Alex Gardiner
Director
Alex designs bespoke solutions to grow the local economy for everyone, drawing upon her broad knowledge of inclusive economic growth and reform.
As a local government specialist who works with combined and local authorities on devolution and inclusive growth, Alex applies a wide knowledge of what works in local government to her work, developing projects with places from idea through to investment. She is an expert in shaping new narratives and navigating complex stakeholder environments to find consensus, applying creative thinking and fresh approaches to deliver impact. A significant part of this has been interrogating and redesigning local growth plans, ensuring that they will deliver greater prosperity for local people, are collaborative across public/private partnerships, and that they are both ambitious and achievable. This includes using data and analysis to challenge current thinking and introduce new ideas to address a place’s key issues.
Before joining Metro Dynamics, Alex worked at New Economy, Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s strategy, policy and research organisation. She established the strategy team, developing new ideas and commissioning initiatives from concept to point of delivery, to grow Greater Manchester’s economy. Alex is also a Governor at Oldham College, a founding partner in the Inclusive Growth Network, and sits on the GM Mayor's SME Low Pay Taskforce.