Cookie policy
This website www.johopkinsconsulting.com uses Cookies and similar technologies in order to distinguish you from other users. By using Cookies, We are able to provide you with a better experience and to improve Our Site by better understanding how you use it. Please read this Cookie Policy carefully and ensure that you understand it. Your acceptance of Our Cookie Policy is deemed to occur when you press the “accept” button on Our Cookie banner or when you have selected your preferred Cookie options in Our Cookie manager and pressed the “Continue” button. If you do not agree to Our Cookie Policy, please stop using Our Site immediately.
1. Definitions and Interpretation
In this Cookie Policy, unless the context otherwise requires, the following expressions have the following meanings:
Cookie: means a small file placed on your computer or device by Our Site when you visit certain parts of Our Site and/or when you use certain features of Our Site;
Cookie Law: means the relevant parts of the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003 and of EU Regulation 2016/679 General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”);
Personal data: means any and all data that relates to an identifiable person who can be directly or indirectly identified from that data, as defined by EU Regulation 2016/679 General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”); and
We/Us/Our: means “Our Website/School/Company”, the brand owned and operated by Company name or Person.
2. Information About Us
Our Site is owned and operated by Company name or person(s).
- Registered address: 77 Princess Gardens, Holywood, BT18 0PW
- Email address: your email
- Telephone number: your phone
3. How Does Our Site Use Cookies?
- 3.1 Our Site may place and access certain first-party Cookies on your computer or device. First party Cookies are those placed directly by Us and are used only by Us. We use Cookies to facilitate and improve your experience of Our Site and services. We have carefully chosen these Cookies and have taken steps to ensure that your privacy and personal data is protected and respected at all times.
- 3.2 By using Our Site, you may also receive certain third-party Cookies on your computer or device. Third-party Cookies are those placed by websites, services, and/or parties other than Us. Third-party Cookies are used on Our Site for analytics and for marketing purposes. For more details, please refer to section 4 below.
- 3.3 All Cookies used by and on Our Site are used in accordance with current Cookie Law. We may use some or all of the following types of Cookie:
-
3.3.1 Strictly Necessary Cookies
A Cookie falls into this category (usually first-party cookies) if it is essential to the operation of Our Site as without them we cannot provide the functionality that you need to use this website. For example, essential cookies help remember your preferences as you navigate through the online school, also support functions such as logging in, and payment transactions. -
3.3.2 Functionality Cookies
Functional Cookies allow our web site to remember choices you make, e.g. your user name, log in details and language preferences and any customizations you make to pages during your visit. They are necessary to provide features and services specific to individual users. -
3.3.3 Analytics Cookies
It is important for Us to understand how you use Our Site, for example, how efficiently you are able to navigate around it, and what features you use. Analytics Cookies enable us to gather this information, helping Us to improve Our Site and your experience of it. -
3.3.4 Marketing/Targeting Cookies
It is important for Us to know when and how often you visit Our Site, and which parts of it you have used (including which pages you have visited and which links you have visited). As with analytics Cookies, this information helps us to better understand you and, in turn, to make Our Site and advertising more relevant to your interests. Some information gathered by targeting Cookies may also be shared with third parties. -
3.3.5 Third Party Cookies
Third-party Cookies are not placed by Us; instead, they are placed by third parties that provide services to Us and/or to you. Third-party Cookies may be used by advertising services to serve up tailored advertising to you on Our Site, or by third parties providing analytics services to Us (these Cookies will work in the same way as analytics Cookies described above). -
3.3.6 Persistent Cookies
Any of the above types of Cookie may be a persistent Cookie. Persistent Cookies are those which remain on your computer or device for a predetermined period and are activated each time you visit Our Site. -
3.3.7 Session Cookies
Any of the above types of Cookie may be a session Cookie. Session Cookies are temporary and only remain on your computer or device from the point at which you visit Our Site until you close your browser. Session Cookies are deleted when you close your browser.
- 3.4 Cookies on Our Site are not permanent and will expire as indicated in the table below.
- 3.5 For more details of the personal data that We collect and use, the measures we have in place to protect personal data, your legal rights, and our legal obligations, please refer to our Privacy Policy
- 3.6 For more specific details of the Cookies that We use, please refer to the table below.
