Laurence Baxter

Experience

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  Government of Canada

  Jan 2000 - Mar 2001

  Project Officer: Government Telecommunications & Informatics Services

  Led various projects in the Human Resources team for a large government central information services department (about 2000 employees). Some projects included:- overseeing the implementation of a new Government-wide pay and seniority grading system within the department: liasing with other government departments, liaising with line managers to understand different roles to map out the new grading system;- implementing a graduate recruitment scheme for IT professionals: liaising with technical colleges, organising career fair events, working with sponsoring team leaders; developing assessment techniques- undertaking research projects on IT industry training trends Show less

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  Verification Research, Training and Information Centre (VERTIC)

  Mar 2001 - Jun 2001

  Arms control researcher (contract)

  • Commissioned to draft a paper for the UN on the implementation of the anti-personnel landmines treaty.

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  Kagan World Media

  Jun 2001 - Oct 2001

  Telecommunications media analyst/trade journalist

  Analysed trends and wrote articles on the telecommunications, mobile phone, broadband and multichannel television market for a prominent US/European trade publication:- interviewed industry sources and obtained quotes;- researched industry trends including corporate results and share values; and - wrote 500-700 word articles and occasionally 1000-word features for the internet-based publication.

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  HM Treasury

  Oct 2001 - Jul 2002

  Policy Adviser

  Led evidence-based economic research for major projects within a government policy development team managed for Special Adviser Ed Balls.- Collaborated with other Treasury teams, other government departments and thinktanks to obtain supporting data. - Presented findings in briefings to senior civil servants, the managing Special Adviser, and the Treasury Minister.

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  Which?

  Sept 2002 - Sept 2005

  Senior Policy Adviser (Financial Services)

  Led and took forward the major consumer group’s campaigns on banking, consumer credit, mortgage, and insurance campaigns. Collaborated in devising campaign plans; led the underpinning policy research and analysis; coordinated with other consumer groups; and consulted with government, industry, Parliament, and the media.- Achievements included influencing the payment systems regulator to require instantaneous money transfer clearing; preventing the spread of directly-charging cash machines; devising and influencing the introduction of more efficient information disclosure for consumer credit, mortgages, and general insurance.- Testified with written and oral evidence to the UK Treasury Select and European Affairs Committees as well as the European Parliament Heath and Consumers Committee. - Participated in government-chaired technical working groups in UK and Europe such as the OFT Credit Card Task Force and the European Commission Mortgage Forum Group. In the latter, I chaired a sub-group (comprising four EU consumer groups and six leading EU banks) and negotiated a set of European-wide standards on pre-sale mortgage information disclosure.- Media spokesman on retail financial services issues for the UK and European print, radio and television media. Regularly appeared on BBC, ITV, Sky as well as foreign news channels. Show less

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  Council of Mortgage Lenders

  Sept 2005 - Jul 2007

  Senior Policy Adviser

  Policy/public affairs analyst in the UK’s mortgage industry trade association.• Managed the development of policy on behalf of the mortgage industry in major high profile mortgage and housing areas. Gathered and analysed industry developments, took policy decisions, and briefed senior industry executives for approval.• Led the mortgage industry’s regulatory strategy on areas like equity release, PPI, financial crime, sustainable home ownership in the UK, cooperating with the regulators, government and other stakeholders.• Assisting firms in embedding FSA rules and principles (such as MCOB, ICOB and TCF). Working with firms and where possible with other trade bodies to devise, lead and embed best practice guidance on a cross-industry basis. • Led the mortgage industry’s equity release strategy. Campaigned the Government to link equity release with Government policy such as long-term care and local authority home improvement scheme. Was also instrumental in orchestrating efforts to improve consumer confidence in this sector through initiatives like enhancing the industry’s Code of Conduct and reforming what is now known as the Equity Release Council.• Communicating initiatives and influencing external stakeholders such as politicians, other trade associations and consumer groups through formal and informal networking. Show less

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  Chartered Insurance Institute

