PrintMember Profiles
Have you ever wanted to know who your Society volunteers actually are, why they volunteer and what they do to relax! Well, all is revealed in our 'new' Member profiles section. Read on to find out more and if you're lucky, you might even get to see what they look like (well, only the vain ones)!
Society Secretary - Shaer Halewood
Shaer has been Society Secretary since 2006 and is also Treasurer of the region's Southern Section and helps to arrange their events.
Shaer has always been interested in CIPFA's goings on and once won a whole salmon in the CIPFA Learning Centre competition a few years ago! (Definately something fishy going on there...) Shaer has just completed her MBA and enjoys going on holiday, going out and trying to get her cat to do funny things so she can win £250 on you've been framed.
Ian Cosh - Northern Section Member
Ian is a volunteer on the Northern Section and assists
the Chair, Barry Parsonage with arranging venues,
speakers and sponsors for their events. Ian generally oversees the administration of these events, which is why they are always well attended and run smoothly!
Ian is employed by Lancashire County Council as the Assistant Director of Finance (Corporate) and has been with that employer 22 years! (didn't anyone tell him that they don't give long service awards out anymore...)
Ian got involved in volunteering for CIPFA to promote the benefits of being a Member and has also been a P3 examiner. Ian also has an MA in Economic and Social History and does sometimes find the time to run a few marathons, watch rugby and listen to music
Mike Owen - Council Member
Mike Owen is not only a NWNW Society Council Member, he is also Chair of the Board for the Regions and an Institute Council Member. Before that he was a P3 Project Examiner for 10 years.
Mike is Director of Finance and E-Government at Bury MBC where he has been for the past 8 years. Before that Mike was Assistant Director of Finance at Oldham, Chief Accountant at Bury and Chief Management Accountant at Bury. Being such a northern boy he obviously must love gravy!
Mike's hobbies are reading, music (especially live), travelling, rugby, the arts, the gym, walking, cooking and fast cars - presumably not at the same time. Mike's claim to fame is that he once appeared on the cover of a recruitment brocure for CIPFA training! Must have been all that work he was doing in the gym!
Jeremy Valentine - Immediate Past President
Jeremy is Head of Asset Management at Trafford MBC where he has been employed for 14 years in various posts. He started with the authority as Chief Internal Auditor before becoming Head of Exchequer, Best Value and Scrutiny and finally moving on to his current post. Previously he worked at Stockport MBC where he worked up the ranks from graduate trainee to Group Accountant.
Jeremy has been involved in regional volunteering for many year after being asked to help out on the regional weekend school around 20 years ago! After that he joined Society Council and has been Society President, Events Co-ordinator, Weekend School Group organiser and Chair of the Southern Section, where he is still a member.
Before taking CIPFA Jeremy took a geography degree which has no doubt helped with one of his hobbies of travelling! He is also a family man and a member of the National Trust
Ken Finch - Society Chair
Ken Finch is in his second year of two as Society Council Chair. Before that he was Society Vice President, President and Regional Representative to CIPFA Council.
He was also Chair of Southern Members and was the Inaugral Chair of CIPFA in Wales where he is still a member.
Ken has been Corporate Director - Resources at Conwy CBC since 1996. He was previously employed at Aberconwy BC as Assistant Director of Finance before progressing to Chief Executive. Before that Ken was Chief Accountant at Chester CBC and held various roles in Merseyside County Council which is where he originally hails from
In his spare time Ken enjoys watching football and cricket, reading and eating out. Despite his photograph Ken maintains he has never been on crimewatch
Chris Tidswell - CIPFA in Wales Representative on Council
Chris is a member of Society Council and is the Regional Representative to CIPFA in Wales. Chris has previously been Society Vice President and President among a whole host of other volunteer activities! He has been involved with volunteering since 1992 and has been on numerous Boards, Professional Committee's and Panels. He is currently Consultant Editor on Spreadsheet Magazine.
Chris is Assistant Chief Executive (consulting) with Public Sector Consultants where he has not long taken up post. Before that Chris has worked in Local Government and in the Private Sector.
When he finds time, Chris enjoys cooking, going to the gym and Belgian and Irish Beer but not necessarily in that order (and judging by his photo, modelling for Grattan Catalogue)
John Newton - Southern Section Vice Chair
John Newton is a Director at Deloitte and has been employed with them for 10 years. Before that John worked for Preston Borough Council.
John is Vice Chair of the Region's Southern Section and volunteered for CIPFA as he 'wanted to help maintain and develop the vibrant community of members in the Region'
John has a BSc (Hons) in Applied Mathamatics from the University of Warwick and is married to another CIPFA Member. He maintains its not all taking numbers in his house though as he does find time for a round of golf in between parental duties
David Rawsthorn - Northern Section Member
David is Director of Finance at Eden DC where he has been employed for the past 12 years. Before that David worked at Carlisle City Council, Nottingham City Council and Coopers and Lybrand.
David is a volunteer on the Northern Section Committee which was revived a couple of years ago. The reason David volunteered to join the committee was to ensure the section are able to provide a range of high quality low cost events that are all accessible from Cumbria. Without this section, opportunities for training and events would be very limited in and around that area.
David is also secretary to Cumbria Chief Finance Officers group. In his spare time he supports Carlisle United (someone's got to), plays golf, cycles and walks the dog!
Steve Rowley - Council Member
Steve Rowley is the Head of Support Services (Finance) at Wirral Council. He has been in post for 3 years following a move 'up north' from Stoke on Trent City Council where he was Head of Business & Finance and Head of Finance Support Unit before that.
Steve started out however in Stafford as a Trainee Accountant for the Borough before moving to the County as Deputy Head of Finance (Social Services). Quite an achievement for someone who never set out to be an accountant!
Steve is proud of his achievement and states that without his CIPFA qualification he would not be where his is today (probably on a park bench with an ASBO) and volunteers to help others achieve as much as he has. Steve is very committed to volunteering and aside from being CPD Coordinator has also been Chair of Southern Section, Members Development Panel (current), Technical Information Service (current), Case Study Examiner and a Member of CIPFA in the Midlands as their CPD Advisor.
When he eventually gets time he enjoys reading (CIPFA literature probably!!)
More profiles coming soon.....