Tell us about yourself...
I was born and raised in Winterton and Scunthorpe – my family are all from here and my mum, my sister and her family still live here. I left in my early 20s, originally to move to New York and then to London, but still spend a lot of time here. Scunthorpe will always be home.
I grew up as a young carer for my dad who was disabled, and as a family we relied on the safety net provided by public services. I’ve been really lucky to go on to have an amazing career in and around government, working closely with both elected politicians and with local public services to help deliver better outcomes for the public.
I was a civil servant in HM Treasury for a number of years, where I worked closely with three successive Chancellors, including to design and negotiate the welfare response to the Covid pandemic that was announced in the first week of lockdown.
I have also worked as a management consultant with governments in several different countries. I currently lead Deloitte's performance and delivery practice in government across the UK and am leading our contribution to mission-driven government.
I have held a number of board and advisory roles linked to my passion for improving public services and communities. Alongside my work with Scunthorpe Tomorrow, I am a trustee of Oasis Education which runs 53 schools across England including Henderson Avenue (where my dad went in the 60s) and Parkwood Academies in Scunthorpe. I previously chaired the board of Carers Network, a charity working with unpaid carers across London.
I am married to Tu and we have two young boys Theo and Benji – it’s not boring!
What brought you to Scunthorpe Tomorrow?
In some ways I had a fairly typical experience growing up – I was the first in my family to go onto higher education and I after university I moved away for work. There has always been a strong pull back to Scunthorpe though. My dad was disabled, so growing up I was a carer for him along with my mum and sister. That meant that I stayed local for university – in my case Hull – and even when I lived in the US I came home regularly.
Over the last few years I’ve been looking to find a way to reconnect more widely with Scunthorpe, and to use the experience and skills I’ve developed in my career in government to contribute to making our town even better. I also figured I couldn’t be the only person who felt this way! This led me to start Scunthorpe Tomorrow with Tyrone in 2023.
What are you looking to achieve from your involvement?
Two things. First, Scunthorpe Tomorrow has been a brilliant way for me to grow my personal network. I’ve made lots of new connections and friendships with people who share a real passion for and belief in our area.
Second, I’m really ambitious about the impact Scunthorpe Tomorrow can have, for the benefit of everyone in Scunthorpe. This is partly about turbocharging great things happening already through access to the skills and experience of the network.
We’re also exploring several projects the network can drive itself, focused on supporting young people locally.
What do you see as the main opportunities for our area in the next few years?
From my perspective as someone who spends their days working in and around government, there are two really exciting things happening nationally with massive potential locally.
The first is Net Zero. The Humber is the UK’s largest carbon-emitting industrial cluster so Net Zero poses real challenges for our economy and livelihoods, but we also have a massive opportunity to become a clean energy powerhouse, bringing new jobs and skills to our area.
The second is devolution. North Lincolnshire is part of the Greater Lincolnshire devolution deal which is expected to lead to the election of a new mayor in 2025. People will have their own views, but devolution is the direction of travel and it’s great to see North Lincolnshire getting a piece of the action.
Properly involving our communities is vital if we want to maximise the potential of both of these opportunities – that’s where groups like Scunthorpe Tomorrow can help.
What’s your top recommendation to any visitor to North Lincolnshire?
Central Park and Brumby Wood in Scunthorpe is an amazing green space for a run or walk – the park run is a great event. The Cookie People serve great coffee for afterwards...
We take for granted just how green Scunthorpe is – we literally have a woodland in the heart of the town!
Areas of Expertise
Government and the public sector, politics and public policy, management consulting.
Scunthorpe Tomorrow is a network of people who are passionate about Scunthorpe and North Lincolnshire. Through building on our strengths, we are committed to helping deliver a better future for our community.