4. What Cookies Does Our Site Use?
- 4.1 The following first-party Cookies may be placed on your computer or device:
Name of Cookie | Purpose | Strictly Necessary | Expires |
XSRF-TOKEN | Preserves User Login information and states | Yes | When you close your browser |
DPSettings | Preserves the user's Cookie policy preferences | Yes | 12 days |
slim_session | Preserves User Login information and states | Yes | 1 day |
- 4.2 The following strictly necessary third-party Cookies may be placed on your computer or device (remove stripe cookies from the list if you don’t use stripe):
Name of Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Expires |
nsr | m.stripe.network | Used to process payments for our website. | When you close your browser |
cookiesEnabled | checkout.stripe.com | Used to process payments for our website. | When you close your browser |
__stripe_sid | checkout.stripe.com | Used to process payments for our website. | When you close your browser |
__stripe_mid | checkout.stripe.com | Used to distinguish users. | 1 year |
ab_disable_remember_ | checkout.stripe.com | Used to process payments for our website. | 7 years |
checkout-test-session | checkout.stripe.com | Used to process payments for our website. | 10 years |
cid | checkout.stripe.com | Used to process payments for our website. | for ever |
vuid | vimeo.com | These cookies are used by Vimeo to collect analytics tracking information. | 1 year |
player | player.vimeo.com | These cookies are used by Vimeo to collect analytics tracking information. | 1 year |
- 4.3 Our Site uses the following functional Cookies (remove cookies not exploited in your school):
Olark
Name of Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Expires |
hblid | www.johopkinsconsulting.com | a visitor identifier that we use only on your site to remember this visitor between visits | 2 years |
wcsid | www.johopkinsconsulting.com | a session identifier that we use only on your site to keep track of a single chat session | When you close your browser |
olfsk | www.johopkinsconsulting.com | storage identifier that we use to maintain chat state across pages (e.g. message history) | 2 years |
_okbk | www.johopkinsconsulting.com | extra state information (e.g. chat box being open/closed) | When you close your browser |
_ok | www.johopkinsconsulting.com | most recent Olark site ID (security measure) | When you close your browser |
_oklv | www.johopkinsconsulting.com | the Olark loader version (for improved caching) | When you close your browser |
_okla | www.johopkinsconsulting.com | used for caching purposes (loaded from CDN vs. loaded from our infrastructure) | When you close your browser |
_okgid | www.johopkinsconsulting.com | used for caching by setting a hash for assets to determine if they have changed and if they need to be refreshed | When you close your browser |
_okac | www.johopkinsconsulting.com | used for caching by setting a hash for assets to determine if they have changed and if they need to be refreshed | When you close your browser |
TawkTo
Name of Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Expires |
TawkConnectionTime | www.johopkinsconsulting.com | previous registration time stamp | When you close your browser |
Tawk_ | www.johopkinsconsulting.com | socket connection url | When you close your browser |
__tawkuuid | www.johopkinsconsulting.com | domain restriction values | 6 months |
__cfduid | tawk.to | Used by the content network, Cloudflare, to identify trusted web traffic. | 1 year |
Freshchat
Name of Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Expires |
pubsub_cookie | www.johopkinsconsulting.com | This cookie is used for the freshchat service | When you close your browser |
hop- | www.johopkinsconsulting.com | This cookie is used for the freshchat service | When you close your browser |
www.johopkinsconsulting.com | This cookie is used for the freshchat service | When you close your browser | |
_ | www.johopkinsconsulting.com | This cookie is used for the freshchat service | 1 year |
pnctest | www.johopkinsconsulting.com | This cookie is used for the freshchat service | 1 year |
Zendesk Web Widget
Name of Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Expires |
ZD-referrerPolicy | www.johopkinsconsulting.com | Stores referrer tags | Forever |
ZD-zE_oauth | www.johopkinsconsulting.com | Stores the authentication token once the user has been authenticated. | 2 hours |
ZD-currentTime | www.johopkinsconsulting.com | Sets the time when page loads. | Forever |
ZD-settings | www.johopkinsconsulting.com | Stores a hash of settings so that we don't keep sending blips after the initial one | Forever |
ZD-suid | www.johopkinsconsulting.com | Session id for pathfinder. | 20 minutes |
ZD-buid | www.johopkinsconsulting.com | Collects Machine ID. | Forever |
Intercom
Name of Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Expires |
intercom-id- | www.johopkinsconsulting.com | This cookie is used by Intercom as a session so that users can continue a chat as they move through the site. | 9 months |
- 4.4 Our Site uses analytics services provided by your analytics services, if any. Website analytics refers to a set of tools used to collect and analyse anonymous usage information, enabling us to better understand how Our Site is used. This, in turn, enables us to improve Our Site and the products and services offered through them.
