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Policy Pages
Copyright © 2024
Stuart Preston
Senior Associate
Stuart is a Leadership and Management
Consultant with over 20 years’ experience of designing, delivery in and
evaluating development programmes from board level to front-line managers. He has led teams in the military as well as
commercial and public sectors, focusing on the areas of sales, marketing,
leadership and development. Since moving
into consultancy Stuart has led and facilitated on leadership development
programmes for a diverse range of national and international
organisations. Stuart is an experienced
individual and team coach and holds a university accredited Certificate in
Cognitive Behavioural Coaching (accredited by Middlesex University).
Harriet Beveridge
Senior Associate
Harriet
started her career as a management consultant with Ernst and Young,
specialising in large scale change programmes.
She is now a one-to-one and group coach with 15 years’ experience working in a range of industries, including banking, law, manufacturing and retail. She has coached at Partner and Senior Manager level and enjoys helping high potential staff accelerate their progression.
Harriet has co-authored two books: 'Will It Make the Boat Go Faster? - Olympic-Winning Strategies for Everyday Success' and 'Top Tips for Talented Working Parents'. She is also a stand-up Comic and was semi-finalist at the 2011 UK Funny Women Award.
She is now a one-to-one and group coach with 15 years’ experience working in a range of industries, including banking, law, manufacturing and retail. She has coached at Partner and Senior Manager level and enjoys helping high potential staff accelerate their progression.
Harriet has co-authored two books: 'Will It Make the Boat Go Faster? - Olympic-Winning Strategies for Everyday Success' and 'Top Tips for Talented Working Parents'. She is also a stand-up Comic and was semi-finalist at the 2011 UK Funny Women Award.
Prof. Philip Glasgow
Associate
Phil Glasgow is the Founding Director of Refine
Performance and a visiting professor of the Ulster Sports Academy at Ulster
University. As a Chartered
physiotherapist Phil has over 20 years’ experience working in high performance
sport, attending the pressurised environments of global sporting events
including multiple Commonwealth and Olympic Games, as well as European and
World Championships. Phil was Head of
Sports Medicine at the Sports Institute Northern Ireland for almost 15 years the
Chief Physiotherapist for Team GB at Rio 2016.
He is currently working with the IRFU supporting their 7s teams as they prepare for Paris 2024. Phil has significant experience leading highly skilled diverse teams and working with elite athletes from a wide range of sports.
He is currently working with the IRFU supporting their 7s teams as they prepare for Paris 2024. Phil has significant experience leading highly skilled diverse teams and working with elite athletes from a wide range of sports.
Sue Pitkin Frost
Senior Associate
Sue is a highly professional and authentic Digital Workplace
and Business Transformation leader with over 20 years' experience in designing
and implementing complex technology, business transformational programmes and
innovative, ahead of market, business propositions for large global
corporations.
An expert in worker styles and workforce
personas, Sue thrives on developing and leading high performing, diverse teams
and inspiring others to reach their full potential through a coaching
mindset.
With a background in elite sport and an ICF
Associate Certified Coach, Sue coaches in the business world, helping
individuals, leaders and teams to perform under pressure and 'Outperform the
new norm' in todays' 21st Century Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous
world.
Charlie Parker
Associate
Charlie is currently a Leadership Consultant and Executive Coach and UK Sport endorsed mentor with a MSc in Coaching Science. She is also currently working as a Leadership Advisor with UK Sport and over the last 6 years much of her work focuses on Support and Challenge to World Class programme staff that have delivered Historical collective medal achievements in the last 3 Olympic and Paralympic Summer games and the last 2 Winter games. Specifically she has supported Performance Directors and their Teams to deliver Medal Success in Sochi, PyeongChang and Rio and she is currently working with the Senior Leadership teams of sports to prepare them for Tokyo 2021.
Charlie is an accredited member through the Association of Coaching and the European Mentoring and Coaching Council and she has lead on the development and implementation of the High-performance sports systems mentoring and Coaching strategies over 2.5 cycles. Prior to this she was the Director of Education and Development with Swim Ireland and was a former Olympic and Paralympic swimming coach representing Ireland in Beijing and London where the Irish swimming team saw medal winning performances in consecutive games.
Charlies ultimate passion in life is to support people to achieve despite the unique challenges and opportunities thay may face. She works at her best by navigating an ever-changing environment and has a Coaching approach that can support , especially those in leadership positions to help gain perspective and develop a route forwards for themselves facing change or uncertainty. Charlie adopts a holistic approach to Coaching and consultancy.
