APSE associate consultants

Albert Light

Albert has over 30 years experience working in the public sector for/with local authorities, initially as a civil engineer and culminating in the post of Head of Contract Services for Hertsmere Borough Council. A seasoned waste professional who is also experienced in the procurement and management of a range of other “blue collar” public services including; Leisure, Grounds Maintenance, and Parks, Albert is an experienced consultant who has undertaken a range of projects for District Council waste collection authorities, County Council disposal authorities and Unitary authorities. Specific skills include development of joint municipal waste strategies, feasibility studies on waste management processes, fundamental ‘value for money’ reviews of waste services, contract design and procurement, waste/financial planning business models and preparation of in-house Best Value bids for waste collection and recycling services.

Bill Henry

Bill was Operations Manager and Maintenance Manager for Hamilton District Council and South Lanarkshire Council for 17 years. At times with more than 300 direct employees plus subcontractors his leadership and experience led to exceptional KPI and financial performances and standards being achieved. Bill was involved with Health and Safety improvements through changes in training which resulted in accident reduction and improved competencies in the workplace. He managed Housing and Non Housing for the Local Authorities and also the Strathclyde Police Contract in South Lanarkshire and South Ayrshire along with properties for Tenants Associations. Prior to his time in the Public Sector, he worked for 20 years in the private sector graduating from Site Engineer to Site Manager of multi million pound projects with a major construction company.

Chris Frake

Chris has provided consultancy services for some 250 Local Authorities and other Public Utilities, and has been an active associate of APSE Best Value Consultancy Network since its conception. Chris is an expert at undertaking operational reviews, examining a Council’s performance to see how it can maximise its service outputs. He specialises in Grounds Maintenance, Refuse Collection, Street Cleansing, Vehicle Maintenance, Fleet Management and Passenger Transport.

Dave Henrys

Dave has been an associate since April 2006 offering support in efficiency, productivity and performance through traditional work study and management services. He is a member of the Institute of Management Services and was previously employed by Wrexham, South Bedfordshire and Delyn Councils in this field before being appointed as Business Support Manager for Flintshire County Council’s Contract and Construction Services, 25 years service in total. 

Dave has been involved with Performance Networks for many years, particularly Street Cleansing and Streetscene/Neighbourhood services and undertakes data checking and validations as part of the benchmarking process.

This experience has been utilised on many projects for APSE, particularly using work study to assess the efficiency and productivity of front-line services.

Jacky Edwards

An established public sector consultant working with various organisations including APSE Jacky believes in the value of local authority services to the citizen, community and local economic environment.  She enjoys the challenge of supporting authorities in the consideration of their performance, opportunities for improvement and planning for change.

Experience of working with front line and support services at a senior level mean that Jacky is able to operate effectively as a performance and change consultant, interim manager, project manager, mentor and critical friend.  Her key aim is to assist in demonstrating added value in order to gain the respect and support that services deserve from their stakeholders.

John G Bedwell

John has been a member of APSE, is an associate consultant and has supported the development and maintenance of Catering Performance Networks for many years.

With a proven background in FM and commercial catering, John has supported numerous LA clients across a range of service areas, through CCT, LGR, BV and other Government initiatives, with the common theme to constantly improve Performance and Efficiency.

The consultancy has also developed a unique insight into School Meals provision and the impact of this service has on children’s social, dietary and welfare needs.

Julie Pickering

Julie is a commercial business Head of Service, operating in public and private sector arenas, leading complex and diverse services, achieving major cost-efficiencies while raising levels of customer satisfaction. She has a track record of initiating, implementing and managing partnering opportunities, whilst delivering results across diverse organisations. Julie’s Rochdale and Oldham responsibilities included the management of two very different diverse and pro-active Facilities Management Service’s employing over 1600 staff covering school and commercial catering, corporate buildings, school site management and cleaning and associated business support activities with a budget of approximately £35 million in addition to her corporate leadership team responsibilities
Julie has a degree in Psychology from Manchester University ,is a Fellow of Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development(FCIPD) and has qualifications in Management and Coaching.

Margo Blair

Margo is a Chartered Civil Engineer with a wide experience spanning 30 years in Local Government. Her experience ranges from “hands on” design, construction and project management through to second tier management posts. Over the last ten years she has been, amongst other things, an APSE associate consultant working across a range of services that include Roads, Building Maintenance, Waste Management, Parks and Open Spaces latterly with a focus on Process Benchmarking. 

