Executive Team
The Executive team carries out the day-to-day
business of the PCG under the strategic direction of the
Board of Directors.
The senior members of the Executive team,
most of whom have been with the PCG since its creation,
also act as advisors to the Board. The Executive team works
out of two offices; one in Southampton and the other in
central London.
The Executive team is:
Andy
White (Public Affairs, Marketing, IT, Administration, Advisor)
Andy White founded the Professional Contractors
Group in May 1999 after realising that a low key post-Budget
press notice, called IR35, could spell the end for much
of the entrepreneurial contracting community where he had
started the development and growth of his own businesses
some ten years earlier. After driving the PCG’s direction
and agenda for its first 18 months as its founding Chairman,
he then stepped down from the Board of Directors and handed
over ownership of the organisation to its membership.
Andy remains a key advisor to the Board
and a senior member of the Executive team. His brief is
wide-ranging, including the implementation of the political
agenda, which comprises liaison with the Inland Revenue,
DTI and other Government departments; heading the public
affairs team and co-ordinating their activities in accordance
with the Board’s strategy and representing the PCG’s interest
with other external bodies. He also manages the Executive
team’s responsibilities for marketing, IT, website development,
membership and administration.
Andy’s background: he trained as a Naval
Architect, is a Chartered Engineer, Member of the Chartered
Institute of Marketing, a Fellow of the Royal Institution
of Naval Architects and Member of the Royal Aeronautical
Society. Andy has founded and owns several companies including
a US design consultancy; a UK engineering agency, Matchtech
Engineering Ltd; and IT communication development company,
Webtastic.
Contact: [email protected]
Susie
Hughes (Media relations, Executive services, Advisor)
Susie joined PCG as its press officer
in May 1999 with a brief to create a media profile for the
newly-founded Group and to alert a wider audience to the
dangers of IR35.
When the membership of the PCG voted to
extend the organisation from a single issue campaign group
to a representative trade association with a wider remit,
Susie extended her role within PCG to encompass a wider
brief including designing and overseeing the new Executive
services. Susie retains responsibility for media relations,
internal communications and provides additional political
support.
Susie’s background: she has over 20 years experience in
media relations including journalism, Government press officer
(Home Office, DTI, Prime Minister’s Office), in-house corporate
communications and consultancy.
Contact: [email protected]
Kevin
Miller,MA FCA (Financial Advisor, Supplier liaison)
Kevin Miller is a key member of the Executive
team with responsibility for Finance. He has been providing
comprehensive guidance documents and regular technical FAQs
for PCG members since the Group’s formation.
Kevin was one of the first accountants
to recognise the dangers of IR35 and is recognised as one
of the country’s leading experts in the field. He has been
responsible for much of the financial and technical analysis
supplied to the Government and contractors and is currently
part of the PCG’s team in the discussions with the Revenue
and on the PCG’s case law strategy.
He is a member of the Finance Committee
and is PCG’s liaison point with external suppliers.
Kevin’s background: educated at Oxford, he qualified as
a chartered accountant in 1971 and spent 27 years in practice
including 14 years experience as a technical partner at
a big practice. He is a member of various technical committees
of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and
Wales, including its Technical Advisory Committee.
Contact: [email protected]
Philip
Ross (Public Affairs, Advisor)
Philip is part of the Executive team’s
public affairs group, where he has particularly responsibility
for advancing PCG’s position on a number of contractor-related
issues with the Government, most recently claiming several
successes on Fast Track Visas. He is a key advisor to the
Board on politically sensitive issues and uses his experience
as a working contractor and a former political candidate
to bring considerable strength to the team.
Philip’s association with PCG began when
he joined as a member Group in the early days, becoming
its first Campaign Director in March 2000. He stood down
to concentrate on fighting the General Election as Labour’s
candidate in North-East Bedfordshire. He spoke as a delegate
from the platform during the economic debate at a Labour
Party Conference to explain the damage IR35 could do to
the small business, entrepreneurial sector.
