Brief biography - Marian Headicar (Non-Executive member)

Qualifications

• Marion read Archaeology and Anthropology at Cambridge University, followed by qualifications in Town Planning and Social Policy, at Westminster and York Universities respectively.

She started her career as a local authority planner in London, before lecturing in planning and regeneration at Leeds Metropolitan University.

In 1988 she joined central government (DOE), working on a range of regeneration initiatives, including the new towns, the urban development corporations and the New Deal. Her final post was Director of Finance and Management Services at the Planning Inspectorate.

In 2001, Marion moved back to local government, becoming Chief Executive of Oxford City Council at a time of political and organisational change. From Oxford she moved to the unitary of Portsmouth, with a similar change management brief. Both jobs benefited from extensive partnership working, across local authority boundaries, and with the police, PCTs and other partners.

Since 2006, she has been running her own management consultancy, specialising in strategic planning and organisational development.