UK National GO Awards 24/25

Alison started her Procurement career as a graduate with BAE systems working on complex and collaborative international joint ventures. This was a fascinating intro to the world of strategic supplier relationships and organisational partnering to achieve great success – both collaboration and excellence have continued to be at the heart of Alison’s values. As a working mum she sought out an equally challenging role, minus the international travel, in NHS procurement with the North West Collaborative Procurement Hub, later acquired by NHS SBS in 2011. She now has over 20 years experience in the complete procurement lifecycle, specialising in collaborative procurement and commissioning. Alison has always been immensely passionate and proud to be a leader in developing her approach to effectively procuring healthcare services. This led her to create NHS SBS’s Healthcare Improvement Solutions service designed to enable collaboration whilst navigating procurement law, which she believes is fundamental to transformation for ICSs.  In 2019 as a strategic partner to Greater Manchester, she led the procurement support for NHS SBS to create the Nightingale hospital, building on years of service and partnership to this vast and complex ICS. With years of experience working with commissioners and providers nationally, across the whole patient pathway, Alison continues to support NHS systems in navigating procurement legislation and policy to achieve effective integration. In her role as ICS Solutions lead for NHS SBS, she is now also responsible for advising ICS finance and procurement leaders to design and create single integrated procurement functions to maximise the use of technology and data to unlock strategic procurement value. Outside of work, Alison is a major advocate for holistic wellbeing for everybody around her. She is an active yogi, student of nutrition and metabolic health and often seen chasing sunsets, breathing in the forest or braving a cold-water dip!

John began his career as a laboratory assistant before becoming a qualified Master Brewer. Having spent 10 years in brewing production, John moved onto various procurement roles in the industry prior to spending 2 years in the food industry working for one of the country’s leading chilled food producers. In 2006, he joined the NHS being involved in the growth and development of two regional procurement organisations before joining Anchor 2 years ago in the role of Head of Procurement and Purchasing.

Michelle was appointed as the Executive Director for Sustainability and Social Value at NHS London Procurement Partnership (NHS LPP) in 2021, leading a team dedicated to encouraging and supporting sustainability and social value across the areas NHS LPP influences including estates, workforce, medicines and digital. Michelle has a background in estates management and procurement and is a member of the NHS Procurement Target Operating Model (PTOM) sustainability forum and the London Anchors Institute, a group set up to champion sustainability and social value in the capital. Prior to her appointment, Michelle was the Category Director of Estates, Facilities and Professional Services at NHS LPP.

Esther Beaumont – Head of Category Management & SRM at 7F Commercial Services MCIPS qualified, with over 25 year’s commercial experience & 17 years working in Public Sector Procurement, within Local Authorities and the Emergency services sector. In my current role, I am responsible for a team of 28 people, directing & leading commercial activities, tendering & supplier relationship management activity across 7 Police Forces in the Eastern region. Key category areas include ICT, Construction & FM, Frontline Operational requirements, Corporate Services & Community Based services. I have a particular passion for embedding Sustainability and Social Value into the procurement process, continually expanding upon this in contract and am currently focusing on the contribution our supply chain makes to supporting our Net Zero Carbon targets

WLGA’s lead officer for procurement. Richard came into public procurement “From a background of Logistics, Branch Management and B2B Sales in the private sector.” Initially as one of Cardiff Councils operational procurement team where he ran the County Supplies Catalogue and a delegated suite of procurement frameworks; then to a joint Welsh Government & WLGA initiative, the Welsh Local Government Procurement Support Unit; from there to the WLGA core team. A champion of social value and the wellbeing of future generations; he’s taking a pivotal role in central/local government relations, coordinating the National Procurement Network for councils in Wales and much more. ​Army of one and fiercely loyal to his procurement officer network, he is coordinating local government responses to consultation and participating in the Government’s reform programme. In 2021 Richard initiated the NPN Market Intelligence Expert Group and currently acts as researcher, editor, publisher. He says that he’s just a middleman; the value comes from the people on the group and the knowledge they have; but that’s what Richard does, he brings the good from the people he’s with. ​Richard has been speaking on the National stage, at the National Local Government Procurement Expo about Procurement in Difficult Times, about the Local Government Showcase at the National Social Value Conference and about Digital Transformation in a Gov News Masterclass. Wales representative to LGA’s National Advisory Group for procurement, he’s providing a weekly bulletin to an extended network of 114 procurement stakeholders and is credited in the Social Value Roadmap 2023, an important document nationally.

Darren leads a team of twenty-three procurement staff responsible for all procurement activity at Durham County Council. In 2016 Darren was awarded the Cabinet Office’s first ever award for Social Value Leadership for an Organisation. He is Chair of the Local Government Association’s National Advisory Group for Local Government Procurement and is the Chair of the National Social Value Taskforce.

Grahame joined BiP Solutions in 2003 as Production Director with responsibility for the multi-disciplined media and production department, including Content, Research and Distribution. Prior to that, he worked in various senior editorial and publishing roles for the media company EMAP plc. Grahame was appointed Deputy Chief Operating Officer of the BI Division in May 2012 and became Sales & Marketing Director in May 2016 with overall responsibility for driving revenues through private and public sector sales, marketing and events teams. In January 2017, Grahame was appointed Managing Director of the Media and Marketing Solutions division of the BiP Group. In this role he assumed overall responsibility for two of BiP Group’s recent acquisitions – Pro Mark Media and Ingenium – as well as BiP Solutions’ events and training portfolio. Following a restructure of BiP Group in April 2018, Grahame was appointed Sales and Marketing Director for the Business Intelligence and Public Sector business units, before subsequently being appointed Director of Public Policy, Research and Communications in 2023.

