The following references reflect a range of experience across consultancy, strategy, journalism and public service planning. While some date back to earlier roles, they speak to the way I work.

Consultancy & public sector work

Chris Twigg, Co-Founder & Director, Inner Circle Consulting (ICC)
“Tessa is a great consultant. She’s tenacious, intelligent and committed and delivered a significant impact to the clients whose projects she worked on.”

Birgit Hontzsch, Senior Project Lead, Cornwall Council
“ICC were engaged by Cornwall Council to develop an outline business case for setting up a stewardship organisation for Langarth Garden Village. I oversee this work stream, and worked closely with Tessa as Lead Consultant. Tessa’s expertise in writing business cases, paired with her in depth understanding of social, health and community infrastructure, was instrumental in obtaining a positive cabinet decision.”

Gary Heathcote, Director of Commissioning, Essex County Council
“Tessa worked with us on our vulnerable adults housing programme. She brought structure and challenge, drawing together insight and analysis into a business case that secured capital investment. She struck the right balance of support and constructive questioning.”

Richard Yeboah, Head of Business Portfolio, London Borough of Enfield
“Tessa was a fantastic colleague to work with at ICC, knowledgeable and insightful, and she brings an energetic and collaborative approach to her work.”

Donna James, Commissioning Delivery Manager, Essex County Council
“I worked with Tessa on the research phase of the Independent Living Programme business case, which involved engaging Partners and Districts to provide evidence and market insight. She works collaboratively across sectors and is exceptional at transforming data into concise reports to inform decisions. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Tessa, she is an asset to any project and her positive ‘can do’ approach is inspiring.“

Journalism

Mary Braid, Former Africa Correspondent for the Independent
“Tessa shone in feature writing. She is a formidable researcher – curious, ethical and determined. She explains complex topics with clarity and writes with insight and care. Her considerable abilities, combined with exceptional drive and tenacity, make her a particularly impressive individual.”

Erica Brown, Editor in Chief, Kingston Courier (former editor, BBC World Service)
“Tessa has a strong news instinct and is skilled at delivering complex stories with a human angle. She writes clearly, follows leads with persistence, and is undaunted by obstacles that appear in her path, valuable characteristics that make her a successful journalist.”

Earlier career: research, engagement & strategy

Matt Davies, Senior Regeneration Project Manager, Renaisi
“Tessa quickly became a trusted member of the team: thoughtful, open to feedback, and highly reliable. Her greatest strength is working independently with initiative and attention to detail. During a study for Camden, she handled mapping, consultation, research, policy-advising and report-writing with confidence.”

Hannah Worth, Big Local Programme Manager, Renaisi
“Tessa was an invaluable part of the Big Local team: highly driven, organised and ambitious, while also being friendly and approachable; able to get on with people at all levels.  She is an independent and critical thinker, and engages confidently and openly with others.”

Earlier career: fundraising & communications

Andrew Scanlan, Development Manager, University of Brighton
“Tessa raised significant funds and took our appeals to new heights. She combines strong communication with independent drive, and inspired those she worked with. Not afraid to try new things, she brought innovative solutions to every challenge.”

Harvey Atkinson, Membership Communications Manager, University of Brighton Students’ Union
“Tessa is tenacious, dedicated and extremely hardworking. She has brought much needed funds to Brighton Students’ Union, and its sister charity The Southern African Scholarship. As a result of her hard work, the scholarships are able to continue. I highly recommend her.”

Rob Ashton, Chief Executive, Emphasis business-writing training & consultancy
“Tessa is one of the most industrious people I’ve met. If you give her a job, you know it will get done – and probably quicker than you imagined. One of her major achievements was overseeing the set-up of the new website. This was a real feat, and a lasting testament to her project-management skills.”

Tom Wilde, Director, Emphasis business-writing training & consultancy
“Tessa had a very positive impact at Emphasis: she’s a great personality to have in the office and she also brought a lot of organisation and discipline to our marketing function.”