The Team

Luke has been reporting on the implementation of smart technologies that benefit citizens and the public sector since 2017.

He has a particularly keen interest in smart and sustainable mobility and its role in influencing the decisions of urban planners, citizens and governments alike.

As rapid urbanisation continues, he keeps his finger on the pulse of the myriad urban challenges facing local and central governments, making new connections in the public and private sectors and finding new angles from which to cover the latest smart city developments around the world.

Contact details: LukeA@smartcitiesworld.net

Carlota Da Veiga Pestana is a seasoned commercial leader and director in the smart mobility space since 2016 and is delighted to be joining SmartCitiesWorld as their CCO.  

Prior to this role, Carlota held the role of Account director at Smart Mobility Living Lab London/TRL (a real world testbed in the heart of London) created to support the development of CAM services and technologies as well as  commercial director position at Bauer Media UK's B2B division ( Rail/Fleet /Automotive Retail) where she was responsible for the successful inception and launch of the Smart Transport brand and events to connect govt UK policy with the private sector. Strong client relationship management with an ability to access and influence at a senior level Carlota is committed to working with cities and the private sector to showcase deliverable global solutions to solve key urban challenges. 

MSc qualified in senior leadership and management from De Montford University in 2021, Carlota is looking forward to working with the SmartCitiesWorld team and customers at such a critical moment in the roadmap to decarbonisation. 

When not working Carlota loves to visit her second home Madeira where she was born and has family. 

Contact details: carlota.daveigapestana@smartcitiesworld.net

Sue Weekes has been news editor of SmartCitiesWorld since its launch in April 2016.

She has been writing about technology for more than 30 years, having tracked the early years of digital transformation in the 1990s.

She subsequently followed the rise and fall of the dotcom era and the shift to web- and cloud-based systems in the B2B sector throughout the noughties.

She is passionate about smart cities and the potential they have to improve quality of life for citizens and bring about a fairer, more equal society.

Contact details: suew@smartcitiesworld.net

John has over 17 years’ experience working with a range of global clients in technology, public sector, utilities & energy markets.

He has a passion for understanding a client’s objectives & goals, providing a consultative approach on the best platforms to connect their smart city solutions with our smart city audiences and working closely with clients to get the ROI they are looking for to showcase success.

John has worked for SmartCitiesWorld since 2017 and has a keen interest in the development of smart cities around the globe

Contact details: Tel: +44 (0) 20 7062 2535 | johno@smartcitiesworld.net

Nolan O’Connor has a wealth of knowledge tied up in SmartCitiesWorld having initially researched the market when launching the brand back in 2015.

His passion is to engage with audiences and bring them together for mutual benefit. This passion stems from his rich history in the events world which started back in 1999. He continues to engage with city personnel and organisations from across the world to ensure SmartCitiesWorld is delivering what members want and need.

Outside of work he is heavily involved with his children’s school, organising events for the enjoyment of parents and pupils alike - including Reindeer Poop Bingo! He was awarded England's 'Volunteer of the Year' in 2023 from the 24,000 schools.  You’ll also see him green fingered in London’s oldest allotment!

Contact details: Tel: +44 (0) 20 7062 2526 | nolano@smartcitiesworld.net

Victoria joined the SmartCitiesWorld team in 2024 in the role of Marketing Coordinator.

She is responsible for supporting the team's marketing efforts ensuring our content reaches the right people and having the right people in the right places when it comes to our live events. With an MA in publishing from UCL, she is looking forward to learning the ins and outs of smart city initiatives and working hard to bring the right people together to address climate change.

Coming from a background of retail management and bookselling, outside of work you can usually find her curled up with a good book.

Contact details: victoriah@smartcitiesworld.net

Paul assumed the Chair of SmartCitiesWorld’s Advisory Board in the summer of 2020. He has more than 20 years’ international experience in the Technology Media Telecom (TMT) sector, including as Chief Marketing Officer of $3bn SunGard Financial Systems. He then became the CEO of the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership – with responsibility for the economic strategy of this prosperous region of the UK. From there he established Bristol Is Open – a joint venture between the University of Bristol and Bristol City Council, which deployed a virtualized digital infrastructure across the city, winning various national and international Smart City prizes and accolades for the City.

Paul went on to advise the UK Government on its £200m 5G Testbeds & Trials Programme, became a co-founder of UK5G, and worked as TM Forum’s Chief Marketing Officer, helping the global digital association work with its members to set various open standards and best practices for companies transforming into digital service providers. Paul is passionate about the role of technology in helping to ease the challenges of rapid urbanization worldwide, about city-scale data governance models that empower citizens and protect their privacy, and about constructive ways to use virtualized technology to mitigate the effects of climate change and support the natural environment.

Paul has a Political Science degree from the University of Birmingham, a Post-grad diploma in Broadcast Journalism from City University, London, and an eMBA from Cass Business School, London. He lives with his family in Bristol.

Contact details: paul.wilson@smartcitiesworld.net

Sandra has worked with city leaders and smart city companies, worldwide, for over 25 years, helping them discover the power of partnerships across city ecosystems to build trust, support city innovation and discover new paths to bigger, bolder urban transformation.

She leads Personal Cities, a smart city company focused on city identity and placemaking, social inclusion and equity, climate actions and the acceleration of digital technology investments to support innovators and entrepreneurs.  She is most passionate to help city leaders “think differently” and form new coalitions that will help us meet the challenges of our uncertain and continually evolving world.

She is confident that our commitment to improving urban life and our enduring collaborative relationships will enable us to create a future that all of us want to visit.  

Contact details: sandra@personalcities.org 

Clay Garner leads public-private partnerships focused on improving urban infrastructure and economic opportunity. He joined SmartCitiesWorld as an Innovation Ambassador in 2023, sitting on the Knowledge Community for NEOM and the Global Cybersecurity Forum Institute. 

Previously, Clay was Chief Innovation Officer to Mayor Sam Liccardo of San Jose, where he drove efforts to bridge the digital divide for 300,000 residents, invest in the future of mobility, pass the city’s first digital privacy policy, and recruit tech talent from Silicon Valley. Prior to entering city service, Clay worked at Google and was a Schwarzman Scholar at Tsinghua University.

Before he got into civic tech, Garner enjoyed a brief stint as a teenage music phenom in China, when his covers of Mandarin pop songs went viral on Chinese social media platforms. He is a graduate of Stanford University and is fluent in Spanish and Mandarin Chinese.

A creative graphic designer with over 20 years of experience and who has a passion for all aspects of design including fashion and interiors.

After graduating with a BA (Hons) Lydia has worked with a rich variety of clients including publishing, advertising and estate agencies.

She has a customer focused approach, is highly organised with a keen ability to meet tight deadlines.

Contact details: Tel: + 44 (0) 7768 587867 | lydiac@smartcitiesworld.net