Hemsley Fraser’s Directors

Hemsley Fraser’s directors are committed to learning which transforms the confidence, performance and motivation of people in their working lives. They believe that by working to understand your people and organisation Hemsley Fraser’s learning solutions will deliver immediate, tangible results back in the workplace.

Iain Lovett MBA - CEO

Iain Lovett

Iain founded Hemsley Fraser in 1991 and has been the principle architect of the company’s rapid growth and success in the intervening years. A visionary, Iain realised that the changing business environment of the early 90’s would necessitate the need for a new breed of learning and development organisation - a learning provider that was more attuned to the evolving needs of individuals and organisations.

Hemsley Fraser was born and Iain instilled the guiding principles of quality, professionalism and service that have stood the test of time and helped propel the company to its position as one of the UK’s foremost providers. He remains the driving force behind the growth and development of the business and the need to keep Hemsley Fraser at the forefront of the Learning and Development sector.

The entrepreneurial origin of the company is very much in evidence today in the way that Iain has fostered a lively culture of innovation and creativity. Everyone in the company is encouraged to contribute to improvements and to feel that they can make a real difference. Despite the rapid growth of the company, Iain is very involved on a day to day basis, and frequently ‘rolls up his sleeves’ to ensure that a major project is delivered on time.

Iain is pragmatic about the challenges facing organisations in the learning sector and states: ‘There are many challenges facing companies such as ours in a market which is both changing rapidly to meet client needs, yet facing continued price pressure and increased competition which restricts the ability of organisations to invest. For any outsider, it is not an attractive market to be in. However, we continue to invest, evolve, change and grow, successfully meeting the increasingly complex demands and needs of our clients in the most powerful and innovative ways.’

When not working, Iain’s primary focus is his four young children (all girls!), and the occasional burst of an enthusiastic drive for personal fitness through running, squash and football.

Wendy Brooks BA, MSc, FRSA - Director of Learning Solutions

Wendy Brooks

Wendy spearheads our change management and innovation initiatives. Continuing to develop our capabilities is such a strategically central priority within Hemsley Fraser that it has board level representation. Wendy's role is far reaching and includes working on strategic client opportunities, supporting the research and development of new capabilities and providing focus on key change initiatives that need to be implemented across the business.

We all know that change is here to stay – we tell our clients this and we live by it as well. Hemsley Fraser is working as a company to stay at the forefront of the field of learning, to continue to develop leading edge capabilities and quality solutions that can be delivered to clients as fast and efficiently as possible.

Wendy’s background is in leadership development and change management, where she has worked with a number of blue chip organisations as an advisor and leader of client teams. In her earlier career, she has been a Head of Department and Dean, where she founded a Department of Design Management, growing it to become the largest in Europe, backed by considerable private and public sector sponsorship. She has been the Director of Education & Training for the Design Council and has worked in marketing consultancy and merchant banking.

Wendy describes her greatest pleasure as seeing people being able to do new things and achieve beyond what they thought was possible. The privilege of working in Hemsley Fraser is that the business is all about developing people so that they, and the organisations for whom they work, can benefit and as is so often the case, this also has a positive effect on their personal lives as well.

Wendy enjoys gardening, music (as a performer and member of the audience) and some gentle yoga (any more could be dangerous!).

Todd Turner - President, Hemsley Fraser Americas and Director of Global Strategy

Todd Turner

Todd leads the US incorporated Hemsley Fraser Group, our rapidly expanding learning solutions arm in North America. Servicing the North and South American learning and development markets, Hemsley Fraser Group supports a diverse client base including well known Fortune 500 brands, small and mid-tier private sector entities, and a thriving public sector portfolio. Todd is responsible for all aspects of the Hemsley Fraser American operation including marketing, business development, client engagement, financial performance, and operations. Services offered through the Hemsley Fraser Group include learning and development strategy, instructional design, training delivery, leadership development/coaching, blended and technology-enabled learning, project management, and human capital management consultancy.

