Experience and assignments

Economic Development Strategies

*Currently advising one of the largest property developers in the Middle East on the creation of a new economic city in Saudi Arabia.
Previously:

• Lead consultant on preparation of skills and employment strategy for London following the devolution of strategic power over adult vocational education to the Mayor of London.
• Lead authorship of strategy to reduce worklessness in London by 70,000 launched by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, CEO of the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games and senior business representatives.
• Lead authorship of the statutory economic devleopment strategy for UK RDA.
• Comprehensive debt sustainability analysis for economy in southern Africa involving nearly $10 billion debt, in multiple currencies and with varying concessionality, and negotiation of debt reduction scheme through Paris Club and bilateral negotiations.
• Coordinator, project manager and lead authorship of a comprehensive public expenditure review for a small economy in West Africa, covering health, education, agriculture, transport, energy, and macroeconomic management. The strategy formed the basis of government policy for several years.
• Review of corporate governance in Hungary, a study of the residual public sector following the fall of the iron curtain in 1990.

Review and assessment of taxation system of West Bank and Gaza including Arabic language guide to tax law for SMEs and evaluation in context of international law.

Public-private partnership

• Development of local supply chain and employment schemes for businesses engaged with 2012 Olympics.
• Orchestration of meet-the-entrepreneur innovation events for SMEs in London
• Development of sector-based networks of businesses in creative, design and science-based sectors in London
• UK financial sector development including assessment of financial risks facing UK banks and businesses and development of SME equity funds
• Export promotion for businesses in West Africa

Capacity Building

• Establishment of key functionality at UK regional development agency, including establishment of a strategy function; merging of business, employment support and international promotion divisions of the organization; and launching of a new department dedicated to realizing the social and economic legacy from the 2012 Olympic Games.
• Comprehensive review and reform of London’s business information, diagnosis and brokerage services
• Cluster development strategy for London including launch of award winning City Growth Strategies.
• Comprehensive overhaul of central bank international forecasting process and introduction of new forecasting technology
• Review of civil service effectiveness and efficiency in Jordan as part of World Bank funded technical assistance. Comprehensive overview of key ministries and public agencies, including cost, delivery record and prospects of the administration.