"In 1981, when in the Cabinet Office Efficiency Unit set up by the Thatcher government, Colin initiated the drive to improve government procurement. Since then I have worked throughout the UK's public sector - and created and led several of the leading public sector procurement organisations including the North Western Universities Purchasing Consortium, the North West Centre of Excellence (covering 47 local authorities in the North West of England) and the Leeds based contracting organisation for what is now the Department of Work and Pensions. In 2013, he proposed the creation of the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) to a Parliamentary committee. https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmselect/cmpubadm/123/123vw26.htm 4 months later the decision to create the CCS was announced. Since 2008 his activities have included providing training and consultancy overseas to many diverse global businesses, including Accenture, HSBC, Exxon and Honda, many overseas government organisations and a branch of NATO - as well as creating Open Forum Events Ltd. Colin was a regular writer for the Guardian's Public Leaders Network and is an advocate for how the UK could learn from Singapore in its economic management and the need to invest in infrastructure. https://www.theguardian.com/profile/colin-cram
