Michael Leary
Curriculum Vitae
Argyllshire PH36
07443616210

I endevour to provide a sense of direction for my staff and communicate clearly what needs to be achieved.

I am aware of the wider organisational priorities and I encourage commitment for the organisation’s strategy,
vision and values.

I contribute to the production of the Service Plan and produce an operational plan for my area of responsibility.
I involve my staff in creating the plan and ensure they understand the objectives and priorities.

I organise work to meet time, budget and quality standards, manage risks and take decisions and prompt
action to resolve problems.

I monitor the efficiency and effectiveness of our service delivery, including using customer information and
feedback.

I respond effectively to customer complaints and use this information to improve your service.

I create an effective team and productive working relationships by providing support and advice, keeping team
members informed and encouraging contributions to the team. This includes allocating and managing work
load to make the best use of skills and abilities.

I protect the health, safety and well-being of staff and colleagues, including encouraging flexibility and a worklife
balance.

I recognise and resolve any conflict among my team.

I manage individual and team performance by providing clear objectives and monitoring performance against
these.

I praise achievement and tackle poor performance or inappropriate behaviour. I complete an annual Personal
Development Plan with each member of staff.

I analyse budget reports and other financial information to monitor performance against your budget and take
appropriate action.

I follow the organisation’s Financial Regulations and also pursue a commercial approach to all of our
undertakings.

I evaluate and improve the way I use resources to ensure it is efficient and sustainable and I comply with the
organisation’s procurement procedures when procuring goods and services.

I take responsibility for change and improvement by understanding the need for change and communicating
this to my staff and involving them in identifying and progressing improvement.

I use business improvement techniques to develop better ways of working. I plan the change and prepare staff
including meeting communication and training needs.

I monitor progress against plans and make sure that identified benefits from the change are realised.

I act as a positive role model for my staff by developing my skills and knowledge and taking responsibility for
my own learning and continuing professional development.

I am aware of my own strengths and weaknesses and of the impact of my behaviour on my staff.

I take responsibility for my own decisions, share ideas and information with others and adapt flexibly to
changing circumstances and organisational priorities

I analyse budget reports and other financial information to monitor performance against your budget and take
appropriate action. I follow the organisation’s Financial Regulations.

I evaluate and improve the way I use resources to ensure it is efficient and sustainable and I comply with the
organisation’s procurement procedures when procuring goods and services.

I organise and present information effectively and manage the security of information within my area of
responsibility and I use ICT to improve efficiency and service delivery.

Willing to relocate: Anywhere

WORK EXPERIENCE

Assistant Area Manager
Highland Council – Fort William
2000-10 – 2016-08
Assistant Area Manager
Roads and Community Works
Lochaber Area

For the last 16 years I worked for the Highland Council but I now find myself in a position of redundancy/
retirement. I was responsible for managing 80+ staffing and material resources. I was responsible for the
preparation of annual, cyclic and winter maintenance plans, manage external contractors and implement
sustainable practices in all areas of service delivery. As a manager with budgetary responsibility I had a
statutory duty to work towards achieving Best Value in the delivery of all of the services for which I was
responsible, to pursue continuous improvement in performance in a way that maintains an appropriate balance
between quality of service provision and cost to the community. I like to implement a commercial approach
whilst ensuring a customer focus and provide a strategic responsibility for the service portfolio.

On a daily basis, I have provided effective strategic management for Road Operations within the Lochaber area,
including a comprehensive range of ancillary services for cyclic and other road maintenance, which includes:
grass cutting, gully emptying, weed control, sign erection and maintenance, drainage and watercourses,
kerbing, footway maintenance and bridges and culvert maintenance.

I was responsible for the production of a winter operational plan and implementation of that plan, providing
operational human and other resources.

I have a Certificate of Professional Competence in Road Haulage Management which gives me a greater
understand the issues surrounding driver’s hours regulations and the management of a fleet of vehicles legally
and safely, required to deliver the winter maintenance programme.

I am trained in and have put into practice, overall supervision of specified sections of a shoreline as an
emergency response operation in the event of an oil spill, or threat from a grounded vessel, and carry out
the role of operations manager at the front line of the response. I have implemented the clean-up strategy
required by the Tactical and the Recovery Coordinating Group (TCG & RCG). I was the manager responsible
for Health and Safety, environmental sensitivity, man management and their welfare, equipment and resource
management, waste disposal, public safety, decontamination and accurate record keeping during such an
emergency at the site of an oil spill or civil contingency. In addition, I have attended the local Emergency
Liaison Group (ELG) meetings and have contributed vigorously to this.

