Team Profiles
Giant Impact has a growing network of consultants and facilitators with enormous experience; many have held CEO positions with large organisations.
Giant Impact facilitators run their own businesses. They have a personal understanding of what business is really all about and so can convey this practical ‘hands-on’ knowledge with conviction and creativity.
Mike Watson, Director
MBA, FCIM, BSc (Hon), Dip M, Dip IA, AIBC
Extensive sales, marketing and general management experience including engineering, paper and plastics, disposable tableware, confectionery, hotels, toiletries, airline and media.
Extensive experience in the training and education sectors. Former Chairman of Business Link High Peak and Director of North Derbyshire Chamber of Commerce from 1992 - 2003.
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. 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. 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.
Dr Bruce J Thomson, Consultant
BSc (Hon), PhD, Dip QM, MBA, FQMIMC
Extensive public sector management, quality, and research experience (health & safety and defence sectors).
Mel Pye, Consultant
C Eng, MIEE
Extensive experience in sales and general management in electronics, industrial instrumentation and engineering for private and publicly quoted companies in the UK, France, Germany and US.
A successful Managing Director with wide experience of leading teams, motivation, recruitment, change management, company relocations, marketing and new product development, sales agent selection and control, Investors-In-People implementation, ISO 9000 implementation and internal systems improvement.
Extensive international experience: Europe, Middle East and Far East. Six years spent living and working in France. Fluent French speaker.
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.
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.
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 a keen sportsman with a passion for football and cycling.
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.
Ben Simpson, Consultant
MBA
Ben is a business improvement specialist with a background in Mechanical Engineering and over ten years in project management and business improvement experience at an executive level. Having managed capital infrastructure projects (up to £10M) Ben moved into operational improvement work within the heavy manufacturing sector. Now solely focused on the service sector, Ben runs a successful consulting business, introducing approaches such as “Systems Thinking” to organisations including the NHS, blue-chip multinationals and not-for-profits.
Training and workshop facilitation are core to Ben’s work consulting. He is a qualified sports coach/instructor.
Nick Pomery, Consultant
37 years rounded sales, marketing and quality management experience in diverse markets including electronics, telecommunications, energy, healthcare, sports and entertainment.
Experience in Irish, German, Scandinavian and USA markets and fluent English speaker!
Currently Managing Director of growing network marketing business supplying premium healthcare products and also providing specialist consultancy services to the capacitor industry.
Black belt karate instructor.
Helen Bower, Consultant
BA (Hons) Business and Marketing
Extensive sales and marketing experience including public relations, advertising, direct marketing and promotions.
Industry sectors: Media, Property, Logistics, Express, Childcare and Training & Enterprise.
Stephen Haigh, Consultant
MSc, MCMI, MCIEH
Extensive experience in General Management including Change Management; Performance Management; Business Excellence (EFQM Excellence Model); Continuous Improvement; TQM; Safety and Risk Assessment and Management; Partnership Working; Contract Management. Diploma’s in Business Excellence, Performance Coaching, NEBOSH General Certificate.
A Senior Assessor for the Midlands Excellence Awards. Chairman of the Northamptonshire Branch of the Chartered Institute of Management.
Roly Smith, Consultant
Roly Smith is Editorial Manager for Halsgrove Publishing, a freelance writer, editor and media consultant, and the author of over 50 books on the British countryside. Previously, he was Head of Information Services for the Peak District National Park, the second most visited National Park in the world.
Roly is president of the Outdoor Writers’ Guild and a member of the British Guild of Travel Writers.
Barry Pierce, Consultant
BA MSc ACMA
Value creation & risk management. Corporate finance & accountancy, drawing on background in engineering, catering & transport industries and in private & public sectors, refreshed through teaching & research.
Associate of De Montfort University.
