Our People

Arkanum is led by John Lucken (Strategy), Nicola Lynn (Services Development) and Jacquie Walby (Commercial Development) supported by Mark Wagstaffe (Finance), Mike Poole (Business Process) and Jane Moore (Business Manager)

John provides advice on market entry and corporate development options. He brings board level experience in creating companies, forming partnerships and launching special project vehicles. He specialises in generating fresh thinking and innovative delivery methods and in creating the teams that bring them to fruition. John has a military background dealing with policy and plans in the MOD and the management of operations. He is a civil engineer with significant project experience and has a wide range of global contacts who help him to test new ideas.

Jacquie’s experience lies in the development of operational and organisational solutions and the associated contracts including performance/payment mechanisms and whole life costings. Jacquie led successful PFI/PPP bid teams working on schools, hospitals, courts, custody suites and defence establishments. As a result she has extensive experience of legal and commercial negotiations, developing processes, contracting with a wide range of organisations, creating and modelling innovative operational models and identifying the teams to deliver them. Jacquie started to focus on the health sector when joining Mercury Health in 2003 as a member of the Project Board. Since joining Arkanum she has delivered a number of successful health projects most recently as Bid Director for the clinical services procurement at Braintree Community Hospital.

Nicola leads on the development of strategy and business process for managed services, outsourcing and partnering solutions. In the health sector, her experience covers the establishment of community hospitals, primary care centres, process design for community diagnostics, rehabilitation management and business case development for community healthcare initiatives. More widely, she has been involved in a range of PFI and PPP projects, including the establishment of the customer services centre in GCHQ and project finance for schools and hospitals. Nicola specialises in mobilising new projects, putting together and managing new teams. She has a first class honours degree in Zoology and graduated from the full time MBA programme at London Business School in 2003.

Jane has a background in the operational management of a number of public sector contracts including the Enhanced Learning Credits Scheme for the MOD, the CharterMark Administration Service on behalf of the Cabinet Office and the Nursery Education Inspection Service for Ofsted. She has a degree in Business and Finance and is the Arkanum business manager coordinating the activities of the core team and associates.

Mark is Finance Director of Arkanum leading on the financial development of new projects as well as the corporate management of the company. He joined Arkanum from Tribal Group plc where he was Commercial Director for the Education Division during a period of substantial growth, winning new business in the UK, Middle East, China and New Zealand.

Mark’s background includes working with Stolt-Nielsen an international shipping and transportation group, firstly as a Group Accountant and Controller of the Tank Container Division and then to set up a new internet driven business - SeaSupplier, a ship supply exchange. He then worked at Hanson Aggregates as a regional financial controller and then at Kleeneze as Finance Director. He qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Grant Thornton in London.

Mike is a public sector management specialist. He has worked with individuals and groups of staff, customers, client groups, managers and elected representatives across a wide range of organisations, including government departments, defence, several universities, NDPBs, private sector companies and all sizes and types of local authorities. Within Arkanum Mike focuses on business analysis, corporate restructuring and new service solutions within the health sector.