Here are some of the people who can help create value for your organisation
This is a brief introduction to a few of the highly skilled individuals that we can call upon to help create a difference for your organisation. For details of other organisations that we work with please take a look at our Partners page.
Derek Cheshire - Owner and Pricipal, Specialist in Business Creativity and Innovation
BSc (Hons); MBA
A specialist in introducing creative and innovative solutions to businesses of all sizes and types, Derek has been owner of Creative Business Solutions for 4 years, specialising in developmental activities, managing Innovation, team building and cultural change. He focuses on the use of creativity as a business tool and the measurement of innovation. Derek is also a director of PRD Partnership Limited.
Recent assignments include working with the South West Regional Development Agency to determine regional innovation strategy and numerous professional speaking engagements. He serves as Regional Chair of the Association of MBAs, a Prince’s Trust Mentor, and lectures on Creativity at the University of Bath. As a member of the Masterminds group for the IMD course at the Royal College of Art in the Hague, he spoke at the inaugural Mastermindo event in September 2007.
Derek has international experience, much of it with large companies. SInce 2005 he has been working with various companies in Mexico where he now has a network of accredited business partners providing innovation solutions. He has worked for a number of blue chip and start-up companies and is an experienced project manager. Past experience includes working for Logica, SERCo, Marconi and Motion Media Technology. Read Derek's blog bvy clicking on this link Creativity and Innovation.
Roger Croft - Specialist in Strategy, Business Planning and Entrepreneurship BSc (Transport, Distribution); PGCE; MBA (Entrepreneurship, business venturing)
Roger has started up and developed companies in South West England for more than 20 years. At present he works with the University of Bath, writing courses and tutoring for entrepreneurs and leadership in management. He also writes audience-specific courses for the university-sponsored Women in Enterprise series. He coordinates the SME programme Entrepreneurs South West.
As owner of Swift Consulting, he worked with the Department of Trade and Industry as a mentor for its “Investigating Innovative Ideas” forum that assists entrepreneurs in diversified specialties bring products and services to market.
Roger is a Director of PRD Partnership Limited, Director of Devizes Development Partnership, Board member of Wiltshire Young Enterprise and former owner of a parcel delivery company. His areas of expertise include high technology, market research, strategy, innovation and financial modeling. Read Roger's blog Creative Destruction .
Marc Braddock - Specialist in Leadership and Management
Previously an Assistant Director at the University of Bath, Marc was responsible for Business Skills within the Division for Lifelong Learning. Based at the University’s Swindon site he worked closely with tutors to deliver 5 successful and high profile European funded projects. One of these key projects was Leadership & Management training.
During his 3 years with the University he established a thriving Business Hub, a supportive and stimulating learning environment with a singular focus on practical business skills courses delivered by experienced and motivated tutors. The commitment of him and his team to women friendly business training was rewarded with PROWESS flagship status.
Marc brings a number of years of advanced training in Organisational Transactional Analysis (TA), Leadership and Management and Action Learning Set facilitation. In addition to his own track record in Leadership & Management in Higher Education, he also has a broad business experience in distributor management, coaching, training and course design, project management, product brand management, creating special interest groups and running small businesses.
Marc's vast experience has been accumulated over more than 15 years across diverse sectors such as agriculture, biotechnology, quarry machinery distribution and independent training.
Christine Hardisty - Specialist in Coaching, Mentoring and Organisational DevelopmentBSc Hons (Psychology); MBA
Christine specialises in coaching and mentoring and developmental work with groups. She created and developed the first Entrepreneurship course at the University of Bath and then went on to develop and teach the Coaching and Mentoring programme.
As an external consultant with the University of Bath she established the Swindon Innovation Centre as part of the SETsquared project. Alongside this project she worked with colleagues across the universities of Bath, Bristol, Southampton and Surrey to develop education and training for entrepreneurship.
Christine’s career started in IT in the 1970s and she has thrived in novel change and development situations ever since. She progressed from the technical to the strategic and as Divisional IT manager she was a founding member of National Power’s International Division, undertaking a £2 billion international expansion programme. She established her own consulting business in 1996 and has handled international, IT-led change initiatives at Burmah Castrol and Bluebird Toys PLC.
Christine also worked with the Open University Business School on a range of projects. She was a founder lecturer for the masters-level Managing Knowledge elective and a critical reader for Managing Performance and Change.
Carl Wheatley, Expert in Visual Communications, Marketing and Business Development Carl provides support in marketing campaign planning, research, promotions management and business development. He specialises in the planning, research, creation, management and delivery of design and marketing campaigns.
Carl’s area of expertise is in marketing for companies with technical or complex messages and audiences – IT, automotive, scientific and particularly animal and healthcare sectors. With the wealth of experience gained with his own company, Bridge Marketing Partners, he is able to assist in supporting the sales and marketing efforts of our clients. In particular he is able to relate marketing spend to risk and return on the bottom line.
Carl has many years commercial experience, including business-to-business design, retail branding and retail display. He has worked as account director of Kokoro Design, the design consultancy division of a large European design, marketing and PR group. Before this he was an account manager in the Carter Design Group, a top 10 retail display agency.
His achievements also include account direction and total management on a number of high profile business-to- business accounts at strategic, creative and production levels
Amanda Graham, Facilitator, Innovation and DevelopmentBSc (Hons); MBA (Management Development)
Amanda, a qualified facilitator, has trained more than 80 Business Link Advisors in the DTI’s Support to Implement Best Business Practice and is a recognised facilitator with Promoting Innovation. She also has been a business coach, a role which resulted in 50 ideas entering the business start-up pipeline and in the launch of 5 new consultancy services at AEA Technology, which added £1 million to the company’s revenue, with a projected income of more than £10 million.
Amanda also has worked with the UK City Council and Henley Management College to develop a creativity-based way forward to improve performance of management teams. She has published in professional journals, including “Ideas in Reverse,” for the Institute of Management.
Amanda has facilitated numerous Creativity and Innovation sessions for universities, government agencies and private companies, including Napp Pharmaceuticals, British Telecom, and Ignite.
Amanda is owner of Quest Development, a consultancy that specializes in creativity, management development and management coaching.
Providing Business Creativity and Innovation services throughout the South West, Wales, UK, Mexico, Taiwan and the Far East
Areas of expertise: business creativity, innovation, alternative thinking, innovation management, strategy creation, innovation measurement,
creativity at work, organisational creativity.
Products and services: consultancy, innovation programmes, innovation capability audit, creativity workshops, innovation workshops, creativity training, innovation management, innovation awareness training, project management, coaching, mentoring, facilitation, professional, speaking, ebooks.