Our People

Emma Robinson

I really enjoy learning about an organisation’s dynamics, how its strategy and operations interrelate, and the ways it grows and changes over time. Working with charities right now is particularly exciting as IT and digital services can help make such a difference to so many people’s lives.”

Emma has spent the last 20 years improving processes and technology in the not-for-profit sector as an IT Manager, Business Manager and Consultant. Her various system implementations include fleet management (Age UK), HR (Coram), CRM (Cardinal Hume Centre), staff scheduling (local government), as well as volunteer management (Surrey Volunteer Centres). Emma also worked as an application programmer in the private sector, designing and implementing planning and project management information systems for companies including Tyne Shiprepair, Eurotunnel, and BACS. A former Army officer, Emma managed teams of up to 30 soldiers operating combat communications networks, and led the rollout of a payroll and expenses system to five military units across London. With considerable experience of analysing business processes, devising roadmaps, and implementing change programmes for organisations of all types and sizes, Emma can draw on a deep and varied knowledge of technology, CRM, organisational behaviour, and operational processes to help charities develop practical and effective solutions. She is also a trustee of a regional charity that supports rough sleepers and low-income families, and in her spare time enjoys watching and reading about football, running, and visiting cathedrals.

Gary Seaman

“My passion is to enable every not-for-profit organisation to utilise their data to help improve people’s life chances, as well as delivering data driven insight to enable the development of products and services."

Gary joined Adapta as a Senior Consultant in April 2022 having worked in the charity sector, local authority, and social housing for 20 years, specialising in data quality, data collection and advanced analytics. He specialises in helping organisations understand the data they collect and how to create insightful analysis through business intelligence tools such as Power BI and Tableau. Gary is a Global two-time winner of the IBM Business Analytics Champion award and also won a Gartner Business Intelligence award in 2012 for his work in developing a propensity model to identify young people most at risk of becoming unemployed before they left school. Before moving into consultancy, Gary worked for Housemark who provide a benchmarking service for social housing providers. His primary role was to work with providers to ensure they were adhering to regulation by analysing their yearly expenditure and key performance indicators and to identify areas for digital improvements in their service. Gary has also worked within local authorities, providing data analysis and insight for children’s services and adult social care. He has experience of working with and managing several CRM systems, including implementations and upgrades. Gary was a key member of the implementation team at Medway Council for the national young person’s database ‘ContactPoint’ that was scrapped by the UK Coalition Government in 2010. Gary has accreditations in using IBM Modeler Text Analytics and predictive modelling, as well as their i2 solution for analysing complex information to understand relationships within entity datasets. Gary was also an early adopter for Tableau when it landed in the UK in 2010, helping them to achieve a foothold within local authorities. He has spoken at numerous IBM events and has presented at a Gartner event in Barcelona and an advanced analytics event in Warsaw. Gary has worked with several not-for-profit organisations helping them to understand and use their data for generating insight and efficiencies, most notably The Mix who partnered with the Heads Together charity. More recently Gary has worked with Action Aid, MND Association, Pilgrims Friend Society, and the Sainsbury Family Charitable Trust.

Keith Collins

"Having worked with non-profit organisations of every conceivable type - and in a number of different countries - since I started in the sector in 1992, I always find something about a client that makes working with them rewarding. Naturally, working with clients to use my experience and knowledge to help them improve is always a good feeling. However, beyond that there is always something else with any organisation that is appealing, either on an intellectual or an emotional level. Sometimes that may of course be a personal connection to the field of work that they are operating in – but sometimes it may be more of an intellectual challenge, grappling with what makes them unique in terms of complexities and needs."

Keith specialises in helping organisations identify, select, adopt and use technology to improve their relationships with all stakeholders. With some clients, this may involve helping identify and select technology solutions to support a new organisational strategy - for others, incremental improvements and new options within the tools that they already have. With experience from every perspective – as a non-profit client, as a supplier of specific technology solutions, and as an independent consultant – Keith can help non-profits ensure that their technology decisions fit organisational strategy, and that the 'softer' side of these initiatives – cultural fit, change management, stakeholder needs – are also factored in. Since 1992, Keith has worked within a number of roles in the non-profit sector. At Christian Aid, Keith oversaw the implementation of a new CRM solution, before moving to Sue Ryder Care to undertake a similar project and to set up their first Supporter Services team, including new business processes to support Gift Aid, Direct Debits and an internal IT helpdesk. Keith then moved to the supplier side, working at Blackbaud Europe to help non-profits implement The Raiser's Edge, The Information Edge and NetSolutions. With a desire to move into independent consulting, Keith then established the technology consulting division within Purple Vision, developing and delivering consultancy offerings including CRM selection, strategic technology reviews, and business process improvement. Following Purple Vision's re-positioning as a Salesforce.org partner, Keith then worked to develop and deliver consultancy and implementation solutions within the Salesforce platform, including engagements with customers and projects across Europe – with a particular focus on German-speaking countries. In the summer of 2017, Keith decided to move back into a more independent consulting role as a Senior Consultant with Adapta, since when he has worked with clients including Shelterbox, Islamic Relief UK, the British Horse Society, the National Children's Bureau, Scope and The Pony Club, on projects as varied as holistic reviews of the IT function; training and advice on GDPR compliance, and the specification and selection of new CRM systems. Credentials and Qualifications Keith is a qualified PRINCE2 project manager, and in his spare time is a volunteer football coach and manager for St Albans City Youth FC.

