Press Releases

Top Management changes at the heart of OGC

Top Management changes at heart of OGC

The Office of Government Commerce (OGC), the Government's 'centre of excellence' for public sector procurement, has announced changes to its senior management team.

Hugh Barrett, presently the Executive Director of OGC's Supplier Relations and e-Commerce Directorate, is to become Chief Executive of the OGC trading arm, OGCbuying.solutions. Barrett joined OGC from BT in 2001 - his current Executive Director post is to be filled by OGC newcomer Martin Sykes, who until the recent Government reorganisation was Commercial Director of DTLR. David Court, the current Chief Executive of OGCbuying.solutions, will retire from his post with effect from 31^st October 2002, to be replaced by colleague and fellow OGC Executive Director, Barrett.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

Hugh Barrett (45) joined OGC in April 2001 as Executive Director Supplier Relations and e-Commerce from BT, where he was a Project Director, having joined them in 1991. Within BT he held senior roles in procurement, IT and Business Development.

Prior to BT, he held various commercial roles within British Airways, STC, ICL and Mars.

In the last l8 months he has led the OGC study into Broadband procurement and directed work on four of OGC's ten key strategies.

Prior to this, he had a long and successful career within procurement, performing varied management roles in the area of NHS Purchasing and Supply.

David's breadth of vision and ability across all aspects of purchasing and supply has been a tremendous asset within OGC and he was instrumental in negotiating and signing the government software supply deal with Microsoft - a deal which is expected to save £100m of taxpayers money over a three year period.

3. Martin Sykes BEng, CEng, FIMechE, FCIPS, FRSA
Exec. Director, Supplier Relations & e-Commerce Directorate (wef 01.11.02)

Martin Sykes was Commercial Director, covering Estates, Procurement, PFI and Project Management at the DTLR from September 2000 and was previously with the DSS as Director of Supply Strategy for just over two years, which included management of the PRIME estates contract.

Sykes' career has included an apprenticeship with Babcock & Wilcox; 10 years with ICI in a variety of design, construction and project management roles and Project and Contracts management within Esso Petroleum. In 1989 he joined Glaxo Group Research to lead all procurement and contract management for the construction of an award-winning £750m R&D facility at Stevenage, Herts.

He then moved as Group Supply Chain Director to BAA plc and was closely involved in the Latham Report and its implementation. He has commissioned research into world best construction practice through Birmingham University. He was a founder member of the Construction Clients Forum and as a member of the Reading Construction Forum, was a contributor to "Seven Pillars of Partnering". He sat on the Board of M4I, is a member of OGC's Central Government Task Force and Chairs the CIPS Construction Clients Group.

4. Established in April 2000, the OGC was set up to act as a catalyst in procurement issues and to work with civil departments to achieve best value for money in their commercial activities. Responsible for civil central government procurement policy and best practice including Construction, Property Management, IT, the Private Finance Initiative (PFI), supplier relations including opening government contracts to SMEs, e-commerce including the Government Procurement Card, the Gateway Review Process, OGC Buying solutions, including the Government buying catalogues, G-Cat and S-Cat and developing strategic procurement partnerships with the private sector.

5. OGCbuying.solutions is an Executive Agency of the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) within HM Treasury. It offers a complete advisory and procurement arrangement service to purchasing professionals working for central government, the wider public sector (including Local Authorities) and their private sector agents and contractors.

Its experienced staff have extensive expertise in purchasing across a wide range of goods and services, structured under five key areas:

OGCbuying.solutions also strives to significantly improve public sector purchasing performance, to achieve measurable cost savings and gain major efficiency improvements.

Features of its service include:

• Price Pledge
• Quality Assurance
• Procurement Advice
• Energy Conservation Advice
• Environmental Awareness