Neil McIvor has joined esynergy as Head of Data for Public Services. With an impressive 23-year career spanning five Government Departments, Neil has consistently delivered impactful data, policy, and operational solutions, earning recognition as a leading figure in data leadership within the UK public service.
Neil shared “I am really excited to be joining esynergy where I will be able to continue my heartfelt mission, supporting the public sector in driving value for the taxpayer through data, across a range of organisational, operational and policy initiatives, building on nearly a quarter of a century of personal innovative delivery that has made a real difference to citizens of the UK.”
At esynergy, Neil will lead data initiatives, fostering a culture of data-driven decision-making. He will help public services harness the power of data to optimise performance, identify trends, uncover insights, and make evidence-based decisions, ultimately delivering measurable public value.
Kate Daniels, Head of Public Services at esynergy, commented, “We are delighted to welcome Neil to our team. His arrival will elevate our mission to drive measurable value for UK citizens by leveraging data to build sustainable capability in public institutions.”
About Neil
Neil’s journey in the Civil Service began in 2001, becoming a professionally accredited statistician in 2003 after achieving a first-class honours degree in Mathematics from the Open University. His pivotal role at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) saw him establish a billion-record pseudonymised individual-level database, essential for social analysis of welfare and employment trends over the past two decades. Neil’s expertise also extended to leading analysis on disability employment issues and shaping policy on disability benefits.
In 2012, Neil returned to his statistical roots to become DWP’s Deputy Head of Profession for Statistics and later served as the department’s temporary Chief Data Officer.
He managed Business Data Operations and Student Migration statistics at the Office for National Statistics before joining the Department for Education in 2017. As Chief Data Officer and Chief Statistician, Neil spearheaded the department’s data strategy, governance, policy development, and automated data initiatives.
Neil’s accomplishments have earned him accolades, including ranking as the 7th most influential data leader in the UK by DATAIQ in 2020 and as one of the top 10 data leaders in 2022.
About esynergy
esynergy is a technology consultancy that accelerates business value for its clients. Working with enterprises and scale-ups in highly regulated industries, we build scalable platforms, products, and services. Our delivery teams are small and highly functional, formed by a vetted ecosystem of associates, luminaries and partners. We choose technologies that are the right fit for our clients’ needs and are not opinionated around specific tech stacks and service offerings. Our philosophy is around impact consulting, which means that all our work is measurable and directly ties back to our clients’ business objectives. This approach is at the heart of all our engagements with the objective of added value and insight for our clients.