Phil Agulnik, Product Development Director, entitledto

Phil is responsible for the entitlement rule-base that underlies entitledto's website and products. He has worked as an economist in the Department for Work and Pensions, HM Treasury, the Financial Services Authority and in academia. He has a PhD from the London School of Economics on social security policy.

Zoe Charlesworth, Director of Policy and Operations, Policy in Practice

Zoe has worked in the field of welfare benefits for over 20 years and has a comprehensive knowledge of benefit policy and regulation. She has practical experience and policy knowledge of council tax support schemes including administrative processes, drivers of scheme design, award calculation, and service delivery.
Zoe has an extensive understanding of regulation and practice of both legacy benefits and Universal Credit having previously been a Benefit Manager and a Revenues and Benefit Manager with responsibility for council tax support and benefit delivery, at three local authorities. She understands the business of local government and the role of local delivery of support through her work in local authorities, the Association of District Councils, and the Local Government Association.
Zoe has published numerous articles on welfare benefits and has spoken extensively on the impact of welfare policy and the impact of Universal Credit on localised council tax support.

Allan Clark, Head of Finance:Exchequer, London Borough of Barnet

Allan has worked in Local Government for over 20 years starting his career in Scotland as a trainee Payroll clerk. He has worked in a variety of roles within Revenues and Benefits and more recently taking on a wider role as Head of Finance: Exchequer with the London Borough of Barnet. Allan’s service area covers Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Cash and Bank Management, Corporate Grants, Mayors Benevolent Fund, Revenues and Benefits and Security Collections.
He is a Fellow member of the Institute, a past President of the London and Home Counties Association and former examiner for the Institutes certificate level qualification in Council Tax Law (England and Wales).
Allan has presented previous papers at IRRV’s annual conference and has been a member of National Council since 2016 where he serves as a member of the Revenues Faculty Board and Vice Chair of Commercial Services Committee.

Alan Colston, Chief Valuer, Valuation Office Agency

As Chief Valuer, Alan is part of the Agency’s Executive Committee and Board contributing to the corporate leadership, strategic direction and management of the VOA. He is directly accountable for the successful delivery of valuation and technical advice across the Valuation Office Agency including the strategic leadership of the Chief Valuer Group (CVG). CVG is responsible for promoting and assuring professional standards to build and sustain confidence and trust in VOA’s valuations and property advice. Alan is the Senior Responsible Officer (SRO) for the VOA’s compilation and maintenance of future rating lists and Head of Profession for Surveying within the VOA. Alan is a Chartered Surveyor and has worked in the VO for around 30 years. He has experience across the whole of the Agency business and became a RICS Rating Diploma Holder in 2000 and Chair of the section in 2017. He plays a key leadership role in the Government Property Profession feeding in to the wider agenda to build excellent capacity and capability in the property profession across Government. He acts as an ambassador for the VOA and represents the agency on various external stakeholder forums.

Nick Cooper, Valuation and Policy Advisor, Non-Domestic Rates, MHCLG

Nick Cooper has been involved with various aspects of the rating system since 1992. During the 1990s he worked for DOE and then DETR on rating policy including the transitional relief scheme, the Local Government and Rating Act 1997 (village shop rate relief), the Rating Valuation Act 1999 (the treatment of repair in rating) and was Secretary to the 2nd Wood Committee on the Rating of Plant and Machinery.
In 2000 he joined the Valuation Office Agency where he specialised in receipts and expenditure valuations and, from 2006, was Valuation Officer for Merseyside and Cheshire. He now works for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government advising the Government on rating valuation and local taxation.

Andy Davies, UK Public sector Client Manager, SAS UK & I

Prior to joining SAS, Andy worked as a police analyst for nearly 10 years and was involved in data migration, software adoption, data quality and business intelligence projects. Since leaving the police service, Andy helps customers across the public sector develop their use of analytics and intelligence using SAS.

Paula Doherty, Team Leader for Benefits and Welfare, Dumfries and Galloway Council

Paula manages a Variety of Services:
• Housing Benefit
• Council Tax Reduction
• Scottish Welfare Fund
• Discretionary Housing Payments
• Free School Meals and School Clothing Grants

• Financial Assessments for care at home and residential care • Income Maximisation
• Welfare and Housing Options Service
• Housing Support

She is an active member of the IRRV Scottish Association, currently holding the position of Vice President, Education Liaison Officer and Chair of the Welfare Reform Consortium.

