Michael Stokes
Director, Procurement at the
London Development Agency

Michael has over 14 years’ procurement experience gained within both the public and private sectors on a pan-European level. After spending eight years heading up the procurement team within the Japanese Investment Bank Nomura International, in which he became responsible for all corporate procurement activity across Europe, Michael moved into the public sector, initially as Head of Procurement at the University of the Arts London, where he had responsibility for the accounts payable team. After four years he joined the London Borough of Redbridge as Head of Procurement, before moving to the London Development Agency (LDA). Michael has worked on significant organisation and change management implementation programmes and business workflow improvements and has led on and implemented large eProcurement programmes across a number of organisations. More recently, he was responsible for the LDA achieving Level 5 of Sustainable Procurement Flexible Framework, five years ahead of government targets and ahead of all other Regional Development Agencies.

After leaving university, Susan worked in retail management before joining the CBI where she worked on pensions policy, and health & safety policy and was appointed head of Employee Resourcing in 1995. In this role she was responsible for a group of seven working on labour market issues including pay and benefits, working time and employee mobility as well as European employment legislation.

Susan was appointed director of Human Resources Policy in June 2000, taking responsibility for education and training issues, pay and benefits, employee rights and relations, and Social Europe.

In July 2008, Susan moved to take responsibility for education and skills, and public services. She is also a council member of ACAS and a commissioner on the Low Pay Commission.