John Fitzgerald Coyne nicknamed ‘Fitzy’ is an expert at developing commercial strategy and skills for the modern business. Named after the 35th President of the United States he had the privilege of working closely with his sister Eunice Kennedy Shriver a long-time advocate for children's health and disability issues who founded the movement that became Special Olympics. John began his career in the Irish tourism sector and in 1991 became the first ever Commercial Director at Liverpool FC where he was tasked with broadening the financial, commercial and business development aspects of the club. After leaving Liverpool FC, John spent some time at Sports Wales before moving to the health sector where he has largely remained since. John was most recently the Managing Director an NHS owned Teckal Company, SWFT Clinical Services Ltd. Here he managed a turnover of approximately £50m a year and 280 staff. He’s appeared on ‘This is your Life’ and ‘Question Time’ and interviewed Pierce Brosnan, Liam Neeson, Cecelia Ahern and Colin Farrell for cover stories for the Irish Post newspaper, and once even presented to a President! John is a keen runner and lives with his wife Lisa and daughter Darcy. He became the Director Commercial and Procurement for the Welsh Government in September 2021.

Julie Welsh is the Director of Scotland Excel, the Centre of Procurement Expertise for local government. As the organisation's senior officer, she provides leadership and strategic direction to ensure its services are aligned to the needs of the sector. Since taking up her post in September 2014, Julie has implemented strategies to extend the range of services provided by Scotland Excel, extend the influence of the organisation in the wider public sector landscape, and secure its future as a leading shared service.

Jane is a Professor in Procurement for the Logistics and Operations Management (LOM) section of Cardiff Business School, Cardiff University. Jane’s subject areas for research and teaching include innovation and social public procurement, supply chain management, and collaboration. Jane is the strategic lead for Procurement Labs in a WEFO funded project, Infuse (Innovation of Future Public Services). Jane is Programme Director for the UK Government funded 'Help to Grow Management' programme delivered at Cardiff Buisness School aimed at supporting SMEs with business growth. Additional Roles: Member of IRSPP (international research study on public procurement) Branch Chair of the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) South Wales Associate Director (MICW) of Institute for Collaborative Working (ICW), Cymru

Crown Commercial Service plays an important role helping the UK public sector save money when buying common goods and services. Paul has been with CCS for more than 13years, and leads the Crown Commercial Service Devolved Administrations and Crown Dependencies Team. Prior to that Paul held commercial roles in organisations such as the Ministry of Defence and Scottish Procurement & Property Directorate and has worked in the profession for more tnan 30 years.

Paul began his career in public sector housing working for Newark and Sherwood Homes in Nottinghamshire, where he spent 8 years, starting as a temporary finance admin officer before working his way up to procurement manager. Having managed tenant insurance, leaseholder properties, customer service, careline services and procurement he moved into the framework sector with Consortium Procurement in 2019. Today he works for national framework provider LHC, specialising in Construction, as the Regional Procurement Manager. Paul is passionate about procurement and helping to change the way procurement is done to open the public sector to the very best suppliers available.

A strategic and hands-on commercial/procurement leader, Philip has a proven track record of achievements across multiple categories (Business Process Outsourcing, Technology and Digital Systems and Solutions, Financial Systems, Logistics and Record Storage, Travel Management, Professional Services, Contact and Service Centres). He has had a robust Commercial career across the Public Sector, Finance, Automotive, Rail, Road and Construction Industries. Philip has responsibility for Common Goods and Services across Technology and Digital Categories of spend and manages £7.2bn across several categories including Cloud and Digital, Networks, Software Cyber and AI, Digital Futures, and Technology Products and Services across central government, public and third sector (charities and social enterprises) organisations across the UK. Prior to joining Crown Commercial Service Philip headed up the Information and Technology Commercial and Procurement Group at Highways England as the Commercial and Procurement Director. Prior to this he was the head of the Digital Platforms, Programmes and Applications Category at the Department for Work and Pensions where he was also the Commercial Director for the Universal Credit Programme. Before joining the UK Public Service, Philip worked for Siemens where he had responsibilities for a multi-site and multi business commercial activities spanning the UK, Germany and elsewhere in Europe, South and North America across several industry sectors including: Automotive, Transportation (Rail, Civils, Communications, Electrification and Signalling) and Financial/Business Services.

Originally a building engineer specialising in sustainable development, Guy’s career in sustainability and social value spans over 30 years. He is an experienced and recognised business leader, having set up three separate businesses in the sustainability field so far. He founded the social value measurement tool and consultancy, Social Value Portal, in 2014 and has grown the business to become a highly regarded, leading organisation within the social value arena. Guy is focused on unlocking the social, environmental and financial value that the business world has to offer, with the sole aim of improving communities and building a more resilient, sustainable society for all.

Kobirul joined the Home Office as commercial lead via the Government Commercial Organisation in August 2020, working with key business functions to manage a large portfolio of spend and contracts. This includes managing strategic supplier and critical contracts to ensure business case outcomes are achieved, and developing innovative commercial strategies whilst ensuring procurement activity delivers tangible outcomes, value for money and more efficient and lean services, whilst considering social value and sustainability. Previously he worked as a senior commercial business partner at the Security Industry Authority, a non-departmental public body.