Nick Ducatel, Functional Lead Growth and Prosperity, Lewes District Council and Eastbourne Borough Council

Clare Elliott, Head of Housing Delivery Division, DWP

Clare has worked in the Civil Service since 1986 starting her career as an Economist in the Manpower Services Commission. She has worked in numerous government Departments on a range of different policy areas including employment, skills and small business. She has been head of Housing Delivery Division in DWP since August 2013 with responsibility for Housing Benefit performance and assurance.

Mark Fearn, Programme Leader- Resources and Transformation, Walall Council

Mark has worked within the Revenues arena for almost twenty five years and is currently at Walsall. His previous posts have included Revenues Manager at Milton Keynes Council, Head of Revenues at North West Leicestershire DC and Revenue Collection Manager at South Derbyshire District Council.
Mark has been a member of the East Midlands IRRV Association executive since 1998 and has held the posts of Secretary and President during that time.

Simon Freedman, Solutions Manager - Revenues, Bristow and Sutor

Simon has 10+ years’ experience in delivering solutions to the Local Government sector having held senior roles with Civica, Dukes and currently Bristow and Sutor. He has a strong understanding of Local Government practices (particularly Revenues) and adept at designing tailored, wide ranging solutions that utilise the best from people, processes and technology.
Simon possesses an in depth understanding of current Revenues requirements and aspirations and is innovative when delivering measurable services and genuine Social Value whilst remaining empathetic and commercially aware.

Gary Garland, President, Valuation Tribunal for England

A barrister called to the Bar of Inner Temple in 1989. He joined the Crown Prosecution Service and served in a number of roles including the International Branch dealing with complex international cases. As part of the international effort to normalize Kosovo Gary was seconded to UN mission as prosecutor helping to re-establish justice in that area. After a short spell back in the UK he moved on to the Hague as trial attorney at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.
Previously, Gary was an elected member of the Bar Council, where he served for a number of years including being a member of the Professional Conduct and Law Reform Committees. In 2000 Gary was appointed an Asylum Support Adjudicator and then in 2003, he was appointed a Commissioner of the Independent Police Complaints Commission, responsible for the northeast, HMRC and the SOCA and played a part in the set up and roll out of the new system. He continues to sit as a Deputy District Judge. Using some of that experience Gary was appointed as Deputy Chief Legal Ombudsman for England and Wales, again helping to set up a new system for dealing with complaints about legal professionals, working with the professions and other stakeholders to deal with complaints in a less combative way. These latter roles involved significant issues of administrative and regulatory law, together with governance issues of NDPBs.

Deven Ghelani, Director and Founder, Policy in Practice

Policy in Practice is an organisation founded to make the welfare system simple to understand so that people and organisations can make the decisions that are right for them.
Deven has advised private and public sector organisations including central and local government on the impact of changes to the welfare system, and was part of the team that developed Universal Credit at the Centre for Social Justice. Deven Ghelani has written and spoken extensively on welfare reform.

John Giblin, Management Consultant

John has been a Management Consultant for over 25 years. He created and launched John Giblin: Management Consulting in December 2014 and in 2019 he has taken his business into a strategic partnership with Alan Sullivan, Consultancy Services.
Since 2014 he has worked extensively on business change and continuous improvement programmes with senior council officials across the UK. He has also worked in partnership with the IRRV, delivering dozens of welfare reform or management development events.
He started work as a 16-year-old in front line delivery for the DHSS in 1977 but later joined the Department’s Consultancy unit where he helped successfully implement Incapacity Benefit and JSA as well as set up and close down the BFI.

