of the future really looks like. Because if we get that right, everything else follows.

“I am hugely excited for the year ahead. Excited about the conversations we will have and the work we’ll do. Excited about the people we will support.

“And excited about what we can achieve together.”

(Picture: ADEPT)