Meet the Team
Gary L. Sturgess, Executive Director
Gary has been Executive Director of the Institute since January 2003, driving our research and publication agenda. He is a prominent exponent of diversity and contestability in public services and played a key role in the establishment of the Public Services Strategy Board at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and the Services Forum of Infrastructure Partnerships Australia. He is former Cabinet Secretary in the New South Wales state government in Sydney, Australia, where he acquired a reputation for promoting innovative reform and in 2005, he was awarded the Order of Australia for services to government. Gary was a non-executive director of Serco Group plc from 1993 until 2000, when he moved to the UK and joined the company as a senior executive.
Briony Smith, Director of Research
Briony joined the Institute in November 2003. She is responsible for managing the Institute's research programme and day-to-day operations. Previously, she worked as a policy adviser at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and as an intern at the Council of the European Union, Brussels. She studied at the University of St Andrews for an MLitt in socio-cultural identity and an MA in French and English. One of Briony's major research projects since joining the Institute has been a study-of performance measurement in public service contracts. Her recent research has focused on the design of public service markets and on the benefits of service-led PPPs.
Jeanette Thompson, PA/Office Manager
Jeanette joined the Institute in September 2005, moving from Headmasters Partnership Limited where she had been Senior Administrator to the Education Team. She has had major corporate and plc board level experience and now supports the general running of the Institute as PA to Gary Sturgess and office manager. Jeanette provides research assistance and communications support, contributing to the building and maintenance of the Serco Institute Resource Centre, and co-ordinating Institute activity within the wider Serco Group.
Alexis Sotiropoulos, Researcher
Alexis joined the Institute in August 2006 having worked for the National Offender Management Service and, prior to that, the Department of Trade and Industry. He has a law degree from the University of Cambridge and an MA in legal and political theory from University College London, where he studied at the School of Public Policy. Alexis is currently researching a wide range of material for the Institute's research programme and the Serco Institute Resource Centre.
Peter May, Online Editor
Peter manages the Institute's online presence, in particular overseeing an ambitious expansion of our Resource Centre.