Simon Green, Partner, Gerald Eve

Simon is an IRRV council member and Chair of the Valuation Faculty Board. He is a member of the Rating and Local Taxation Policy Forum of the RICS for whom he also acts as an APC Assessor. He is a member of The Rating Surveyors’ Association of which he has been an elected committee member.
Simon is a Partner at Gerald Eve LLP responsible for co-ordinating the Rating team. He advises clients across many sectors with particular emphasis on the manufacturing, distribution and general industrial sectors and has advised on Rating matters for over 25 years.
He deals with all rating matters for clients providing strategic rating advice on many nationwide portfolios covering all aspects of rate management, appeal strategy and other non-appeal related rating matters.
In recent years he has co-ordinated responses to various Government consultations in respect of the business rates system and assisted clients and the IRRV in submissions to the Treasury Select Committee in respect of its enquiry into the Impact of Business Rates on Businesses and more recently responses to the Call for Evidence associated with the Fundamental Review of Business Rates announced by the Government earlier this year.

Richard Harbord, Management Consultant, MRF UK Limited

Richard Harbord, IRRV Council Member Richard spent 39 years in Local Government, working in 8 Local Authorities in London and the South East. Richard became Chief Executive and Director of Finance at the London Borough of Richmond in 1988 and became Managing Director of London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in 1999. He left there in 2002 to commence his own consultancy business.
Richard is on the Council of Cipfa (13 years) and remains on the Council of IRRV (28years). He lectures and writes widely on Local Government issues, mainly on Management and Finance.
Since commencing his own business he has been Interim Director of Finance and Chief Executive for a number of authorities of all sizes and the National Union of Students. He has worked for 5 Government Departments and carried out a range of Investigations and Inquiries.
Richard is a past president of the Society of London Treasurers, Society of Metropolitan Treasurers and Institute of Rating Revenues and Valuation. He made a return as President of IRRV in 2014.

Carla-Maria-Heath, Junior Vice President, IRRV

Having graduated from London University, Carla-Maria Heath entered local government in the Rates Department at the London Borough of Lambeth and then moved to the City of London Rates Section in 1982. In 1994 she was appointed to the post of Head of Revenues at the City, a post she held for 23 years, responsible for collecting around £1.5 billion in non-domestic rates, council tax, commercial rents and miscellaneous income. Since leaving the City Corporation, she has become an independent consultant on local authority revenues.
Carla-Maria is Junior Vice President of the IRRV and Chair of the Local Taxation and Revenues Faculty.
She is an active member of the executive committee of the London and Home Counties Association and has been Association Chairman twice.
Currently Carla-Maria represents the Institute on the Fair Funding Review and Systems Design Working Groups for business rates reform at the DCLG/LGA. She also represents the Institute on the Valuation Tribunal User Group and at the VOA.

Andrew Heatherton, IRRV President

Andrew a Director of Andrew Hetherton Consulting Ltd and a business rates consultant. He has 25 years of experience as a business rates consultant in private practice. Having previously worked for GL Hearn where he was Head of Business Rates he has been involved with business rates appeals throughout the United Kingdom and in the Irish Republic. Prior to that, he spent a short time working for the Valuation Office Agency (VOA).
Andrew is a member of Council for the Institute of Revenues, Rating and Valuation (IRRV) and National President, currently Chairman of the Law and Research Committee and Valuation Faculty Board. He is a Past President of the Rating Surveyors’ Association (RSA) and has served on the Committee of the RSA since 2008. He is also a member of the RICS Local Taxation and Policy Group. Andrew is a member of IPTI and has also spoken at a number of IPTI events in Europe and further afield.
He has a particular interest in the out-of-town retail warehouses sector which represents the interests of landlords, occupiers, developers and investors in that sector and a Non Executive Director of Accessible Retail Ltd. He has experience of dealing with a wide range of property types and has co-ordinated and represented the interests of a large number of occupier and landlord clients on business rates matters Highlights from his career to date include providing written and oral evidence to Parliamentary Select Committees and he was the convenor for an intervention by the RSA in a matter before the UK Supreme Court Woolway (VO) v Mazars [2015] UKSC 53. He has also provided expert advice and comment on recent cases concerning the role of an expert witness to a number of clients and organisations.

Julie Holden, Town Clerk, East Grinstead Town Council

Julie has been the Town Clerk for East Grinstead Town Council since 2011. She has 30 years experience in local government working mostly in principal authorities. In 2008/9 she was the President of the Institute of Revenues Rating and Valuation. During her career in welfare benefits and taxation she was a national government advisor and regularly spoke both domestically and internationally to academics and practitioners. She has given evidence to parliamentary select committees concerning welfare reform. She is chairman of the Sussex Branch and representative on the National Forum of the Society of Local Council Clerks. Julie is an adjudicator for the Rotary youth speaks competitions and a Community Radio Presenter.

