Simon Hallam Email & Phone Number

Lancaster, United Kingdom

Enabling regional, national and international organisations, to improve their productivity through working in partnership with the Management School and wider University; accessing academic research and expertise, professional development and organisational learning and student talent.

Winsford, Cheshire

I am accountable for the overall performance of the company and for the day-to-day running and management of the company’s business, developing and implementing company strategy and business plan, and managing the day-to-day operations of the company.

I provided economic research, analysis and advice, including bespoke consultancy and project management services for clients and collaborators in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors

I won more than £1million of consultancy work during 2010 and £2million over five years through development of project plans, submission of proposals and presenting at client pitches.I served as the public face of the firm and cultivated relationships with existing clients, resulting in repeat business worth more than £250,000 during 2010.I led a strategic formative evaluation of the 2007-13 ERDF programme in Yorkshire and Humber and a mid-term evaluation of the North East 2007-13 ERDF programme, covering all aspects of programme governance, management, design and delivery.I evaluated local enterprise programmes across the north of England (Liverpool/Sefton, St.Helens and Sheffield) worth around £70million and developed recommendations to improve the quality of support on offer to programme clients, which were implemented by the programme teams.I developed proposals for the creation of an Ethnic Minority Business Advisory Network, which were formally endorsed by central government and secured £150,000 of partner funding.I managed a formative evaluation of the £90million Digital Regional broadband investment infrastructure in South Yorkshire, and developed recommendations which have influenced project roll out and targeting of services.I developed an in-house time management system during 2009 which led to an increase in internal efficiency and staff productivity.I evaluated how the company’s marketing approaches could be better tailored to clients providing technology, enterprise and innovation services, and created a targeted client database.I supported the promotion of junior member of staff through development of professional development plan and monitoring achievement of individual targets.

I managed economic development consultancy projects on behalf of clients in the public and private sectors, co-ordinating the work of in-house and external team members across a range of disciplines, including economic and technical specialists, and devising project and budget plans.I led the development of 2007-13 European Structural Fund economic regeneration programmes (ERDF and ESF) in the North West, worth more than £1billion in total.I successfully undertook one-to-one interviews, ran focus groups and facilitated workshops with a wide range of partners, including technical specialists and non-technical stakeholders.I was promoted from Senior Consultant to Associate Director in June 2008 after two and a half years in post.

I drafted the Assembly’s response to the Regional Economic Strategy consultation documents, which resulted in the inclusion of new actions to tackle the region’s environmental deficit and to promote social inclusion.I wrote the Assembly’s response to a Regional Economic Strategy indicators paper, which led to the creation of new targets for regional employment and enterprise.I made recommendations to the Northwest Regional Development Agency which resulted in the Agency formally agreeing to provide an additional £500,000 to support the work of sub-regional partnerships in the North West.I prepared a business plan for the Economic Development policy function, including the management of an annual research budget, which was signed off by the Chief Executive.

I managed production of core service reports (twice yearly Industry and the British Economy report and annual European Sectoral Prospects report), expanding the company’s report coverage of European countries, sectors and client base. I led the transition from paper based to web-based services reports, resulting in a reduction in report production costs.I made the company’s inaugural presentation of its European Sectoral Prospects report at the prestigious Institute for Economic Research European Prospects conference in Berlin in 2004, and was invited to present again the following year.I wrote a series of monthly briefings for Sir Graham Hall, which were used to inform monthly meetings of the Bank of England Court of Directors, which he attended.

Msc, Business Economics

Ba (2:1 Hons), Economics

Education record