The Emerging Talent Programme launched in January 2022. The fourth cohort graduated in July 2026 after completing two placements with leading employers in the built environment sector. Meet the candidates and find out about their mentors and placements below.

Find out how employers benefit from offering work placements for the Emerging Talent Programme

Cohort 4 candidates – 2025/26

Ida Carty

First Placement: Westminster City Council – City Planning Policy Team
Second Placement: Altair

Siri Hassan Jain

First Placement: Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation
Second Placement: Greater London Authority

Yana Bernard Banton

First Placement: Altair
Second Placement: Westminster City Council

Kaan Gullu

First Placement: Peabody
Second Placement: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Luke Morgan

First Placement: Greater London Authority
Second Placement: Campbell Tickell

Aileen Salfarlie

First Placement: Campbell Tickell
Second Placement: Peabody

Cohort 3 graduates – 2024/25

Salimat Bakare

First Placement: Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

Dionne Bimpong

First Placement: Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC)

Second placement: Lambeth Council

Sonia Halili

First Placement: London Borough of Lambeth

Second placement: L&Q

Yangyang Li

First Placement: Linkcity

Second placement: Camden Council

Daniel Francisco Paulino-Arroyo

First Placement: L&Q

Second placement: Greater London Authority

Srivardhan Rajalingam

First Placement: London Borough of Camden

Second placement: Southwark Council

Warith Said

First Placement: London Borough of Southwark

Dayantara Santano

First Placement: The Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC)

Second placement: Bouygues UK

Abdulrahman Yinusa

First Placement: Greater London Authority (GLA)

Second placement: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG)

Cohort 2 graduates – 2023/24

Madeleine Agyman-Badu

First Placement: London Borough of Haringey

Second Placement: Sanctuary Housing

Preet Bhambra

First Placement: London Borough of Camden

Second Placement: Greater London Authority (GLA)

Celdirito De Campos

First Placement: London Borough of Waltham Forest

Second Placement: L&Q

Jacques Dhillon

First Placement: Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC)

Martine Ekango

First Placement: L&Q

Second Placement: London Borough of Southwark

Patricia Fung

First Placement: London Borough of Southwark

Second Placement: Altair

Riyad Kabir

First Placement: Greater London Authority (GLA)

Second Placement: London Borough of Waltham Forest

Syeda Mafique

First Placement: London Borough of Westminster

Caisha Mohamud

First Placement: Yoo Capital

Second Placement: London Borough of Camden

Sandra Moukam

First Placement: Altair

Second Placement: London Borough of Haringey

Nithushan Rajaratnam

First Placement: Southern Housing

Second Placement: Westminster City Council

Fiona Rodrigues

First Placement: Greater London Authority (GLA)

Second Placement: Yoo Capital

Mariga Thoithi

First Placement: London Borough of Southwark

Second Placement: Greater London Authority (GLA)

Cohort 1 graduates – 2022/23

Aliya Sheikh

First placement: The Hill Group

Second placement: LB Haringey

Third placement: Southern Housing

Bébert Longi

First placement: Quod

Second placement: Campbell Tickell

Third placement: Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Elizabeth McLeod

First placement: LB Hounslow

Second placement: Greater London Authority

Third placement: Quod

Enola Nahedh

First placement: RB Kensington & Chelsea

Fahad Abid

First placement: Southern Housing Group

Second placement: DP9

Third placement: LB Haringey

Faiza Uddin

First placement: LB Enfield

Second placement: Historic England

Third placement: Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing

Israel Aguirre

First placement: LB Camden

Second placement: Southern Housing Group

Third placement: Socius Developments

Khuzaymah Pathan

First placement: Sanctuary Housing

Second placement: LB Camden

Third Placement: The Hill Group

Kinta Marna

First placement: LB Haringey

Second placement: The Hill Group

Leila Atallah

First placement: Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing

Second placement: Socius Developments

Third placement: LB Camden

Nour Al-Ahmad

First placement: LB Barnet

Precious Oppong-Gymiah

First placement: Arup

Second placement: Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Third placement: RB Kensington & Chelsea

Rhianna Malcolm

First placement: Greater London Authority

Second placement: Arup

Third placement: Campbell Tickell

Safaa Usmani

First placement: Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Second placement: Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing

Third placement: Arup

Teneisha Lawrence

First placement: LB Haringey

Second placement: Quod

Third placement: Greater London Authority

Mentors

Each candidate on the Emerging Talent Programme receives one-to-one support with a mentor from Future of London’s extensive cross-sector network. These mentors provide a ‘safe space’ sounding board for candidates, as well as invaluable experience and insights from their own careers. See here for more about mentoring.

Cohort 1 Mentors:

Abul Hussain, Afforable Housing Manager, City of Westminster
Bhavna Brooker, Spatial Planning Programme Lead, Greater London Authority/Transport for London
Carla Smyth, Head of Design, London Legacy Development Corporation
Ciara Whelehan, Spatial Planning Manager, LB Brent
Emily Read, Regeneration Manager, LB Haringey
Kaiyil Gnanakumaran, Senior Designer, London Legacy Development Corporation
Michael Westbrook, Interim Managing Director, BDreside
Monique Wallace, Strategic Planning Manager, LB Lewisham
Philippa Bancroft, Senior Manager, Greater London Authority
Rheanne Holm, Head of Neighbourhood Regeneration, LB Lambeth
Ruth Angel, Project Manager, LB Hackney
Ruth Lin Wong Holmes, Design Principal, London Legacy Development Corporation
Sarah Birt, Senior Development Manager, Greater London Authority
Sarah Buxton, Area Planning Manager, LB Sutton
Scott Bryant, Senior Area Manager, Greater London Authority

Cohort 2 Mentors:

Amandeep Kalra, Associate Director, Be First
Bhavna Booker, Senior GLA Group Collaboration Manager , Greater London Authority/Transport for London
Cheryl Bannerman, Senior Consultant, Inner Circle Consulting
Christine Wood, Senior Development Manager, Greater London Authority
Ciara Whelehan, Spatial Planning Manager, LB Brent
Grace Nelson, Harlesden and Church End Town Centre Manager, LB Brent
Hassan Ahmed, Principal Strategic Planner, Greater London Authority
Ilana Manuel, Senior Programme Manager, London Legacy Development Corporation
Karen Daye, Principal Planner, LB Bromley
Naima Ihsan, Principal Transport Planner, LB Haringey
Nathan Vasey, Strategic Manager – Sectors, Enterprise and Investment, Westminster City Council
Nyemu Nhembe Holness, Regeneration Manager, London Borough of Lambeth
So Sum Lee, Senior Consultant, SQW

Cohort 3 Mentors:

Amma Coleman-Green, Principal Policy Officer, Greater London Authority
Hassan Ahmed, Principal Strategic Planner, Greater London Authority
Ludo Pittie, Fellow, Landscape Advisory, WSP
Maya Davies, Head of Area Regeneration, Hounslow Council
Mary-Helen Young, Culture and night time condultant, Mary-Helen Young Consulting
Sarah Atkinson, Interim Head of Marketing, Communications & Engagement, Greater London Authority
Stephen Boateng, Senior Development Manager, Places for People

Cohort 4 Mentors:

Hassan Ahmed, Principal Strategic Planner, Greater London Authority
Gita Tandon, Senior Design Managerat, Lovell
Mohammed Ahmed, Area manager, Greater London Authority
Vaggy Georgali, Principal Strategic Planne, Greater London Authority
Vicky Clark, Director, Irvine-Clark

If you’re interested in becoming a mentor or your organisation is looking to get involved as a host or sponsor of the Emerging Talent Programme, then please contact Nicola Mathers.