Karen Holmes, Software Development Manager, entitledto

Karen works on entitledto's content and product development. She has a BSc (Hons) in Social Policy and has extensive knowledge of the benefit system and welfare reform gained over 10 years specialising in welfare benefits.

Cllr Amrik Jhawar, Mayor of Telford

Councillor Amrik Jhawar was elected as Mayor for 2020/21 at the Annual Council Meeting and Mayor Making Ceremony on Thursday 21 May 2020. Amrik will be supported during his term in office by the Mayoress, Mrs Nirmal Jhawar.
Councillor Jhawar has lived in Telford for over 50 years with his wife Nirmal. Together, they have two grown-up children and four grandchildren.
Amrik began his career in 1969 working at GKN Sankey, Hadley for 11 years and then went on to work as an employee for the Royal Mail from 1980 until he retired in 2013. He is currently one of three elected representatives for Ketley and Overdale Ward when he recently became a Borough Councillor again at the May 2019 election, he has previously held the position of Deputy Mayor for 2014/15. Amrik also serves as a Member of Ketley Parish Council where he has previously undertaken the role of Chairman and is a Member of Oakengates Town Council and Lawley and Overdale Parish Council.

Darren Kelk, Managing Director, Ascendant Solutions Limited

Darren has over 24 years’ experience in the private debt collection sector working on behalf of collection agencies in specialist areas. High volume low value consumer debt, commercial debt, tracing, debt purchase, field operations and outsourcing. Holding main Board positions at Rossendales and UK Search Limited for over 10 years In March 2016, he set up Ascendant Solutions Limited to deliver bespoke data platforms for commercial and consumer collections/risk and analytical solutions to the Public Sector. Delivering bespoke training packages to over 10,000 delegates over the last 14 years and speaking at National and local IRRV and Housing Network Conferences.

Zoe Kent, Head of Revenues, Swale District Council

Zoe’s career started at the DHSS working on Supplementary Benefit and then Income Support. After a career break she moved into Local Government in 2003 working on the frontline of the Housing Benefit team at Swale Borough Council, then moving on to the roles of Training Officer, Assistant Revenues and Benefits Manager and from 2015 Revenues and Benefits Manager.
Zoe worked with the DWP to set up the Kent Overpayments Network, to ensure that overpayment officers were able to meet, to discuss good practice and bring in new initiatives.
She obtained her full IRRV qualification in 2010 and has been on the IRRV SE Association executive for many years becoming an IRRV Council Member in October 2018.

Michelle Kettles, Welfare and Benefit Manager, South Staffordshire Council

Michelle started working for the DHSS as it was then in 1987 and worked as a Social Fund Officer. She moved to Wolverhampton Council in 1990 as a benefit officer and remained there until 2007 when she became a team leader in the Benefits service at South Staffordshire Council.
In more recent years she has worked on several welfare projects, including the Universal Support delivered locally pilot where she was the Project Co-Ordinator. She has worked with voluntary organisations and charities supporting more vulnerable customers In 2017 she became the Welfare and Benefit Manager and she has responsibility for Housing Benefits and Council Tax Support, Homelessness, Disability Facilities Grants and the Building Better Opportunities programme which is funded by ESF and Big Lottery.

Dan Kolinsky QC, Landmark Chambers

Dan Kolinsky QC of Landmark Chambers was called to the Bar in 1998 and appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2015. He combines a specialist rating practice with a wider public law, local government and planning practice. He sits as a Recorder (part time judge) and is a CEDR accredited mediator. Dan was made an honorary member of the Rating Surveyor’s Association in 2017. He has appeared in 5 rating cases in the Supreme Court (Woolway (as junior), Monk, Iceland, UKI Kingsway and Cardtronics). He has also recorded a series of rating podcasts - available free at landmark chambers

