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Our Learning and Development Consultants
Employed exclusively by Hemsley Fraser, our learning and development team have proven experience and expertise in their specialist subject areas.
Continuous improvement and innovation are key focuses for the team. Over 40% of their time is spent on research and development to ensure programmes deliver relevant knowledge, skills and behaviours, to enhance people's performance in the workplace.
Hemsley Fraser is committed to the TAP® Learning System, the UK's emerging de facto standard for training skills certification administered by The Training Foundation.
Below is a selection of our consultant profiles.
Teresa Benzinski - Learning Consultant
Teresa Benzinski
Teresa's extensive experience as a Consultant with Hemsley Fraser includes Professional Office Administration, Customer Service and Project Management training as well as a variety of interpersonal skills. All these disciplines build on her previous - and diverse - roles working in both the education and travel sectors, the latter in particular whetting her appetite for travel.
Having worked on several major corporate change programmes, Teresa believes strongly in the continuing need to improve written, oral and presentation skills both for individuals and the organisations in which they work. Having a knowledge of French, Polish and Japanese, she is committed to fostering effective cross-cultural communication and understanding, particularly in fast changing, multi-cultural businesses.
Teresa loves to build delegates´ confidence through a number of training styles and techniques, the more interactive and participative the better. Having worked in developing people for many years, she is still thrilled to see the change brought about by imaginative training programmes.
Her clients include UKAEA, OCR and the UK Debt Management Office. Abroad, her clients vary from The Office of the Mayor of New York to Texaco in Paris.
Teresa's personal interests are many and wide ranging - gardening, cooking and walking are essentials; she also has a passion for textile crafts which have taken her to over 55 countries. She loves art galleries, film and theatre but usually finds as much difficulty in finding time to indulge in these and her other pursuits as do most of the rest of the population!
Steven Braid - Learning Consultant
Steven Braid
Steven is an experienced management development professional with almost ten years experience in both managing and developing people within international and blue chip companies. He has experience in designing and delivering a range of training programmes, one to-one coaching and in the facilitation of major events and workshops.
Steven favours an outgoing, participative and consultative training and coaching style, which gives the delegates the opportunity to experiment through exercises, discussions and other activities, as well as providing practical work-based examples on a whole range of HR related subjects. By adopting a facilitative role, Steven challenges participants and encourages them to think for themselves and to formulate feasible work-based action planning throughout his training sessions.
With a true passion for leadership development and coaching, Steven is committed to delivering high-value and high impact development programmes for participants at different levels and backgrounds.
Steven's areas of specialisation include leadership, interpersonal and communication skills, coaching, managing performance, employee involvement initiatives, employee relations, talent management and consultancy skills. He has run company wide projects on employee involvement, group-wide induction programmes, diversity and disability and HR policies and procedures.
As a result of his extensive experience, Steven has been called upon to work with some well-known clients. These include Royal Bank of Scotland, Airbus, Shell, Total, Schlumberger, Avon Cosmetics, Norwich Union, and for smaller successful and high-profile organisations. He has consulted on, designed and delivered courses for USA, Europe and Asia-Pacific regions.
In his spare time, Steven enjoys golf, socialising, traveling and spinning the wheels of steel as a DJ.
Debbie Burles - Capability Development Consultant
Debbie Burles
Debbie joined Hemsley Fraser in October 2004, bringing with her extensive training experience gained through a variety of training and development roles held in various financial institutes. She is a member Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, and an associate of the Chartered Management Institute.
Debbie is a senior consultant and performance coach for a team of consultants at Hemsley Fraser. She has held various management and training roles in her career and is passionate about supporting people development. The most enjoyable part of the role for her is releasing potential in people and helping them to overcome barriers and reach solutions.
Debbie's recent clients include Airbus, Rolls Royce, Norwich Union and The National Theatre. She has led, designed and delivered high profile, complex, and multi component learning solutions which have focused on providing opportunities for the managers to transfer the learning back into the workplace.
Debbie is accredited to use a number of psychometric and learning tools such as Myers Briggs, Insights Discovery System Thomas International, FIRO B and LPI.
Outside of work Debbie enjoys good food and wine, which means having to work it off through running and exercise - not so enjoyable. She enjoys spending time with family and friends and travels often to her second home in Florida. She is a qualified life coach who enjoys offering her coaching to people who really want to make a change in their lives.
