Team Profiles

Mike Watson, Director

MBA, FCIM, BSc (Hon), Dip M, Dip IA, AIBC

Mike has extensive sales, marketing and general management experience including engineering, paper and plastics, disposable tableware, confectionery, hotels, toiletries, airline, media, training and education.

Mike is a motivational speaker who can engage and communicate effectively with large numbers of students. A former Chairman of Business Link High Peak and Director of North Derbyshire Chamber of Commerce from 1992 – 2003, he is an Institute of Business Consulting Associate and Mentor for Nottingham Business Ventures.

Gerry O’Donnell, Consultant

FCA, B. Comm (Hons)

Gerry is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants with a wealth of management experience including KPMG, Cadbury Schweppes, BP and Serco. He has worked internationally in the USA, Switzerland, Pakistan, Netherlands and Ireland. Gerry is a management consultant with extensive knowledge of small to medium sized businesses. Gerry’s enthusiasm, energy, positive outlook and life experiences all combine to make him an outstanding speaker and facilitator able to captivate and enthuse students with the subject material. He is martial arts Black Belt and director of MK Springers Gymnastics Club.

Gordon Sparke, Consultant

BSc (Hons), Dip M, MCIM, MCMI, MIBC

Gordon has extensive sales, marketing and general management experience to director level with market leading life science, pharmaceutical and professional service companies both in the UK and overseas. Gordon is a highly effective schools presenter able to engage with and inspire students helping to make a real difference He is also an experienced interim manager having completed strategic marketing and business change projects across a range of industry sectors for both large corporate and privately owned companies.

An Accredited Business Mentor for the Regional Development Agency and a highly sought after Business Growth Coach, Gordon is a member of the Chartered Management Institute and Institute of Business Consulting.

An accomplished sportsman who following a successful rugby career has completed several expeditions to remote and challenging parts of the world including the Himalaya, Patagonia and Alaska as well as crewing on a Russian Barque in The Cutty Sark Tall Ships Race.

Ged Ward, Consultant

BA (Hons), MA, PGCE

Ged is a consummate professional with bags of experience as an educator at the highest level. He has the leadership and management skills that come from 15 years as a successful head teacher of a top performing comprehensive. He managed his school’s amalgamation with a neighbouring school and then a complete new build, in partnership with a local FE college, to create a £38m learning zone.

He has a real passion to help young people become true learners and to prepare them for life after school. To this end he is currently undertaking some leading edge research into assessing the long-term impact of enterprise interventions. A former consultant for Keele University supporting school improvement, he has a deep understanding of how schools work and the pressures teachers and students face. Ged has travelled widely and presented in many major cities in the USA.

Ged now runs his own successful consultancy business.

He is an excellent communicator and presenter with a natural rapport with young people and a well developed sense of humour.

Peter Clark, Consultant

Peter has worked in many customer-facing roles in the printing, airline, hotel and security industries where he held senior management positions with both multinationals and smaller privately-owned companies.

A past Chairman of an interactive theatre company providing social and economic wellbeing workshops for young people and adults, Peter has great experience in presenting and has a particular rapport with students.

He is an independent business adviser, life coach and mentor, working with owner/managers of small and medium sized companies.

With 3 adult daughters and a teenage son, Peter has a wealth of practical knowledge and a real interest in young people’s development.

Pasquale Melchionno, Consultant

Cert PFS

Pasquale has over 20 years experience in financial services and banking with two of the world’s largest banks, Royal Bank of Scotland and Barclays. He has a wealth of knowledge gained in a variety of roles within the personal finance and business sectors. Pasquale has extensive experience within the Independent Financial Services sector and is a qualified IFA.

He is an entrepreneur with experience in e commerce. He is fluent in Italian and co-founded an imaginative e-business ‘Italvita’, which promotes Italian culture, products and services in the UK.

‘Pasky’ is an inspirational presenter with a passion to make a difference to students and is also a keen sportsman with a passion for football and cycling.

Louise Fletcher, Consultant

BA [Hons] English

Experience in branding, communication, team leading, project management, work related learning in further education and expressive arts.

Industry Sectors: Engineering, Medical Market Research, Further Education, Dance.

Louise is a professional dance teacher and marathon runner. Her natural enthusiasm for life makes her an effective presenter and communicator with students.

Howard Hodgkinson, Consultant

Howard has recently taken early retirement after selling a successful wholesale hosiery business he set up over 25 years before. He knows about starting and running his own business.

Howard is a great communicator, with extensive sales experience in the retail sector and a wide range of other industries, from textiles and motor industry finance to wines and spirits importation.

Many of Howard’s leisure interests have revolved around the Peak District, including Derbyshire Cave Rescue and the Buxton Mountain Rescue Team which he founded.

He was a governor (and chair) of a large comprehensive school for 14 years and so has a depth of understanding of the education system.

Howard now facilitates many Giant Impact programmes and has a great rapport with the students.

Gwyn Richards, Consultant

BSc, MSc, Postgrad Dip in Clin Comm Studies, MRCSLT, Reg HPC

Gwyn has 20 years experience as a Speech and Language Therapist, working both in the NHS and as an independent therapist. Her specialist clinical area is Voice and she uses her knowledge from this area to give talks and interactive workshops about Voice Care and Voice Projection to healthcare and other commercial organisations. Popular related topics include communicating effectively, building confidence and self esteem and managing stress and anxiety.

Before training as a Speech and Language Therapist, Gwyn worked in molecular biology.