Philip’s background: he has his own business
contracting his skills in Perl/CGI programming and has now
extended his business activities to encompass a public affairs
brief.
Contact: [email protected]
David
Ramsden (Political, Advisor)
David was PCG’s original political advisor
since the Group’s formation. He provides political intelligence
and liaison, particularly with the Opposition Parties and
Scottish aspect of the Group’s work. He was instrumental
in co-ordinating the PCG’s campaign when the legislation
was passing through Parliament, and continues to meet with
top-level politicians to ensure that PCG’s concerns are
heard in the ‘corridors of power’. He also advises members
on the role they can play at a grass-roots level.
David’s background: He was worked for
many years in retailing, including a high profile public
affairs role with B&Q; and Kingfisher. He was one of the
foremost lobbyists responsible for the change in Sunday
trading laws.
Contact: David
Ramsden
Simon
Banton, (IT development, website and technical advisor)
Simon was originally an active member
of the PCG before joining the Executive team in 2001. He
is responsible for developing and improving systems to support
the PCG website and its IT communications.
Simon’s background: he was a Physicist
at Imperial College London in 1982, gaining his degree and
Associateship of the Royal College of Science in 1985. In
1998, he set up his own consultancy business (UPLIFT Consultancy
Services Ltd) and worked with IPC Magazines as technical
consultant on Internet technologies as well as being a webmaster
for a number of publications. He has been involved in the
management and development of online communities for over
10 years.
Richard
Powell: (Media relations and copywriter, Assistant to Susie
Hughes)
Richard is the assistant press officer
within the PCG, dealing with journalist enquiries and writing
and distributing press notices. He is also a content writer
and researcher for the PCG, providing articles and background
information when required.
Richard’s background: he is a journalist
graduate who has previously freelanced in the UK and abroad.
Whilst he was studying Richard spent time in the Balkans
for the Sunday Mirror and The Big Issue and has also previously
supplied work to The Independent, The Economist and a variety
of local papers and publications.
Alison
Edwards (Marketing, Member Services)
Alison joined the Executive
team in January 2002, to focus primarily on growing the
membership and targeting the range of services the Group
provides. She is responsible for all aspects of PCG marketing
including dealing with current and potential members and
liasing with interested parties including accountants, agents,
clients and other representative bodies. Alison also co-ordinates
the provision on member services for current and potential
members, both Contractor and Associate, and makes sure members
know how to get the most out of their PCG membership.
Alison’s background: since
graduating in modern languages in 1993, she has worked on
promoting a variety of organisations, from youth orchestras
to electronic production equipment manufacturers, and often
with a European aspect, using her French and German.
Contact: Alison
Edwards
David
Hopkins (website and administration)
David was the first person ‘recruited’
to support the PCG when it was formed in May 1999 to run
the website, administration and support. His role within
the Executive team now focuses on the development and support
of the website. He also deals with specific membership queries
and ad-hoc projects for the PCG.
David’s background: he graduated from
Kingston University with a degree in Geology. He has worked
for major Oil and Gas companies in the UK (BG plc and Enterprise
Oil plc) as a Senior Data Manager before specialising in
website design and HTML programming.
Contact: David
Hopkins
Jo
Hinton (administration and support manager)
Jo is responsible for much of the day-to-day
administration of the PCG, particularly relating to membership
and enquiries. She co-ordinates the resources within the
Executive team at the request of Directors and project manages
specific tasks and events. She is the main point of call
for administrative support.
Jo’s background: she graduated from Southampton
Institute with an HND in Marketing and Advertising and was
formerly a business manager at a software company.
Contact: [email protected]
Paul
Turner (Support, Content and Administration)
Paul’s main task within the Executive
team is to maintain the IT network within the PCG support
offices and assist with the infrastructure of the PCG website.
Paul’s background: since graduating in
June 1999 with an HND in Design Communication from Southampton
Institute, Paul has worked on various projects, including
producing online technical documentation for a range of
hardware and software products. He has a strong background
in many aspects of Internet development combined with broad
technical writing skills and experience.
Contact: Paul
Turner
Suppliers
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