Career history - a unique blend of public and private sectors

                                            

David Bowles is a highly innovative top manager with very extensive experience.   Very unusually this experience is in both the public and private sectors where he has worked at Chief Executive, Director and Chief Officer level for around 20 years.

He has been the Chief Executive of one of England largest Councils and being an accountant by training has also been a County Treasurer and within the NHS a Treasurer and Director of Information Services.


In the private sector he was Business Development Director for CSL (now Liberata) and more recently has been advising the private sector on its strategies for the public sector.

 

Although an CIPFA accountant by training David Bowles has concentrated upon issues of strategy and general management.   He has personally led a number of very big change projects.  He has very extensive experience of innovative partnership working with the private sector and has helped shape the market.  He has also led a number of innovative partnerships within the public sector.

He is currently a Non Executive Director for the Institute of Public Finance, the trading arm of Cipfa, and Chairman of United Lincolnshire NHS Trust, one of the largest non teaching Trusts in the UK.

His most recent experiences have ranged from helping a private sector company develop their entry strategy for local government to being turnaround Chief Executive for a failing unitary Council.

Whilst at Lincolnshire he had to deal with serous governance issues calling in both the external auditors and the police.   Eventually the former Leader of the Council, Jim Speechley, was jailed for misconduct in public office for seeking to influence the line of a road to enhance the value of his own land. Rodney Brooke CBE Chairman of the General Social Care Council and Director of the Ethics Standards Board for Accountants in a report on the Council said David

as set a climate in which high ethical standards are expected.  In doing so he has behaved with considerable courage.

These were tumultuous times at Lincolnshire requiring personal strength and tenacity.   His efforts were recognised by no less than 'Private Eye' who applauded his stand on governance issues and named him as their Man of the Year in 2004!


David has the status with the IDeA of 'Preferred Provider' for consultancy advice to local government.


Summary of Experience at Senior Level

March 2005 to date

Running his own consultancy has brought assignments as varied as strategies for private sector companies through  to, via SOLACE, being the interim Chief Executive of a failing Council.  He was also brought in as Chief Executive of ppsplc.  This company was formed in 2002 and its focus is on developing partnerships for professional services within the public sector.  David joined the Board in an advisory capacity and conducted a review, the result of which was that he was asked to work full time as Chief Executive and take the company through a major financial restructuring, eventually achieved via a form of administration, to resolve financial issues in part caused by rapid growth.

 

September 2004 - March 2005 - Interim Chief Executive - West Lindsey District Council


1999 to 2004 - Chief Executive - Lincolnshire County Council


1993 to 1999 - Director - CSL Group Ltd (now known as Liberata)


1989 to 1993 - County Treasurer - Royal County of Berkshire


1986-1989 - Treasurer and Director of Information Services - East Dorset Health Authority

     

1979-1986 - Assistant County Treasurer - Northamptonshire County Council


Training and Qualifications.

Member of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy and a former Senior Examiner for the Institute. Numerous training courses including as a CPA Assessor and management courses at Henley and the London Business School. University of Reading - Honours Degree in Chemistry with Maths.