Laura Casimir - Learning Consultant
Laura Casimir
Laura has a background in coaching, consulting and lecturing in areas of organisational and people development, career management and human interaction. Prior to joining Hemsley Fraser, Laura worked within top HR consultancy, people development consultancy and educational environments.
With a first Degree in management development, Laura has read a Masters in organisational psychology and studied assessment and counselling. Additionally, she is experienced in 360° degree feedback and a range of psychometric tools applied to coaching and client recruitment processes.
As an experienced facilitator of management development, Laura is highly intuitive and insightful. Ownership and authenticity of learning and behaviour are at the heart of her approach. These qualities she combines with a passion for learning to learn.
Applied to organisational life, Laura works with senior and middle managers, helping them to unravel issues, motives and values, enabling individuals and organisations to make transitions to be where they want to be.
Her approach is to create space and discussion, encouraging participants to relate key learning points to their own situations so that meaningful solutions are developed.
Much of Laura's work has involved clients from within the professional and financial services and banking sectors; public sector e.g. government departments, as well as construction and pharmaceutical industry clients.
Outside of the work environment, Laura is a keen mountain biker, botanical illustrator and chamber musician. The creativity and architectural structures of her interests also inform her professional approach.
Malcolm Caudren - Learning Consultant
Malcolm joined Hemsley Fraser in 2006 after twenty-two years of service in the Royal Air Force. During this time he delivered training in specialist skills, teambuilding and communication to all ranks and also served three tours training initial recruits, for whom he was also responsible for the health, safety and well-being of up to seventy five recruits on an intake. His expertise and dedication in this area was rewarded in 2001 when he was awarded the Air Officer Commanding Training Group's Commendation for meritorious service in the New Years Honours List. On leaving the Service, Malcolm ran his own first aid training business, providing in-house training to a variety of business clients and working as an associate to deliver health and safety training.
Malcolm is a strong believer in team working and support networks, qualities that he finds in abundance at Hemsley Fraser. His approach to training is relaxed and motivational. Malcolm is a strong believer in making the learning experience both fun and interactive and enjoys building a strong rapport with delegates. This enables them to absorb the information at a deeper level and make subsequent changes to their behaviour and practices in the workplace.
He believes in learning as a continual process, having in recent years completed a Post Graduate Certificate in Education, the CIPD Certificate in Training Practice and maintains an interest in relevant courses with the Open University. Malcolm is also qualified in Health and Safety Management, Risk Assessing and Manual Handling with the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health and is a HSE registered First Aid Trainer.
Outside of work, Malcolm is a keen sports follower. Despite his playing days being behind him he is an avid rugby fan, regularly watching Saracens and becoming ever more frustrated overcoming his inadequacies on the golf course.
Alison Cowper - Learning Consultant
Alison Cowper
Alisons expertise is in personal and business communication including time management, presentation skills, teamworking and assertiveness. Her courses role model these subjects. Everyone is encouraged to contribute, to practice and to find solutions which will work with them in their individual situations.
Her recent clients include Royal bank of Scotland, Bank of England, British Telecommunications Plc, NHS Executive, Public Guardianship Office, Zurich Financial Services, Orange, Unilever, Visa and Daimlar Chrysler.
Alison has worked for a number of years in business before qualifying as a teacher of adults. She is accredited for Belbin and Thomas International and she holds a Diploma in Business Coaching.
Dave Hardwick - Head of Associates
Dave Hardwick
A senior consultant with over 20 year's experience in training, Dave joined Hemsley Fraser in 2001. Dave's background in sales and management shines through in his results orientated approach to training with everything focussed on ensuring what you learn in the training room directly improves performance and is fully transferable to the workplace.
Dave's delivery style is highly interactive and flexible, ensuring that training is an experience that delegates enjoy and can learn from as a result. As a trainer Dave prides himself in being able to learn from the delegates.
During his many years management experience Dave has always been interested in developing others and when the opportunity came to move into full-time training he jumped at it and has never looked back. In his time at Hemsley Fraser Dave has been responsible for the successful implementation of company wide training projects in Change Management, Teambuilding, Leadership, Management and Performance Review workshops, and has worked for a number of clients in the UK, Europe and America. Recent clients include Airbus, Kodak, Sony UK Ltd, RBS, T-Mobile and GlaxoSmithKline.
Dave loves to combine his passions for photography and travel whenever possible the digital revolution has been a godsend as he has recently been able to throw out his photo-albums and re-discover his spare room!
