Richard Gawthorpe is a Chartered Surveyor and strategic business leader with more than 30 years' experience spanning private practice, local government, shared services, and public sector partnerships. As Group Director at Norse Group, he leads strategic growth, partnership development, and market engagement across the UK, working with local authorities to deliver sustainable solutions for communities and places. Having spent a decade in local government and a further eight years leading regulatory shared services across multiple councils, Richard brings a deep understanding of the challenges facing local authorities in planning, housing delivery and service transformation. He has played a leading role in developing public-private partnerships and joint venture models that unlock housing growth and deliver long-term social and economic value. Richard is passionate about helping councils translate planning and housing reform into tangible outcomes that create sustainable places and stronger communities.