PFI Exit Strategies

Mark has an MBA and is an alumni of the Ashridge Business School Advanced Leadership Programme. He has worked at a senior level in both the public and private sector as well as a government backed advisory company. He has extensive experience of public-private partnerships and the commercialisation of public services. He manages CIPFA’s property training programmes and within the team on wider property issues throughout the UK.

Mark specialises in the financial and commercial implications of complex projects, including PPPs and PFIs at all stages in their lifecycle. Until recently he led for PA Consulting on Property and Infrastructure. Prior to that Mark was an audit/advisory partner with one of the big four firms, where he set up their government finance and accounting team.

He has worked extensively with HM Treasury and the Cabinet Office, including in relation to PPP/PFI technical guidance and best practice. Mark provided support to both the NAO in relation to their recent PFI exit report, and the Partnerships Bulletin on their roundtable and report on the same subject. In this he drew on experience of PFI operational efficiency work and PFI exit work.

Mark delivers a variety of learning and development to public servants: HMT’s Better Business Case, the World Bank’s PPP training, and Cabinet Office and IPA’s Project Leadership Programme. He is a member of both the CIPFA government board and the CIPFA South East council.

Gregor has over 20 years of experience in the public and private sectors and specialises in corporate finance. He focuses on strategic decisions like acquisitions, disposals, valuations, and financing decisions involving capital structure, raising finance or risk management.

In his current role at the National Audit Office, he has managed numerous reports and, in particular, the forward-looking study 'Managing PFI assets and services as contracts end'. The report focussed on potential problems to come as contracts expire and aims to share these risks as well as best practice. It received strong media attention, resulting in a parliamentary hearing in 2021.

Judith is a commercial litigation partner with over 15 years of experience in commercial litigation and contentious construction, including work on a number of reported cases. Her clients come from a variety of sectors and services and include local authorities, central government bodies, healthcare bodies, financial institutions, private companies and shareholders. Judith advises on a wide range of litigation matters, including commercial and contractual disputes, private finance initiative/projects disputes, professional negligence claims, construction disputes, corporate and breach of warranty claims, shareholder dispute and breach of confidentiality claims.

She delivers straightforward and cost-effective legal advice, and regularly deals with all forms of dispute resolution, including court proceedings, adjudication, expert determination, negotiation and mediation. Her aim is to understand her client's business and strategic aims and to implement them in the most effective and practical way.

John is a highly experienced business manager and management consultant with over 30 years experience in both the private and public sectors, now leading CIPFA’s advisory practice. Recently John has helped shape and drive a major cost reduction UK wide programme for police sector, Achieving Finance Excellence in Policing. He has acted as the commercial adviser to numerous forces including the Met Police on their successful outsourcing of their back office functions and also was a key part of the team responsible for the development of their commercial strategy to 2020. John has also worked for large civil service departments and every type of local authority in the UK.