Paul Buxton MA MBA FCILT MAPM

Manager in entrepreneurial and disruptive consulting company specialising in optimising public sector operations.

• Project Manager for assessment of complex construction proposition, development & evaluation of option proposals.
• Engagement Manager for Logistics IT project, responsible for budget control and oversight of team products to ensure delivery against tight deadlines.
• Delivered business development cases for expanding portfolio into diverse areas.

Responsible for logistics support to global mining 'turnkey' project. Led operations team, orchestrated collaboration between internal and external stakeholders, managed project changes for logistics pillar.

• Managed supply chain processes for effective distribution of goods.
• Coordinated cross-functional teams, ensured smooth operations.
• Drove process improvements for increased operational productivity.
• Developed strategic plans with clear performance objectives.

Senior logistics SME to RAF SLT. Responsible for policy development across the logistics profession. RAF Safety Inspector for Fuels & Gases, Movements and Transportation worldwide.

• Developed new career structures and training programmes to modernise Logistics profession.
• Evaluated contractorisation initiatives to identify pros & cons and make go/no go recommendations to senior leadership.
• Initiated a modernisation of female clothing lines & uniform policy.
• Improved dangerous goods safety protocols, reducing non-conformance to historic lows.

Stood up newly formed capability organisation within Defence Support. Ensured that Defence-level project risks within sS support programmes identified, aggregated and mitigated through project change or further investment.

• Delivered decision paper on proposed closure of explosives storage site, reversing decision and repurposing location (£84m investment).
• Oversaw deep dive studies into Defence's strategic E2E transport capabilities, leading to changes in policy and investment.

Responsible for the delivery of logistics training courses to all three services, civil servants and foreign military students across five geographically dislocated sites (circa 5000 students p.a.). Accountable for supervisory care of young and vulnerable students.

• Winner of the prestigious CILT national award for people development (2018).
• Led work to integrate tri-Service training; first HQ to relocate and centralise, one year ahead of schedule, improving training and lived experience for students.
• Initiated workplace training, delivering reduced training pipeline times and time away from workplace for development courses.

Responsible for development of future engineering and logistics capabilities to meet operational requirements as laid out in Defence policy. Included Logs DLOD ownership for all new air platforms and leadership of the Airfield Support Capability Planing Group.

• Managed project development by creating comprehensive plans and assigning tasks.
• Led root & branch review of failing £150m project, replacing with a radically different proposal described by 2* Hd of Finance as 'the exemplar for programme change'.
• Transformed Eng & Logs capability procurement, putting it on an equal footing with other capability areas.
• Developed innovative strategy papers on potential logistics operational deployment planning.

First Logistician to career manage the engineering branches, following successes during tour as Sqn Ldr Career Manager, despite not meeting traditional selection criteria (post command and staff college graduate).

• Introduced people-focussed management style to promote more candid dialogue and make selection processes for promotion and courses more transparent.
• Restructured processes to deliver more timely career advice and postings.