I am qualified to the National Highway Sector Scheme 12D grade for installing and removing temporary
traffic management on rural and urban roads. I abide by The Traffic Signs Manual, Chapter 8’ and ‘The
Safety at Street Works and Road Works. I also hold the Roads Supervisors Qualification in Excavation and
Reinstatement of the Highway certificate for Streetworks which allows me to understand and implement convoy
working and multiphase signals, undertake traffic management related risk assessments & method statements,
devise plans for signing, guarding & lighting, effectively manage site maintenance and operate excavations
safely through identifying traffic control needs.

I was responsible for the operation and line management of the MV Corran, MV Maid of Glencoul and the
Rebecca Anne crew tender and work boat to support the two ferries that operate across the Corran Narrows.

Grounds Maintenance and Amenity Management: I was responsible for the maintenance and works in relation
to all landscaped and public open spaces in connection to the Grounds Maintenance contract for grass
cutting, sports pitch maintenance, War Memorials, Play Areas and burial Grounds and Cemeteries, including
interments and disinterment’s and the quality of service delivery for the Lochaber Area. I have encouraged
community involvement in the areas of War memorials and shrub/flower bed maintenance and have built up
significant community interrelations and joined up working between businesses, community groups, community
councils, elected members and the Council in furthering more cost effective and efficient methods of working
and a pleasing amenity standard to meet the public expectation.

In collaboration with the Area Team, who assist with setting priorities based on engineering need and budget
fit, I prepare, implement and monitor immediate, annual and longer term work programmes against allotted
budgets with respect to all of our activities; I also manage reactive works and emergency responses on a
daily basis for the health & safety of our Council Road Network its users and for our Ferry Operations and
passengers.

I develop, monitor and review contracts and agreements with external suppliers and community groups with
respect to the afore mentioned activities – I attend community meetings and liaise with local members through
Members Business Meetings, Ward Forums and Community Council Meetings to keep in touch with the needs
of Members and communities and hold periodic performance meetings with contractors to ensure that the
needs of the communities are being met in line with our budget spend.

I provide strategic leadership to the area and contribute to the management of Roads and Community Works
Services, and more generally to Community Services.

I contribute significantly to the overall strategy, leadership and management of Roads and Community Works
Services, including the development of policy and procedures to ensure that resources are appropriately,
effectively and efficiently allocated to key areas of work; to ensure that allocated budgets are properly controlled
and managed to achieve a balanced annual budget and service requirements are met; and to fully participate in
the development and use of service and performance indicators to ensure effective management of resources.

I have implemented a process for the implementation of the Council’s Employee Review and Development
(ERD) and provide a lead on developing and maintaining a culture of health safety and well-being across the
workforce and our contractors and ensure that each member of the team fully implements and adheres to the
ERD System; ensuring staff training and development is agreed and is appropriate to the role. I have developed
a rolling programme for ERD’s and ensure that each member of the team has a broad understanding of his/
her role in the Health & Safety of the organisation and for the protection of themselves, their colleagues and
members of the public.

I ensure that Highland Council’s HR policies and procedures are communicated effectively to staff and
implemented fully and consistently, and I review these practices regularly through Health & Safety toolbox
gatherings and mandatory quarterly meetings, involving operatives, staff and union representatives.

I ensure that the work of staff teams is monitored appropriately and evaluated against pre-determined
programmes and service performance indicators across the section and try to establish a ‘get-it-right-first-time’
culture across the workforce. I ensure that performance and attendance staffing issues are addressed at the
correct time and in accordance with the Council’s policies and procedures. I have developed a check system
to ensure that this is adhered to and have significantly reduced absence from the workplace over the last few
years. Absence management has to be monitored closely and action taken on every occurrence to ensure
that patterns of absence are investigated exhaustively.

I have developed a close cooperation and liaison between staff, Members, Community Councils and
Community Groups as appropriate in relation to service delivery and engender team working practices and
enhance communication with stakeholders.

As a matter of course, I liaised with service colleagues (across Highland and with external agencies and
Councils) to ensure service delivery priority needs are met. I have participated in joint working across the
Service, the wider Highland Council, Members, Communities and general public and with appropriate external
agencies as required and I participated in collaboration and shared services initiatives with other Councils,
service providers and external agencies to achieve the best service delivery possible.

Transport & Logistics Operations Manager.
ASSIST (Uganda) Ltd – Kampala
1999-06 – 2000-06
Transport & Logistics Operations Manager.

