I am an independent consultant offering a wide range of project development and management related services with a varied portfolio and client base.

I have an established track record of obtaining effective and timely results for all my clients, am highly organised, thorough and professional and pride myself on my strong project development and management skills.

A confident natural communicator, I have well developed relationship management, influencing, motivating and partnership working skills with a track record in establishing relationships swiftly and in gaining the respect and input of others.

I enjoy “hitting the ground running” on new projects, have a positive and forward looking approach and consistently contribute strategic thinking, good ideas, enthusiasm and energy to all projects undertaken.

“Holly provides the rare combination of a strategic thinker who has a strong sense of practical delivery and excellent project management skills. What’s more, Holly has the contacts and the knowledge of the region which is a real added bonus and can give your project a head start.”

- endorsement from Chris Dessent, MD, Creative Concern

With my wide set of skills, knowledge, experience and contacts, I am highly flexible and adaptable enabling me to effectively develop and manage varied projects for a large range of clients.

I provide a broad range of services to my clients. These include:

• project and programme development
• project and programme management
• strategy, business plan and action plan production
• marketing and communications strategy and delivery
• research, mapping, analysis and feasibility studies
• tender, bid and proposal production and process management
• monitoring, evaluation and reporting
• stakeholder consultation, partnership working and relationship management
• event and workshop organisation and facilitation
• network, working group and advisory panel development
• contract, grant, budget and financial management
• creative thinking and problem solving
• service level agreement and memorandum of understanding development
• board and steering group servicing
• organisational support provision

I have extensive experience of operating in both strategic and operational contexts in complex multi stakeholder environments across the public, private and voluntary sectors.

My background and current portfolio includes several specialist areas :

• creative, media and digital industries
• regeneration and sustainable communities
• skills development, training and learning
• economic development
• environment and climate change

In addition I am a Board member of the University of Manchester Alumni Association Advisory Board.

I have worked in regional, sub regional, local, national and international contexts and particularly extensively in the North West, as well as Yorkshire.

With my wide set of skills, knowledge and experience, I am highly flexible and adaptable enabling me to effectively develop and manage varied projects for a large range of clients.

Since establishing my consultancy business in January 2006, I have successfully completed multiple projects for clients including:

• RENEW Northwest (Regional Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Communities)
• Greater Manchester Learning and Skills Council
• University of Salford
• Media Training North West (now incorporated within Northwest Vision and Media, film, television and digital media development agency)
• Creative Concern (issues-based communications consultancy)
• Manchester: Knowledge Capital (public private partnership progressing Manchester’s global knowledge economy)
• ENWORKS (environmental business support programme)
• Northern Edge (university network for the creative industries across the Northern Way)
• Academy for Sustainable Communities (national centre of excellence in skills for sustainable communities)
• Elevate East Lancashire (Housing Market Renewal pathfinder)
• Achieving Cumbrian Excellence (local authority capacity building programme)
• CIDA (Cultural Industries Development Agency)

“Holly provides the rare combination of a strategic thinker who has a strong sense of practical delivery and excellent project management skills. What’s more, Holly has the contacts and the knowledge of the region which is a real added bonus and can give your project a head start.”

- endorsement from Chris Dessent, MD, Creative Concern

Further references are available on request.

With my wide set of skills, knowledge, experience and contacts, I am highly flexible and adaptable enabling me to effectively develop and manage varied assignments for a large range of clients.

Projects to date have included:

• developing and managing a major regional skills programme
• project managing a complex partnership feasibility and business planning process
• completing a sector strategy and action plan
• undertaking a project feasibility study
• planning and managing the delivery of a workshop programme
• researching and producing a project development plan
• managing an EU tender process
• producing a network development action plan
• preparing a consultative discussion paper
• coordinating a training programme
• devising and implementing a partnership work programme
• contributing to a communications project and strategy
• facilitating an organisational forward planning day
• assembling a programme tender application
• providing wide ranging organisational capacity building support

Further details on these projects are contained within my CV.

I established my consultancy business in January 2006 (initially under my maiden name of Holly Rowan).

Prior to working as an independent consultant I held senior management positions for:

• Skillset (Sector Skills Council for the media industry)
• Manchester: Knowledge Capital (public private partnership leading on the city region’s global knowledge economy)
• Groundwork (national environmental regeneration organisation)
• MAG (international landmine clearance charity)

Please find full details of my independent consultancy experience, career history, education and qualifications in my attached CV.

07920 055315

holly@hollyrhesson.co.uk

www.hollyrhesson.co.uk

17 Rossendale View
Todmorden
OL14 6HN

VAT registration number: 900362469