Gill Ryall

Experience

• 

  Met Office

  Sept 1986 - Jan 2006

  Responsible for: development and delivery of Met Office International Strategy; managing and developing relationships with 187 National Met Services throughout the world; representing Met Office and UK interests with UN, European and other international organisations related to weather, water and climate (scientific, technical, financial, political, governance and support for developing nations); developing relationships with UK Government departments and other organisations with related interests; managing a £30M pa budget and leading the International team.Key achievements include: - delivered all key UK and Met Office aims in international meetings, recognised as a leader and facilitator in negotiations and discussions; - a lead role in the development of a new style Long Term Plan and Regional Plan for the UN World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), providing a clear vision and focus on outcomes; - a proactive leading role in the UK Governments's Chief Scientific Advisor's Natural Hazard Working Group, working with UK Government departments and UN agencies to improve the global approach to disaster mitigation; - a lead role in establishing a multilateral partnership between European NMSs to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of core activities by cost sharing and reducing duplication;- managing the UK contribute to the WMO Voluntary Cooperation Programme providing support to NMSs in developing countries, including establishing an approach focussed on improving capabilities to provide services rather than just underlying infrastructure to become more self-sustaining;- a lead role in encouraging collaboration between Commonwealth NMSs leading to enhanced awareness of NMS roles in climate and weather-related health issues at Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting and development projects. Show less

  • Head of International Relations (2001-2006) & International Manager (1993-2001)

    Jan 1993 - Jan 2006

  • Research Scientist

    Sept 1986 - Jan 1993
• 

  Met Office

  Nov 2006 - now

  Member of Executive leadership team with direct responsibility for the development of a cross-cutting holistic international strategy to coordinate and focus the international activities across all Programmes for the optimum benefit of the Met Office as a whole, and to identify and develop growth areas. Key achievements: - strategy developed with fundamental re-focus aimed at long-term sustainable positioning and growth;- partnership with another National Met Service (NMS) and donor funder leading to multi-million project;- member of Executive team collectively ensuring: development of strategic, realistic and balanced organisation-wide corporate plan, business plans and budget with challenging growth targets; achievement of key in-year targets; improvements in customer and staff satisfaction. Show less Member of Executive leadership team with direct responsibility for leading and developing the delivery of observational and monitoring capabilities and services, including: - increased awareness and understanding of customer requirements through development of Observing Strategy with all key stakeholders, giving clear direction for improvements in capability;- leadership of 180 staff in 19 locations - increased staff satisfaction score by 20% in 4 years through clear strategy and plans, enhanced customer awareness and sense of value;- management of a complex £40M pa budget with numerous customer & supplier relationships and a £2.5M pa capital investment programme;- innovative world-class research and development with cutting edge novel research with Universities, £30M funding for world-leading in-house weather radar system and cutting edge Weather Observation Website to collect observations from the public and other organisations;- operational delivery and continual improvement of a complex observing system (land, marine, radar, upper air and satellite) with achievement of key customer targets year on year and major investments to replace old technology; - representation of UK and Met Office interests in international organisations - ensuring £380M satellite programme focused to meet UK needs whilst achieving reductions in contribution, initiating development of Observing Strategy for European Met Service organisation to ensure focus of plans and budget on key activities;- exploitation of the capabilities of the Programme for business benefit, increasing funding from half to one million each year and developing relationships with external organisations to take on long term delivery of their observations;- initiating and implementing major change - new structure to encourage teams to work towards common goals, new system for defining and monitoring performance, new professional framework and pay structure for engineers to enhance career development. Show less

  • Deputy Director International Strategy

    Dec 2013 - now

  • Executive Head of Observations

    Nov 2006 - Dec 2013