TWO former North Yorkshire police officers have returned from the US after helping the FBI boost staff performance and well-being.

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.

After successful police careers, which also saw Zoe reach the level of Inspector, they used the skills they gained to form their consultancy Adapt and Evolve two years ago.

Mark said: “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.

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“We provide training that focuses on the biology of stress, psychological safety, resilience, teamwork, leadership, decision making and crisis management.”

Zoe said: “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.”

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 continued: “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.”

In addition to the FBI, the pair also work with UK police services, legal firms, charities, the NHS, finance, engineering and educational establishments.

Their training has consistently resulted in 100% satisfaction rates and major lifestyle changes among participants, with 93% reporting positive changes and 96% of respondents maintaining these changes three months later.

Zoe added: “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.”