Continuing our staff profile series, we're proud to introduce Dan Heard, one of our partners here at MH&A who plays a crucial role in driving our vision forward. Known for his expertise in major deals, Dan’s leadership has been instrumental in delivering tailored solutions for our public sector clients. Join us in getting to know the talented team making an impact at MH&A!
What's the best piece of professional advice you've ever received?
One of the best jobs I had in the Civil Service was being senior private secretary to former BP boss Lord Browne, when he was Government Lead Non-Executive. I got to hear lots of insights from Lord Browne and other business leaders as they contributed to Departmental boards. Their approach to engaging with the complex challenges faced by Departments showed me that, if you care about improving public services, there are lots of ways to do it – in the public sector but also in private enterprise. For a (then) career civil servant from a family of public servants, it was an eye opener.
If you could pick one skill that has helped you the most in your career, what would it be?
Before working in government and industry, I had ambitions to become an academic philosopher. Philosophers learn to dissect a problem forensically, and when engaging with it to say exactly and only what they mean. The context in academia, in public policy, and in big ticket commercial deals might be a bit different, but an ability to systematically get to grips with complexity is valuable in all three. It’s not enough on its own though – the people I’ve seen in my career who have had the biggest positive impact on delivering public services don’t just deeply understand the problem, they build pragmatic, collaborative ways to do something about it.
What’s something about public sector consultancy that people often misunderstand?
There can be a perception that private sector involvement in delivering public services is inherently a bad thing. I probably once thought so. After nearly 20 years of delivering citizen outcomes, both from inside government and by supporting from outside, I have come to a different perspective. The most important thing is that we have the best public services we can, that do the best by the people that need them most. It’s citizen outcomes that count. Sometimes the best tool for the job is in the public sector, sometimes in the private sector. Often it is both in collaboration. We need a pragmatic approach, built on effective regulation, skilled sourcing, mutual understanding, and a shared endeavour to improve our fellow citizens’ lives.
Well done