David’s wide and varied experience across a number of industries has equipped him with the knowledge to relate to most organisational training challenges. His BSc in Physiology and Pharmacology plus an MBA led to an early career in medical sales and sales management, moving into the training arena as a consultant.

He adopts a consultative approach to helping resolve issues and focuses on providing practical and economic solutions to corporate problems. David joined the company in 1994 and worked for a number of years as an Account Manager responsible for a number of large, corporate clients in the power, nuclear and utility sectors, becoming Sales Director in 2000, and playing an active role in securing new business.

In 2011 he became the joint Managing Director of the company, and retains working relationships with some key clients in the UK such as Bosch, National Grid, Sellafield, Low Level Waste Repository and a number of overseas clients. David is an avid collector of rare Soul music, and his claim to fame is that his brother was the original Hovis boy riding his bike down a hill in the first TV advert...

Armed with a degree in Electrical Engineering David joined IBM and there adopted a rather unorthodox career path through engineering into sales and then management. Not content with the status quo David exploited his background to set up and run the EMEA arm of a US IT service company.

However a waning enjoyment of transatlantic flight and a chance meeting in an airport lounge propelled his career into training. A successful start-up later David was invited to join Corporate Training in the mid nineties, and over the intervening period has seen the company grow both organically and by acquisition – most notable additions to its portfolio being GBS (Guardian Business Services), Ken and Kate Back and Situational Leadership®.

David is now the joint Managing Director of the company, and retains a hands-on approach, handling a select number of key clients such as The House of Commons, and championing the promotion and integration of technology and informal learning into our training portfolio. 

In his spare time he’s a horologist – so he thinks he knows how things tick!

After 14 years at Barclays Bank in office management, customer services and senior supervisory roles – where she was also responsible for systems testing a number of special projects including the ‘Millennium Bug’ – Angela joined Corporate Training in 1999.

First working in administration support, Angela has worked in a number of roles and has held the position of Office Manager for the last five years. She and her team are responsible for the smooth running of all back-office functions: handout production, training administration, invoicing and credit control. Angela guards the keys to the magic cupboards at GBS – they hold everything you need, or didn’t know you wanted!

With 20 years’ experience in Learning and Development, Nigel initially delivered training and consultancy to blue chip companies for an analytics and business intelligence software company. This included the design, development and delivery of blended learning programmes across Europe and the creation of an internationally adopted Learning Needs Analysis methodology.

In 2001 Nigel moved to a training and consultancy sales role. Using a consultative, solution-selling approach, he has worked with public sector and blue chip organisations across an array of industry sectors to support a variety of learning needs - from leadership and management development, technical and professional skills and accredited qualifications. He has experience in the provision of a fully managed learning services having worked for Reed and KnowledgePool prior to his move to GBS. He joined GBS in 2011 as Client Director responsible for overseeing the training requirements of existing clients and new business opportunities.

He’s a good listener - in his spare time Nigel is a volunteer with the Samaritans.

After a number of sales jobs within the construction industry, Beverley joined Corporate Training in 1995 as a Training Advisor responsible for contacting clients, establishing their training requirements and offering solutions from our extensive range of in-house and public courses.

She was appointed a Key Account Manager in 2004 responsible for the service provision for the company’s larger, strategic clients.

Beverley has many years’ experience in this role and her responsibilities include developing and managing day-to-day relationships, ensuring plans and resources are in place, and reviewed against business objectives, and providing management information and performance reports in accordance with client requirements. However, contrary to all evidence – Bev is not perfect; she can’t eat anything sweet before 10 am – that’s just weird…

Stephanie has been with GBS Corporate Training since 1991 and is our employee with the longest tenure...

In this time she has had a number of roles and has been promoted several times - including periods managing the internal sales area - becoming an Account Manager in 2002. During Stephanie’s career at GBS, she has managed a portfolio of 2,000 clients and prospects.

