From Busting Crime to Boosting Performance: Ex-Cops Team Up with FBI for Staff Well-Being
The pioneering work of two ex-police officers helping individuals and teams to perform at the highest level has been recognised by one of the world’s most respected law enforcement agencies.
Zoe Billings from York and Mark Pannone from North Cumbria met while Mark was an Assistant Chief Constable for North Yorkshire Police and Zoe was his Staff Officer. Both have extensive experience operating at tactical, strategic, and executive levels, skills which they used to form their consultancy Adapt and Evolve two years ago after leaving the police.
“We formed Adapt and Evolve out of a shared vision to address performance gaps within organisations by looking at well-being through a unique lens. We provide training that focuses on the biology of stress, psychological safety, resilience, teamwork, leadership, decision making and crisis management,” said Mark.
“Mark and I worked together, and we both saw a real gap in how organisations understand and improve performance. We combine training with support, either embedded within organisations or through bespoke workshops. Our approach is scientific and evidence-based, making a real difference to individuals and teams. Our life experiences in the Police supported by academic rigour have also helped us to develop our work,” added Zoe.
Indeed, their growing reputation and past work history has helped them gain a major piece of work supporting the FBI in the USA. The pair have recently returned from the FBI’s Clarksburg Campus in West Virginia, USA. There, they delivered specialised courses to the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) division. This significant achievement underscores the consultancy’s global reach and effectiveness in high-stress environments.
Mark explains: “Our police background always draws interest, but more importantly, it provides us with more than 50 years combined experience in managing crises and making defensible decisions. We help organisations develop a pragmatic leadership mindset that enhances performance and well-being. It was a privilege to help one of the most respected law enforcement agencies in the world look more closely at their staff’s well-being and performance.”
As well as working with the FBI, Adapt and Evolve Consultancy successfully works across many sectors, including UK police services, legal firms, charities, the NHS, finance, engineering and educational establishments. Their training has consistently resulted in 100% satisfaction rates and significant lifestyle changes among participants, with 93% reporting positive changes and 96% of respondents maintaining these changes three months later.
“We are constantly developing new workshops and products tailored to our client needs and are committed to help organisations adapt and evolve, supporting them to be the best in their field.” said Zoe.