Working on behalf of the United Nations – World Food Programme, transporting food aid from Uganda up
through South Sudan into the Warrab region. I was also responsible for the construction, rehabilitation and
maintenance of the main supply route through Central & Western Equatoria, The Lakes, Warrab and Western
Bahr El Ghazal, enabling us to prepare plans to commercially transport food aid and other commodities into
deeper parts of South Sudan. Operations were undertaken during a time of military and political unrest and
good negotiating skills were required in order to be able to move across the country to supply food aid and
repair roads bridges and airfields without coming into conflict with the warring factions both with the government
armies in the north and the rebel forces of the Sudan Peoples Liberation Army/Sudan Peoples Liberation
Movement of the south. Indeed, on several occasions I was incarcerated and my trucks and resources
impounded, I then had to resolve the situation to be able to continue with the operations in hand and build
good relationships and trust with those forces. I was also responsible for the Management of the commercial
transportation of commodities into Democratic Republic of Congo/South Sudan/Ethiopia/Eritrea from Kampala,
Uganda and later was responsible for moving food Aid for New Vision, Norwegian peoples aid and other Non
Government Organisations (NGO’s) into warring regions of the Congo and South Sudan.

From: Junior Assistant Cook. To: Logistics Petty Officer
Royal Navy
1979-09 – 1989-09

I served in the Supply Branch of the Royal Navy on two anti-submarine frigates HMS Naiad and Yarmouth,
served in the Falklands War in1982 on Yarmouth. I transferred to Fishery protection Squadron on HMS
Alderney following brief drafts to 819 helicopter SAR squadron based at HMS Gannet near Prestwick and
45 Commando from Arbroath where I underwent the Royal marines arctic warfare training in Norway. I then
joined the Submarine Service and served in the 2nd Submarine Squadron on-board HMS Swiftsure and HMS
Sceptre, on which I saw active service in and around the Arctic Ocean, the Baltic, Barents and White seas,
permanently on covert patrols during the Cold War, operating at great depths. I Joined the Navy as a Junior
Cook in 1979 and progressed to Logistics Petty Officer.

EDUCATION

BA in HRM & Operations Management
University of Paisley – Paisley
1995 – 1999
HNC in Social Sciences
City & Guilds – Paisley
1991 – 1993
Ayr Technical College

LINKS

http://www.arabian-yemen.com/index.html

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Academic Qualifications:
Ayr Technical College. Grade – Pass.
City & Guilds 706/1 COOKING FOR THE CATERING INDUSTRY

Reid Kerr College, Paisley
GSVQ Social Care. Grade: Merit Pass 1990-91
HNC Social Sciences Grade: Merit Pass 1991-93

University of Paisley
BA HRM & Operations Management 1995-1999. Grade: Ordinary Pass

Other Qualifications:

Managing Safely (IoSH)
Institution of Occupational Safety and Health License 501,995 March 2005

First Aid at Work
West Highland College UHI License 151118030104 November 2015 to November 2018

National Training Course on Oil Pollution Contingency Planning and Response
Maritime and Coastguard Agency License LA1/01/2003/23 October 2003 & April 2016

Level 2 Powerboat Handling
RYA National Powerboat Scheme (Oil Pollution & Costal Protection)

Drivers Hours & Records, Working Time, Daily Defect Reporting Awareness
FTA October 2005

Theory & Practice of Road Surface Dressing
Road Surface Dressing Association

Traffic Management Registration Scheme (Sector 12d)
LANTRA AWARDS LIMITED License 111767/2 April 2013 to April 2018

Roads Supervisors Qualification in Excavation and Reinstatement of the Highway
STREET WORKS Qualifications Register License 24822281 July 2013 to July 2018

CSCS
CONSTRUCTION SKILLS CERTIFICATION SCHEME LIMITED License 00280408 August 2010

CPCS A61 Appointed Person
CITB Validator Construction Plant Competence Scheme 2011

Monitoring Reinstatement of Modular Surfaces and Concrete Footways SCQF Level 6
SQA – Scottish Qualifications Authority August 2013

Monitoring Excavation In The Road/Highway SCQF Level 6
SQA – Scottish Qualifications Authority August 2013

Monitoring Excavation, Backfilling and Reinstatement of Construction Layers with Bituminous
Materials SCQF Level 6
SQA – Scottish Qualifications Authority August 2013

Monitoring Reinstatement of Construction Layers in Bituminous Materials SCQF Level 6
SQA – Scottish Qualifications Authority August 2013

Level 3 Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) in National Road Haulage Operations
OCR License A3336390/210662 January 2005

Mediation Skills
Highland Council March 2016

Discipline, Policy & Practice
Highland Council February 2016

Business Process Improvement
Highland Council March 2016

Emergency Awareness
Scottish Executive Civil Contingencies Division & Emergency Planning Society February 2006

Project Management
Highland Council April 2016

Currently undertaking:
Level 5 Leadership and Management (ILM5)
This qualification is designed for managers to develop skills and experience, improve performance and prepare
for senior management responsibilities. It is a three year programme which I began in January 2016.