  Aug 2007 - Nov 2017

  Head of Policy and Public Affairs

  Developed and helped run a public affairs function with a leading financial services professional body in life and general insurance. • Policy analysis: led the CII's response to UK and European regulatory developments. Analysed white papers, directives, and consultations; publish briefing material for staff and members, develop tentative policy positions, draft and publish the CII response. • Regulatory analysis and influence: monitored and responded to developments in the life and pensions and insurance regulatory landscape including the Retail Distribution Review, the workplace pension reforms, and the long-term care debate.• European/International activity: monitored developments on insurance and life/pensions regulatory issues including MiFID, IMD as well as European and international supervisory reforms. Effectively influenced an EIOPA consultation on insurance industry training standards published in 2013. • Thought leadership: undertook research and published reports on major policy issues in life/pensions and insurance, such as on small business employers’ preparedness for the workplace pension reforms. Devised, launched and manage the Thinkpiece series of articles on emerging topics. • Coordination with wider organisation: work often involved coordinating and liaising with several departments across the CII both in the UK and its offices in India and Malaysia; and often external organisations in the case of joint projects.• Innovation: successfully organised the CII's first research webinar, and devised and led the CII's first use of LinkedIn to promote an event.• Executive briefing: regularly provided written and oral briefings to membership and senior management on financial regulation and other issues.• Public relations: developed media strategies with the press team, wrote articles for prominent trade publications.• Supervision: recruited and supervised policy/public affairs managers and a summer intern. Show less

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  Civil Aviation Authority

  Aug 2022 - Jul 2024

  Policy lead in operations, flying displays, and ex-military aircraft, and project lead for two major GA Change Programme initiatives. Have effectively evolved a technical role into more a strategic enabler function, for example:- Delivered the 450-600kg microlights, a flagship Change Programme strategic project introducing a step-change to the light aeroplane market. Chaired a working group of experts across the community to collaborate in developing proposals, and then drove implementation collegially across CAA and with DfT. Published a public consultation that received one of the largest response rates in the GA Unit and developed a novel and innovative process to interpret/analyse all the data. Was heralded by some people in the community as a test-case of how the CAA and community can work together to achieve a mutually desirable outcome.- Delivered the Part-66L Sailplane/Balloon Engineer exam question bank. Influenced and project managed the gliding and balloon communities to provide technical subject expertise to develop 293 questions for eight CAA Part-66L exams. - Delivered a series of CAPs for the flying display and operations teams. Created a systematic internal review, sign-off and publication process which received a recognition award by the Flying Display Manager. Produced a CAPs review/sign-off procedure now under review for GAU adoption. - Delivered an effective General & Business Aviation Strategic Forum Secretariat from Jan 2018 to Oct 2020. Coordinated Forum strategic direction and agenda with Chair, coached participants in following up action items, studied the agenda topics (including airspace change and RPAS development) to comprehend the dialogue, and produced minutes that evenly captured often diametrically-opposed participant viewpoints. - Presented team internal training on the fundamentals of ICAO, EASA and national aviation law. Show less - Overall management of GA policy including business-as-usual public and GA community queries, permissions, and exemptions concerning light aircraft operations, licensing, and airworthiness policy.- Managing and delivering the GA pilot licensing and training simplification project, including drafting and publishing public consultations and undertaking public relations activity such as podcasts and speaking engagements to maximise community responses. - Overseeing CAA input into light aircraft accident and occurrence investigations including taking forward safety recommendations. - Overseeing policy input into the CAA regulatory safety management system for light aircraft. - Leading policy input into GA change programme projects including those exploring pilot medical declaration reforms and airworthiness simplification - Providing GA input into CAA/DfT work to reform aviation safety legislation post-EU exit. Show less

  • General Aviation Policy Officer

    Dec 2017 - Jul 2024

  • Acting General Aviation Policy Manager

    Aug 2022 - Apr 2024
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  Air Safety Support International Limited

  Aug 2024 - now

  Policy & Rulemaking Manager