- 4.5 The analytics services used by Our Site use Cookies to gather the required information. You do not have to allow us to use these Cookies, however, whilst our use of them does not pose any risk to your privacy or your safe use of Our Site, it does enable us to continually improve Our Site, making it a better and more useful experience for you.
- 4.6 The analytics services used by Our Site uses the following Cookies (remove cookies not exploited in your school):
Google Analytics
Name of Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Expires |
_ga | www.johopkinsconsulting.com | Google Analytics: Registers a unique ID that is used to generate statistical data on how the visitor uses the website. | 2 years |
_gat | www.johopkinsconsulting.com | Google Analytics: Used by Google Analytics to throttle the request rate. | When you close your browser |
_gid | www.johopkinsconsulting.com | Google Analytics: Registers a unique ID that is used to generate statistical data on how the visitor uses the website. | When you close your browser |
collect | www.johopkinsconsulting.com | Google Analytics: Used to send data to Google Analytics about the visitor's device and behaviour. Tracks the visitor across devices and marketing channels. | When you close your browser |
Mixpanel
Name of Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Expires |
mp_#_mixpanel | www.johopkinsconsulting.com | MixPanel: Cookie used by MixPanel for analytics purposes | 1 year |
Sumo me
Name of Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Expires |
__smToken | www.johopkinsconsulting.com | The __smToken is set once you login to Sumo and is checked to verify whether you are logged into Sumo or not. | 1 year |
__smSmartbarShown | www.johopkinsconsulting.com | Is set when the Smartbar is shown | 50 years |
__smVID | www.johopkinsconsulting.com | Used to display relevant advertising | 1 month |
__smSessionId | www.johopkinsconsulting.com | Used by Sumo to establish a cookie on a users computer to begin a session to enable Sumo products | When you close your browser |
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4.7 Targeting/Marketing cookies
Targeting/Marketing cookies are used to track visitors across websites. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. The intention is to display ads that are relevant and engaging for the individual user and thereby more valuable for publishers and third-party advertisers. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising (remove cookies not exploited in your school):
Name of Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Expires |
fr | facebook.com | Used by Facebook to deliver a series of advertisement products such as real time bidding from third-party advertisers | 3 months |
fr | facebook.com | Used by Facebook to deliver a series of advertisement products such as real time bidding from third-party advertisers | When you close your browser |
Hubspot
Name of Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Expires |
__hstc | www.johopkinsconsulting.com | The main cookie for tracking visitors. It contains the domain, utk (see below), initial timestamp (first visit), last timestamp (last visit), current timestamp (this visit), and session number (increments for each subsequent session). | 2 years |
hubspotutk | www.johopkinsconsulting.com | This cookie is used for to keep track of a visitor's identity. This cookie is passed to HubSpot on form submission and used when de-duplicating contacts. | 10 years |
__hssc | www.johopkinsconsulting.com | This cookie keeps track of sessions. This is used to determine if we should increment the session number and timestamps in the __hstc cookie. It contains the domain, viewCount (increments each pageView in a session), and session start timestamp. | 30 min |
__hssrc | www.johopkinsconsulting.com | Whenever HubSpot changes the session cookie, this cookie is also set. We set it to 1 and use it to determine if the visitor has restarted their browser. If this cookie does not exist when we manage cookies, we assume it is a new session. | session |
messagesUtk | www.johopkinsconsulting.com | This cookie is used to recognize visitors who chat with you via the messages tool. If the visitor leaves your site before they're added as a contact, they will have this cookie associated with their browser. If you have a history of chatting with a visitor and they return to your site later in the same cookied browser, the messages tool will load your conversation history with that visitor. | session |
Refersion
Name of Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Expires |
ci_session | refersion.com | Preserves users states across page requests. | When you close your browser |
refersion_csrf_code | refersion.com | Sets csrf token to prevent cross site request forgery. | When you close your browser |
__cfduid | refersion.com | Used by the content network, Cloudflare, to identify trusted web traffic. | 1 year |
Google AdWords
Name of Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Expires |
ads/ga-audiences | www.johopkinsconsulting.com | Used by Google AdWords to re-engage visitors that are likely to convert to customers based on the visitor's online behaviour across websites. | When you close your browser |
Fomo
Name of Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Expires |
Fomo.hstry-count-since-first-event- | www.johopkinsconsulting.com | Used by Fomo for showing user notifications. | Persistent |
Fomo.hstry-first-timestamp- | www.johopkinsconsulting.com | Used by Fomo for showing user notifications | Persistent |
Fomo.snv- | www.johopkinsconsulting.com | Used by Fomo for showing user notifications | Persistent |
5. Consent and Control
(Keep section 5.1 and 5.2 if you are using our cookie opt-in mechanism from School Privacy settings.)
