NEPO has further strengthened its team with two key appointments, reinforcing its ongoing commitment to innovative, high-impact procurement solutions for the UK public sector.

Joining the organisation are Bethany Wake as Strategic Advisory Hub Lead and Liam Shuttleworth as Procurement Lead for Fleet and Building Materials. Both posts mark important steps in NEPO’s strategy to enhance its offer and deliver even greater value to the 12 North East authorities and the wider public sector.

Bethany will play a leading role in the development and delivery of NEPO’s Strategic Advisory Hub, a service designed to support all 12 authorities, regional partners and key associates. The hub provides expert advice, analysis, and collaboration opportunities to help members tackle complex challenges and drive continuous improvement across procurement and commercial activity.

Liam will lead NEPO’s Fleet and Building Materials category, overseeing seven core frameworks that meet public sector fleet requirements, including solutions for winter maintenance and recycling, while delivering responsive, value-driven options tailored to the evolving needs of local authorities and regional procurement teams. In addition, he will support collaboration with The Procurement Partnership Ltd (TPPL) on four partner frameworks, further broadening the range of fleet and building material solutions available to public sector buyers.

Nicola Shelley, Managing Director at NEPO, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Bethany and Liam to the team. Their appointments build on our purpose to innovate, simplify procurement, and create a bigger impact across the public sector. The Strategic Advisory Hub represents a significant new step in how we support our member authorities, while continued category leadership in essential areas like fleet and building materials ensures we remain focused on delivering practical, future-ready solutions.”

Guided by its core principle: innovating with purpose, simplifying procurement, and driving meaningful impact, NEPO continues to build a team equipped to meet the fast-evolving needs of the public sector and shape the next generation of collaborative procurement.

Governed by the 12 North East authorities, NEPO works with UK public sector partners to deliver a programme of strategic procurement solutions across a wide range of industries and service areas.