Mark Shepherd
Public Affairs Consultant
As a Consultant Mark delivers strategic political advice and support to a range of clients. He joined the company in September 2006 and has an expert understanding of the workings of governance in Northern Ireland.
Mark works with a number of clients providing government relations support, public affairs advice and political analysis in a number of sectors including criminal justice and health. Some of Mark’s current client work includes the Association of British Insurers, the Food Standards Agency for Northern Ireland, the Probation Board for Northern Ireland, Business in the Community, the Northern Ireland NHS Confederation and Cancer Research UK. In 2009 Mark worked with a range of age sector organisations providing high level advice on the campaign for an Older Person’s Commissioner in Northern Ireland. He has also delivered training to a number of organisations on areas including the Structure of Governance in Northern Ireland, Engaging with the NI Assembly and tailored sessions on preparing for elections in Northern Ireland and understanding health and social care reform in Northern Ireland.
In 2007 Mark helped establish Stratagem's 'MLA Research Panel' in conjunction with London-based polling company ComRes, the only such panel of MLAs in existence. He has worked with a range of organisations in using this panel to deliver bespoke political perceptions audits.
On international projects Mark has been involved in conflict resolution work with Iraqi educational specialists, facilitated by the British Council.
Before joining Stratagem, Mark's expertise lay mainly in international politics and conflict resolution. He received an MA (Hons) from the University of St Andrews in International Relations in 2005 and was awarded an M.Litt in International Political Thought from St Andrews in 2006. He previously worked as a research analyst in the Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence, where he specialised in East Asian political violence and the terrorism of religious extremists.
Mark is also a Director of Trans Urban Arts, a charity which seeks to promote engagement with new technologies, new trends, new art forms and new artists in Northern Ireland