Adam Swash, Associate, Work Advance

 Adam is a research and strategy specialist focused on unlocking economic growth. His key skills are using robust evidence alongside the local knowledge and the passion of key stakeholders to create policies that are evidence based aspirations and visions rather than dry statistical analysis.

He has over 20 years policy experience advising BIS, DCLG, HMRC, DWP, LGA as well as Regional Development Agencies and Local Authorities to identify key visions and the key steps needed to overcome barriers to growth. He was previously head of Strategy & Research in Experian. Here he led Experian’s public policy teams who helped the public sector unlock local stories, including informing BIS business growth support programs, underpinned RDA planning and research into HMRC on the impact and effectiveness of capital allowances for businesses. 

In particular, he was a key founding advisor of the Nottingham Economic Growth Forum, the multi-stakeholder forum that helps the local councils develop their strategies and hold them to task. Most importantly working in collaboration across the public, private and academic sector allows this forum to evolve strategic programs that would not be possible from the public sector on its own. 

He is closely involved with the LGA. Advising the commission for Economic Growth and the Future of Public Services in Non-Metropolitan England, and Strengthening Sub-national Trade and Investment Policy. These have given him a unique insight into how the local, national and new sub-national layers can prioritise and co-operate to add value across all spatial dimensions.

He has recently been advising Midlands Connect on strategic infrastructure interventions to boost economic growth.

 

In addition he works with the private sector and currently runs a pan-EU corporate venturing consortium helping large corporates innovate and grow by understanding and overcoming barriers of working with SMEs and has just launched a similar initiative in the Distributed Ledger Technology/Blockchain arena.