Employment

2009- Freelance writer, researcher and consultant

Please see list of projects.

2000-09 Met Office

My final role in the Met Office was Climate Business Manager. I was jointly responsible for managing accounts with Defra, DECC and the MoD for the £19m pa climate research programme, and related government contracts; and I project managed delivery of the UK Climate Projections 2009.

My first role was Local Forecasting Scientist, investigating the use of ensemble techniques to improve the prediction of low cloud in the site-specific forecasting model. I won a Met Office Innovation Award for this work.

I then moved to the Health Forecasting project, funded by the Treasury Invest to Save Budget. As Developer, Services to Health, I coordinated the development, and contributed to the design, of a trial web-based service for the NHS. I also took on an extra role as Team Leader, Civil Sector Applications, responsible for the task and performance management of a team of six.

On completion of this project, I became a founder member of the Business Analyst team, working with customers to define their requirements for products and services, and with development staff to ensure delivery of solutions to meet those requirements. I often worked concurrently on several projects of varying scales.

When the opportunity arose, I moved back to Health as Manager, Health Research. I set up and directed the team delivering research into the impact of weather, climate and air quality on human health, and the clinical benefits of the Met Office Health Forecasting services. I managed relationships with senior government officials, world leaders in clinical respiratory research, and research budget holders in pharmaceutical companies and NGOs. I have published eight papers and 22 abstracts.

I was then brought in to build a new Business and Science Integration team, to improve working between different areas of the Met Office. I ensured that corporate planning was based on outputs and customer requirements; science capability was pulled-through into new services; capability building was consistent with strategies and was prioritised; and internal processes were streamlined and any problems solved.

1997-99 Cambridge Econometrics

As Manager, UK Energy-Environment-Economy Service, I managed and marketed consultancy services used by government and energy multinationals in formulating policy and strategy.

1995-97 Community of St Mary the Virgin, Wantage

I spent 20 months testing a vocation to the religious life.

1992-95 Cambridge Econometrics

As Energy-Environment Analyst, I undertook consultancy work for clients, primarily analysing prospects for energy demand and carbon emissions, but also prospects for industries, regions and the housing market.

1987-88 Environmental Sciences Division, AERE Harwell

For a year between school and university, I was a Student Assistant, contributing to computer modelling and experimental research in ozone chemistry.

Professional Memberships

2009- Honorary University Fellow, University of Exeter, Department of Theology
2005-11 Fellow, Royal Meteorological Society
2007 Member, Peninsula Environment and Human Health Forum
2006-07 Member, British Thoracic Society
2007 Steering Group, Heat Wave Plan evaluation project, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
2006-07 Steering Group, Heartstart project, University of Glasgow

Awards

2007 Innovative Service Award for 'Health Forecasting', Health and Social Care Awards 2006, Department of Health and NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement
2005 Saint Luke's College Foundation Prize for Certificate in Theology, University of Exeter
2003 Innovation Award for 'Forecasting the Nation's Health', Met Office
2002 Innovation Award for 'Low Cloud Prediction', Met Office
1991 Gertrude Mather Jackson Prize for Mathematics, Girton College, University of Cambridge

Education and Training

2005-08 Ashridge Business School, Met Office, University of Exeter

Leadership and Management Development

2003-05 University of Exeter

Distinction, Certificate in Theology

2000-09 Met Office

Grade A, Foundation Meteorology
PRINCE2 Project Management, Project Board
ITIL v2 Service Management Foundation

1991-92 Imperial College London

Distinction, MSc in Environmental Technology

1988-91 University of Cambridge

First Class Honours, BA in Mathematics

1980-87 School of St Helen and St Katharine, Abingdon

2 Sixth Term Examination Papers (STEP) in Further Mathematics
4 A Levels in Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Physics and Geography
11 'O' Levels including French and German

Interests and Skills

Doing God

I try to maintain a routine of prayer, study and retreat.
I am a member of the Exeter Cathedral community; act as Eucharistic minister; lead intercessions regularly; started a group for members in their 20s-40s; served for three years on the Community Committee and as representative for Christians Together in Central Exeter.
In 2008, together with other community members, I formed a group aiming to put the environment and social justice on the Cathedral's agenda, and reduce its carbon footprint.

Environment

I am involved in Transition Exeter, via its Economics sub-group, and working on its website and other communications.
On Friday mornings, I volunteer at the Sheldon Community near Exeter, undertaking gardening and estate work.
Walking primarily on Dartmoor and the Devon coast, and in the Highlands and Islands, and sea-swimming in the right conditions!
Picking and eating blackberries; introducing small children to the delights of picking and eating blackberries; making blackberry sorbet, blackberry and elderberry wine, blackberry and apple compôte/pie/crumble.

The Arts

Member of several first-rate chamber choirs including Counterpoint; and enjoy playing the accordion, piano, viola and guitar badly.
Avid reader, started the Met Office Book Circle, and regularly attend arts festivals.
I have started to send some of my poetry to magazines, and have received my first rejection slip, no doubt the first of many.

Analysis and Research

Understanding ideas quickly, synthesising data, thinking laterally and logically, problem solving.
Setting research strategy, planning, managing and delivering consultancy.
Business analysis, initiating and managing change, facilitating joint working.

Communicating and Influencing

Clear and concise written communication through business cases, management briefings, business analysis reports, scientific consultancy, academic papers.
Confident and persuasive oral communication with customers, senior management, technical and non-technical colleagues and collaborators.

Technology and IT

Microsoft Office, Outlook, Visio; ITIL Service Management.
Web design using Drupal CMS, PHP, MySQL, HTML, Google Maps.
I developed and continue to support content management systems for Sheldon Clergy Forum and Exeter Cathedral's environment group, and this my own website. In the past I developed websites for Exeter Philharmonic Choir, Christians Together in Central Exeter, Holy Trinity Church Bracknell, and Cambridge Econometrics.