- 5.1 Before Cookies are placed on your computer or device, you will be shown a banner requesting your consent to set those Cookies. By giving your consent to the placing of Cookies you are enabling Us to provide the best possible experience and service to you. You may, if you wish, deny consent to the placing of Cookies unless those Cookies are strictly necessary; however certain features of Our Site may not function fully or as intended. You will be given the opportunity to allow and/or deny different categories of Cookie that We use.
- 5.2 In addition to the controls that We provide, you can choose to enable or disable Cookies in your internet browser. Most internet browsers also enable you to choose whether you wish to disable all Cookies or only third-party Cookies. By default, most internet browsers accept Cookies but this can be changed. For further details, please consult the help menu in your internet browser or the documentation that came with your device.
- 5.3 The links below provide instructions on how to control Cookies in all mainstream browsers:
- 5.3.1 Google Chrome
- 5.3.2 Microsoft Internet Explorer
- 5.3.3 Microsoft Edge (Please note that there are no specific instructions at this time, but Microsoft support will be able to assist)
- 5.3.4 Safari (macOS)
- 5.3.5 Safari (iOS)
- 5.3.6 Mozilla Firefox
- 5.3.7 Android (Please refer to your device’s documentation for manufacturers’ own browsers)
6. Changes to this Cookie Policy
- 6.1 We may alter this Cookie Policy at any time. Any such changes will become binding on you on your first use of Our Site after the changes have been made. You are therefore advised to check this page from time to time.
- 6.2 In the event of any conflict between the current version of this Cookie Policy and any previous version(s), the provisions current and in effect shall prevail unless it is expressly stated otherwise.
7. Further Information
- 7.1 If you would like to know more about how We use Cookies, please contact Us at [email protected].
- 7.2 For more information about privacy, data protection and our terms and conditions, please visit the following:
- 7.2.1 Privacy Policy
- 7.2.1 Terms & Conditions

We combine performance sport and leadership expertise to help individuals and teams develop the skills and understanding necessary to deliver results under pressure.
Copyright © 2023
Stuart Preston
Associate

Stuart is a Leadership and Management Consultant with over 20 years’ experience of designing, delivering and evaluating development programmes from Board Level to Front-Line Managers.
He began his professional career at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and was commissioned into the British Army as an infantry officer serving in Belize, Gibraltar and Kenya. As well as leading teams in the military Stuart has practical experience of leading large and small teams in a global airline and an international energy company.
He is accredited to facilitate a variety of psychometrics (One Smart World, DiSC, SDI, Wave, Hogan, Strength Scope) and is an Executive Coach with a Certificate in Cognitive Behavioural Coaching (accredited by Middlesex University).Never one to shirk a challenge Stuart has completed several marathons, triathlons, and charity walks.
He began his professional career at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and was commissioned into the British Army as an infantry officer serving in Belize, Gibraltar and Kenya. As well as leading teams in the military Stuart has practical experience of leading large and small teams in a global airline and an international energy company.
He is accredited to facilitate a variety of psychometrics (One Smart World, DiSC, SDI, Wave, Hogan, Strength Scope) and is an Executive Coach with a Certificate in Cognitive Behavioural Coaching (accredited by Middlesex University).Never one to shirk a challenge Stuart has completed several marathons, triathlons, and charity walks.
Harriet Beveridge
Associate

Harriet graduated from Oxford University with a BA (Hons) in Philosophy, Politics and Economics. She 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 of experience working in a range of industries, from Banking and Law to Manufacturing and Retail. She has coached at Partner and Senior Manager level and also 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 Awards.
She is now a one-to-one and group coach with 15 years of experience working in a range of industries, from Banking and Law to Manufacturing and Retail. She has coached at Partner and Senior Manager level and also 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 Awards.
