A career civil servant, Mike has had over 30 years of central government procurement experience. Most recently he was Head of Corporate Procurement at the Department for Transport. His early career was with the Department of the Environment, including what became The Crown Suppliers, then the Department’s Market Testing Unit where he worked closely with the Cabinet Office in developing guidance on the process. A merger with the previous Department of Transport saw the creation of the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions and Mike became Head of Procurement in 2000 and was promoted to the Senior Civil Service in 2001. Since then, he has served in a number of senior positions and was on the Office of Government Commerce’s Chief Executive’s Advisory Group. Awarded Fellowship of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply in 2011, his particular strengths are around integrating policy within the regulatory environment and understanding and applying the Public Contracts Regulations.

Phil is involved in BiP’s Procurement Advice and Support Service (PASS) helpline, handling procurement and tendering-related questions and providing advice to both public and private sector clients through the PASS CAPS (Contract Administration and Process Support) service. Phil presents on procurement policy and processes at conferences and events, both on behalf of BiP and for other organisations such as the Supplier Development Programme (SDP). Before joining the PASS team, Phil spent three years as Interoperability Manager for the UK Government’s Supply2.gov.uk service. During this time he worked with public sector organisations to increase the number of opportunities available to SMEs through the portal and with business support organisations and trade associations to help the SME community take advantage of this resource. He has been involved in the creation and delivery of numerous public sector procurement and training events covering a diverse range of procurement-related topics, and has regularly lectured to SME audiences on how to maximise their success within the public sector procurement marketplace.

Drawing on his consultancy experience and government background - including posts in MoD HQ and HM Treasury - Digby specialises in helping companies win and profit from public sector business, advising in particular on marketing strategy and tender preparation. His experience includes research, operational/decision analysis, resource allocation, project management and acquisition, especially the development of procurement strategies, ITTs and tender evaluation schemes.

Trevor is a consultant for PASS (BiP Solutions’ Procurement Advice and Support Service) and has extensive experience providing support and guidance throughout the whole procurement process, including assisting with the specification, preparation and evaluation of tenders and PQQs, placing OJEU notices, commercial appraisals and contract awards. He has held senior management posts in procurement with IMI Marston, Toyota Liftrucks, Leyland Bus, Leeds City Council and the Sector Skills Development Agency. In 2008 he established Blackwolds Consultancy, specialising in procurement and commercial disciplines, and has successfully won contracts with a diverse range of clients including a government commission, community interest companies specialising in renewable energy and numerous SMEs. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) and a Member of the CIPS Policy Advisory Network. He represented CIPS at the World Trade Centre in Amsterdam in 2008, working with other European technical and professional bodies in facilitating innovation into public contracts. The recommendations are to be incorporated into EU legislation. He is also a Member of the Chartered Management Institute (MCMI) and a Member of the Society of Automobile Engineers (MSAE).

John worked in a number of areas for the MOD. During a full career he undertook a wide range of hands-on management appointments in procurement, logistics and transport, chaired the NATO group on Codification and contributed to development of International Standards. As Head of the Technical Information Group, he delivered a series of progressive Change Programmes reshaping the organisation and its role in tri-Service Integrated Logistics Support. Well versed in delivery of outputs through external contract management, he has been responsible for setting contract requirements, evaluating industry proposals and ongoing contract management of deliverables. Following early retirement in 2008 he established JI Management Ltd, to assist SMEs with managing change, continuity planning and public procurement bids.

Martin is a procurement professional originally trained by the Ford Motor Company. He is an innovator, motivator and proven assertive negotiator with project and change management experience, care and growth skills and extensive public and private sector experience. A founding Director of Comparator Ltd, Martin is engaged in the provision of consultancy, training and project/interim management services in the procurement arena. He is comfortable in the negotiation arena and skilled in the art of persuasion, possessing the ability to get suppliers to respond to changing requirements and able to secure consensus over a wide spectrum of need. An experienced, well-travelled and rounded procurement professional familiar with stress, strategic planning, operational needs and the management of change in both public and private sectors, Martin is an able strategist well-versed in the sensitivities of attending an environment of continuous change.