Her key clients include Tube Lines, Transport for London, Warner Brothers and Taylor Wimpey. Stephanie appeared to be overcome when she got a carriage clock from GBS for long service last year!

In January 2011 Ruth joined GBS with responsibility for creating Bids and Proposals. She is a qualified copy writer, editor and proof reader and comes from a marketing background - working with B2B, SMEs and specialising in start ups.

Within GBS she is responsible for the marketing strategy, all creative marketing, brand creation, idea generation and implementation.

Some of her ideas have gone a little awry - she allowed her kids to name the cats, and now has to shout ‘Macca Pacca’ and ‘Upsy Daisy’ every evening…

Natalie joined GBS as a Training Advisor in January 2012 from an IT sales background. Naturally bubbly and self motivated, she has a phone-based role which involves talking to prospects to generate new opportunities, sets appointments for the Account Managers and helps to sell any places left on public courses.

‘Strictly’ watch out – Natalie dances three times a week.

Gilly joined GBS in 2009 from United Business Media where she was responsible for co-ordinating and managing events, seminars and live webinars.

Her role includes planning, designing and implementing all marketing activity both on and offline. She manages all SMM platforms and website content and acts as a branding and quality controller.

Gilly is our adventurous one – she has abseiled down the Spinnaker Tower on behalf of GBS for charity and her favourite pastimes are snowboarding and travelling 

Nic is the newest and youngest member of staff at GBS and was previously an account manager for DVD Technology and before that in various sales roles.

As a Training Advisor, Nic is responsible for generating new opportunities, setting appointments for the Account Managers and helping to sell any places left on public courses.

He’s currently buying his first house, but with three guinea pigs at home, he may end up with more than he bargained for…

Sharon joined GBS in September 2000 and has become an invaluable member of the Administration Team.

Her specific responsibilities include quality control of all training resources, printing handouts and ensuring that all requirements for any course are collated and shipped, in order that our trainers are fully supported when they arrive at the training venue.

Because Sharon keeps calm under pressure and knows the business so well, she is also the holiday cover for the Administration Team. Not a lot of people realise that youthful Sharon is not only a grandmother, but also a twin, and as she loves a good party she is our company social secretary – organising many a good Christmas ‘do’! 

Sarah held various administration roles before joining GBS in 2004 and is responsible for the administration of the public course schedule and administrative support for all in-house courses.

She sources venues and is responsible for the associated client, delegate and trainer requirements.

Sarah also is the administrator for Situational Leadership®. A little secret - she only goes to the gym so that she doesn’t feel guilty when socialising at the weekends!

Before joining GBS in 2000, Fiona worked for a mortgage company as an administrator.

She assists the Sales Team in the Key Accounts area and is responsible for ensuring that Management Information statistics are prepared for specific clients. Fiona is also responsible for the administration and monitoring of our ISO 9001 accreditation together with the required audits.

She is partial to Sugar and Spice (her cats), and dances off the calories at a regular Zumba class in order to make up for all the socialising with her friends!

Before joining GBS, Tricia worked in administration roles for various small companies. She joined GBS in 1999 as a proposal writer, and now ensures the quality of our training materials together with the administrative support, and assignment co-ordination, of our Chartered Management Institute programmes.

Tricia is also instrumental in managing our Environmental Management System. Outside work Tricia is a member of St John Ambulance, attending events as the sort of first aider who wants to help people enjoy their day out and get home safely (not the sort who wants to save the world).

David's key area of expertise for us is with commercial and business training including business planning, corporate responsibility and governance, all aspects of financial training, contract and project management plus management development programmes. He has been with us for 20 years.

David is a family man with a love of horse power, both Formula 1 and real horses. His weekends are more often than not taken up with equestrian events, of some description, where he competes, builds courses and judges at show-jumping events. He is the stable manager at a range of riding club championships.
 

