Ruth Duston is a leading authority on urban regeneration and place-based partnerships, with over 35 years’ experience working across the public and private sectors. Ruth started her career working on the London Docklands development, which then led to her being involved in other major urban regeneration schemes, including Paddington Basin and Kings Cross.
Through her work, Ruth has played a pivotal role in establishing and leading some of London’s most influential business districts, helping to unlock significant private-sector investment and drive long-term economic growth, world-leading place management initiatives and innovative regeneration models.
She is the Founder and Chief Executive of Primera Corporation, a specialist consultancy that supports business communities and delivers transformational Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) and partnerships across Central London. With a portfolio of 16 business-led partnerships, Primera is uniquely placed as a company covering most of Central London’s prime real estate and most of the top FTSE 100 companies, representing over 1 million employees.
Ruth also serves as the Chief Executive of London Heritage Quarter, a portfolio of 4 Business Improvement Districts in Westminster, which includes a UNESCO World Heritage site.
In addition, Ruth holds several senior governance and advisory roles and is widely respected for her leadership in placemaking, stakeholder engagement and strategic partnership working. Ruth is often asked to speak at conferences and seminars globally on topics such as the future of the urban environment, trends in placemaking and the development of innovative public-private partnerships.
In recognition of her services to business and urban regeneration, Ruth was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by HM Queen Elizabeth II. She was also awarded the Order of the Crown (OC) by the King of Belgium for her fundraising and charitable work connected to the Flanders Field Memorial Garden.
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