Meet the team
The group of experts who represent CBI members delivering public services
Andy Bagnall, head of public services reform
Andy leads a team developing policy ideas and solutions related to the delivery of effective services in healthcare, education, defence, policing and local government. His team are also looking at ways in which procurement of public services across the piece can be improved and how increasing the diversity of providers of public services can be used as driver of service improvement.
Prior to the CBI Andy has a background in election organisation. He was also a special adviser to the UK government, having served two cabinet ministers in three departments. He has recently returned from a stint in Australia where he advised the Premier and General Secretary of the New South Wales Labour Party on campaigning techniques.
Andy holds an MA from the London School of Economics in History of International Relations and a BA from Leeds University in Politics and International History.
Rob Mallows, senior public affairs adviser
Rob is secretary to the Public Services Strategy Board and is responsible for delivery of the corporate project on public service markets, member relationship management and recruitment as well as supporting the heads of policy on the overall campaign strategy. Rob also manages the campaign's online outreach and stakeholder engagement programmes.
His background is in corporate PR, having worked for eight years at Edelman PR Worldwide as an account director, managing corporate PR and public affairs campaigns for companies like Microsoft, UPS and Procter & Gamble. Previous to Edelman he worked for Ian Greer Association, a public affairs agency.
Alex van Besouw, senior policy adviser
Alex leads the CBI's work on welfare-to-work. He works closely with private and third sector members of the CBI's welfare-to-work group, with the aim of transforming employment services to get the UK working. He promotes a more joined up approach to the delivery of back-to-work services to ensure they deliver the best outcomes for jobseekers, employers and the taxpayer. Last year he worked on the CBI's Action for Jobs report and will be building upon this work in 2012. Since joining the CBI he has also worked on education and children's services, public services transformation, employee engagement, strategic supplier engagement and international strategy.
Prior to joining the CBI, Alex undertook internships at Bellenden Public Affairs and Camargue. He has also previously spent time working in Parliament for an MP. He studied Geography at Oxford, before taking a masters degree in development studies at Cambridge.
Andrew Forth, policy adviser
Andrew leads the CBI's work on public sector procurement, focussing on the reform of procurement policies and the impact this has on the delivery of public services.
Prior to joining the CBI, Andrew spent three years working in Parliament for Norman Lamb MP, specialising in health policy and anti-corruption legislation. He also previously worked as a translator in Germany at Mercedes-Benz. He has a European Studies degree from the University of East Anglia and an MA in Politics and Social Psychology from University College London.
David Leach, policy adviser
David focuses on competition in public services and education and children's services policy. He works with CBI members to promote the role of competition as a means to drive innovation and improvements in public services; he also supports independent sector involvement in the delivery of education and children's services, focusing on the role that businesses can play in improving education outcomes and value for money. David promotes a greater diversity of providers in the schools system and works to reinforce with government the importance of having a clear strategy for schools capital investment.
Prior to joining the CBI, David worked in public affairs for three years, advising private sector organisations on their lobbying activities in Westminster and Whitehall. He graduated with a degree in History and Politics from the University of York.
George McFarlane, policy adviser
George leads the CBI's campaign on health and social care reform. He works closely with CBI members to develop ideas based on practical experience of how improved outcomes, patient experiences and efficiency can be delivered through patient choice, service integration and modern operating practices. He also leads the CBI's work on local government policy, with a particular focus at present on the development of Community Budgets.
Prior to joining the CBI, George worked as Parliamentary Assistant to a Minister in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. He studied English and History at Queen Mary, University of London, before taking a Masters degree in Public Policy at University College London.
Séin Ó'Muineacháin, policy adviser
Séin Ó Muineacháin leads the CBI's work on identifying new models of public service delivery, particularly in light of the government's agenda of opening up and reforming public services. He works with members who are involved and who are seeking to get involved in this innovative and exciting policy area. He supports the opening up and diversification of public service provision, with a particular focus on the improvement of public service quality.
Séin also specialises in criminal justice issues, including offender management and prison policy. He works closely with members to demonstrate that collaborative approaches in offender management reduce reoffending.
Prior to joining the CBI, Séin was a lecturer in Trinity College Dublin and also acted as an academic consultant to an Irish parliamentary committee on electoral reform. He has also worked as a part-time researcher for the Electoral Reform Society in the UK, and the Comparative Manifesto Project in Germany. He holds a PhD in Political Science, a Postgraduate Diploma in Statistics and an honours BA degree in Economics and Political Science, all from Trinity College Dublin.
Have something to say about business delivering public services? Get in touch
