Experience

Mercury Theatre

• United Kingdom
• Performing Arts
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Board Member and Trustee

  • Dec 2021 - Present



Braintree District Council

• United Kingdom
• Government Administration
• 100 - 200 Employee

• Corporate Director of Growth

  • Mar 2020 - Present

  I am currently responsible for all aspects of the authorities economic development activity (including business support, skills development, inward investment, tourism and town centre renewal programmes), our statutory planning functions (including planning policy, Local Plan and development management functions), asset management (including active management of a £45m property and investment portfolio) and delivery of the authorities Strategic Investment £80m+ capital programme (including a diverse range of regeneration and commercial investment projects). As one of three Corporate Directors at the authority, I also play a key leadership role across the authority supporting the direction and delivery of a number of key corporate priorities. Show less



Essex County Council

• Government Administration
• 700 & Above Employee

• Director of Economic Growth and Localities

  • Apr 2017 - Mar 2020

  In this role I was responsible for all aspects of the of the authorities work on economic growth (including inward investment, skills, broadband, international trade and engagement with the South East LEP), planning (engaging with 12 district and other partner authority local plans, creation of Minerals and Waste local plans for Essex, strategic growth planning and ECC's own development management activity), culture and green spaces (including the operation of 9 country parks, 4 outdoor education centres and the Essex Records Office) and Adult Community Learning (operating across 9 key sites and supporting over 23,000 enrolments a year). Show less

• Director for Commissioning: Economic Growth and Communities

  • Jun 2015 - Mar 2017

  In this role I was responsible for the authority’s partnership collaboration and commissioning of support to the Essex economy. I led the teams that commissioned and delivered our inward investment and enterprise support, the commissioning of ECC’s planning activities and engagement with highways and transportation teams. As such I led the identification and delivery of projects that sought to deliver the infrastructure, business support and skills development required to support the Essex economy to grow. As lead for engagement with the South East LEP I also led the secretariats work for the Greater Essex Business Board and engaged with partnerships both inside and out of Essex to ensure our common case for investment was put to the LEP and government, including the leadership of Essex’s bids for Local Growth Funding. Whilst in the role, I reviewed several aspects of ECC’s service delivery and identified considerable savings in support of bridging the authority’s budget gap, including the use of capital projects to deliver revenue returns. I used my membership of national professional bodies to support the re-consideration of ECC’s approach to economic growth, and instigated a new relationship with the largest and most influential businesses operating in Essex. Within ECC I led on deepening my team’s relationship with the council’s skills unit as well as becoming a key player in the design and delivery of ECC’s housing strategy. I also commissioned the first Growth and Infrastructure Framework for Essex, through which the first holistic understanding of the county’s collective infrastructure needs was developed, with full partner support. In my substantive role I was also responsible for the commissioning of activity in the areas of libraries, community safety and heritage, culture and the arts. Show less

• Head of Commissioning, Economic Growth

  • Nov 2013 - May 2015

  In this role I was responsible for the commissioning of a series of activities and programmes across ECC in support of the economic growth of Essex. Focussed primarily in supporting the development of the county's key strategic physical infrastructure, it was my responsibility to commission activity and project development from the councils economic growth and planning teams in support of housing, business and employment growth in Essex. This included the continued support of the Integrated County Strategy partnership and delivery of several elements of the Economic Plan for Essex, including continued work with the South East LEP and other key partners in pursuit of investment in the county's growth. Show less

• Senior Policy and Strategy Manager: Place

  • Jan 2012 - Oct 2013

  In this role I provided policy and strategy advice on economic growth and development issues to senior officers and elected Members, within ECC and across a partnership of Essex local authorities. My key responsibility was to support and drive the Greater Essex Integrated County Strategy; the key strategic economic partnership in Essex. This initially led to the development and progression of a common infrastructure investment plan, with a linked £20m investment fund that I managed. However as the focus of economic growth activity nationally shifted to that of working through Local Enterprise Partnerships, I worked across the county council and its partners to ensure that Essex put its best investment case forward to government through the South East LEP. During 2012 I supported the drafting and led the partnership engagement on ECC’s Economic Growth Strategy. This flowed into my taking a leading role in the development of the Economic Plan for Essex, the county wide statement of ambition and intent for the county's economic growth, encompassing a call for investment across Essex local authority, higher education and business partners. Show less

• Partnerships Manager

  • Nov 2007 - Dec 2011

  Through the leading of teams across ECC and working in partnership with Essex local authorities, business, voluntary and education communities, my key responsibility was to define, develop and deliver a business, volunteering and education legacy from the 2012 Games in Essex. Highlights delivered include the Queens Jubilee Award winning Essex Ambassador volunteer programme that I conceived and developed, leading me to advise the government and London Organising Committee on other regional 2012 volunteer programmes. I also led a team across ECC and partners to deliver an education programme that engaged over 30,000 children in 2012 themed development, including a separate NEET programme, and encouraged more businesses of any county in the East of England to join the 2012 procurement contracting portal. As a lead member of the team that secured the 2012 mountain bike venue for Essex, I project managed several elements of the venues delivery, including the engagement of the local community and businesses in the venue and the planning and delivery of the 2012 street dressing of the venues surrounding area. Show less

• Media and Editorial Team Leader

  • Mar 2007 - Nov 2007