Colin is an experienced trainer who specialises in the areas of management development and effective interaction/communication. Due to his varied background and job experiences he also conducts written communication, recruitment and selection and trainer training courses.

Having spent a number of years living and working in foreign parts, Colin likes nothing better than getting on a flight to somewhere exotic. Whether for pleasure, or for business, he seeks such opportunities...the more obscure the place the better. Somehow he always manages to find his way back. He enjoys trying to recreate the dishes of the destinations experienced. He is very proud of his Goan-style, seafood curries!
 

Steve’s skills as a trainer are in making people feel comfortable and involved in his workshops. He says ‘training should be an enjoyable experience, so why not feel relaxed when you learn new skills’.

Outside work Steve takes part in triathlons (he wishes); in reality he loves nothing better than a day walking in the stunning hills and fells of this country, dreaming of the day when Leeds United get back into the Premier League. He is also very patient…

Chris’s involvement in helping businesses grow and develop started when he was with Shell where as Head of Training and Development he was involved in helping to introduce changes at all levels, blending both the business and people needs to ensure success.

Chris has been involved with GBS Corporate Training for some 20 years and is a Programme Director for the Chartered Management Institute (CMI).

He loves travelling, preferably on a yacht and is working on visiting 100 countries - he is currently at 75. His main interest is racing sailing dinghies, where he even gets involved in the management of sailing.

Geoff’s skills lie predominantly in his ability to bring leadership and team development theories to life! The robust ‘so what?’ question challenges teams and individuals to reflect on their current situations, to celebrate what they do they well and consider things they should or may change – followed by ‘how?’

He honed this technique so successfully at home three of his four children now live overseas... One of the longest-serving members of the team, his energy and passion for the work is only matched by his desire to get on his bike and participate in Sportive rides around UK.
 

John’s early management and training experience came from 17 years at IBM. He has been working as a management consultant and trainer since 1988 specialising in all areas of customer care, service management and personal development providing consultancy, training and coaching for a variety of organisations.

His pastimes and hobbies align very much with why he works as a trainer, meeting interesting people and travel. He is handy to have on a quiz team - his other interests include anything to do with Mickey Mouse, Walt Disney and the Apollo space race.

Steve is a commercially aware, creative and approachable training professional specialising in the areas of people and resource management, planning and organisation, team building, customer care and attainment of objectives. He has been involved with training and development since 1992, primarily in the telecoms industry, with Cable & Wireless and Nynex.

Steve is a font of knowledge regarding maps and especially Rights of Way in the UK – when you enjoy hiking, mountain biking AND own a 45-year-old Land Rover, it helps to know where you are and, more importantly, where you can go!

Wendy always has a positive outlook to life, whether in her passionate practical approach to helping people grow and develop their talents or in her experimental approach to cooking – luckily for our clients the results from the former are always more successful than the latter!

Getting a buzz herself from new experiences, she is keen to encourage others to learn by taking risks in a safe environment and then takes a coaching approach to explore how this learning can be best applied to the workplace.

Chris O’Sullivan specialises in training events for trainers and facilitators.  She also enjoys working with groups who want to enhance their presentation skills, meetings skills and / or interpersonal skills.  Then when it all needs documenting she runs interactive sessions for business writers, report writers and minute takers.

Chris’s favourite holiday is spent on the ski slopes, although she will never win any prizes for style or speed – and she will never learn to keep up with her family. 

Hamish has over 20 years’ experience in learning and development across a wide range of organisations. He has a practical approach which focuses on helping managers to develop their skills and those of their people. Hamish believes in instilling confidence in learners to go outside their comfort zone and to challenge the status quo.

His particular area of interests lie in influencing, leadership and cross-cultural communication.

When he’s not training he can often be seen cavorting on the ballroom floor and competing in the bridge room.

John has been a member of the team for many years, and having nearly become a professional footballer in his early days still maintains his competitive edge when it comes to helping people develop in a sales and business environment. John never misses an opportunity to learn more about his specialist subjects and has a passion about then passing information on to others.