Charlie is an accredited member through the Association of Coaching and the European Mentoring and Coaching Council and she has lead on the development and implementation of the High-performance sports systems mentoring and Coaching strategies over 2.5 cycles. Prior to this she was the Director of Education and Development with Swim Ireland and was a former Olympic and Paralympic swimming coach representing Ireland in Beijing and London where the Irish swimming team saw medal winning performances in consecutive games.
Charlies ultimate passion in life is to support people to achieve despite the unique challenges and opportunities thay may face. She works at her best by navigating an ever-changing environment and has a Coaching approach that can support , especially those in leadership positions to help gain perspective and develop a route forwards for themselves facing change or uncertainty. Charlie adopts a holistic approach to Coaching and consultancy.
Sam Whale
Senior Associate
Sam is the Co -Owner and
Managing Director of Unforgiving Minute, a consultancy, with expertise based on
years of experience within high performance sport. Through 5 years working in UK Sport, Sam has
extensive experience of crafting and delivering leadership & coaching
development opportunities to Olympic and Paralympic Sports. His personal
philosophy centres on drawing upon expertise from world leading high performers
in any discipline, unearthing the ingredients of what makes these successful
and finding opportunities to apply these through successful collaboration with
others. With
a post graduate qualification in Executive Coaching from Ashridge Business
School, Sam has a specialist interest in mentoring and coaching, working side
by side with individuals and teams in support of them realising even more of
their own potential.
Alex Wolf
Associate
Alex Wolf has spent over 15 years supporting
athletes, staff and teams to perform in moments that matter; preparing for and
delivering at the Olympic Games. Initially he was a practitioner in the English
Institute of Sport, he a practitioner prior to moving into leadership
positions, as the Head of Strength and Conditioning and most recently, the Head
of Learning, with responsibility for individual and organisational learning and
development needs including the well-being and self-care of staff.
Alex is a co-founder of Wayfaring and uses the experiences and principles of working in high performance sport to facilitate leadership, team and people development. He brings a diverse range of expertise including an evidence based approach to performance and an understanding of motivation and behaviour to help individuals make lasting and meaningful changes.
Alex is a co-founder of Wayfaring and uses the experiences and principles of working in high performance sport to facilitate leadership, team and people development. He brings a diverse range of expertise including an evidence based approach to performance and an understanding of motivation and behaviour to help individuals make lasting and meaningful changes.
Chris Mcleod
Associate
Chris Mcleod has been working in elite sport for over 15
years and holds a post graduate certificate in Creativity, Leadership and
Innovation from Cass Business School. During his time in elite sport he has
worked alongside coaches to prepare athletes and practitioners for multiple
World Championships and Olympic Games (Beijing 2008, London 2012, Rio 2016). He
is currently Head of Strength and Conditioning for the Lawn Tennis Association
where he leads on both the day to day delivery and the development of the wider
UK practitioner community. Chris has previously worked for the English
Institute of Sport in multiple roles, most recently Head of Strength and
Conditioning and he also supported Team GB at the 2016 Olympics as a
Performance Scientist.
Through his experience in elite sport and beyond, Chris is passionate about growing creativity and innovation in individuals and teams, utilising unique tools and methods focused on people development, performance problem solving and major event planning and reviews.
Through his experience in elite sport and beyond, Chris is passionate about growing creativity and innovation in individuals and teams, utilising unique tools and methods focused on people development, performance problem solving and major event planning and reviews.
Dr Peter Brown
Elite Performance Coach
Dr Peter Brown is currently Director
of Culture, People and Organisation Development with NHS Wales. His career has
included a decade of working with high performance teams in International and
British Olympic, Paralympic and professional sport. Peter provides facilitative and
collaborative leadership to harness cognitive diversity and creativity/problem
solving for individuals and teams, using these skills to help shape and turn
strategy into action. Through his leadership development work and executive
coaching, he is passionate about facilitating change in individuals, teams and
organisations in order to accelerate high performance.
Jo Hopkins
Founder & CEO, Jo Hopkins Consultancy
Jo is
the founder of Jo Hopkins Consulting (JHC) and a Global Master Trainer for One
Smart World Inc. A former international athlete and coach, a trained
counsellor, teacher, consultant and adjunct of Hult Ashridge Executive
Education, Jo uses the principles of neuroscience, psychology and sociology to
underpin her practice in organisational and human behaviour. Jo’s roles, (including her tenure as Performance
Mentor for Team GB Performance Services Team, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020), have
honed her skills and processes working with world class performers and senior
leadership teams who are required to deliver under extreme pressure.
With over 20 years of experience developing people, Jo has a trademark for a challenging yet supportive approach which encourages and empowers individuals to take control of their environment and responsibility for their own performance.
Jo established JHC in 2014 with a singular desire to help people succeed. Working only with the very best she ensures that every organisation is assured a tailor made delivery. Her voice is authentic and speaks from experience. This authenticity remains a core part of JHC as it continues to grow.
