VOLTERRA PARTNERS - Key Persons
Adam is a consultant at Volterra. Since joining in 2020, Adam has contributed to establishing the economic case and developing the economic narrative for a range of development and infrastructure proposals, including the recently successful expansion of the London Excel Centre into the 2nd largest exhibition centre in the country. His other experience includes socio-economic chapters and health impact assessments.
Prior to joining Volterra, Adam gained work experience at Black Country Consortium where he helped produce a report on the economic impact of the University of Wolverhampton.
Adam holds a First Class BSc degree in Economics from the University of Nottingham
Alex O'Byrne, Associate at Volterra, is an experienced economic consultant specialising in economic, health and social impact, economic strategy, project appraisal and socio-economic planning matters.
Alex has led the socio-economic and health assessments of some of the most high profile developments across the UK, including Battersea Power Station, Olympia London, London Resort, MSG Sphere and Westfield. He has significant experience inputting to EIAs and s106 discussions as well as drafting economic statements, employment and skills strategies and affordable workspace strategies.
Alex is also experienced at economic appraisal for infrastructure. He was project manager of the economic appraisal for the City Centre to Mangere Light Rail in Auckland. He also led the economic and financial appraisals of the third tranche of the Transport Access Program for Transport for New South Wales, in which Alex developed and employed innovative methodological approaches to better capture benefits for individuals with reduced mobility.
He is interested in the limitations of current appraisal methodologies and ways of improving economic and health analysis to ensure it is accessible to as many people as possible. To this end, Alex recognises the importance of transparent and simple to understand analysis and ensuring all work is supported by a robust narrative.
Alex holds a BSc (Hons) in Economics from the University of Manchester and he was a member of the first cohort of the Mayor's Infrastructure Young Professionals Panel.
Prior to joining Volterra, Andy gained three years' experience in transport economics, modelling and appraisal with an engineering consultancy. He contributed towards the economic cases of successful ‘Housing Infrastructure Fund' and ‘Transforming Cities Fund' applications, and was the economics lead on a bid to the ‘Major Road Network Fund' for improvements to a motorway junction on the M4.
Andy is currently working on a research piece investigating issues surrounding the monetisation of travel time savings, and in other work is developing strategies for a Med Tech development in Waterloo. Andy holds a BSc and MA from the University of Bristol in Mathematics and Philosophy.
Job Titles:
- Founder
- Officer of the Order of the British Empire
Bridget is one of the founders of Volterra. She is a Commissioner for the National Infrastructure Commission, appointed at its inception in October 2015. As one of the UK's most influential economists, she has an extensive track record in advising public and private sector clients on key strategic issues.
Bridget has direct experience of corporate decision making as well as advisory and modelling projects.
She is currently a non-executive director at Network Rail, where she chairs the Audit and Risk Committee, and Atom Bank, where she chairs the Audit Committee. She has previously sat on the Boards of Ulster Bank, where she chaired the Risk Committee, the Britannia Building Society and the Department of Work and Pensions, chairing the Audit Committee in both cases. These roles have given her insight into how decisions are made in practice and the kind of modelling which will support decision making effectively across a range of industries. Her advisory work has involved working at board level on a range of issues, from the introduction of Emissions Trading to major investment appraisal of new plans, to regulatory issues
Bridget works with Indepen in translating insights into corporate and regulatory behaviour into effective change, as well as developing modelling strategies which support this understanding of how real decisions are made.
Bridget was the Chief Economist and Chief Economic Adviser to the Greater London Authority between 2002 and 12. She has previously founded and developed three successful consultancies. She has also given evidence as an expert witness in a number of major competition cases as well as at several planning Inquiries.
Bridget was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2013 Birthday Honours list for services to the economy.
Elizabeth is experienced in economic baseline analysis and social and economic forecasting. During her time at Volterra, she has authored numerous economic impact assessments, equality impact assessments and retail impact assessments.
Elizabeth has led several key projects including the London Resort Employment and Skills Strategy and Retail and Leisure Impact Assessment. She has also prepared economic evidence for public inquiry.
Elizabeth holds a BA in Economics from the University of Manchester and a Psychology GDA from the University of Melbourne.
Ellie is the Senior Partner at Volterra, specialising in the economic impact of development proposals, and manages many of the company's projects on economic impact, regeneration, transport and development. She delivers high quality projects to clients across the public and private sector.
Ellie is a partner at Volterra, specialising in the economic impact of developments and proposals, and manages many of the company's projects on economic impact, regeneration, transport and development.
With thirteen years experience at Volterra delivering high quality projects to clients across the public and private sector, Ellie has expertise in developing methods of estimating economic impact where complex issues exist with regards to deadweight, displacement and additionality.
Ellie has significant experience in estimating the economic impact across all types of property development including residential, leisure, office and mixed use schemes.
Project management of recent high profile schemes include the luxury hotel London Peninsula, Battersea Power Station and the Nova scheme at London Victoria. Ellie has also led studies across the country estimating the economic and regeneration impact of proposed transport investments, including studies on HS2 and Crossrail.