Gary Layzell, Transformation Manager, Civica

Gary works for Civica in the role of OnDemand transformation manager providing a range of system-agnostic consultancy support for local authorities focussing mainly on service transformation, CTRS, UC, Specified Accommodation, Subsidy and discretionary awards. Gary worked on the transition of East Kent Services into Civica, a project which realised £1.1m savings in the first year. Gary is a well-known speaker on benefit-related matters having spoken at several IRRV events in the past, regional council events and on several webinars either as a host or an invited speaker. He joined Civica in 2017 after a year working as a trainer / consultant, assisting many local authorities to implement their transition to Universal Credit. Prior to that, he was the Revenues, Welfare and Customer Services Manager at Harrogate Borough Council.
In his time at Harrogate, Gary oversaw significant changes to service delivery, managing the service as one of the very early adopters of Universal Credit and was vocal in identifying and helping to implement a number of changes to Universal Credit.
In total, Gary has nearly 30 years local government experience.

David Magor, Chief Executive, IRRV

David is the Chief Executive of the Institute, and until mid-2001 was Director of Housing and Revenues at Oxford City Council. David is a very well experienced technical professional whose knowledge of the theory and practice of housing, revenues and benefits has the very widest regard. David has represented the Institute over the years on a great many joint working parties and has acted as technical advisor to several government departments, including the Department of Work and Pensions and the Department for Communities and Local Government. He is also an advisor to the Local Government Association.
David is also a member of the OECD training group that has been advising transition countries on local government and local taxation reforms. He has been involved in numerous missions to developing and transition countries in relation to the development of new local taxation systems.
A regular public speaker and respected trainer, David has the unusual ability to communicate complex legal points in plain English and establishes a quick rapport with all audiences.
David has been instrumental in implementing plans to secure the Institute’s commercial health, and has led the identification of new products and services that deliver real value to institute members and to Council customers.

Angela McGrath, Director/Commissioner of Valuation Services Northern Ireland

Angela qualified as an RICS chartered valuation surveyor in 1993.
Having spent over 30 years with Land and Property Services, her public sector experience covers both Domestic and Non-Domestic Revaluations, the provision of “DV Services” to public bodies in NI, professional and valuation standards and training for the Valuation Profession.
She was the first woman to have been appointed District Valuer in the NICS Valuation profession and subsequently Director of Valuation for Land and Property Services, and Commissioner of Valuation for Northern Ireland, a role which she took on in March 2020.
She is Head of the Valuation Profession for the NICS.

Bradley Davies, Lead Technical Adviser, Litigation & Technical Policy Team, Chief Valuer Group, Valuation Office Agency

Ian McManus, Managing Director, Lateral Technology

Ian brings a wealth of experience from software start-ups and FinTech companies in the UK and the US. Ian is a proven growth-leader with 20 years success delivering disruptive, complex, technical projects through all stages of software platform delivery. His strategic technology vision ensures he excels at driving innovation, delivering technical excellence and bringing compelling, intuitive experiences to his clients. His passion centres around bringing digital transformation to the government, debt, credit and legal industries.

Roger Messenger, Partner, Wilks Head and Eve

Roger is a Senior Partner in Wilks Head and Eve, based in London, UK. They specialise in Valuation for Business Rates and handle large numbers of Appeals on behalf of UK taxpayers as well as advising local Taxing Authorities.
Roger has experience of major valuation projects and property taxation assessments across a range of property types, from bulk descriptions of industrial, retail and offices to the unusual, such as Power Stations, Crematoria, Football Grounds, Leisure Complexes, Public Sector Housing Stock, Airports, etc.
Roger’s Practice has a number of public sector Local Authority clients who are business property taxpayers in their own right, as well as tax collectors and Taxing Authorities. This has led to compiling valuations on new technologically advanced emerging property types, as well as historic and “iconic” buildings.
Frequently engaging with Government Departments and Agencies in developing fit-for-purpose valuation methodology for unusual property types, and adequacy of provisions, has been part of Roger’s remit for years. Through his work on his own Firm’s interest and those of the IRRV and TEGoVA – which has around 70,000 Valuers within its member organisations.

