Career

After graduating as a Mechanical Engineer, I embarked on what at the time seemed a highly successful initial career that embraced design, development, project, operations and general management with David Brown’s, an international defence and heavy engineering company. During this time I discovered my real passion for developing people, taking on new challenges and generally trying not to conform!

Autonomy loomed and for couple of years I worked independently as a manufacturing systems consultant usually rescuing failed ERP systems through re-engineering processes and involving people with new roles and responsibilities.

After a period of part-time involvement, I finally joined academia at Huddersfield Business School. After running the post-graduate management development programmes there and frustrated once more by the politics and inertia of large organisations, I left over 10 years ago to set up my own company Partners in Management Ltd, based here in Huddersfield but operating across the UK.

Inspired by my action-learning background, the vision has been to provide flexible, cost and time effective management development programmes to small groups that, through discussion and reflection, really help change attitudes and behaviours, whilst at the same time applying sound academic rigour into practical work based situations.

I am proud to say that to date, well over one hundred and fifty mature, experienced managers have been awarded a post-graduate qualification in a way that has not only developed them academically but also in attitude and conviction to effectively manage personal and organisational change.

This is a number now set to increase significantly with the developing Chartered Management Institute relationship.

As a result of all this, I consider myself extremely experienced at facilitating and developing groups formed from either individuals, corporate/public sector clients or academic institutions, getting them to appreciate the issues that face them, develop solutions, accept these and then deliver results.

My recent academic contributions have been with the development of the RIDFEAR self-coaching model and, with Chris Sheader, the PIECHART innovation management model along with the  Transformational & Intrapreneurial Manager CMI Level 6 & 7 programmes.

I also facilitate ‘The Forum‘, a small think-tank formed mainly from participants on previous programmes, that quite accurately anticipates the future! Have a look at our sister blog and see if you agree with our ‘anticipations’.

If you feel I, or my colleagues, could help you or your organisation survive and prosper in these challenging times then please get in touch.