In May 2021 it was a great honour to become your PCC.
My vision is to make Dorset the safest county in the UK through making it my mission to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour. My values are Justice, Fairness, Community and Respect and my purpose is to keep people safe and secure. My Police and Crime Plan based on what the people of Dorset told me has radically changed Dorset Police to be tough on crime, keep people safe and put victims first. The plan was designed for 7 years and I would like with your help to continue to deliver for the people of Dorset.
The plan is working with Dorset having gone from 10th to 7th safest place in the country. Anti-social behaviour, violent crime, rural crime and crime generally are all significantly reduced. This is meaningless until everybody feels this everywhere and that challenge is one I will deliver.
This isn’t a job to me – it’s a vocation. I have no desire to be any sort of politician other than a PCC. For me it is about nothing more than to make the place we all care about the safest in the country. This is about Dorset. Help me do that and re-elect me on May 2nd.
Below is who I am.
I was born in Bournemouth and attended St Luke's Primary School in Winton, followed by Bournemouth School. Dorset has always been my home apart from when I studied Anatomical Science at The University of Bristol. After graduating, I joined the pharmaceutical industry as a representative for Parke-Davis. My first area was Dorset and as my job involved a lot of travelling across the county, my love for the countryside was strengthened even more.
During my career within the sector, I undertook many rewarding management and marketing roles, one of which was joining the UK Management Board for Parke-Davis as CNS Therapy Director (Marketing Director). During this time, I also achieved an MBA with Distinction from Manchester University.
Throughout my various roles, I was responsible for substantial budgets and members of staff. One of my top achievements was to bring to market the first treatment for neuropathic pain in Europe against strong US opposition. This career gave me a thorough grounding in strategy, communication and resource allocation.
What's more, these experiences proved to be invaluable when I subsequently decided to set up my own business. For nearly 2 decades, STAC Consultancy facilitated the education of more than 17,500 secondary care consultants in areas such as chronic pain, epilepsy, dementia and multiple sclerosis. My professional career has given me experience of large multi-national organisations as well as the needs of a small, lean business.
I have also been the secretary of a foundation which awarded more than a quarter of a million pound of grant funding to medical professionals. I was also a Non-Executive Director for a healthcare company and was instrumental in trebling their turnover.
For the past decade, I was proud to have been a governor at Bournemouth School. Since becoming Vice Chair/Chair, I led a strategic review which meant a change in vision to ensure the most local community focussed and progressive admission policy in the UK which allowed the acquisition of the largest capital investment since the 1970s.
I am happily married and a father and grandfather, and secondary owner (he thinks I am another dog) of a cockapoo.
In my spare time I enjoy playing board games with my friends and family and getting out in the Dorset countryside - it's a bonus if a pub lunch is involved too! I