Libby Hare

"I chose a career in the sector because of its focus and ethos. As a consultant, I'm fascinated by the range of charities I work with and the opportunities to help organisations and people be more successful in what they do."

Libby specialises in helping organisations with project governance and programmes of change. She has a post-graduate diploma in voluntary sector management from Cass Business School, is a PRINCE2 project management practitioner, an MSP (managing successful programmes) practitioner and an Agile Project Management practitioner. She develops strategies and business cases, leads on project governance, coaches and mentors project managers and teams, and provides quality assurance and project reviews. Libby helps organisations achieve successful IT projects with activities such as business processes analysis, requirements identification, software selection and implementation. She works with organisations to achieve efficiencies and improvements in operational areas. A former senior manager with Sayer Vincent, Libby has extensive experience of the not-for-profit sector. She has worked with a wide range of clients including British Horse Society, Christian Aid, Crisis, Enham Trust, the Football Foundation, I CAN, RNLI, Sue Ryder Care, the Vegan Society, WAGGGS, Womankind and World Animal Protection. Before joining Sayer Vincent, Libby held several senior roles within charities, primarily international aid and development organisations. Libby is a member of the British Computer Society, The Chartered Institute for IT, and formerly was an advisor to the third sector project management forum. She has previously been a volunteer and trustee of a small charity that carried out holidays and other activities with disabled and socially disadvantaged children.

"Libby Hare was the consultant that we worked with on our IT change project. We achieved the change needed and our goals were met in an appropriate timescale."

Mark Luckins

Mark advises senior leadership teams to help them navigate the world of digital technology. He helps charities and third sector organisations determine the right digital, data and technology strategies to enable their mission. In his career, Mark has held various technology leadership roles and has achieved numerous certifications (ITIL, CISSP, PRINCE2, MCSE); academically, he holds a degree in “Operations Research” (better known today as ‘data science’). He helps charities grow the right organisational capabilities to support their current strategic priorities as well as generate value in the longer term. He advises on the specialist staffing and suppliers required to deliver as well as staff and SLT skills more widely. Mark often acts as a fractional “digital technology director” advising senior leaders on digital transformation agendas, major technology investments or simply how to make data and technology provide more value. Mark also regularly helps our clients to kickstart innovation or major new projects, or conversely to turn around stalling or failing change processes. Mark has extensive experiencing working across third sector organisations including marketing, fundraising, beneficiary/member service provision and corporate (finance, HR, IT/facilities). Mark has worked in large international charities (Plan International); the public sector (Houses of Parliament); small international charities (Marine Stewardship Council); UK charities (Crisis) and the education sector (ICAN). He managed teams of over 30 and has built teams from scratch. He has delivered major multi-million projects (CRM, website and data architecture) as well as smaller projects; and he is regularly involved in innovation and helping to save money and reduce overheads. He prides himself on providing commercially realistic, rightsized advice appropriate to the maturity of the organisation.

Paul Stirrat

“I love working for charities and not-for-profit organisations. Knowing I am playing a vital role in developing the sector to ensure charitable objectives are met continues to drive me - especially when I see real tangible benefits to end-users through charities adopting more effective and efficient ways of working.”

Paul is our marketing manager and plays a vital role in developing and delivering our strategic plan focused on our clients' needs. Paul has more than 20 years' experience of working with charities, nfp's and membership organisations, and is truly committed to providing them with an outstanding level of service. As a client focused organisation, Paul will be leading many exciting initiatives to help develop clients, and the sector as a whole, to ensure they get optimal value from their IS/IT investments. Before joining Adapta Paul was the Marketing Manager at Sayer Vincent. During his time he developed a highly successful seminar and strategic shared learning events programme and led on the development of the Charity Accountants' Conference, the UK's largest residential conference for charity finance professionals. Prior to this Paul was a Marketing Executive with the Times and Sunday Times online. He is an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing.

