Blackstock Partnership
Our Team
Eleanor Young
Co-Founder
Meg Kaufman
Associate
Neale Coleman
Co-Founder
Claudette Forbes
VP Marketing
Neale worked for Ken Livingstone and Boris Johnson at the Greater London Authority from 2000 – 2015. His main responsibility was leading the Mayor’s work on London’s Olympic bid, and the delivery of the Games and their regeneration legacy. In 2012 he was awarded the CBE for services to the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
In addition to the Olympics, Neale led the first Mayor’s approach to housing, regeneration, health and devolution and steered multi agency groups on some of London’s biggest regeneration areas.
Neale has wide ranging experience of Westminster and Whitehall, strong networks in national and London government, and extensive knowledge and experience of how to deliver complex development and regeneration projects.
Eleanor started her career as a project and policy officer for Leeds City Council and at the Association of London Government (now London Councils). For eight years (2000 – 2008) she worked for London Mayor Ken Livingstone as his Senior Adviser on Planning and Development, where she was responsible for producing the first London Plan and advising on major planning applications. In addition, Eleanor led the GLA group’s approach to supporting boroughs in key opportunity areas.
After undertaking a range of consultancy projects from 2008 – 2013, Eleanor has been advising Ealing Council on Southall Opportunity Area and housing zone, as well as providing programme direction for the Southall Big Plan, a £40m programme of public investment to support regeneration around the Crossrail station there.
Andrew Travers
Associate
Marco Torquati
Associate
Andrew Travers was Director of Resources at Haringey Council (2000 – 2007) focusing on regeneration and infrastructure investment. Moving to the London Development Agency (2007 – 2010), he led on several major regeneration projects and established the Olympic legacy company. He then moved to the London Borough of Barnet, becoming Chief Executive in 2012 and leading the ‘commissioning Council’ transformation programme, the Brent Cross/Cricklewood joint venture, and major housing estate regeneration projects. He has also played a key role in negotiations on devolution to London.
Now consulting for a mix of public and private sector clients, Andrew has developed extensive networks across central, regional and local government and the private sector, and has strong experience and knowledge of organisational change, regeneration and development.
Claudette Forbes is a former Director of the London Development agency and has more than 25 years’ experience of developing and implementing large scale regeneration programmes. At the LDA she spearheaded the Agency's £125m a year Pan London regeneration programme. More recently, as a consultant, she has a formidable track record of assisting organisations, including several London boroughs - Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Haringey, Havering, Bromley, Westminster, Croydon, Sutton - and others including Kent County
Council, the South East England Development Agency, the City of Salvador in Brazil, and Swan New Homes, on their regeneration efforts. Claudette has established a reputation for working successfully with town and city planners, helping them to move beyond plan making to delivery.
Meg Kaufman has worked for Centre for Cities since 2013, managing the What Works Centre for Local Economic Growth. Prior to that Meg was a senior project manager at the London Development Agency, providing project delivery and financial advice for a range of projects and leading on the regeneration plans for Crystal Palace, including proposals to set up a Special Purpose Vehicle to manage the National Sports Centre. Meg has particular expertise in programme and project management as well as policy and strategy development, and has exceptional networks for sharing best practice and ideas.
Isobel Leaves
Associate
Ross Dunn
Associate
Marco Torquati has been working at the frontline of regeneration on some of the capital’s most challenging estates for the last twenty years. Most recently, he led Westminster Council’s community engagement in its regeneration areas. For eight years (2003-2011), he worked for Paddington Development Trust delivering the Neighbourhood Management Programme in Church Street, NW8. Marco started his career in regeneration on the (then) notorious Mozart Estate in north Westminster where he led the EU funded
URBAN Programme. In 2001, he established the multi-award winning Beethoven Centre as a lasting legacy of the URBAN Programme.Marco has had great success in building trust and strong relationships with people in difficult circumstances. He has established a number of models of effective civic engagement where local people work together productively with their local authority and other public sector agencies.
Isobel Leaviss is a versatile senior professional with a strong delivery track record and highly transferable skills. An independent strategic thinker who is undaunted by complexity or working in new fields. Efficient, highly organised and solution focused. A thoughtful communicator and collaborative team player. Isobel is currently a board member of the National Housing Federation, a lay independent observer for the Bar Standards Board l and a lay member of the General Pharmaceutical Council’s Fitness to Practice Panel.
Isobel previously worked in financial regulation at the Bank of England and investment banking for Goldman Sachs, followed by an extensive period in the London Development Agency (2001-2009) including organisational set up, development, establishing the Olympic Legacy Company and as Programme Director for the Olympic Land Assembly project.
Ros Dunn has over 30 years’ experience in national and local government working on economic, regional and regeneration initiatives across the public and private sectors. As a senior official at HM Treasury she led on public expenditure management and ran the Treasury’s regional policy team under the last Labour government. She subsequently took on roles as the London Development Agency’s Director of Strategy, the Director of Strategy for the Thames Gateway in the ODPM, Chief Executive of the
Thames Gateway London Partnership and Director of Economic Growth and Communities at Essex County Council. Since leaving full time work, Ros has undertaken a range of assignments including secretary to the independent review of the Treasury for the Shadow Chancellor, led by Lord Bob Kerslake.
