Consultancy and training in marketing, product development & international trade.

Key assignments

6/09 – 7/12 PlaySmart UK Marketing Consultant/Operations Director
One of the UK’s leading playground safety surfacing suppliers.

• Marketing Consultant (6/09 - 2/11 & 6/12 on); Interim Ops Director (3/11 – 6/12)
• Repositioned company from reputable niche supplier to mid size player; used organic strategic marketing approach; broadened product mix; professionalised collateral; enhanced market credibility; changed focus to targeting specifiers.
• Set up international sister company; did detailed market/contractual research; defined business model; now supplies North America, Middle East & Europe.
• Researched, developed and launched game changing replacement for core products; product/market research; devised product concept; authored patent; sourced manufacture; oversaw validation; developed branding; handled launch.

9/10 - present JAG MC/First Consulting Marketing Consultant/MD
HR/Management consultancies in Saudi Arabia.

• Developed marketing strategy for JAG MC; reformatted proposals to add coherence & clarity; helped to implement; remote work in UK; onsite in KSA.
• Developed business & marketing strategies re: merger of JAG & First Consulting; then set up UK sister company as MD; also became responsible for Riyadh office.
• First Consulting put on hold 2011; continued to do further work with ex-partner.

10/10 - present ZP Training Ltd Senior Trainer & Course Adviser
Corporate training provider operating in UK, Dubai and Canada.

• Developed bespoke management and leadership training courses for senior executives; delivered in London and Dubai in person and with associates.

10/10 – 3/11 TM Lean Business Services Associate Consultant – Public Sector
Lean Six Sigma consultancy operating across Europe

• Conducted market research for TM’s Lean Six Sigma offering to UK public sector.
• Developed 2011-12 market strategy for TM and led initial implementation; plan centred on hosting efficiency workshops; also got TM on to tendering portals.

9/10 – 10/10 TPS Group Marketing Consultant
UK group offering storage, packing, international shipping and real estate.

• Generated a growth strategy for TPS’s shipping division and carried out initial implementation; generated a market development plan for target markets.

We are an independent association established to promote international trade and export expertise amongst the regions businesses through a varied events programme.
- Originally an active supporter of us through company membership, I was invited to join the Board in March 2007 and sit on the Events Committee.

- reporting to Director, UK Materials Research Institute
- The company provides training and skills, programme management, business intelligence and R&D; the Research Institutes division is a leader in delivery of publicly funded R&D programmes on a regional, national and EC basis.
- I had P&L responsibility for the Polymers research practice, a £2M business unit within the Materials Research Institute and lead a team of 27, comprising technologists, consultants, project managers, technicians and administrators.
- Polymers had the highest 2008 PBIT within the Research Institutes, nearly double next highest; similar sized practices had loss and break even positions.
- Results from the 2 rounds of funding submissions during my tenure were 3/4 approved and 2/3 approved; typical Pera success 30-75%; EC average 1 in 20.
- I generated and authored two new Pera product offerings – Innovation Roadmapping and Near Horzions Opportunities Review; now being rolled out and devised a new Business Process Optimisation process to streamline front end processes; this was being piloted in Polymers in 2009 ahead of full rollout.

- 8/07 – 2/08: new position, reporting to Group Sales & Marketing Director with dotted line reporting to General Manager, Manchester.
- I was responsible for strategically developing new markets across a range of manufacturing platforms and successfully opened new markets such as industrial and signage as well as developing new business in other areas and generating and implementing a multi-process market development strategy.
- 2/08 – 5/08 – also responsible for a Business Manager on a dotted line basis.

- 6/04 – 1/07: as Sales & Marketing Manager, reporting to UK MD, I led Sales and Marketing outside of the US. With my #2 overseeing day to day sales, I developed sales strategy, restructuring sales/agency organisation and leading penetration of new territories. In 2005, UK-sourced sales rose 15% and by a further 5% in 2006. My marketing strategies drove market development, established clearer positioning and gave R&D a clearer message. R&D also won an East Midlands International Business Communications Award in 2005
- 1/07 – 8/07: as Marketing Manager, the first full time marketing position for R&D worldwide. As well as expanding the group's marketing horizons, I co-created Leveraged Design, an innovative product development philosphy powered by industrial design (R&D was subsequently renamed “R&D Leverage”).

- 4/01 – 5/02: Reporting to Customer Development Manager – Advanced Plastics - Europe, I led Sales, Marketing and Product Development in UK for a new business unit targeting new markets. UK AP sales £1M after 1st year. I was the only country manager involved in developing AP Marketing strategy.
- 5/02 – 6/04: as above, but, also reporting directly to Customer Development Director – Advanced Plastics - Worldwide, I managed a number of global key accounts and production transfers from UK to China and Czech Republic.

- 9/99-12/00: reporting to UK Business Development Manager, I developed new business opportunities for 3 of Rosti’s UK operations and brought in new customers within markets such as Automotive, Electronics and Mail Sorting.
- 1/01-4/01: following restructuring within the UK, I was given full Sales responsibility for Redhill site, leading Sales, Estimating and Customer Service.

- 8/96-5/98: home based, reporting to Sales Director, responsible for acquiring new business and managing existing customers in the southern half of the UK.
- 5/98-9/99: reporting to MD, full sales\marketing responsibility for UK South.

- 8/95-4/96: Account Manager for Magna Interior Systems (£7m p.a. account).
Also, Project Manager for all M.I.S. projects and development initiatives.
- 4/96-8/96: as above, but also managing GM business at Southend.