VODG HR Directors' Professional Network

Christoph Marr

Managing Director, Marr Procurement

After a twenty-year career in procurement with IBM, Marks & Spencer and Care UK, Christoph set up Marr Procurement in 2015 as a values-led team specializing in health and social care procurement. Marr Procurement have been the VODG procurement partner for ten years.

With a team of 20 employees the Marr team have worked with 70 care groups to reduce operating costs across all spend categories, without compromising on care or quality - we find auditable savings of up to 20%, (often more). The ratio of savings to Marr costs ranges from 3:1 to 9:1

The marrgo buying website embeds savings, provides control and visibility of spend and helps achieve more than stretched teams or less specialist providers. 

The Marr service is delivered by procurement experts, with proactive client support, and marrgo technology, giving clients the confidence to buy better and deliver more savings sooner.

: https://www.marrprocurement.com/
: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christoph-marr-2360a31
: @https://twitter.com/christoph_marr

Emma Burrows

Partner, Trowers & Hamlins

Emma is a partner and head of the Trowers & Hamlins' Employment department which she founded.  Emma has specialised in employment law for over 30 years.

She is known for her practical approach and finding solutions. Emma advises mainly on sensitive issues, managing senior staff exits, board disputes, employment structures and governance issues. At any one time, she manages a few complicated employment tribunal claims, working with other members of the team.

She loves employment law and is an active member of the Employment Lawyers Association Legislative and Policy committee and on the Editorial Board of Employment Law Journal.

She contributes to leadership development in the affordable housing, charities and health and social care sectors, and has written and contributed to guidance over the years. She co-wrote "Board member pay- what housing associations need to know", and is currently involved in speaking and contributing to Leadership 2025, the leadership development programme available exclusively to senior leaders from BME backgrounds working in the housing sector. During her career she's spoken regularly for the NHF, CIOH and at other sector events. 

She works closely with Charities, and edits and contributes to Jordan's 'Employment Law for Charities – A Practice Guide to Employment Law and contributes the employment law section to ICSA's Charities Guide. Emma works closely with care providers and has worked closely with organisations providing social care in the last two years on sleep-ins, providing some advice to the No 10 Policy Unit as part of the discussion. She's been a member of the care team at Trowers since it started, about 20 years ago and works closely with VODG and its members.

Emma is ranked in Band 1 as a leading individual for employment advice to not for profit organisations in the 2021 edition of Chambers UK.  

: https://www.trowers.com/
: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-burrows-2a273b3
: @@EJ_Burrows