Paul Sypko

“Charities and not-for-profit organisations are demanding users of information systems and digital technology. There’s a clear sense of purpose in the sector, and that shows in how technology is used to achieve impact and obtain real value. Not-for-profits often hold massive amounts of data, much of which is highly sensitive in nature, and they engage in many different ways with a very broad range of stakeholders. Whether it’s using digital channels to support personalised ‘user journeys’ or high-impact campaigning and engagement, or diligently taking care of back-office systems to deliver an efficient and cost-effective service, it’s great to be working in a sector where technology can be used so effectively to make a tangible difference to people's lives.”

Paul is a highly experienced consultant and IT professional who specialises in helping our clients become more effective and efficient, particularly through the strategic and operational use of information systems and digital technology. Paul has 20 years' experience of leading high-impact consultancy engagements, the majority of which have been with clients in the not-for-profit sector. Prior to Adapta, Paul held senior roles at not-for-profit specialists Sayer Vincent, Crowe UK, and BlueSpark Consulting. He also brings to his engagements significant experience from the commercial sector, having worked for a leading firm of strategy consultants that is now part of PwC, where he was awarded their Professional Excellence Award while managing a large-scale digital transformation project in the energy sector. Paul has led assignments for more than 100 organisations, including charities, membership organisations, trade unions, trade associations, royal colleges, professional institutes and other not for-profit and commercial organisations. Paul's recent clients have included ActionAid UK, ClientEarth, Cranstoun, Tate Britain, St. Peter's Hospice, the Institution of Civil Engineers, British Gymnastics, the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation, the Education Support Partnership, National Children's Bureau, the Institute for Fiscal Studies, Lymphoma Action, SPANA, the Woodland Trust, the Trussell Trust, Volunteering Matters and Woking & Sam Beare Hospices. Paul specialises in strategic planning for information systems, project planning, systems procurement, business process improvement, function reviews, outsourcing, commercial contract negotiation, data protection and information security management. Paul holds a MA (Oxon) degree from the University of Oxford, having gained a scholarship to read Economics and Management at St. John's College and the Saïd Business School. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Consulting and has a particular interest in helping others to achieve their potential. Following a long period of time spent on various committees in a voluntary leadership capacity, he was pivotal to the development of the 'Chartered Management Consultant' award which was launched in 2020, and he often provides guidance and support to people working towards their professional qualifications. Paul is also a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute, a Fellow of the Institute of Leadership and Management, a Certified Business Advisor and a member of the British Computer Society "Elite" (Effective Leadership in IT) group. In his spare time, he is also a trustee for a local Scout group.

“Paul is enthusiastic, dedicated and a highly capable person who works with such integrity and to a high standard. I very much value Paul’s support and guidance and know I can always rely on him.”

Sue Oakley

“Working with organisations in the charity and not-for-profit sectors can be challenging but also very rewarding. The need to be flexible as well as approachable towards our clients is the key to the smooth running of any project and the satisfaction gained when this is achieved is immense.”

Sue specialises in providing administrative support to professional organisations and has an excellent appreciation of the not-for-profit sector. Her role as PA involves arranging meetings and events, producing documents, presentations and other materials, and managing our library of resources. Before joining Adapta Sue spent five years as a team secretary at Sayer Vincent where her responsibilities included typing correspondence, accounts, reports and other documents; producing presentations and materials for courses and seminars, and other administrative tasks. Prior to that she worked at BP for 17 years, working first in the internal audit department and then the investments department. As well as providing full secretarial support, she managed the property and investments libraries and supported BP’s global proxy voting service.

Tracy Grundy

"The desire to make a difference where I can is very important to me and so working with the team at Adapta, who are so driven to help charities and not-for-profit organisations succeed, is very satisfying."

Tracy has considerable experience working for senior management, dealing with HR administration, managing an office and co-ordinating health and safety requirements. Prior to joining Adapta, she spent 18 years at Sayer Vincent, a firm of auditors and advisers to charities and social purpose organisations, where she gained valuable experience. Before that, she worked for many years as the PA to the Senior Partner at Strutt & Parker, a firm of chartered surveyors in London. Her role as Operations and Development Manager at Adapta focuses on the efficient delivery of our back-office support functions, providing financial and administrative support to our consultants, developing new business and assisting with marketing activities.