Nathan Nash, Head of NFI New Business Team, Cabinet Office

Having worked on the NFI team for 13 years, Nathan is now Head of the NFI New Business team. Prior to that he worked as an external auditor across public sector bodies in Wales. He is a member of CIPFA.
Nathan’s role in NFI is to drive forward the NFI strategy with particular focus on targeting emerging existing fraud risks across the public and private sector. He manages a pipeline of data matching pilots and is also responsible for promotion, innovation and development of NFI products that sit along side the main mandatory exercise.

Sarah Naylor, Business Development Manager, Dukes Bailiffs Ltd

Sarah Naylor, IRRV (tech) joined family business, Dukes Bailiffs Limited in 2015 after completing her Degree at Sheffield University achieving a 2.1 Honours in Law.
Working alongside peers and completing the IRRV tech qualification has enabled her to develop her knowledge on enforcement and local taxation, and her desire to learn has meant she is currently undertaking the IRRV Hons qualification to expand her knowledge further. Keen to be involved in driving the industry forward Sarah has climbed the ranks to become part of Dukes’ management board and also sits on the CIVEA executive committee.

Simon Quilter, Revenues Manager, Broadland and South Norfolk Councils

Simon has worked in Local Taxation and Benefits for over 30 years. He is currently the Revenues Manager for Broadland and South Norfolk Council’s shared service. He has served on the Executive of the East Anglian Association for 20 years and held the posts of President, Secretary and Education Liaison Officer.
Simon’s proudest achievements have been enjoying success with his teams in winning several IRRV Performance Awards including Revenues Team of the Year and, in 2018, Excellence in Non-Domestic Rate. He is an enthusiastic member of the Institute and in recent years has delivered presentations at the Investigation and Fraud Conference as well as Spring and National Conference. He is also a regular contributor to Insight. Simon was elected onto IRRV Council in 2019.

Wallace Sampson, Chief Executive, Harrogate Borough Council

Wallace joined Harrogate Borough Council at the beginning of August 2008 and has worked in local government for over 35 years. He started with Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council and has also worked at Chesterfield Borough Council, Kirklees MBC, and Bradford MDC where he was Strategic Director Customer Services and Assistant Chief Executive for Regeneration and the Environment.
He is passionate about public service delivery and the need to work within partnerships to join up service delivery. He has devoted his career to public service and over the years he has worked extensively with partners to ensure a strong focus on customers, residents, businesses and visitors to the district. This is reflected in a number of external responsibilities to Harrogate Council. He chairs the Harrogate District Public Services Leadership Board and is a member of the North Yorkshire Children’s Safeguarding Board. He is lead Chief Executive for the Leeds City Region LEP Clean Energy priority and he is also lead local authority Chief Executive in Yorkshire and Humber for energy and low carbon.
In March 2020 Wallace was also appointed to the Board of Harrogate District Foundation Trust Hospital as a Non-Executive Director.
Wallace was awarded an OBE in the New Year’s Honours List 2020 for services to business and the community in Yorkshire.

Paul Sanderson, President, International Property Tax Institute (IPTI)

IPTI is an independent, not-for-profit organisation specialising in the use of property tax to support the provision of good quality local services.
IPTI has a network of experts around the world who specialise in all aspects of property tax including policy, administration, management, valuation, assessment and collection. In addition, IPTI runs conferences, workshops, seminars and provides education courses to assist those dealing with property tax whether as taxpayers, professional advisors, assessors, collectors or academics.
Prior to becoming President of IPTI, Paul was the Director of Professional Services at the UK Valuation Office Agency (VOA) where he was responsible for providing professional advice and technical guidance across a wide range of valuation and property issues. The VOA is the largest valuation agency in the world with approximately 3,500 staff dealing with valuations of some 25 million properties.
Paul has also worked as a specialist consultant to both the World Bank and United Nations in providing professional advice to support various urban infrastructure and other property-related projects in developing countries.
Paul has over 45 years’ experience in property valuations for a variety of purposes and is a Past President of the Rating Surveyors’ Association (RSA), a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and a Fellow of the Institute of Revenues, Rating and Valuation (IRRV).

