Cratus Associates
Our associates are experts in their own field and their world is local like ours. They come from wide range professional backgrounds, some from local government with distinguished careers and others who have spent a lifetime in Industry, engineering, public and private sector and Journalism.
All have a strong interest in their local communities and want to help with their experience to coach, advise and encourage elected members, senior council officers and our clients in developing their skills and understanding in how local public services are delivered.
Our associates work as part of a wider team on specific projects but they can also be engaged to support clients who need expert support on a more focused and one to one basis.
Find your associate
Bill Alexander
Experience
- Capital Projects Director at the Millennium Commission 1996-2007
- Head of Programme and Project Management British Waterways (Now the Canal and Rivers Trust) 2007-2011
- Capital Projects Director Eden Project 2011-2013
Ada Burns
Experience
- Worked for 25 years in London in senior roles focussed on housing and regeneration
- From 2005 until 2018 Chief Executive of north east unitary Darlington Borough Council
- Led on transport infrastructure for Tees Valley
- Governor and Resources Committee Chair for Teesside University
- Vice Chair of the New Local Government Network (NLGN)
- Director of a Community Arts Centre
- non-executive Director on the South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Stephen Dorrell
Experience
- Stephen was elected as the first Conservative Member of Parliament for Loughborough since 1945 in the General Election in May 1979
- Secretary of State for Health from July 1995 – March 1997
- Former Chair of the Health Select Committee
- Chair of the NHS Confederation
- Chairman of Laing Buisson Ltd, a healthcare market intelligence company, and of its sister company Public Policy Projects Ltd
Andy Holdsworth
Experience
- Communications and reputation management specialist
- Clients have included local authorities, retail, entertainment, food, oil, gas, aviation, education and sovereign wealth funds
- Part of the UK Government response to a variety of domestic issues and crises including Swine Flu, Severe Weather and Icelandic Volcano Eyjafjallajokull as well as being part of numerous Government exercises that tested response mechanisms
Aidan McGurran
Experience
- 22 years at Mirror Group Newspapers – most recently as Managing Editor – responsible for the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror, Sunday People and Mirror Online
- Award winning reporter who covered the Soham Murders, Hurricane Katrina and exposed a major security lapse at Stansted Airport
- Councillor on Basildon BC and chair of the Partnerships and External Affairs Committee
Dame Mary Ney DBE
Experience
- Chief Executive of The Royal Borough of Greenwich: 2000 to 2014
- Director of Social Services and Housing London Borough of Harrow, 1992 to 2000
- Assistant Director of Social Services (Finance, Strategy and Policy),1980 to 1992, LB Southwark
- Commissioner for Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council, 2015 to 2019
- Non-executive director on the ministerial board of DCLG
Julia Potts
Experience
- Former leader of Waverley Borough Council, and also a former Town/Parish Councillor.
- Former Board Member EM3LEP
- School Governor
- Trustee of a Local Community Charity
- 30 years of industry insight working in FMCG sector for Procter and Gamble and Coty Inc
Steve Quartermain CBE
Experience
- Chief Planner at MHCLG for 12 years in the role
- Worked with five Secretaries of State and 14 Housing Ministers
- Local government experience via Epping Forest and Hambleton District Council in Yorkshire
- Former President of the Planning Officers Society
Chris Roberts
Experience
- Former Leader of the Royal Borough of Greenwich
- Led one of London’s most ambitious regeneration agendas, including the Greenwich Peninsula, Royal Arsenal and Kidbrooke Village developments
- Former Chair of the Thames Gateway London Partnership
- Former member of the Mayor’s London Housing Board and Local Enterprise Partnership
Paul Smith
Experience
- Former Cabinet Member for Housing at Bristol City Council.
- Previous roles include Executive Director of Placeshapers, Regional Manager at the National Housing Federation and Chief Executive of Housing Potential UK.
- On the Housing Ombudsman Advisory Panel
Brendon Walsh
Experience
- Executive Director for Planning, Property and Environment, London Borough of Hounslow
- Director for Property and Regeneration, Ealing Council
- Chair, Heathrow Strategic Planning Group
Clare Whelan OBE
Experience
- Lambeth councillor from 1990-2014
- Former Mayor, Cabinet Member, Scrutiny Chair and Health & Wellbeing Board Member
- Director of Public Policy Projects
- Deputy Lieutenant for Greater London