Graham Kerr - Project Lead Specialist
Graham Kerr
With industry experience gained mainly from a fast track management career within HSBC, Graham has held a wide variety of roles, including personal responsibility for over 250 financial services managers and staff. He has also delivered a high profile staff culture change programme for over 350 line managers. Graham is an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers and brings a wealth of experience in the financial services sector to Hemsley Fraser.
Graham has designed and delivered management, sales and project management courses to both SME and blue chip sectors. He holds the Association for Project Management Professional (APMP) and PRINCE2 Practitioner qualifications and since joining Hemsley Fraser has worked with a wide range of clients including Visa International, Kodak, Halifax, RBS, The Law Society, Philips and British American Tobacco.
Graham Lennox - Senior Learning Consultant
Graham Lennox
Graham joined Hemsley Fraser in 1998, bringing with him extensive training and development experience gained through a variety of roles held in the public and private sectors. He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development, Certified Master Practitioner of Neuro Linguistic Programming, NLPtCA Accredited Psychotherapist and is registered with the UK Council for Psychotherapists.
Graham believes that learning and development has become a life skill in today's ever-changing work environment and is key to personal and business success. He favours a participative and consultative training style which gives the delegates the opportunity to experiment with skills and techniques through exercises, discussions and other creative activities. By adopting a coaching and facilitative style, Graham creates a collaborative and challenging learning environment. Delegates are encouraged through guidance to develop their own solutions to work based problems.
In his personal life Graham enjoys walking, gardening and working for a local charity as a counsellor. He enjoys one to one coaching and time with family and friends.
Martin Linford - Learning Consultant
Martin joined Hemsley Fraser in 2001, having worked in a range of business environments. In addition to extensive experience as a trainer, Martin has held various senior management roles. Through running companies of his own both in manufacturing and retail he has a thoroughgoing knowledge of how businesses and people work.
Martin has been involved in PR and the broadcast Media. His experience of scripting and presentation enhance his expertise in the coaching of high impact communication skills in a corporate environment.
Martin excels at the design, development and delivery of Communication, Management and Leadership skills. He believes that training should be about helping people to find ways of using their individual ability to achieve success. It is his role to help them to use these abilities and to coax them into the realisation of how they can apply them. He has a relaxed, yet compelling approach that facilitates the participation of the delegates and promotes the transfer of knowledge.
Martin has a keen interest in the theatre, likes to potter a bit in the garden and is a voracious reader. Favourite authors include Terry Pratchett, John Le Carre, Colin Dexter and Reginald Hill.
Oonagh McPhillips - Learning Consultant
Oonagh comes with extensive experience of working in large, blue chip, multi-sited operations within manufacturing/construction. In addition to significant experience as a trainer, Oonagh has held senior management roles within Learning and Development. Her specialism is management development and has worked in an advisory capacity with the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM), the Sector Skills Council and other industry training organisations. Oonagh served as a member of the Council of Excellence in Management and Leadership set up by the DFEE and the DTI to make recommendations for a strategy to develop future management and leadership capability in the UK.
She is a Certified Master Practitioner of Neuro Linguistic Programming, is accredited to use a number of psychometric and learning tools such as Myers Briggs, Belbin and OPQ 32 and is a qualified life coach.
Oonagh champions the view that all learning interventions need to demonstrate added value to both the organisation and the individual and that the demonstrable transfer of learning back into the workplace is critical for success.
Outside of work, Oonagh enjoys following the 6 nations rugby championship, gardening - weather permitting - and learning meditation and relaxation techniques.
Brenda Nash - Learning Consultant
Brenda Nash
Brenda joined Hemsley Fraser in 2007, bringing with her extensive training experience gained through engagement with the voluntary, public and private sectors.
Brenda began her learning and development career working for the UK's leading drugs charity, providing a range of learning solutions for various private and public organisations with links to the substance misuse field. The focus of much of this work was on generic management skills, including performance management and policy/legislation.
She then moved on to the national charity Victim Support, where she continued to provide learning programmes on a range of issues including basic management skills, change management, and supervising and appraising others, as well as work on telephone skills and customer service for external organisations.
Brenda believes that learning and development is a vital tool for any organisation in ensuring that its key resource - its people - are utilised most effectively to meet business needs. She has a friendly and engaging style, which places participants at ease from the outset. She believes strongly in the use of creative training techniques, targeted to the needs and makeup of each group, to ensure the learning experience is enjoyable and effective.
Brenda's background has provided her with a high level of expertise in interpersonal and communication skills, which make her effective in a range of areas including managing teams and individuals, business communication, and various customer service issues.