With over 20 years of experience developing people, Jo has a trademark for a challenging yet supportive approach which encourages and empowers individuals to take control of their environment and responsibility for their own performance.
Jo established JHC in 2014 with a singular desire to help people succeed. Working only with the very best she ensures that every organisation is assured a tailor made delivery. Her voice is authentic and speaks from experience. This authenticity remains a core part of JHC as it continues to grow.
Karen Brown MBE
Elite Performance Coach
Karen
is an Olympic Gold Medal winning coach, a former international hockey player
and performance mentor working across 8 Olympic Sports. She also is a
Performance Consultant for organisations such as Arsenal FC, Watford FC,
the Premier League and UK Sport.
As an athlete, Karen won 355 caps, captained her country and won Olympic Bronze, European Gold and Commonwealth Silver medals. In 2005 she was appointed Coach of the GB and England woman’s squad that achieved Olympic Gold (Rio) & Bronze (London), European Gold, Commonwealth Silver and World Cup Bronze. During her tenure the team’s world ranking rose from 10th to 2nd, the sport’s highest ever position. Karen is passionate about creating and sustaining high performing teams and coaches that can perform under pressure.
As an athlete, Karen won 355 caps, captained her country and won Olympic Bronze, European Gold and Commonwealth Silver medals. In 2005 she was appointed Coach of the GB and England woman’s squad that achieved Olympic Gold (Rio) & Bronze (London), European Gold, Commonwealth Silver and World Cup Bronze. During her tenure the team’s world ranking rose from 10th to 2nd, the sport’s highest ever position. Karen is passionate about creating and sustaining high performing teams and coaches that can perform under pressure.
Doug MacDonald
Associate
Doug is a Director with Lacuna Learning and an award-winning
mentor, coach and coach developer with extensive experience of working across
the UK performance sport system. Doug holds Masters’ qualifications in
Psychology and sports psychology and his passion is to develop people through
understanding how they learn, and then devising ways to accelerate that
learning process, whether in a classroom, training ground or in the outdoors.
Doug has worked extensively with elite athletes, high performance coaches, national governing bodies and business teams. He is an accredited coach and mentor with the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC).
Doug has worked extensively with elite athletes, high performance coaches, national governing bodies and business teams. He is an accredited coach and mentor with the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC).
Eliza Downey
Director of Programmes and Partnerships
Jo Hopkins Consulting
Eliza Downey has been a
Senior Associate of Jo Hopkins Consulting for 5 years prior to joining the
Company as Director of Programmes and Partnerships in 2023. Eliza is a former
International Rugby and All Ireland winning County Gaelic Football player and
has been immersed in the world of sport her entire life. She was also the first
Director of Women & Girl’s Rugby with Ulster Rugby for 6 years.
Eliza has specialised in the facilitation of Leadership, Coaching, Mentoring and Team Development programmes with a wide range of clients from high performance sport, public, private and non-for-profit sectors. After previous careers within these areas, she understands what it takes to enable others to deliver under pressure and the challenges and opportunities presented across these environments.
Eliza’s approach centres on an intuitive ability to ensure the right support at the right time, building a strong genuine relationship with her client and enabling them to develop better self-awareness and understanding of their motivations and strengths.
Eliza has specialised in the facilitation of Leadership, Coaching, Mentoring and Team Development programmes with a wide range of clients from high performance sport, public, private and non-for-profit sectors. After previous careers within these areas, she understands what it takes to enable others to deliver under pressure and the challenges and opportunities presented across these environments.
Eliza’s approach centres on an intuitive ability to ensure the right support at the right time, building a strong genuine relationship with her client and enabling them to develop better self-awareness and understanding of their motivations and strengths.
Stuart Pickering
Associate
Stuart is currently Head of Performance Partnerships with UK Sport. He has worked in a high-performance
environment throughout his career, undertaking roles in UK Sport, the English
Institute of Sport, British Olympic Association, Rugby Football Union and Hult
International Business School.
Sharon Madigan
Associate
Sharon Madigan has been a leading light in sports performance and nutrition in Ireland for more than two decades.
She is a former athlete, a Coach and Head of Nutrition at the Sport Ireland Institute of Sport and is a key team member with Team Ireland on the road to Paris 2024. Sharon currently works with athletes, coaches and sports science staff in 5 Olympic sports, delivering sports nutrition advice to enhance performance. Sharon previously worked with the Sports Institute of Northern Ireland and is a lecturer in Dublin City University, she is currently an Adjunct Professor at the University of Limerick. Sharon was included in the Sport For Business 50 Women of Influence List in 2023.
