This year Beckett Rankine sponsored the Young Consultant of the Year category of the British Expertise International Awards. The award recognises the young professional (under 35) who has shown outstanding achievement working on an overseas initiative within the last twelve months, and who has developed a depth of understanding, awareness and interpretation of local community needs.

A celebration dinner was held on March 7th at the Cumberland Hotel in central London where Lord Marland, Minster of Trade and Investment, made the keynote address to over 200 guests from the professional services sector. Beckett Rankine’s Tim Beckett and Gordon Rankine were both present and were delighted that Charlie Goldsmith of Charlie Goldsmith Associates won the Young Consultant of the Year award.

Charlie is a worthy winner having led the delivery of South Sudan’s Electronic Payroll System, which has become a foundation of reform in the country’s public sector. He has also been at the forefront of major programmes in South Sudan and Sierra Leone dealing with post-conflict public administration and technology for development. He has also been responsible for the design and implementation of an innovative six-year girls’ education programme in South Sudan which has the potential to deliver life changing improvements for women in Sudan.

The photo shows Gordon Rankine presenting the award to Charlie Goldsmith assisted, on the left of the photo, by His Royal Highness the Duke of Gloucester who is the British Expertise President, and the BBC’s Edward Stourton who was the Master of Ceremonies.