Brenda currently fills her spare time by studying discourse analysis, running and trying to fit in walks in the country. She recently spent a wet week walking the length of Hadrian's Wall during the rainiest June on record, and is currently training for a 10km fun run.
Emma-Jayne Vessey - Senior Learning Consultant
Emma-Jayne Vessey
Emma-Jayne joined Hemsley Fraser 3 years ago as a Senior Consultant specializing in influencing and communication skills, customer service, coaching and performance management.
A chartered member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, and an associate of the Chartered Management Institute, Emma-Jayne has gained extensive training and facilitation experience through a variety of training and development roles held in a diverse range of private and public sector organisations including Training Specialist with QVC The Shopping Channel.
Emma-Jayne is currently Faculty Manager for Visa Europe and British American Tobacco, which enables her to develop a close relationship with these organisations, understand how they function and ensure that they are provided with the best solution possible. Other organisations she has worked with include
Royal Bank of Scotland, Norwich Union, T-Mobile, Bank of England, ICI, Price Waterhouse Cooper, The Health and Safety Executive, Royal Mail and Deloitte and Touche.
Owing to her experience with international clients, her fluency in Spanish and passion for travel and different cultures, Emma-Jayne has worked on various Hemsley Fraser international projects, including recent work in Belgium, Italy and Hungary. Most recently she worked as lead design and faculty manager with United Electronics (eXtra) Saudi Arabia, leading the project from initial design and detailed material development, through to train the trainer delivery in Bahrain, and 1-1 feedback coaching for eXtra facilitators to roll out the programme.
Emma-Jayne continues her passion for travel and learning outside of work too, and is in her element trekking through jungle, scuba diving or sampling new gastronomic experiences.
Alastair Wallace - Capability Development Consultant
Alastair Wallace
Alastair has spent three busy years as a full time consultant at Hemsley Fraser, specialising in the delivery of certificated qualifications in team leadership for The Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) & The Chartered Management Institute. He is a Member of the ILM, a qualified FIRO-B practitioner, NVQ Assessor and a Licentiate Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Alastair is also currently studying for a Masters degree in Organisational Behaviour at Birkbeck College, University of London.
Prior to joining Hemsley Fraser, Alastair held a number of management and leadership roles including in the licensed trade, for Halifax and GUS in Leeds and in the Automobile Association. Having joined the AA in 1995, as Team Manager for Emergency Breakdown, Alastair spearheaded the nationwide Successful Team Manager training programme. He was also the first person from the AA to win the coveted Managing Directors Excellence Award, for his work on setting up and managing the Scottish Operations Centre. Also, having accepted a role managing learning and development for Scotland and the North East, Alastair went onto set up an award winning Modern Apprenticeship and NVQ scheme, introducing e-learning centres to the Association.
Alastairs areas of specialisation and interest include advanced communication, leadership development, managing performance, change & cultural management, customer excellence and stress management. He thrives on the creative and stimulating environment at Hemsley Fraser. Alastair believes that learning should be a multi-sensory experience, and favours a creative and interactive approach to facilitation, including plenty of delegate participation and even the occasional magic trick!
Outside of work, Alastair likes to be active and have as many new experiences as possible; whether that is a sky dive from 13,500ft, learning relaxation hypnosis or playing the organ at a friends wedding.
Moyra Wright - Learning Consultant
Moyra Wright
Moyra's extensive experience as a project manager in both the public sector with the NHS and private sector means that she has first hand experience of the practical issues facing project managers.
She has provided project management services and training to several blue chip clients such as Ford Motor Company and acted as the European Programme Manager for the Year 2000 project in both the UK and USA.
Her recent clients include BAE Systems, National Audit Office, The Teacher Training Agency, Freeserve, The Cabinet Office, First Choice, Woodland Trust, Harvey Nichols, Newham Council and De Montford University.
Moyra favours a participative and consultative training style, which gives delegates the opportunity to experiment through practical exercises and discussions. She challenges delegates and encourages them to think for themselves in an atmosphere that is as relaxed and informal as possible.
Moyra is a registered PRINCE2™ Practitioner and an accredited PRINCE2™ trainer. She has also gained accreditations from Belbin Associates and is MOUS accredited in Microsoft Project 2000. She holds a Masters in Business Administration, Diploma in Management Studies and a Certificate in Project Management.
In her personal life Moyra enjoys reading, keeping her mind active and challenged, going to the gym and spending time with her family.
For further information on our learning and development specialists please contact us.
