About Us

Introducing the Team at Exact:

                                                   

Dianne Thomas

Managing Director

01691 682300
07598 229959

 dianne.thomas@exactconsultants.co.uk

Dianne is passionate about improving outcomes across the public sector. She specialises in independent challenge and support for transformational change across local government, police, fire & rescue, NHS services and the third sector. She was previously the Audit Commission’s Area Assessment Lead and Relationship Manager in the West Midlands. She has significant experience in driving improvements in governance, corporate capacity, performance outcomes and value for money in public services; specialising in business transformation, shared services and capacity building. She has a professional background in public health; previous roles include Head of Health Development in Coventry. She was formerly a senior associate a Warwick Business Schools Local Government Centre where she specialised in developing local authorities’ strategies to tackle social exclusion. More recently she has been working as an independent adviser to the third sector on responding to the developing Localism agenda and business planning. She is an accredited consultant with the Improvement and Efficiency West Midlands Partnership.

Dianne is also an Associate with the Home Office working extensively with HM Inspectorate of Constabulary, across a range of inspection programmes for police forces in England and Wales. She is also an Expert Adviser with the Centre for Public Scrutiny working with local authorities across the UK.

 

John Cotterill

Director and Public Finance Specialist

07734 815838
john.cotterill@exactconsultants.co.uk

As well as being a former Area Assessment Lead, John is a qualified CIPFA accountant with extensive experience in public sector finance, organisation and service delivery improvement.

Formerly, a public sector finance specialist with KPMG, and an appointed auditor at the Audit Commission. Involved in developing the Audit Commission’s Value for Money strand of the Use of Resources assessment methodology. Previously a member of Stoke on Trent City Council’s Transformation Board and directly involved in monitoring and supporting their recovery plans. An accredited PRINCE2 practitioner and a trained facilitator, with a proven track record in project and staff management across a range of organisations including local authorities, accountancy firms and regulatory bodies. Ideally placed to support public sector bodies and others in the current financially challenging times where obtaining value for money, adopting new ways of procurement and service delivery and working efficiently are essential. John has extensive experience of leading service and cross cutting inspections and partnership working .

  Gary Hammersley

   Director

    gary.hammersley@exactconsultants.co.uk

Gary has substantial managerial experience and expertise, performing operational, interim and project management roles in the public sector and latterly in financial services. Gary is educated to Masters Degree level and a Prince2 Practitioner accredited. He has delivered organisation and cultural change programmes, transformed performance and strengthened governance, managing end to end projects on time and to budget. With proven ability to build and maintain effective relationships in the pressured atmosphere of project management, regulation and interim management, Gary has excellent analytical and decision-making skills, and is able to synthesise complex data and research. Gary has led and developed high-performing teams and collaborated successfully with senior executive stakeholders deploying exceptional communication skills; addressing diverse audiences with confidence and gravitas.

Clive Mitchell

Associate

clive.mitchell@exactconsultants.co.uk

Clive is an experienced manager and leader, with a strong track record of driving improvement in public sector organisations. He has 30 years experience of working in the public sector, starting out as an Environmental Health Officer in London. His specialisms include public participation, governance, partnership working, public health, and facilitating change in organisations.

He joined the Audit Commission in 2001, and led the Commission's work in central England on democratic renewal and public sector partnership working. He also led Comprehensive Performance Assessment inspections at county, unitary and district councils, managing multi-functional teams that included senior peer members and officers from local authorities. Clive is Local Government Advisor at Involve, experts in public participation, and is also a Director and Trustee at Lonsdale Swimming and Sports Trust, a charity which runs two community swimming pools in Derby.

Clive is strongly customer and outcome focused, with proven experience of tailoring and delivering projects that meet customer needs. He is highly effective at evaluating complex corporate issues and producing succinct, strategic analysis. He is also excellent at managing relationships, particularly in tricky political situations. Clients describe Clive as "very professional, credible and positive" and "...approachable, constructive and flexible". One client said "his work couldn't have been bettered".

  

Steve Blundell

Associate

Now a freelance Social Care and Health Consultant, Steve previously worked as a Performance Specialist with the Audit Commission, where he was recognised as a social care expert. He worked on a number of national projects and produced tools that helped social care organisations deliver improvement. Steve has extensive experience of managing and planning adult social care services, gained from working as both an operational and strategic manager in local government. He completed a Masters Degree in Social Services Management at Birmingham University and was a senior manager, with responsibility for older people and adult field social work services in a Metropolitan Borough Council. He has spent more than 25 years working in both field and residential social care services, including some 15 years as a manager. He is also a registered social worker.

Liz Asser

Associate

Liz brings expertise from both the public and the private sector. As a chartered librarian, she managed schools and children’s library services for county councils, developed the first tender specification for the supply of books and other services for Westminster City Libraries, and moved into sales and marketing for national library supply companies.

She worked closely with local authorities managing her company’s contract for the supply of books and other services, before being recruited to the Audit Commission’s best value Inspectorate as a culture specialist. As an Audit Commission senior performance lead, she has assessed and reviewed organisations across local government, police, fire and rescue, NHS services and the third sector. She has considerable experience in driving improvements in governance, corporate capacity, performance outcomes and value for money in public services; specialising in business transformation, shared services and capacity building.

Liz’s current portfolio includes her role as an Associate Inspector with the Home Office working with HM Inspectorate of Constabularies evaluating value for money and governance in policing nationally. She developed the tools and a methodology for HMIC to risk assess potential commissions from Police and Crime Commissioners, streamlined HMIC’s corporate inspection framework, and is closely involved in the Valuing the Police programme which assesses annually each police force’s response to financial challenge and impact on services.

Liz is also closely involved in the cultural arena with her role at a contemporary arts and crafts gallery in Shropshire. Researching artists and makers, she develops ways of working with new and established jewellers, and features their work in a selling environment.

Exact Consultants Ltd. Registered Office: Stanmore House, Knockin Heath, Oswestry, Shropshire SY10 8ED