My Local Economy was opened in 2011, with a team comprising of Glenn Athey, Director, and a number of experienced associates who bring beneficial skills and capacities to the firm’s consultancy assignments.
My Local Economy is the trading and brand name of Athey Consulting Limited.
Glenn Athey Biography
I’m a consultant who knows what works in local economic growth and development, with 20 years of experience working for a variety of national, regional and local development organisations.
Why do I do what I do? It all goes back to growing up in the North East of England, and memories of the tough economic times up there. We had relatives and family friends all involved in coal mining, shipbuilding and engineering. I remember in my class at school during the early 1980s just how many people’s dads were out of work, some for years. As a teenager, many friends’ parents and older brothers had to move away to work – whether in London, Saudi Arabia, Australia or the USA. Then, when I studied at university, I grew fascinated by the economic changes during the 1980s, and the challenges that many localities and regions still faced in the UK.
So, at a personal level – I’ve seen the effects of enormous economic change on people’s lives. Then when I studied the economic policies and decisions of the past, I realised that we could do better. I wanted to do something to try and address that, and to help localities and regions succeed economically.
I was privileged to work in Scotland for 10 years in economic development and skills policy, doing a Ph.D., working as a consultant and then for Scotland’s economic development agency. I was impressed by the track record, drive and professionalism there, and the wide knowledge of many of the individuals involved in economic development. They had a real thirst for ideas and learning from all over the world. This is where learnt my trade, and for me – the Scots remain way ahead of many others.
The economy at the same time fascinating, and absolutely significant in everyone’s lives. I want to use my experience and skills to help improve the economy and people’s lives. Its as simple as that.
About Glenn
Glenn is a leading UK economic development professional specialising in policy development, thought leadership, strategy, best practice, evaluation and economic research. With an acclaimed ability to work with the highest levels of professional integrity, personal commitment and passion for economic development, Glenn is an applied professional economist with 19 years of experience working in consultancy, think tanks, and government agencies across all major economic policy areas including enterprise, skills, innovation, trade, inward investment, and urban and rural regeneration.
With his clear and engaging presentations and speeches; and high impact writing style, Glenn excels at influencing decision making with his analysis and insights, where clear and appropriate communication, often with high level decision makers, is required.
After completing his Ph.D. in local and regional economic development at the University of Glasgow in 1998, Glenn worked as an economic consultant in the North West of England and in Scotland. Glenn then worked as the senior economist for Scotland’s newly established skills analysis and forecasting unit, Futureskills Scotland. There, Glenn led the most comprehensive assessment of the Scottish labour market ever conducted, conducted the most in-depth study of employability in Scotland at that time, and initiated Scotland’s first labour supply and demand forecasting service.
In 2005, Glenn moved to London Development Agency where he led a comprehensive review of enterprise support in London, making recommendations that informed the new arrangements for Business Link in London in 2006.
Glenn was then given the opportunity to spend two years helping to launch the Centre for Cities, the UK think tank for city economies. There, he led the research and writing of the Institute for Public Policy Research’s most downloaded (at that time) publication “Two Track Cities: The challenge of sustaining growth and building opportunity” and also led the NESTA funded project “Innovation and the City”. Glenn successfully positioned the Centre for Cities as the leading analyst and commentator on city economies, and also led the quality improvements in the research and publications of the Centre during that were evident once the Centre became independent.
In 2008, Glenn returned to working working within the economic development industry at the East of England Development Agency, refashioning the regional regional observatory for the East of England into a high profile economic think tank (www.insighteast.org.uk), with a high quality work programme, series of reports and series of foresight events.
After the Regional Development Agencies were abolished in 2011, Glenn worked as a self employed consultant, authoring and contributing to the LEP Network economic benchmarking reports of 2012 and 2013 respectively. Glenn also supported the Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough Enterprise Partnership (a LEP) as its interim CEO for 14 months between May 2012 and July 2013 – taking it from an embryonic new organisation with no structure or budget to a functioning development partnership with 6 full time staff, an annual operational budget of £750,000 and 2-year prioritised investment budget of £7.5m.
As of September 2013, Glenn is working for a variety of clients as an economic development consultant.
Glenn grew up in North Tyneside, in the North East of England. He studied a degree and masters degree at the University of Hull, and a Ph.D. at the University of Glasgow.
Glenn is an experienced service and people manager, and is a media trained public speaker and media commentator. Glenn is on the editorial board of Local Economy journal, and has recently completed a visiting scholarship at the University of Cambridge.