Speakers
Sophie Long
Ruslan Potapov
Tobias Bækhøj
Sean Pike
Alan Armstrong
Technical excellence
We are delighted that the following innovative projects will be showcased.Huddinge's municpal center, Sweden by AT-PAC and Scaffco
Presented by: Ruslan Potapov, Project Manager, AT-PAC and Tobias Bækhøj, Partner & Head of Business Development,Scaffco
Sands Centre, Carlisle, Cumbria by Layher and Laidlaw Scaffolding
Presented by: Sean Pike, Managing Director, Layher Ltd and Alan Armstrong, Operations Manager and Kenneth Scott, Scaffokd Manager, Laidlaw Scaffolding
Session overview: By removing climate as a limiting factor temporary roofing protects the workforce and keeps projects moving through extreme conditions. This session showcases three ambitious projects that required innovative design and engineering excellence to overcome complex challenges and keep projects moving forward.
Why this session matters: Get temporary roofing wrong and the consequences ripple through an entire project. This session looks at different approaches to the same core challenge: protecting people, materials and heritage assets from the elements without compromising safety, access or timeline. Whether you design, estimate or deliver roofing systems, you'll leave with sharper insight into the decisions behind these projects.
Sophie Long is an award-winning journalist with over 25 years of multi-platform broadcasting experience.
A Kings College London graduate in War Studies, she spent more than 20 years as a news correspondent and anchor for the BBC, serving as a main presenter on the BBC News Channel for a decade. She has covered major global news stories, every General Election since 2001, and reported from the Americas, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. As BBC West Coast Correspondent in Los Angeles, she covered presidential elections, natural disasters and the Oscars. She now hosts live events, chairs conferences, moderates panels and hosts awards ceremonies.
Ruslan Potapov is the Product Manager for Scaffolding at AT-PAC, a company of the umdasch Industrial Solutions. By his own admission, he has been “absurdly passionate” about scaffolding for more than 15 years, building a career that started in engineering, moved through international sales, and ended up in his current role as a product manager.
Throughout his career, Ruslan has been a strong advocate for system scaffolding, safer working methods, and practical solutions that improve the way scaffolding is designed, assembled, and used. He has worked with major international manufacturers and supported projects from jobsites across the Middle East through to markets across Europe. Now based at AT-PAC’s headquarters in Amstetten, Austria, he manages EU product development and supports global product strategy.
Having trained scaffolders and scaffolding engineers around the world, Ruslan focuses on sharing best practices gained throughout his career. At ScaffEx26, he will demonstrate how practical innovation in scaffolding and temporary roofing can reduce labour requirements, improve safety, and deliver better commercial outcomes for contractors.
Tobias Bækhøj is Partner and Head of Business Development at SCAFFCO A/S, a Danish company specialising in innovative temporary roofing systems. He works at the intersection of engineering, product development and practical project delivery, with a particular interest in solving complex temporary roofing challenges and applying materials in new and more effective ways.
Tobias is a co-inventor of the SCAFFIX, MAMMUT and SCAFFCLIMB systems. Together, these developments address challenges ranging from efficient assembly and large free spans to climbing roof solutions for demanding construction projects. His work combines technical understanding with a strong focus on safety, usability and the realities faced by contractors on site.
Driven by a belief that temporary roofing should continue to evolve, Tobias is committed to advancing the industry through thoughtful innovation and close collaboration with customers and project partners.
Sean Pike is the Managing Director of Layher UK and recently celebrated 27 years with the company. Layher Ltd is described as the world's largest manufacturer of modular systems, specialising in scaffolding equipment and solutions.
As Managing Director, Sean has played a pivotal role in shaping Layher's reputation as a trusted, client-focused solutions provider, helping build and lead a team known for its service, support, and commitment to excellence. He's been instrumental in introducing new products and innovations to the UK market and has been a prominent figure in the scaffolding industry for over two decades.
Alan Armstrong is Managing Director of Laidlaw Scaffolding, having been at Laidlaw’s for 20 years. He started as a scaffold trainee working up to managing Laidlaw Scaffolding Ltd and Laidlaw Building & Conservation Ltd. Alan brings many years of construction experience and a track record of delivering successful projects through strong managerial, communication, and problem-solving skills. He has led a wide range of heritage and restoration projects,including the Grade1-listed Lilburn Clock Tower, Port House in Jedburgh, and Monteviot House's bell tower and chimney works, alongside conversions such as the Old Jedforest Hotel and Lylestane Farm's buildings. His expertise spans cost management, procurement, contract negotiation, and value engineering. Alan holds a CIOB in Construction Senior Management, an HNC in Construction Management, and qualifications including CISRS Advanced Scaffold Inspector and SMSTS.
He worked with Layher scaffolding for 20 years.
Kenny Scott has been at Laidlaw’s for 24 years, starting as a trainee scaffolder and working up through advanced, inspector, foreman and now sits as scaffold manager, in charge of the day-to-day running.
He has a massive amount of knowledge and experience in Layher from standard scaffolding through to complex roofing and bridging.