He is a family man at heart who still enjoys sport (mainly golf these days) and, originally an East London boy, supports his favourite team Spurs.

Andy delivers practical and engaging training sessions that provoke thought and discussion within the group. With over 25 years of management and training experience across a diverse range of companies and market sectors, Andy is able to draw on real examples to reinforce key points throughout his training sessions.

Due to the interactive nature of his training, Andy quickly builds relationships with delegates, who respond positively to this. Andy works with GBS supporting clients in the UK and Europe covering Management Skills and many Personal Development areas. Andy is married with two step-daughters and two dogs. He is a Stoke City fan (but don’t hold that against him!); he also enjoys the occasional peace and quiet away from the women in his life by going fishing for a few hours.
 

Carolyn's skills lie in making learning, fun, innovative, practical and memorable. Delegates remember their training long after the actual event which encourages them to really implement their learning back in the workplace.

Carolyn has worked with GBS for over four years supporting many clients to develop the potential within their staff, across a wide range of personal development areas. Carolyn has two grown-up daughters, so her spare time is devoted to her two dogs and her husband - in that order! 

Alan is a Chartered Accountant and has been a professional trainer since 1993, he is interested in all aspects of finance and planning. He has worked with clients for many years helping them improve their business performance.

Working in Europe, Africa and the Middle East has indulged his love of travel. Alan lives on the south coast and his passion for sailing has meant several entries into the ‘Round the Island’ race, usually arriving at the finishing line with the stragglers. Whenever time allows, Alan can be found rooting around antique fairs and car boot sales looking for that £1 bargain which will turn out to be a million pound bargain. He continues to live in hope!

Suzanne’s skills lie in coaching people to believe in their true potential and to give themselves permission to achieve it.  

Suzanne is an international Training Consultant with 25 years’ experience across almost every industry and continent. As an inspirational trainer her passion for freeing the spirit was heightened when she spent several years within ex Eastern Bloc countries after the Berlin Wall fell.

Furthermore, Suzanne says you should wear a sturdy pair of ear plugs if you’re standing near her when she supports her kids on the football field. 

Deborah’s skills lie in her ability to 'walk the talk' reflecting her time as an operational manager prior to moving into learning and development. Having experienced the highs and lows of that ever fascinating skill of managing people she brings high energy, experience and enthusiasm to her facilitated events.

A member of the CIPD and a keen observer of human nature, Deborah combines her coaching and facilitation skills to help develop deep insight for delegates.

Away from the day job Deborah can be found sailing or watching Yorkshire and England cricket teams - hopefully not out for too much of a duck at either.
 

Steve’s core strength lies in the flexibility gained from a career spent journeying all around the learning and development lifecycle - from consultancy and needs analysis, to design, delivery and evaluation.

An expert in blended learning, leadership, performance management, and inclusion and diversity, Steve was Head of Learning Design for the DWP’s corporate centre before joining GBS. He has worked with clients as varied as the House of Commons, RBS Group, Age Concern, Sellafield Ltd and Arts Council England. 

Not one to take his Myers Briggs’ type too seriously (INTP if you’re asking), Steve’s adept at conference facilitation and was a performance poet before work got in the way.

Stewart has more than 10 years’ experience in training and consultancy, with a proven record of achievement.  Specialising in delivering management and staff development programmes, Stewart has worked with many client organisations across most areas of business both in the UK and overseas.

Stewart is Programme Director for our accredited Institute of Leadership and Management courses, as well as undertaking assessment and internal verification of work for accreditation with the Chartered Management Institute.  He is also responsible for maintaining the Ken & Kate Back ‘Assertiveness at Work’ programme.

Michael is a presentation professional delivering bespoke training and coaching for all types of presentation skills, conference speaking, media interviews, web-conference and leadership communication. 

