Lighting Live Annual Conference 2025 | 'Keynote Session and Q&A Panel'

Karen Farquharson - Director, Proving Services Ltd

Karen is a chartered accountant and a founding director of Proving Services Ltd, a research-led consultancy formed in 2003, based at Cranfield University.

Proving has developed tools and processes, based on the latest academic research and industry best practice, that support organisations in making confident and informed business decisions relating to optimal service delivery models, business change projects and delivery of value for money.

Proving established and managing the Future Highways Research Group (FHRG), comprising 40 highways authorities; leading the highways sector in identifying, designing and testing new technologies and methods to meet the current and emergent challenges.

Fiona Horgan - Head of Lighting and Traffic Engineering, Islington Council

Fiona leads borough-wide traffic schemes, road safety initiatives, and the lighting PFI. Her team are driving forward some of the borough’s most ambitious programmes to create healthier neighbourhoods. With over 20 years in public sector engineering, she is known for championing safer, more inclusive infrastructure design.

As the former President of the Institution of Lighting Professionals (ILP), Fiona brought a vision of equity and innovation to the forefront of the profession, leading on the 2026 strategy that has achieved projects such as Pathways into Lighting and co-founded the Women Lighting Professionals (WLP), a pioneering subgroup that supports women and underrepresented groups in lighting.

Emily Madsen - Lighting and Intelligent Transport Systems Manager, Staffordshire County Council

Emily has over 8 years’ experience at Staffordshire County Council, managing the county’s street lighting and ITS infrastructure. She began her career as a traffic signals engineer and now embraces the challenges of street lighting, particularly those presented by the large-scale PFI contract.

She successfully delivered Phase 1 of the LED conversion programme—upgrading 47,000 assets and saving £2.2 million annually in energy, securing approval for a second phase covering 15,000 more.

Emily holds an MBA and received the apprenticeship award and the “Judges’ Best Paper and Presentation” for her dissertation presented to ITS professionals. A proud Staffordshire resident, Emily is committed to delivering cost-effective, safe, and sustainable services.

Mark Oshea- Commercial Specialist - Assistant Director for Operational Performance, National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority

Mark is an engineer, asset manager and currently an Assistant Director for the NISTA PFI Centre of Excellence team.  A PFI /PPP infrastructure specialist, experienced across healthcare, MoD, education, and transport sectors. Mark is involved in PFI asset and lifecycle management, industry guidance, asset data and wider AI strategies. Prior to NISTA, Mark was a Senior Asset Manager for Vercity Consultancy and has spent time at Engie and Carillion.

Elizabeth Thomas - Lighting Manager, Walsall Council

Elizabeth Thomas brings over 30 years of experience in the lighting industry and currently serves as Public Lighting Manager at Walsall Council.

With a strong foundation in engineering and public infrastructure, she leads the council’s street lighting Private Finance Initiative (PFI), overseeing the planning, maintenance, and modernisation of lighting assets to meet strategic goals.