Profile
Katie specialises in public policy, economic regulation and finance, and since joining Oxera has worked across a number of sectors including government, transport and education. Katie joined Oxera from HM Treasury in 2015, where she was Head of Rail Policy and Spending, having previously led on rail franchising finance policy at the UK Department for Transport. Prior to her experience in central government, Katie worked for the UK postal regulator (now Ofcom) on regulatory finance issues. Katie initially trained as a Chartered Accountant while working within the corporate finance division of Ernst & Young LLP, and has a Master’s degree in Public Policy and Management.
Selected project experience
- Advising the Government of Jersey on a wide range of public policy issues including tax, transport, economic policy and education (2016–)
- Providing analysis and advice to a UK rail infrastructure owner in relation to a forthcoming price review, specifically focusing on the funding of future infrastructure renewals and the calibration of the performance regime (2019)
- Advising a UK postal operator on the impact of potential environmental public policy changes (2019)
- Supporting a national UK funeral director in relation to the CMA market investigation, focusing in particular on the financial performance of the business and the impact of any future economic regulation (2019)
- Advising the GB rail industry trade body in relation to its submission in response to the Williams Review of the sector (2018–19)
- Advising government on the future commercial structure of the rail network (2017)
- Estimating the cost of capital for a regulated rail infrastructure owner (2017)
- Estimating the economic impact of increased social mobility for the Sutton Trust, a UK education charity (2016–17)
- Advising a major regulated transport infrastructure provider in relation to the sale of part of its business (2016)
- Advising the UK defence industry on profit regulation introduced by the SSRO (2016)
- Advising a retailer on the renegotiation of the wholesale contract for its mobile phone business (2015–16)
- Providing analysis for an economic expert report in relation to a litigation case in the financial services sector (2016)
- Advising an electricity interconnector owner on asset valuation issues (2016)
- Advising the Chancellor of the Exchequer on all policy matters relating to rail, including devolution, allocation of resources, Network Rail’s CP5 enhancements programme, the future shape and financing of Network Rail, rail franchise contracts, and future rail projects and policies (2015)
- Leading the development and implementation of key commercial policies for all new rail franchise contracts let by the DfT (2012–14)
- Working for the regulator to develop price control regulation for Royal Mail, focusing on policy for the scope, duration, structure and level of the appropriate controls on the price of Royal Mail’s products (2011)
Qualifications
- Chartered Accountant, Institute of Chartered Accountants Scotland, UK
- MSc Public Policy and Management, University of London, UK
- BSc Mathematics and Economics, London School of Economics, UK