On the global scale, Todd also serves Director of Strategy for Hemsley Fraser international, with responsibility for Marketing, Human Resources and our Managed Services business line.

Before joining Hemsley Fraser, Todd served in the US government’s prestigious Senior Executive Service, the top tier of career civil servants. As Director of Human Capital Management for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the US government’s third largest federal agency, he was responsible for leading all aspects of the agency’s human capital operation, including human capital strategy, policy, training and development, and HR information technology. Prior to DHS, Todd served as the Director of Human Resources Enterprise Solutions for the U.S. Department of the Treasury, with responsibility for all human capital information technology, payroll services and organisational development, including design and implementation of a web-based ERP system for the 160,000 employee organisation.

In his spare time, Todd usually can be found somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean where he plans to write his own sequel to "Up in the Air..."

Sally Hurrell - Director of Operations

Sally Hurrell

Sally joined Hemsley Fraser in March 1998, since which time she has been involved with a number of strategic initiatives including leading the business through the transition period between ISO 9000:1994 and ISO 9001:2000 and the establishment of a Project Support Office.

Having qualified as a bi-lingual secretary, Sally’s early career was closely linked to learning, initially within a local primary school working with children with learning difficulties. She then moved into a role in educational publishing, developing and designing workbooks, reference materials and assessment aids aimed at supporting both teachers and students through the introduction of the National Curriculum. This involved a high degree of interaction with many Head Teachers across the country, at a time when they were struggling to come to terms with what the introduction of a ‘national’ curriculum meant for them in reality.

As you would expect from someone used to the ethos of ISO9001 – Sally’s interests lie very much with improving internal working practices, encouraging individuals to challenge the norm and learn from mistakes in the drive to achieve greater efficiencies both for Hemsley Fraser and clients alike.

When not at work Sally loves to spend time with her family - with 3 children and 3 grandchildren (not to mention her long suffering husband) life is never dull. On the rare occasions when her family are gainfully occupied, she likes nothing better than to curl up with a good book.

Jim Thacher - Director of Sales

Jim Thacher

Jim Thacher is Director of Sales for Hemsley Fraser UK and US. Prior to joining Hemsley Fraser, Jim was with the Forum Corporation, where he served as National Account Director for both Strategic Account Management and new business development in the company’s Southeast Region.

Prior to joining Forum in 1997, Jim was a senior vice president and held several positions at the Hong Kong Shanghai Banking Corporation of North America, including Director of Marketing and Head of Corporate Training and Development. He also served as a senior consultant and training manager at both Prudential Insurance and J.C. Penney.

Jim earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science at Muhlenberg College and pursued a master’s degree at Columbia University in Organisational Development. Jim is also a Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) and holds General Principles (series 24) and General Securities (Series 7) Licenses. Jim believes in the importance of providing insight along with information. He meets clients where they are and invests in them and their priorities, never over-engineering solutions or making them too large or complex. Jim believes in the value of teamwork. The baseball teams he coaches learn what his clients learn—Jim knows how to inspire with energy and creativity, achieve results through hard work and how to make the learning experience fun for everyone.

Tracy Dunne - Executive Assistant to the Directors

Tracy Dunne

Tracy has been with Hemsley Fraser since June 2000 and has recently moved to the position of Executive Assistant to the Directors. Previously Tracy has undertaken various roles within the Client Services team.

Tracy's key skills are her positive, flexible approach and her natural ability to undertake various tasks confidentially. All of these skills provide an efficient and seamless support to the Directors. She is an effective communicator and always very enthusiastic to new challenges.

Her trademark is her hands on and practical approach, combined with an enthusiastic and calm attitude, which stands her in good stead for the varied demands of her role.

Having previously worked as a PA within PricewaterhouseCoopers, Tracy knows the requirements of this role, both internally and externally.

With a three year old, Tracy’s spare time is hectic and she enjoys relaxing with a glass of wine when he is tucked up in bed!