Colin is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply and has held senior procurement positions in the public sector for over 30 years, including central government, higher education, scientific research and local government. He was responsible throughout for initiating and implementing innovative strategies for procurement, shared services, outsourcings and organisational re-engineering. He developed and successfully implemented strategies to tackle monopoly supply situations. In creating several leading-edge procurement organisations and collaborations, he was responsible for third party spends of up to £7 billion a year. Cash savings from his initiatives exceed £1 billion per annum.

Formerly Director of Procurement at the South West London Procurement Alliance and Head of Purchasing for Kingston Hospital NHS Trust, Stephen has implemented considerable development in procurement management during his career of almost 40 years in the NHS, leading both hospital-based and multi-authority teams. He has worked closely on ensuring that equality and diversity and procurement goals are aligned through effective procurement and commissioning, including contributing to the DH Mosaic project. He has a particular interest in the development of small businesses within service provision to public authorities and has worked on SME compliance with the public contract regulations and ensuring value for money. Stephen has lectured on both graduate and postgraduate courses in public sector procurement and commercial relationships.

Derek has worked in all areas of procurement since 1982. His career has been mainly in the public sector and he has been Procurement Officer at National University of Ireland, Maynooth since 1998. In that role he has overseen the implementation of a variety of centralized contracts, implemented procurement procedures and provided proactive support for the academic and administrative departments of the University. He is a member of CIPS, the IIPMM and the Forum on Public Procurement in Ireland. Prior to 1998, he worked as an Officer of the Defence Forces and at several United Nations missions both in the Middle East and Central America.

Florence has over 25 years' procurement experience gained in the Health Service and Higher Education sectors. She was Head of Purchasing at Queen's University Belfast from January 1998 to May 2004, where she managed change, implemented e-procurement solutions and developed a proactive, supportive procurement function working with the institution's decentralised part-time buyers. Since then, Florence has worked as a purchasing consultant specialising in performance and efficiency measurement; competitive tendering guidance to both buyers and suppliers; and the development and implementation of procurement strategies, policies and procedures. Her clients include the UK Higher Education sector; Learning and Skills Council; Central Procurement Directorate Northern Ireland; Dublin City Council; BiP Solutions Ltd; and various universities and local authorities in the UK and Ireland. She is a regular speaker at conferences and seminars in the UK, Ireland and USA, and is a Chartered Institute of Arbitrators accredited mediator.

David was Head of Supply Chain at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, and has spent some 25 years in purchasing and contracts within central government. He has been responsible for procurement policy and planning, including the contractual aspects of Better Quality Services, supply chain management and the professional development of staff within DVLA. He is a graduate member of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply and a member of IPSERA.

Julie has worked in the public sector for almost 40 years and currently holds a senior procurement position in local government. She has also held similar positions in the NHS, higher education and central government. She also has experience working in the private sector. She was part of the team which set up the first use of off-shore data capture by a government agency and she has been involved in the implementation of a number of R2P systems, Purchasing Card solutions and the development and implementation of various procurement training solutions. She has also been a CIPS assessor for a number of years.

Peter has a long track record in procurement and local government. In October 2003 he started his own consultancy and training company (SBV Ltd) specialising in procurement and contracting matters, primarily in the public sector. He is currently the Chief Executive of the Society of Procurement Officers in Local Government (SOPO). Prior to that he had spent three years with the Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA) where he worked as a member of the team developing IDeA Marketplace.

Gareth has worked in the procurement field since 1971. The greater part of his career has been in the public sector, initially with the National Coal Board and thereafter 22 years in healthcare purchasing. He commenced as a Higher Clerical Officer in Bedford Healthcare and left for the Department of Transport having risen to the post of Director of Central Procurement for Health and Personal Social Services in Northern Ireland.

Paul has over 30 years high level management experience in both the private and public sectors. He was a county council Chief Officer, responsible for all commercial activity including tendering for work in competition with the private sector, with over 2,500 staff in five services and a £13m turnover. He was the founder, spokesman and Chair of the Forum of DSO Managers with a membership of over 30 UK local authorities.

