Meet the Team - Compass Consult

Jon Smith CMgr FCMI FIEP FCIPD

Managing Director

Jon has been a senior leader within employability, skills, health and justice for over 20 years, working across the private, public and charity sectors on over 100 different contracts.

Since the start of 2025, Jon consulted with various combined authorities and London sub-regional partnerships on how to navigate the world of devolution, supporting teams to commission and mobilise both Connect to Work and Trailblazer programmes. Due to the success of this, he founded Compass in January 2026.

Prior to this, Jon was a director at Serco, responsible for the Restart programme and before that, held several senior management roles at Shaw Trust, over 7 years. He has also worked as a commissioner in London and managed youth and adult employment and skills contracts that stretch back to the days of Employment Zone, New Deal and Youth Training Schemes.

As a member of the DWP Steering Group for the Work & Health Programme design and devolution, Jon helped to inform policy for the early planning of devolved employment support back in 2016.

A long-time friend and Fellow of the IEP, Jon held a non-executive director role on their board for 7 years, leading on shaping and growing the Fellowship offer.

An advocate of lifelong learning and continuous professional development, Jon is a Chartered Fellow of both the CIPD and CMI.

Michelle Rainey

Executive Assistant to the Managing Director

Michelle has a background in office management and administration, as well as spending several years in the employability sector, managing caseloads of participants on DWP and Combined Authority commissioned programmes. Michelle supports the smooth running of Compass Consult and brings a wealth of experience to the organisation.

Jake Gibbons

Associate IT Consultant

Jake is an IT consultant with a strong interest in practical technology solutions that help organisations operate more efficiently and securely.

With experience across IT support, systems administration, and modern web technologies, Jake works with businesses to improve their infrastructure, streamline workflows, and adopt reliable digital tools.

Jake has a particular focus on problem-solving and building systems that are both robust and easy to use. His work spans areas such as network setup, cloud services, website development, and general IT consultancy for small and medium-sized organisations.

Alongside his consultancy work, Jake has experience developing custom software and web platforms using modern open-source technologies. He enjoys exploring innovative ways technology can support business operations while keeping solutions simple, scalable, and cost-effective.

Jake is committed to providing clear technical guidance and practical solutions that help clients make confident decisions about their IT.