Kevin Shaw, Creditor Strategy Manager, Money and Pensions Service (MaPS)

Kevin leads on Money and Pensions Service strategy and policy in matters relating to creditor debt recovery practices and support for those in financial difficulty. He has previously worked for creditors in the financial services and utility sectors for over 20 years, and specialises in debt management operations, project management and strategic relationships with the debt advice sector.
Kevin is the author of the Money Advice Service publications ‘Supportive Council Tax Recovery- a strategic guide for Local Authorities’(2018) and ‘Working collaboratively with debt advice agencies – a strategic toolkit for creditors’ (2017) He is a member of several government advisory groups for debt and a former Trustee of Citizens Advice Gateshead.

Adrian Shooter, Deputy Divisional Director, LA and VOA Management and Funding Team, DWP

Kevin Stewart, Business Unit Leader Revenues and Benefits, Mid Sussex District Council

Kevin served as the Institute’s National President for 2014/15, having been an IRRV Council Member from 2005 to 2011 and again from 2012. Previously he was Chair of the Institute’s Benefits and Welfare Reform Faculty Board and member of the Local Taxation and Revenues Faculty Board. Kevin has previously been Education Liaison Officer and President for East Midlands Association as well as a tutor and examiner for the Institute at Technician/Certificate level since 2001 and now also at Diploma Level.
Kevin has extensive experience during over 38 years in the public sector, being in senior management for nearly 27 years. Kevin currently works at Mid Sussex DC. Previously worked at a number of private sector companies, Wealden DC, Luton BC, Central Bedfordshire Council, Watford and Three Rivers Shared Service, and the Audit Commission. Before this, Kevin worked at Bedford BC, Amber Valley BC and Kings Lynn and West Norfolk BC.

Alan Sullivan, Management Consultant

Alan spent over 35 years working in the public sector in DWP, latterly working for 22 years with Local Authorities. Alan led and delivered key projects, notably responsible for setting up the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate in 1996 which successfully drove up performance of LAs in tackling Fraud and Error for over 10 years.
He delivered the Benefit cap in partnership with all 380 LAs and the LA IT suppliers, launching the project on time in April 2013. He was also instrumental for delivering the Housing Benefit Debt Service into 380 LAs, delivering this on time in April 2018. The service has received widespread acclaim from LAs, significantly increasing debt recovery in HB to unprecedented levels nearing 90% of in-year recovery Nationally.
Alan entered 2019 realising he needed a new challenge, so gave up the luxury of senior post in DWP to set up his own management consultancy venture. This included the development of a strategic partnership in Giblin and Sullivan Consultancy Services. Alan has already worked in a private capacity with a number of local authorities in driving through improvements in Revenues and Benefits Services and continues to promote and share good practice amongst his many existing Networks.

Hannah Sutcliffe, Virtual Rate Manager, Analyse Local

Hannah has worked within the rating industry for seven years following the completion of her Law degree from the University of Sheffield. Her current position involves managing a team of graduate Rating Consultants in the recently established ‘Virtual Rates Manager (‘VRM’)’ department of Analyse LOCAL, a subsidiary of Inform CPI Limited. Throughout the past year the team have facilitated the design, development and implementation of this innovative new product, which has recently been released to Local Authorities nationwide. Having already received fantastic feedback, a successful future is anticipated for both the department and the service.
Prior to securing the position of Virtual Rating Team Manager, Hannah assisted with the creation and growth of Analyse LOCAL’s ‘Rateable Value Finder’ service. As the longest serving team member, she has had the pleasure of playing an instrumental role in the progression of the department from an idea to an industry-leading product.
Hannah is currently studying for the Level 3 IRRV Technician qualification and has recently joined the Lancashire and Cheshire Association. Whilst still relatively new to the Institute she is an enthusiastic member, attending conferences, forums and meetings wherever possible; something which she intends to continue to do as she further develops her career within the industry.

Shelley Taylor, Solutions Architect, Civica

Shelley began her local government career within customer services, specialising in Revenues and Benefits. She gained experience in both front, back office and management of the contact centre before moving to the private sector.
She joined Civica in 2017 with over ten years’ experience of operational leadership at a senior level, transformation and solutions. An intuitive and innovative leader, utilising this experience to bring about change and improved outcomes for teams.