Alan is a procurement manager with 32 years’ experience. His expertise includes managing, assessing, coaching, delivering training and developing staff in procurement and contract management. Alan has a successful track record in setting up and maintaining procurement quality management, training and competence systems and is dedicated to improving standards of safety and commercial practice in contract management.

Larry began his NHS career in Purchasing and Supply in 1961. He has held various senior managerial positions, finally being appointed Head of Procurement and Commercial Development for Cardiff and Vale University Local Health Board in 1995. He chairs the CIPS UK Public Sector Group and is a Trustee of the CIPS Pension Fund. He is a member of the Welsh Assembly Government's Business Procurement Task Force and has been a keen supporter of the use of the third sector and Supported Business Organisations such as Remploy. He is also a past Chairman of the Health Care Supply Association. Larry was awarded the MBE for services to the NHS and charity in 2003 and the Government Opportunities (GO) Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004.

Martin retired in 2010 after a 30-year career in procurement. His initial experience was in expediting for a major heavy electrical goods manufacturer, but he quickly progressed to become a buyer firstly for a stationery manufacturer, then for an international household goods manufacturer. His first management post was as Procurement Manager for a leading soft drinks manufacturer, supplying all major retailers. After redundancy following a takeover, Martin formed his own Interim Management company to assist organisations where lack of resource was jeopardising the procurement function. In ten years he worked in a number of sectors, including food, pharmaceuticals, packaging, filter manufacture and chemicals. Interim Management taught Martin to quickly absorb a brief, assess the problem, then suggest and implement remedies. He was able to achieve considerable cost savings and also to collaborate with suppliers to improve their quality procedures. A particular specialism was the mentoring of procurement personnel to improve their knowledge and technical ability. Latterly, he spent four years in the public sector working on category management, firstly in the NHS and then as Corporate Contracts Manager for Oldham Council where he implemented the transformation of the Procurement Department into one where Category Management was embedded. During that period the department became self-financing and was able to demonstrate the value of Category Management both in the savings made and the raising of procurement’s profile within the council and the wider Greater Manchester area. Following his retirement, Martin was invited to join BiP Solutions to share his experience with other management professionals in the public and private sectors.

Francis has specialised in eProcurement, Project Management and Change Management for both the Private and Public Sectors since 1993, including roles in a high profile UK design and development consultancy and the UK Criminal Justice system.As Principal Associate for his business Armine Associates, he has expanded the portfolio to include further key strands of business consultancy and training. Since 2003 he has been an independent seminar speaker and PASS consultant for BiP Solutions Ltd, delivering seminars for them around the UK to both Public and Private Sector audiences and helping businesses improve their processes.

Eddie is BiP Solutions' Senior Procurement Consultant. Working alongside the Client Services team, he frequently assists public sector organisations with clarification and interpretation of EU Directives and a wide variety of legislative issues. Eddie is lead consultant on BiP's PASS Mark Health Check, an evaluation technique that helps identify how organisations in both the public and private sectors can develop more effective processes in respect of all aspects of public sector contracting. A member of the International Purchasing and Supply Education and Research Association (IPSERA), Eddie is also the senior adviser on BiP's unique Tender Support Helpline team, which provides advice on contracting matters to hundreds of clients. For the last 13 years Eddie has lectured regularly on procurement policy and processes at conferences and events, both on behalf of BiP and for a variety of other organisations, including the Society of Procurement Officers in Local Government (SOPO) and the Institute of Directors. He also provides in-house training on the tendering process - law and practice - to personnel in both the public and private sectors, including several multinational organisations.

Andrew was the Chief Operating Officer for the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency (NHS PASA), part of the Department of Health. NHS PASA was responsible for purchasing and supply strategy for the NHS in England and also managed national contracts covering £3.2bn of the NHS’s £20bn total of non-pay expenditure. Andrew has 25 years’ NHS purchasing experience at local, regional and national level. At PASA, he was also the Director responsible for eProcurement, sourcing and data analysis and programme and uptake management. His wider corporate responsibilities included performance, quality and information. Andrew has a Masters Degree from the University of Birmingham and is a member of both the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply and the Chartered Institute of Marketing.

