Thought Leader Consultant of the Year
Hannah has built her career around a simple belief: places matter, and the institutions that shape them carry profound responsibility.
Growing up in the North East, she saw how geography, opportunity and public services intertwine to shape people’s lives. That experience sparked a lasting curiosity about how cities function and how the institutions within them can improve outcomes for the communities they serve.
After working in private-sector investment and development across UK cities, she joined management consultancy in 2020 to focus on place-based strategy and urban economic development. Over the past five years she has helped build the firm’s housing, economic development and strategic place offer while leading major programmes for cities including Liverpool and Southampton.
Her work combines economic analysis with a strong focus on institutional leadership: helping civic leaders translate complex evidence into strategies that can be delivered and trusted.
This experience culminated in the creation of A Case for Cities, a national research programme she led, bringing together ten cities to explore the role cities play in driving economic growth and shaping effective governance. The programme combined comparative analysis, spatial research and engagement with city leaders to articulate a narrative about how cities function as economic systems. The report has since informed Local Government Reorganisation submissions and opened dialogue with national policymakers.
Across all her work she is motivated by the same goal: helping cities and the institutions within them act with greater clarity and confidence to improve opportunity for the communities they serve.
View the profile in the MCA Members Directory.