Peter Appleton

Peter is an experienced senior manager providing consultancy and interim management services to the public sector with a forte for managing change and service re-design. His strong people management skills add value to successful service transformation and project delivery. Whilst specialising in the broader Cultural & Leisure portfolio, Peter has considerable experience of the design and effective delivery of a number of broader corporate and cross cutting projects, service inspections, organisational re-engineering and knowledge transfer projects utilising his corporate management knowledge and experience to good affect. Peter has the ability to combine challenge and innovation with both strategic and pragmatic thinking that have successfully delivered tangible outcomes.

Peter Connell

Peter is a  former Strategic Director with a wide range of experience gained in a Unitary Authority and with a track record of nationally recognised performance and service improvement. He is a professional interim manager and consultant with highly developed interpersonal skills coupled with a flair for solving complex problems requiring innovation, tact and diplomacy. A highly motivated, dynamic individual with proven management capacity who has successfully chaired a significant number of corporate working groups covering a whole range of cross-cutting/thematic areas delivering transformational change and major improvements for the Members, Authority Colleagues, and Customers.

Peter Linsell

With 25 years local government experience at Kirklees Council and nearly four years as a consultant and trainer with the ICCM, Peter Linsell has vast experience of working with architects, engineers, planners, heritage, legal and financial specialists on a number of key site development projects for burial and crematorium authorities.
Peter currently focuses on cemeteries and crematoria consultancy services, including feasibility projects to introduce mercury abatement at crematoria, health and safety policy work, option appraisals and whole service reviews.

Peter Moffatt

Peter has 32 years’ experience in local government, most recently with Warrington Borough Council, as Head of Service (Property & Facilities), with responsibility for Architecture, Energy, Building Maintenance, Estates, Markets, Building Cleaning, and Caretaking.

Previous roles in Warrington, St Helens, and Liverpool City Councils included management of the full range of DLO/DSO, and Housing functions, to Acting Director level. As Assistant Chief Executive at St Helens, Peter managed central services including HR, ICT, Strategic Planning, and Press &PR.

A former National Secretary of APSE, Peter retains a firm commitment to high quality, value for money public services, that respond flexibly to changing local needs.

Philip Lucas

Philip is a highly experienced interim manager who has worked as interim Director of Leisure for Craigavon Borough Council amongst other positions. A highly experienced senior manager and team leader who has worked at strategic and operational levels in local government where working to tight deadlines and budgets, within a political context, were the norm. He has extensive employee management experience, including team building and undertaking grievance and disciplinary investigations. Philip has developed and managed a wide range of leisure, community and development services and been fully involved in policy and strategy development, improvement and change management.

Rodney Cook

Rodney Cook has over 30 years experience of managing front line services in local government, 
including Building Maintenance, Cleansing, Refuse Collection, Highways Maintenance, Grounds Maintenance, Parking Services, Customer Services, Facilities Management, Fleet Management, Administration and Vehicle Maintenance.

From 1998-2000 he participated in the Local Government Management Board’s Top Managers’ Programme.

Rodney’s key skills include change management, cultural change, project management, industrial relations, employee communications and consultation, political awareness, performance management, quality systems, improving organisations and increasing competitiveness, and delivery of quality services.

Stephen Cirell

Stephen has worked in the Public Sector for almost 30 years, both via in house service and from the private sector. Formerly an in-house lawyer, and then a Partner with Eversheds, Stephen is one of the most well known experts on local government law. Following a highly successful year in Cornwall Council as the lead director on climate change, Stephen now specialises in the creation of a low carbon economy, through emissions reduction schemes and renewable or clean energy projects. He is currently working with over two dozen local authorities up and down the country on schemes involving solar PV, wind energy, biomass energy and electric cars.   In 2010 Stephen was shortlisted by the Financial Times for the Most Innovative Lawyer of the Year award.

Sue Finnigan

Sue is a successful corporate and operational manager with considerable experience in the management of change, project and contract management, policy and strategic development, partnership development, substantial resource management – buildings, staffing and financial, with strong leadership and communication skills. Proven ability to develop key cultural and leisure strategies. Sue has worked in a number of authorities, including as Assistant Director Culture and Community Services at Tamworth Borough Council and Head of Community Development Services at South Staffordshire District Council.