UKCES CEO Michael Davis takes the helm at Ecorys UK
Ecorys has appointed Michael Davis as Managing Director of its UK operations. Davis, who currently serves as Chief Executive of the UK Commission for Employment and Skills, takes over the helm per 1 March 2016.
With nearly 500 staff and offices/representatives in 20+ countries, Ecorys is one of the larger consulting firms in Europe specialised in economic and public policy.
Since 2009 the UK organisation of Ecorys is headed by Chris Ralph, a veteran at Ecorys. Under his leadership the advisory firm managed to professionalise its organisation and operations, and grow its footprint to around 150 employees, operating from offices in Birmingham, London, Leeds and Keele. After successfully transforming Ecorys UK into a “profitable business with a strong financial basis”, according to the firm, Ralph recently announced that he has decided to step down from his role in order to take a sabbatical leave. The company’s management team – headed by Netherlands based CEO Manon Janssen – embarked on a search for a successor, and following a due diligence on potential leaders Ecorys opted to appoint Michael Davis as the firm’s new UK Managing Director.
Michael Davis (42) has extensive experience in the design, delivery and evaluation of urban and regional development policy, programmes and projects. Most recently he served for 5 years as the Chief Executive of the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES), an executive nonâ€departmental public body that offers guidance on skills and employment issues in the UK and includes responsibility for managing Investors in People. Before joining UKCES, Davis was Managing Director of the Centre for Enterprise (CFE), a start-up created by three universities and a local Training and Enterprise Council in the East Midlands. Over 10 years he grew the company to deliver national programmes in enterprise and skills as well as providing research and consultancy services to local and regional economic partnerships.
In his new role, Davis will be responsible for the further development of Ecorys’ business, as well as advance the firm’s footprint across the research and advisory landscape, both in the UK and throughout continental Europe. In doing so, he will work closely together with among others CEO Manon Janssen – last year recognised as one of the most influential leaders in the field of sustainability in the Netherlands – and COO Peter van der Meij. “On behalf of the entire organisation I welcome Michael to Ecorys. His management expertise, leadership qualities and client focus will be great assets in leading Ecorys UK to the next phase of profitable growth and expansion, serving clients in the public sector as well as the semi-private sector,” comments Janssen.
Michael Davis holds a Bachelor in Economics from Lancaster University.