She is a former athlete, a Coach and Head of Nutrition at the Sport Ireland Institute of Sport and is a key team member with Team Ireland on the road to Paris 2024. Sharon currently works with athletes, coaches and sports science staff in 5 Olympic sports, delivering sports nutrition advice to enhance performance. Sharon previously worked with the Sports Institute of Northern Ireland and is a lecturer in Dublin City University, she is currently an Adjunct Professor at the University of Limerick. Sharon was included in the Sport For Business 50 Women of Influence List in 2023.
Jen Dowdswell
Associate
Jen
is currently Associate Director of Organisational Development and Learning at
the University of British Columbia, Canada.
A former international Canadian Field Hockey player, she is a
professionally certified ICF Performance Coach and Health and Wellness Coach with
over 15 years’ experience, working with organisations and individual clients in
the areas of wellness, leadership, productivity, mindset, and communication.
Jen uses her sense of curiosity, experience, education and exploration when working with clients, modifying her approach depending on the client’s needs and the environment.
Jen considers that resilience, through the power of the mind, is key to lasting success. When people take care to properly feed their physical and emotional needs, and take responsibility in their choices and thoughts, they can all step into high performance in every aspect of their lives.
Jen uses her sense of curiosity, experience, education and exploration when working with clients, modifying her approach depending on the client’s needs and the environment.
Jen considers that resilience, through the power of the mind, is key to lasting success. When people take care to properly feed their physical and emotional needs, and take responsibility in their choices and thoughts, they can all step into high performance in every aspect of their lives.
Stephen Maguire
Associate
Stephen
Maguire has vast experience of working and succeeding in a pressurised high
performance environment having recently held roles as Technical Director with
UK Athletics, Head of High Performance Coaching at the Sport Ireland Institute
and Director of Performance at Scottish Athletics. He was named UK Coach of the Year in 2017
having led Great Britain to four team medals at the World Championships.
Esme Matthew
Associate
Esme has worked in high performance sport in the UK since 2008, working in varied roles from Physiologist with the GB Cycling team through the London and Rio cycles, Physiology Technical Lead at the EIS, and since 2017 as Head of Physiology within the UK Sports Institute.
Throughout these roles, coaching and mentoring has been at the heart of Esme’s leadership approach, and in 2017 she graduated from the UK Sport Leadership through Mentoring programme, that was run in conjunction with Ashridge Business School. Since then, Esme has supported practitioners and leaders within high performance sport through executive coaching and mentoring, with a focus on creating the opportunity for individuals to thrive within their current roles and beyond.
Throughout these roles, coaching and mentoring has been at the heart of Esme’s leadership approach, and in 2017 she graduated from the UK Sport Leadership through Mentoring programme, that was run in conjunction with Ashridge Business School. Since then, Esme has supported practitioners and leaders within high performance sport through executive coaching and mentoring, with a focus on creating the opportunity for individuals to thrive within their current roles and beyond.
Jill Poots
Director of Operations, Jo Hopkins Consulting
Jill is a former international athlete, coach and Manager who has over 40 years experience working the sports development in the education, public and voluntary sectors. Jill spent over 30 years working in Sport Northern Ireland, leading teams focused on a range of areas including sports participation, workforce development, governance and high performance.
She was also Executive Manager with Ulster Hockey for two years. Jill joined Jo Hopkins Consulting as Operations Director in 2022. She currently sits on the Board of Disability Sport NI, is a Mentor for Sported and Secretary of a local sports Club.
She was also Executive Manager with Ulster Hockey for two years. Jill joined Jo Hopkins Consulting as Operations Director in 2022. She currently sits on the Board of Disability Sport NI, is a Mentor for Sported and Secretary of a local sports Club.
Gail Donohue
Associate
Gail Donohue is a former national-level swimmer and Olympic coach in Artistic Swimming. With her extensive personal experience in high level sport, a BSc in Kinesiology and a certified sport and life coach, Gail is a recognised authority on sport, leadership and coaching. She has made numerous presentations on leadership and coaching to audiences around the world. Gail is a Master Coach Developer and Coach Evaluator for the Coaching Association of Canada and is a passionate advocate for strengthening female coaching and leadership. Gail has held the positions of Vice Chair on the boards of the Coaching Association of Canada and Canada Artistic Swimming.
Since 2008, Gail’s interest has developed to the study of neuroscience and needs based communication and she has become passionate about merging the principles of interpersonal neurobiology with the process of self- discovery to create deeper connections with self and others. Gail has recently become certified as a Resonant Healing Practitioner.
Since 2008, Gail’s interest has developed to the study of neuroscience and needs based communication and she has become passionate about merging the principles of interpersonal neurobiology with the process of self- discovery to create deeper connections with self and others. Gail has recently become certified as a Resonant Healing Practitioner.