Ellie holds a degree in Mathematics and Economics from the University of Cambridge.
Luke, Associate at Volterra, is experienced in economic impact modelling and economic forecasting. He is well versed in understanding the links between policy interventions and the economic environment, with specific skills in econometric modelling, social value assessments and economic masterplanning.
Luke holds both a BSc and a MRes in Economics from the University of Bristol.
Luke has led several high profile economic masterplanning and forecasting studies, including work in 2021 producing unemployment forecasts for London Councils. Elsewhere in London, Luke was the day-to-day socio-economic lead for major regeneration projects including Battersea Power Station, the Whitechapel Road Development, Joyce & Snells Estate, and South Molton Triangle.
Outside of London, Luke previously authored the strategic and economic case for investment in Oxford's West End. Luke also led Volterra's work for Essex County Council that is providing the socio-economic evidence base and economic forecasting underpinning the North Tendering Vision and Investment Plan.
Miraj is a consultant at Volterra and has recently been involved with socio-economic statements and health impact assessments based in London and Portsmouth. Within these projects Miraj has had experience in applying relevant literature, policy and data to conduct economic analysis. He has interest in socio-economic impacts and sustainability. Miraj is currently writing a research piece on the use of Doughnut Economics, an economic model that incorporates both the impacts on society and the environment, within development projects in the in the UK and internationally. Over and above his studies Miraj is involved with a the London Doughnut Economics Coalition, a group that is promoting sustainable socio-economic changes in London. Miraj holds a MSc in Economics from the University of Bristol, which was specialised in policy evaluation, and a BSc from the University of Leeds.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Transport Economist
Volterra Partner, Paul Buchanan, is a transport economist with some 30 years experience in the planning, economic and financial appraisal of a wide range of public and private sector transport investments.
Paul has specific expertise in the development of the economic case for public transport projects; he has developed the approach to valuing Wider Economic Benefits (WEBs) for Crossrail (2001-2004), subsequently incorporated into UK appraisal guidance.
Paul has many years of experience in working with companies to develop models to enhance their decision making. An acknowledged expert on advanced modelling techniques, he is frequently invited to address academic groups all over the world.
Paul has many years of experience in working with companies to develop models to enhance their decision making. He is an acknowledged expert on advanced modelling techniques, and is frequently invited to address academic groups all over the world across a broad range of disciplines, economists, physicists, computer scientists and simulation modellers. Paul is currently a Visiting Professor at University College London, recently rated the top research university in the UK.
Paul is a best selling and award winning author. He has authored four books, with The Death of Economics in 1994 and Butterfly Economics in 1998 both published in more than 10 languages. Paul's third book, Why Most Things Fail, was published in 2005 and was named a US Business Book of the Year for 2006 by Business Week magazine. His latest book , Positive Linking, was released in the summer of 2012.
Paul originally read Economics at Cambridge University, then took the MPhil in economics and econometrics at Oxford University. He has kept close academic links, and in 2006 was elected a Fellow of the British Academy of Social Sciences. In 2009 he was awarded a DSc honoris causa by the University of Durham for the ‘distinction of your contribution to economics'.
In the 1980s, he was one of the founders of the Henley Centre for Forecasting, and pioneered the then-innovative application of modern econometric techniques and electronic data to analyse price elasticities and identify the competitive sets of consumer brands. He has developed forecasting and corporate decision systems using a wide range of techniques, including expert systems and behavioural modelling.
He speaks regularly at business and academic events in the UK, Europe and around the world. In the past year, Paul has spoken at conferences around the world, for example in Washington, New York, Brussels, Paris, Zurich, Geneva, Warsaw.
Peter has gained work experience at LSE Centre for Economic Performance, Crime Laboratory as a Research Assistant and continued to work as a Research Assistant for CORE Econ whilst studying for his masters. Peter holds a BSc in Economics from the University of Nottingham and MSc Economics from UCL.
Ross Bateman is a senior consultant at Volterra, and is experienced in economic impact modelling, employment and skills strategies, health impact assessments, and socio-economic regeneration projects. Ross also has experience working with large datasets, economic analyses, policy research, and forecasting.
Ross has considerable experience in socio-economic assessments, identifying the links between the economic environment and proposals. Ross recognises the socio-economic issues pertaining in areas and how this may link to development particulars.
Ross holds a degree in Industrial Economics from the University of Nottingham, and achieved an academic excellence award, graduating in the top 3% of students.
Sofia is a consultant at Volterra and holds a First Class (Hons) Economics BSc degree from UCL.
Since joining in 2020, Sofia has gained experience in economic impact assessments and evaluating the socio-economic benefits of schemes. Sofia was part of designing an economic model that quantified the socio-economic benefits of induced tourism of the proposed regeneration of the Circular Quay precinct in Australia. Sofia's project experience also includes employment and skills strategies and socio-economic chapters.