Digby Barker

Drawing on his consultancy experience and government background – including posts in MoD HQ and HM Treasury – Digby specialises in helping companies win and profit from public sector business, advising in particular on marketing strategy and tender preparation. His experience includes research, operational/decision analysis, resource allocation, project management and acquisition – especially the development of procurement strategies –– ITTs and tender evaluation schemes.

Gareth Jones

Gareth has worked in the procurement field since 1971, the greater part of his career being in the public sector, including 22 years in healthcare purchasing. In 1997 Gareth became DETR's first Head of Procurement. Since leaving the public service Gareth has undertaken a major procurement review for the House of Commons. In consultancy terms, his major clients have included Inland Revenue, Nirex, Sapient plc and Governetz Ltd. Gareth is a noted change manager with highly respected motivational, training and teaching skills.

Melanie Meaden

Melanie is a Sustainable Procurement Advisor at the Environment Agency. She works to implement the organisation's sustainable procurement strategy, advising procurement teams and stakeholders on sustainability issues. Prior to joining the Environment Agency she worked for the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency for four years, as a Sustainable Development Manager. Before joining the public sector, Melanie worked in environmental consultancy for seven years, specialising in environmental auditing and contaminated land assessment projects. She is a Member of the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM).

Eddie Regan

Eddie is BiP Solutions' Senior Procurement Consultant. Working alongside the Client Services team, he frequently assists public sector organisations with clarification and interpretation of EU Directives and a wide variety of legislative issues. Eddie is lead consultant on BiP's PASS Mark Health Check, an evaluation technique that helps identify how organisations in both the public and private sectors can develop more effective processes in respect of all aspects of public sector contracting. A member of the International Purchasing and Supply Education and Research Association (IPSERA), Eddie is also the senior adviser on BiP's unique Tender Support Helpline team, which provides advice on contracting matters to hundreds of clients. For the last 13 years Eddie has lectured regularly on procurement policy and processes at conferences and events, both on behalf of BiP and for a variety of other organisations, including the Society of Procurement Officers in Local Government (SOPO) and the Institute of Directors. He also provides in-house training on the tendering process – law and practice – to personnel in both the public and private sectors, including several multinational organisations.