Background
Mary Leishman is Principal of Mary Leishman Training Consultancy and an Associate
with 4-consulting.
She began her career in retail personnel management. She specialised in training
and developed her career between local government and the retail sector. She first
moved into independent consultancy with a major contract to manage the Industrial
Training Association's Youth Training Programme in the West of Scotland.
Following a family career break, Mary returned to work in local government training as
a Senior Training and Development Officer, initially with Strathclyde Regional Council
then moving to Inverclyde Council at local government reorganisation. Mary then
restarted her consultancy business, gaining Investors in People advisory contracts with
Scottish Enterprise. She became a Registered Adviser with Investors in People Scotland
in 2007 and a Registered Assessor in 2008. Mary also continues to provide HR services
to a range of private and voluntary sector clients. In addition, she has carried out
research projects and evaluations of public sector intervention programmes.
She has
experience as a visiting lecturer at the University of Strathclyde Centre for Continuing
Education and at a number of FE colleges.
Relevant Experience
Provision of Outsourced HR
Service
Mary provides an HR service to SME clients
on an outsourced basis, ensuring that companies meet all HR
statutory requirements.
Investors in People Adviser
Mary trained as an Investors in People
Adviser in 1998, since when she has successfully assisted over
70 companies and professional practices, as well as
over 30 voluntary
organisations to achieve the
Standard. She is currently advising a range of client
organisations which
have committed to, and are at various stages of working towards,
the Standard.
In 2001-02, Mary worked with SCVO on a
collaborative pilot project to promote the Big Picture and IiP
in Inverclyde with 10 voluntary organisations. All the
organisations achieved the IiP Standard.
Mary has also carried out a number of
projects to market IiP to the voluntary, care, legal and
engineering sectors, assisting the Scottish
Enterprise to achieve commitment
targets.
Mary ran (with 4-consulting) an
Achievers Group for IiP recognised companies in Renfrewshire.
Investors
in People Assessor
Mary trained as an Investors in People
Assessor, gaining her registration in December 2008. She has
assessed over 20 companies in her role as a Specialist on behalf
of Investors in People Scotland.
Mary has been a member of the New Ways of
Working Party for the Investors in People Standard since July
2007. She has regularly attended meetings in London and has
worked on case studies for the New Choices approach.
Organisational and People Development
Mary identifies training needs and
manages and delivers management development and training
programmes and short courses for a wide range of public and
private sector organisations. Clients include, Golds, Partners
for Inclusion, McKeating Ltd, Albann Architectural Ltd, Thomas
Johnstone Ltd and Reid Furniture.
Mary has recently carried out a training
needs analysis for a large construction client leading to the
development of a CITB training plan Mary has several other
clients in the construction industry whom she has worked with to
achieve the Investors in People standard As part of this work
she has developed, managed and evaluated their CITB in house
training plan.
Mary was a member of a team that
developed and delivered a continuing professional development
programme for business advisers of the West of Scotland Loan
Fund, a collaborative venture between 12 local authorities in
the West of Scotland.
Mary has extensive experience in respect
of Women into Management and Women Returners programmes.
Research Projects
For Lochaber Enterprise, evaluation of
the Lochaber Leadership Initiative, a project aimed at
increasing the take up of management education and training by
local SME businesses as Associate with 4-consulting).
Evaluation of the EQUAL Theme D
Development Partnership (as Associate with Hall Aitken).
Evaluation of West Dunbartonshire EQUAL
Project (as Associate with Hall Aitken).
Evaluation of Action Research Project on
the four Pilot Social Economy Zones (as Associate with Hall
Aitken).
Conducted an Impact Study of an after
school care project in Easterhouse, Glasgow.
Conducted a Childcare Provider Survey for
a local authority.
Other Activities
·
Chair, Princess Royal Trust
Renfrewshire Carers' Centre
·
(2003 - 2006) Director, Quarriers, one of the
largest voluntary organisations in Scotland to have achieved the
IiP Standard, with 1,600 members of staff
