Sam Waples
Sam is a highly experienced specialist in data analysis and geographic information science with experience of working in the academic, private and public sectors. He specialises in spatial analysis, data modelling and visualisation techniques.
At The Good Economy, Sam is responsible for the data analysis underpinning all TGE’s impact assessment and reporting work. He has led the portfolio and business-level data analysis for TGE’s private equity and SME investor clients, focused on understanding to what extent investment supports sustainable business growth and job creation that benefit disadvantaged areas both in the UK and globally. Sam also leads the innovative technical work behind TGE’s Good Jobs Rating.
Sam began collaborating with Mark Hepworth on a range of economic development projects in 2007 as part of Geoeconomics and the Centre for Applied Economic Geography, Birkbeck College London. His work included assessing the economic impact of FTSE100 companies and the geographic analysis for local economic development strategies.
Sam has undertaken social policy research at Birkbeck, the Cass Business School and the University of Leicester. He worked on the national evaluation of the Sure Start programme for the department of education and CCTV for the Home Office. He also worked with the Commission for Rural Communities (now part of Defra), developing geographical socio-economic small town and rural area typologies.
Sam has a BSc from the University of Edinburgh and a Masters in Geographical Information Science from the University of Nottingham.