John Scowen, London Borough of Havering, Corporate Procurement Manager John has been in the field of purchasing for 35 years, starting off in the Health Service where he worked his way from Buyer to Assistant District Supplies Manager. He has been part of local government purchasing since 1989 and has held the post of Corporate Procurement Manager for the London Borough of Havering since 1990. He was Chairman of the London Contracts and Supplies Group, Chairman of SOPO (Society of Procurement Officers in Local Government) 2002-2004. One of his objectives is to co-ordinate the purchasing of commodities throughout London and he has worked hard to achieve this.

Brian worked in central Government for 12 years as the Head of Procurement and Contract Management for the Training and Development Agency for Schools where he developed the procurement function for a newly formed NDPB. Developed and delivered procurement and contract management training workshops aimed at developing the intelligent internal customer. An accredited Gateway Reviewer has taken part in many Medium and High Risk reviews, including the Ministry of Defence. He commenced his working life in medical sciences and reached the pinnacle of his career structure as a Principal Pathology Medical Technologist in the NHS where he worked in excess of 16 years. Moved from the sciences into general management and became the Directorate Manager for non-clinical support services in a world renowned hospital in Cambridgeshire. Joined a Swiss company as general manager to provide pathology services to the NHS under a flagship PFI agreement. Brian became a Justice of the Peace in 2003 and sits on the bench in Huntingdon.

John had a varied and successful career in the NHS, spanning over 40 years, during which he held a number of senior posts in procurement including Associate Regional Commercial Manager in Wessex Regional Health Authority, National Purchasing Executive at the NHS Procurement Directorate and International Procurement Consultant at NHS Overseas Enterprises. As Assistant NHS Housing Coordinator at NHS Estates he worked closely with the then Minister of Health, John Hutton, and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister to ensure the delivery of accessible, appropriate and affordable housing for key workers as part of the NHS Plan. He was also responsible for formulating policy regarding the transfer of NHS housing stock to housing providers. A past Chairman of the Health Care Supply Association and recipient of their Award for Outstanding Service in 2010, John currently acts as adviser to a number of NHS Trusts and has been involved in the training of NHS procurement professionals since 1992.

Scott was appointed Commercial Director in 2004, having previously worked for BiP Solutions as IT Director since 1999. Scott is responsible for identifying and developing new business opportunities for BiP in the UK and overseas via the Commercial team. He has experience in a number of international procurement projects, including assignments in Kenya, Kosovo, Montenegro and the United Arab Emirates. In addition, he is responsible for expanding BiP's PASS consultancy service and is the Director charged with ownership of the company's Delta eSourcing service.

Glenys differs from many of the other PASS Consultants in that she does not have the usual experience we offer to our clients (expertise and experience in public sector procurement regulations and processes), and instead has had a number of roles in the areas of market research and latterly was the Marketing Director for the Defence Diversification Agency, who were responsible for the cross pollination of technology between the MOD and the private sector. Her key areas of specialism include: • Marketing strategy • Marketing communications • Market research and analysis • Client satisfaction studies • Market segmentation studies • Events management and evaluation • Government-to-business/business-to-government network building • Business-to-business marketing • Internal communications/staff involvement

David has most recently been the most senior procurement officer for Oldham Council as assistant director for procurement and special projects. Prior to this he was head of procurement for Sefton council, providing fellow officers and elected members with advice on policy and direction of travel. He has been the lead officer on the implementation of e-procurement systems and the Procure-to-Pay process, and has had responsibility for managing the Accounts Payable Function, including the implementation of document scanning. He has also provided advice and direction on the application of the EU Directives and enquiries made under the Freedom of Information Act. David was responsible for a number of initiatives in engaging with SMEs and the third sector and was an active member of the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA) Procurement Group, working towards increased collaboration across the Councils and the North West, in particular with the former Regional Centre of Excellence.

Paul has been providing training and consultancy in purchasing and supply chain management to a wide range of clients since 1998. Paul and his associates have worked extensively for public sector organisations in the UK including regional development agencies, business links, councils and cluster teams. Overseas he has worked extensively for the oil and gas industries. Before founding PAWA Paul spent a decade at ICI in a variety of roles, including business development. His last role was as a engineering contracts manager responsible for global and regional framework agreements.