With a thespian background (credits include the film 'Bugsy Malone' with Jodie Foster) Michael has, in his time, mixed in celebrity circles as well as tutoring top level senior execs. So you can be sure of an interesting time and some fascinating stories when working with Michael.

Alastair has over eighteen years’ experience in people management, consulting and learning in many FTSE100 blue chips and small businesses. A member of MENSA, he loves getting to grips with different organisational challenges. When he’s not working he likes nothing more than travelling, keeping fit, and is an avid pianist.

Sonya’s key skill and passion is in bringing out the best in her delegates by developing personal impact and confidence in presentation skills, train the trainer, teambuilding, customer care, assertiveness and influencing.

Having cut her training teeth at 35,000 feet in the aviation industry, she has a rich fund of stories to illustrate the quirkiness of everyday communication with the general public and colleagues. However, Sonya’s sessions still remain grounded and full of common sense. When she has time to relax, Sonya enjoys a gas, a giggle and a glass of wine with friends and family.

Bill Walsh is based in South Carolina and has successfully delivered over 2500 public and private training engagements throughout the U.S., Canada, Ireland and the U.K. With over 26 years experience as a training and management consultant, Bill has received numerous speaking, training quality and customer service awards. Bill specialises in all levels of supervisory and management development, leadership skills, change management, team building, coaching and counselling, recruitment and selection and redundancy preparation, project management, customer service, time and stress management.

He has appeared on radio and television and has been quoted in Fortune Magazine, the Wall Street Journal and other national and regional publications.

Steve Cherches is a learning and development specialist, facilitator, speaker, and presentation coach working for GBS and is based in New York City.  Steve brings with him more than twenty years of business consulting experience from a wide variety of industries ranging from entertainment and publishing to fashion and finance (and everything in between).

Steve is also a champion of the ‘visual thinking and communication’ movement, and is the Co-Founder of the local VizThink NYC community. Outside the training room, you'll find Steve on the softball field, the volleyball court, and travelling off the beaten path where you may find him indulging his other passion, drumming.

With a Master’s degree in Business Administration, Emily has worked with hundreds of executives, leadership teams and organizations through her corporate career and over her ten years as a consultant.  Based in the US, her areas of expertise include organizational development, leadership development, strategic planning and effective communication.

She is a great believer in combining practical experience with intuitive guidance to help her clients create their own solutions. An avid baker, Emily also teaches line dancing in her down time, and enjoys going to the movies and the theatre.

Ken’s specialism is in influencing the people he trains to use their new skills where it really matters – back in the workplace.

His passion means that even after 25 years in the field of performance behaviours and communication strategies; he still delivers his training workshops with high energy and enthusiasm. He has a reputation for provoking new ways of thinking in an entertaining style.

Ken has been an integral part of the GBS Corporate team since 1995, and has been involved with creating and delivering many major client development programmes. His passion for following Manchester United since the age of 8 is tolerated by his colleagues.
 

Jeannette excels at designing and delivering training and coaching programmes that bring about measureable changes in individuals, teams and organisations.

She uses an integrated intuitive coaching approach, utilising a wide variety of tools and techniques with her clients to ensure increased confidence and effective transfer of skills and knowledge. Jeannette’s delivery style is highly motivational, charismatic and energetic.

In her free time Jeannette enjoys walking her trusty West Highland White terrier, Hamish, who has an identity crisis and really thinks he is human!

Christine attributes her success to understanding complex situations based on her senior management roles in new product development & supply chain, learning & development & HR before becoming a trainer/coach and consultant over 20 years ago.

Capturing participants in lively and productive dialogue means that being on one of her workshops can never be a passive experience. Christine enjoys working on an international basis and is fascinated by the impact of group dynamics across different disciplines and cultures within the employment cycle.

Her sense of adventure has taken her into remote parts of the globe. Highlight to date was venturing into the beautiful Altai mountains, Siberia. The travel itch still needs scratching.