Sir Michael Lyons
Sir Michael Lyons was the author of the hugely influential Lyons Inquiry into the future role, function and funding of local government in England and Wales.
Sir Michael previously completed a review of public sector relocation on behalf of the Chancellor and Deputy Prime Minister (Well Placed to Deliver, The Lyons Review, March 2004). He was also chair of Cardiff City Council’s Corporate Governance Commission which completed its work in April 2004.
Sir Michael was knighted in January 2000 for services to local government after serving as the chief executive of three major local authorities - Birmingham City Council (1994-2001); Nottinghamshire County Council (1990-94); and Wolverhampton Borough Council (1985-90). He spent a short period as an elected councillor between 1980 and 1983.
The final report and recommendations of the Lyons Inquiry were published in March 2007. In April 2007, Sir Michael was appointed as Chairman of the BBC Trust.
To view his presentation please click here.
Dr Neil Bentley
Director, Public Services Directorate, CBI
As director of the Public Services Directorate Neil is responsible for leading the development of the CBI’s contribution to the public service reform agenda, promoting in particular the role of diverse, competitive and contestable supply markets in raising standards and delivering better value for money. Neil works closely with the CBI’s Public Services Strategy Board to set the direction for the CBI’s campaign and leads on communications with government and other stakeholders in reform.
Neil took up this role in October 2005. Formerly he was Head of Skills & Employment at the CBI, with responsibility for policy development in areas such as basic skills, vocational training, diversity, trade union relations, employee involvement and working time.
Before joining the CBI in 2002 he was European employee relations consultant at EDS Ltd, a global IT services company. He was responsible for advising employment issues in public and private sector procurements and employee transfers.
Prior to EDS, Neil was a researcher on European employment law and industrial relations issues at the Industrial Relations Services. Neil’s doctorate focused on trade union attitudes to racism and immigration.
Vincent Cable
Shadow Chancellor and Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats
Vincent Cable MP, Shadow Chancellor and Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats read Natural Science and Economics at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, where he was President of the Union, and received a PhD from Glasgow University.
He worked as a Treasury Finance Officer for the government of Kenya between 1966 and 1968. After lecturing in economics at Glasgow University he worked as a First Secretary in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Diplomatic Service (1974-76). He was then Deputy Director of the Overseas Development Institute, which included a period working for the then Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, John Smith MP, as a Special Advisor. From 1983 to 1990 he worked as Special Advisor on Economic Affairs.
From 1990 he worked for Shell International, and from 1995 was Shell's Chief Economist. He has also been head of the economic programme at Chatham House. Since becoming an MP, he has been appointed a fellow of Nuffield College, Oxford.
Dr Cable served as a Labour councillor in Glasgow between 1971 and 1974, having contested the Glasgow Hillhead division in the 1970 General Election. He joined the Social Democratic Party after its formation in 1981 and went on to contest York for the SDP/Liberal Alliance in both the 1983 and 1987 General Elections.
To view his presentation please click here.
