01 / Experience
20+
Years of experience
Across consultancy, university leadership and international development.
About / Our people / Gary Clifford
Founder · Leader · Builder
Gary
Clifford.
Founder & Managing Director, HelpUsTrade
Turning ambitious thinking into practical change — from rural Wales to governments, institutions and businesses around the world.
Ceredigion · Wales Global perspective
Leadership into real-world change
International experience, multidisciplinary expertise and a portfolio built around practical results.
02 / Global reach
15+
Countries engaged
Professional work and assignments across multiple international settings.
03 / Institutional trust
5
Development banks
Experience supporting programmes connected with major development finance institutions.
04 / Leadership
Together.
Multidisciplinary leadership
Connecting specialist expertise, partners and institutions to turn complex international programmes into practical results.
Selected professional indicators. The portfolio includes company commissions, collaborative work and prior team experience.
The person behind the work
Big-picture thinker.
Practical by nature.
Gary Clifford founded HelpUsTrade with a conviction that good ideas should change what happens on the ground. His career combines economic development, public-sector reform, digital systems, innovation, procurement and enterprise growth.
He has worked across government, higher education and international development — often connecting disciplines and people who do not usually sit around the same table. His approach is to simplify complex challenges, assemble the right expertise and stay close to delivery.
Based in Ceredigion, Wales, Gary is a fluent Welsh speaker whose professional outlook is unapologetically international.
“Small nations can compete successfully on the global stage when they combine ambition, innovation and long-term strategic thinking.”
Gary Clifford · Leadership philosophy
Where Gary adds value
Expertise across
the whole challenge.
Rather than approaching policy, technology and delivery as separate activities, Gary works across the connections between them.
01 / Transformation
Strategy & institutional reform
Policy development, governance, public-sector modernisation and implementation planning.
02 / Delivery
Procurement & investment
International procurement, investment due diligence, infrastructure and public value.
03 / Learning
Education & capability
Quality assurance, workforce development, university innovation and professional learning.
04 / Evidence
Monitoring & evaluation
National frameworks, performance intelligence and evidence-based decision-making.
05 / Innovation
Digital transformation & AI
Data systems, learning platforms, responsible technology and workflow improvement.
06 / Growth
Enterprise & commercialisation
SME competitiveness, research impact, trade, partnerships and access to finance.
Selected assignments
The work behind
the perspective.
Eight illustrations from a wider portfolio of 28 HelpUsTrade references led by Gary. Some are ongoing commissions; others reflect completed projects or earlier career experience.
Barbados · Caribbean Select an assignment
Active programme
Education · 2025–2028
A new model for school improvement
Leadership of a national educational quality assurance framework bringing together evaluation, professional development and digital evidence to support schools.
Explore related work
01 / 08
All 28 portfolio references can be explored through the HelpUsTrade project index. Discover the wider portfolio ↗
The journey
Experience shaped
from both sides
of the table.
Gary’s career has crossed consulting, university leadership and international development. This is a selected professional timeline, not a full CV.
2007 — Present
Founder & Managing Director · HelpUsTrade
Building HelpUsTrade from Wales into an internationally engaged consultancy, leading 28 references spanning government reform, procurement, education, enterprise development and digital systems. Gary combines strategic direction, client relationship leadership and programme design, assembling multidisciplinary teams and turning ideas into practical delivery across the Caribbean, the UK, Europe and beyond.
2021 — 2023 · and 2003 — 2009
Commercial Director · University of Wales Trinity Saint David
Senior leadership in research commercialisation, strategic partnerships, government funding, innovation and income generation.
2010 — 2019
Bangor University · ICPS and Bangor Law School
Director of the Institute for Competition & Procurement Studies, Deputy Dean and international programme leader; work spanning research impact, procurement education and international partnerships.
Earlier and parallel roles
Procurement, innovation and economic development
Advisory and programme leadership for government, universities, SMEs and public-sector organisations across Wales, the UK and Europe.
Education & development
Technical roots.
Strategic outlook.
A blend of computing, business leadership, innovation and public-sector practice informs Gary’s approach to complex programmes.
- English · Native
- Welsh · Fluent
Executive MBA
Swansea University · AMBA-accredited programme
2010–2013
BSc (Hons) Computer Science
Swansea University
2000–2003
Innovation and Strategy
Harvard University Division of Continuing Education · Professional certificate
2017
Creative Thinking: Innovative Solutions to Complex Challenges
Harvard University Division of Continuing Education · Professional certificate
2016
Professional Certificate in Leadership
Windsor Leadership Trust
2015
PRINCE2 Practitioner
Project management qualification
Let's work together
Great work starts
with a conversation.
Whether you're planning a national programme, developing an institution or trying to turn a promising idea into practical change, Gary and the HelpUsTrade team would be pleased to hear from you.