SEE, your partner for people, leadership and improvement in the South East.
At South East Employers (SEE), we’re here to support councils and public service organisations across the South East to be the very best they can be. We’re a not-for-profit, member-led organisation, and everything we do is about helping people and organisations to thrive.
Our work covers four main areas:
HR and Employment Relations - clear, practical advice and guidance on workforce issues.
Governance and Leadership - development and support for councillors, senior leaders, and officers.
Learning and Development - training and facilitation to build skills, knowledge, and confidence.
Organisational Improvement - helping organisations navigate change, strengthen culture, and improve performance.
Our members include councils of all types, police and fire authorities, parish and town councils, and other organisations delivering public services.
We see ourselves as a trusted partner and critical friend. Whether it’s tackling complex workforce challenges, developing strong leadership, or supporting positive change, our role is to share insight, provide expertise, and work alongside our members to make a real difference for local communities.
We are a team of specialists offering independent employment and organisational development advice, support, consultancy services working with local authorities and public services in the South East.
Our Mission
As SEE is owned by our member councils and is a not-for-profit organisation we take a socially responsible approach to our work. This approach is captured in a statement of our mission, to be:
- the first-choice partner of support and advice for Council Leaders, Chief Executives, and their Senior Leadership Teams, working closely with them to identify current and future challenges and align our services to respond and meet their needs.
- the first-choice provider of advice, training and consultancy services regarding people and organisational development, good employment practice, business improvement, scrutiny and governance, and bespoke consultancy services.
Our Vision
To be successful in fulfilling our purpose and approach we strive to demonstrate exemplary behaviour in our work. Our team take pride in being collaborative, responsive, creative, adaptable, honest, and accountable.
These drivers have led us to develop a corporate statement of our values.
Our Values
- We build relationships based on trust and act with uncompromising honesty, integrity and transparency in everything we do.
- We value everyone and treat people with dignity and professionalism.
- We promote people focused outcomes and approaches, championing diversity, and challenging poor practice.
- We will find new ways of thinking, learning, and doing.
- We are stronger when we work together as a team.
- We bring value to our partners.
Meet the team
Deborah Smith
Chief Executive
Mark Palmer
Director: Development and Governance
Clare O'Connor
Directer: HR and Employee Relations
Sarah Cope
Business Manager
Kirsty Hunt
Governance, Development and Consultancy Manager
Helen Power
Business Officer
Jess Hewett
HR Business Partner
Sharon Hartill
HR Business Partner
Associate Consultants
HR & OD
Victoria Currey
Lawyer and Mediator
Sara Turton
OD Specialist
Karen Elliot
HR Specialist
Robert O'Reilly
HR Specialist
Transformation & Change
Steve Peel
Executive transformation and change leader
Governance
Liz Green
Governance Specialist
Shilpa Manek
Governance & Democratic Services Specialist
Coaches
Sue Noble
Executive Coach
Lynn Mead
Leadership & Career Transition Coach
IT & Cyber
Matt Smith
Cyber Specialist
Bruce Thomson
Cyber Specialist
Wellbeing
Lynne Parkin
Holistic Menopause Coach
Finance
Lucy Sheppard
Finance Specialist
Our Governance
SEE is one of the nine regional employers’ organisations which represent the interests of local authorities and public sector bodies in England. As the regional employers organisation for the South East, we are independent and not-for-profit. Through our wealth of local knowledge and professional expertise, we add value to our councils and communities and compliment the work they do.
Any local authority in the south east can become a full member of SEE. Each full member may nominate between one and three* of their councillors to be their representative on our management board. From this our Executive Board is elected annually at our AGM.
See SEE Rules for more information about our organisation.
* The number of representatives a council may nominate is determined by the tier and size of the organisation.
Executive Board
The Executive board as below have been nominated for the current year.
Cllr Ann-Marie Barker
Woking Borough Council
Chair, South East Employers
Cllr Liz Terry
Vice Chair
Cllr Stephen Thompson
Vice Chair
Cllr Andrew Burley
Vice Chair
Cllr Clive English
Cllr Andy Graham
Cllr Darren Sanders
Cllr Connie Nolan
Vacant
Vacant
Vacant
Cllr Mark Stringer
Full List of Representatives
Arun District Council
- Cllr Anita Lawrence
- Cllr Freddie Tandy
Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council
- Cllr Jonathan Jenkin
Brighton & Hove City Council
- Vacant
Canterbury City Council
- Cllr Chris Cornell
- Cllr Connie Nolan
Chichester District Council
- Cllr Ian Ballantyne
Dartford Borough Council
- Vacant
East Hants District Council
- Cllr Angela Glass
East Sussex County Council
- Cllr Johnny Denis
- Cllr Paul Soane
- Cllr Julia Hilton
Eastleigh Borough Council
- Cllr Keith House
Elmbridge Borough Council
- Cllr Andrew Burley
Fareham Borough Council
- Cllr Simon Martin
Folkstone & Hythe District Council
- Cllr Connie McConville
Gosport Borough Council
- Cllr Zoe Huggins
Gravesham Borough Council
- Cllr John Burden
Guildford Borough Council
- Cllr David Shaw
Havant Borough Council
- Cllr Phillipa Gray
Maidstone Borough Council
- Cllr Clive English
- Cllr Stephen Thompson
Medway Borough Council
- Cllr Gary Hackwell
- Cllr Mark Prenter
- Cllr Zoe Van Dyke
Milton Keynes Council
- Cllr Donna Fuller
- Cllr Jane Carr
- Cllr Amanda Marlow
New Forest District Council
- Cllr Jill Cleary
- Cllr Jeremy Heron
Oxford City Council
- Cllr Nigel Chapman
Oxfordshire County Council
- Cllr Laura Gordon
- Cllr Neil Fawcett
- Cllr Lesley McLean
Portsmouth City Council
- Cllr Graham Heaney
- Cllr Mark Jeffery
Reading Borough Council
- Cllr Ruth McEwan
- Cllr Liz Terry
Reading Borough Council
- Cllr Doug Oliver
Runnymede District Council
- Cllr Robert King
Rushmoor Borough Council
- Cllr Gaynor Austin
Sevenoaks District Council
- Cllr Kevin Maskell
Slough Borough Council
- Cllr Subhash Mohindra
- Cllr Neel Rana
South Oxfordshire Council
- Cllr Maggie Filipova-Rivers
- Cllr Leigh Rawlings
Spelthorne Borough Council
- Cllr Sandra Dunn
Swale Borough Council
- Vacant
Tandridge District Council
- Cllr Mark Stringer
Test Valley Borough Council
- Cllr Maureen Flood
Tunbridge Wells Borough Council
- Cllr Dianne Hill
Vale of White Horse District Council
- Cllr Bethia Thomas
Waverley Borough Council
- Cllr Paul Follows
Wealden District Council
- Cllr Greg Collins
- Cllr Glynn White
West Berkshire Council
- Cllr Jeff Brooks
- Cllr Denise Gaines
West Oxfordshire Council
- Cllr Andy Graham
West Sussex County Council
- Cllr Elizabeth Sparks
- Cllr Richard Cherry
- Cllr Nicholas Russell
Winchester City Council
- Cllr Jonny Morris
Woking Borough Council
- Cllr Ann-Marie Barker
Regional employers' organisations
Get In Touch
Any Questions? Let's Chat!
If you want to get in touch about our services, or anything we can do to help you and your organisation just drop us a message using the form, and one of our team will be in touch.