Rachael Tiffen, Director of Local Government, Cifas

Rachael was Head of Audit and Counter Fraud in 3 London Boroughs. At the National Fraud Authority, Home Office in 2010 as Head of Public Sector Fraud she researched and drafted the first local government counter fraud strategy Fighting Fraud Locally ( FFL) and created pilot data hubs using partnerships. In 2013 she joined the MoD as manager of the Fraud Defence Unit. In 2014 she created the CIPFA Counter Fraud Centre - creating qualifications and services, drafting the second FFCL Strategy for HMG .Whilst here she created a consortium of data partners leading the team to win the contract for the London Counter Fraud Hub. Rachael is a well-known speaker and author on counter fraud and corruption, sitting on a number of industry Boards. She is the Independent Person for Standards and Ethics at the LB Tower Hamlets. In 2017 she won the Stella Walsh Award “Lifetime Achievement in Countering Fraud”. Rachael currently hosts a regular spot on CLGdotTV interviewing other counter fraud experts. Rachael is Director of Local Government at Cifas – the UK’s Fraud Prevention Service.

Alistair Townsend, Director, Alistair Townsend Ltd

Alistair is a National Council member of the IRRV and Senior Vice President. He is currently Law and Research Portfolio Holder and Policy and Resources Committee member. He is also immediate Past President of the East Midlands Association and a former examiner in Council Tax Law.
He has worked within Local Taxation, Revenues and Benefits throughout his career, initially working for a couple of Nottinghamshire Councils and latterly as Head of Revenues and Benefits for Milton Keynes Council. Alistair originally joined Milton Keynes, working for Mouchel in a contracted out service, and then later managed the transfer of the Service to the Council, during which time he also became Deputy Partnership Director for a Council owned LLP. After leaving Milton Keynes, Alistair joined Marston as Group Client Services Director, where he managed the Client Services function for the whole range of Group companies.
After some 28 years working in Revenues and Benefits on an employed basis, Alistair established his own business as a consultant specialising in Local Taxation, Revenues and Benefits and local authority debt collection. He provides services to both the public and private sector on areas such as:
• Specialist Local Taxation, Revenues and Benefits and Debt Collection advice and support.
• Interim Management solutions
• Restructure/reorganisation options appraisals, recommendations and implementation
• Project management
• Change management
• Business case development
• Local Taxation training
• Expert Witness services

Stephen Timms MP, Chair of the Work and Pensions Select Committee

Stephen Timms was elected Chair of the Work and Pensions Select Committee after the General Election last December. He has been MP for East Ham since 1994, after four years as Leader of the Council in the London Borough of Newham. He previously worked in the computer industry. He was a Minister in the Labour Governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown from 1998 to 2010, including serving for a year in the Cabinet as Chief Secretary to the Treasury. He was Minister for Employment in 2008, and Shadow Minister for Employment in 2010-15. He chaired Labour’s backbench DWP Committee in 2015-19. Mr Timms has been the Labour Party’s faith envoy since 2007.

Professor Tony Travers, Professor in Practice, Department of Government, LSE

Tony Travers is a Visiting Professor in LSE Department of Government and Director of LSE London. His key research interests include local and regional government, elections and public service reform. Professor Travers' knowledge is frequently sought by policy makers and he has advised a range of select committees and think tanks. He also provides expert analysis for broadcast and print media, regularly appearing on major television and radio networks.
Tony is chair of the British Government@LSE research group and a regular guest on The HotSeat, the Department of Government's current affairs video and podcast series. He has also written several books, most recently 'London's Boroughs at 50'.

Ash Varsani, UK Financial Crime and AML Specialist SAS UK & I

Ash is a UK Sales specialist focused in the Financial Crime and AML solution area at SAS Institute, Inc. Over his 20-year career, Ash has industry experience in Fraud and Cybersecurity, worked across a number of industries, held various specialist roles to help clients detect suspicious activities and prevent financial losses.

Geoff Waterton, Head of Collection, Enfield Council

Geoff has over 30 years’ experience leading teams and running revenues services in Enfield. More recently Geoff has lead the implementation of collection teams in Enfield being combined under one service with a view to having consistent, ethical collection, performance and standards across all debt services with protection for the “can’t pays” and robust enforcement for the “won’t pays”.

Norman Winbourne, Partner, Winbourne Martin, French