Helping Create Change that Matters

Passionate about promoting social justice and fostering a fairer, more compassionate society, George is an economist with particular expertise in the area of behavioural economics. He is experienced in working for multilaterals within the UN System and beyond, including the World Bank where he has worked on a range of Country Management Unit products mostly in Africa. He played a central role in the recent, highly successful, strategic review of the World Resources Institute, as well as previous assignments with the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission and Irish Aid.

George has additional experience and skills in regional and national socio-economic profiling and impact assessment; Geographical Information System (GIS) data mapping; quantitative econometric analysis; qualitative data analysis and mixed methods research; and primary research method. Comfortable working in French, including a strong reading ability.

Prior to joining OpenCities, George worked for London-based Volterra Economics where he produced a report for Transport for London in which the external costs of car use in Greater London were estimated, including emissions costs. The report influences the design of a next generation road pricing system to replace the Congestion Charge. He has also provided socio-economic reporting and impact assessments on development projects in Greater London, such as the residential regeneration of Nine Elms, and he contributed to the design of London Borough of Lambeth’s Employment and Skills Strategy and Affordable Workspace Strategy using socio-economic analysis of labour market trends

George has a First Class Honours degree in Economics from the University of Bristol and received his Master’s in Behavioural Economics from the University of Amsterdam with a final score of 8.5 (equivalent to a Distinction). 

Carlos José Giménez Domínguez - Consultant

Driven by a passion for development, Carlos is committed to the goal of a Just Transition, including the protection and enhancement of the earth’s environment in ways that draw on the knowledge of local communities and protect their interests.

Before joining OpenCities, Carlos held several roles in Bogota, Colombia including as a project manager in the National Land Agency, adviser to the Minister of Housing, Cities and Territories and adviser to the General Director of the National Statistical Institute. He was previously an intern with the International Federation of Human Rights in Paris, France.

Carlos has managed projects funded by organizations such as the United Nations, multilateral banks and other aid agencies, in sectors including land tenure, urban development, Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) and statistics.

Carlos graduated (top 5% nationally) in International Affairs from Universidad del Rosario, Colombia  and hold a masters in Applied Geoeconomics from Sciences Po Bordeaux, France.  He has completed a second master’s degree in Environment and Development from the London School of Economics and Political Science in the United Kingdom (graduation expected in December 2023).

David Norman is a senior associate of OpenCities Ltd and the Director of Global Insight Consulting Ltd. He specialises in helping NGOs and companies to strengthen strategy and partnerships for sustainable development. Additional roles include facilitating the development of strategy, evaluations, policy briefings, speech writing and leadership coaching.  Recent assignments include: a strategic review of The Elders’ first decade, running the process to produce their new 5-year strategy; an independent review of Save the Children’s global partnership with GlaxoSmithKline; and running SABMiller’s contributions at Davos and the World Economic Forum on Latin America (Mexico) and Africa (Cape Town). 

Previously David was a Non-Executive Director at Saferworld and Senior Manager for Sustainable Development Policy at SABMiller plc. He also held senior posts at WWF-UK and worked as Global Education Adviser at Save the Children UK.  He has a BSc (first class) in Natural Science (OU) and an MPhil in Sociology and Politics of Developing Countries (Cambridge).

Claudette Forbes is a senior associate of OpenCIties Ltd and the Director of CAF Consulting.  She has successfully led the development and implementation of city development, economic development, and holistic local area regeneration programmes and is an adviser to local authorities, central government, non-profits and partnerships. She led work at the Royal Borough of Kingston on developing an employment and skills plan to respond to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the local economy. This work, carried out jointly with OpenCities, resulted in a response plan endorsed by the Council's members in 2021. 

Claudette herself grew up in inner city Bristol,  an area of Britain which was the subject of regeneration following race riots in the early 1980s.   Her international experience includes working with the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil to support the development of the City of Salvador’s first City Strategy. 

Claudette is also an Executive coach who focuses on the development and delivery of leadership development programmes.