Ian Fletcher

A man who has got where he has because of his unique capacity to stay calm under pressure. He has the ability to remain relentlessly positive even when all evidence points in the opposite direction.

Before joining the Olympic Deliverance Commission as Head of Deliverance, he had spells with British Nuclear Fuels then progressed through the National Disasters Executive to his most recent job as Director of the Urban Regeneration Agency, in which role he was almost solely responsible for Manchester.

Ian is unhappily married, but nowhere near as unhappily married as he will be by the end of his Olympic journey.

Siobhan Sharpe

Getting the Olympic Account is the biggest thing that's ever happened to her, and certainly bigger than what is likely to happen to her career afterwards.

From Harpenden but thinks she's American. Very ambitious and with her dial set on transmit, Siobhan is an expert in all aspects of communications theory with the single exception of how to apply any of it.

Most of the time she isn't in a relationship because relationships - like lunch and listening - are for wimps.

Kay Hope

Tirelessly committed to the principle of embedding sustainability across all parts of Twenty Twelve, which is particularly important given that no-one seems to know exactly what sustainability is.

Single mother, recently divorced but now completely over it, completely happy, and completely not thinking at all about what a useless father, crap husband, and utterly failed so-called human being Simon was. One son (Kieren, 12) who is going increasingly off the rails both on the rare occasions when he's at school, and even rarer occasions when he's at home.

Graham Hitchins

It will of course be a disaster for London and for Britain if the infrastructure for the Games goes wrong. And that's where Graham Hitchins comes in.

In this complex and specialist area you sometimes need to push beyond conventional logic and fortunately beyond logic is where Graham is much of the time already. Can't see why it might be a bad idea to divert air traffic over Nuclear Power stations.

A loner, he frequently works late rather than going home, giving rise to speculation that he never goes home at all. He's also vague on the subject of exactly where he lives - "I got my own bathroom and everything". Since he's on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Bebo, and (by mistake) Grindr it's no surprise that he has no time for a social life.

One thing he does have time for is an 1981 Alfa Romeo GTV. He attends Alfa Owners Club rallies at the weekend, often breaking down on the way there, the way back, or both. He once went out with a girl for three days after mistakenly attending an Alpha Course meeting on the assumption that it would be about cars. She was a devout Christian and asked him to marry her on their second date. He said he'd get back to her.

Nick Jowett

Nick "I Can't Allow It" Jowett is a plain speaking Yorkshireman and the Geoffrey Boycott of the accounting world.

Once had trials for Huddersfield Town, and referees amateur football games at the weekend where he's known for routinely sending off one player from either side in the first ten minutes to establish his authority as scrupulously fair. Also plays golf pretty bloody seriously.

Divorced ten years ago. His ex wife now lives with an alternative therapist ("Whatever the hell that is") in Totnes.

Sally Owen

Super-loyal, ultra-efficient, and hyper-protective of Ian, for the very good reason that she's in love with him. This is a love that runs very deep but dare not speak its name, since Ian is married.

But, as we know, he's unhappily married, and Sally lives her life in a state of perpetual but silent hope. One day he will surely realise that the smooth cappuccinos and huge, perfectly moist cinnamon Danish whirls with which she selflessly punctuates his working days are actually bought from a small coffee shop a block and a half away because the ones from the coffee chain in the building just aren't good enough.

In the meantime she hits the gym hard and makes the very best of herself whilst refining still further her extraordinary ability to fulfil, organise, and supply Ian's every last need well before he realises what those needs are.

Fi Healey (Series 2)

Fi joins the department in Series 2 as Head of Legacy.

The Deliverance and Legacy teams have previously been completely separate - how will her presence change the chaotic ODT dynamic?

Kay certainly isn't pleased to see Fiona in the office... but it seems Ian is quite happy to have the good looking, helpful and practical Fi in the office.

Daniel Stroud (Series 2)

Young Daniel is recruited to the Olympic Deliverance Team as Ian's PA in the second series, after Sally exits. He is over-keen and over-shares, however his boyfriend is well connected and helps the team out of a tricky sponsorship problem.