Previously Neil had held a range of senior positions in the UK public and private sectors. He joined the Liverpool Culture Company in 2004 in the build up to Liverpool’s European Capital of Culture year (2008). He designed and led innovative programmes forming a key part of Liverpool’s successful year and legacy. These included the Liverpool Welcome and 08 Volunteer programmes which are considered amongst the most successful customer service and community engagement programmes introduced in Europe, and which have been emulated by other European Cities and also by London 2012. Neil has also played a significant role as an adviser to several successful European Capital of Culture teams in recent years.
He has worked in cities in Hungary, Denmark, Germany, Croatia, Estonia, Austria, Arctic Norway and also with several Finnish cities. This has involved strategic and community change projects, key to which is the development of a new, shared city narrative. Neil is currently part of a group called Oneday Regeneration, working in the UK on new models of creative placemaking: revitalising parks, town and shopping centres and community venues and spaces. He also lectures to Masters students in Austria on International Culture, Sport, and Politics.