Philip Glasgow
Associate

Prof. Philip Glasgow is head of sports medicine at the Sports Institute Northern Ireland. As Team GB Head Physiotherapist at the Rio Olympic Games his role was to lead a highly skilled diverse team of partitioners.
Phil’s doctoral studies investigated factors influencing exercise induced muscle damage and its management. He has extensive experience in high performance sport having worked with elite athletes from a wide range of sports including rugby union, football, hockey, athletics, boxing, sailing, cycling, swimming and squash. He has worked at a number of major International sporting events including the Olympic Games (London 2012 (Team GB); Beijing 2008 (Team Ireland)), Commonwealth Games (Head Physiotherapist Team NI, Delhi 2010; Glasgow 2014) as well as numerous World and European Championships.
His particular interests are in the field of functional rehabilitation and in the management of muscle tendon unit injuries. He is currently Vice President of the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Sport and Exercise Medicine (Physios in Sport, UK), having acted for six years as chair for Education and Research.
He regularly presents at international conferences on various aspects of sports medicine. Phil is a visiting professor of the Ulster Sports Academy at the University of Ulster and teaches on a number of postgraduate sports medicine programmes at various UK and European universities.
Phil’s doctoral studies investigated factors influencing exercise induced muscle damage and its management. He has extensive experience in high performance sport having worked with elite athletes from a wide range of sports including rugby union, football, hockey, athletics, boxing, sailing, cycling, swimming and squash. He has worked at a number of major International sporting events including the Olympic Games (London 2012 (Team GB); Beijing 2008 (Team Ireland)), Commonwealth Games (Head Physiotherapist Team NI, Delhi 2010; Glasgow 2014) as well as numerous World and European Championships.
His particular interests are in the field of functional rehabilitation and in the management of muscle tendon unit injuries. He is currently Vice President of the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Sport and Exercise Medicine (Physios in Sport, UK), having acted for six years as chair for Education and Research.
He regularly presents at international conferences on various aspects of sports medicine. Phil is a visiting professor of the Ulster Sports Academy at the University of Ulster and teaches on a number of postgraduate sports medicine programmes at various UK and European universities.
Sue Pitkin-Frost
Associate

A highly professional and authentic Digital Workplace and Business Transformation leader with over 20 years' experience in designing and implementing complex technology, business transformational programs 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 International Coach Federation, 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.
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 International Coach Federation, 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
Associate

Sam joined UK Sport during John’s tenure as CEO, where he was responsible for leading the prestigious Elite Coach Programme. The initiative was designed to develop world-class, high-performance coaches for London 2012 and beyond. Sam is also a Non-Executive Director of British Wheelchair Basketball.
During his time at UK Sport, Sam created a national leadership development strategy to bring together CEOs, Chairs and Board Members. He also led the creation of a new Mentor Development Programme for elite coaches and leaders within UK Sport’s high-performance system to support the next generation of coaches and leaders.
Sam completed his Post Graduate Diploma in Executive Coaching and Organisational Change with Ashridge Business School. Sam is a visiting lecturer at Loughborough University London where he contributes to the Masters in Sports Business and Leadership.
During his time at UK Sport, Sam created a national leadership development strategy to bring together CEOs, Chairs and Board Members. He also led the creation of a new Mentor Development Programme for elite coaches and leaders within UK Sport’s high-performance system to support the next generation of coaches and leaders.
Sam completed his Post Graduate Diploma in Executive Coaching and Organisational Change with Ashridge Business School. Sam is a visiting lecturer at Loughborough University London where he contributes to the Masters in Sports Business and Leadership.
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. Alex is a co-founder of Wayfaring who uses the experiences and principles of working in high performance sport to facilitate leadership, team and people development. Alex continues to consult with premier sports organisations and businesses across the world.
Alex has previously worked for the English Institute of Sport where he spent the early part of his career as a strength and conditioning coach. Post the London Games, Alex moved into leadership positions, spending five years as the Head of Strength and Conditioning. Most recently, Alex was the Head of Learning, responsible for the individual and organisational learning and development needs including the well-being and self-care of staff.
Alex 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 has previously worked for the English Institute of Sport where he spent the early part of his career as a strength and conditioning coach. Post the London Games, Alex moved into leadership positions, spending five years as the Head of Strength and Conditioning. Most recently, Alex was the Head of Learning, responsible for the individual and organisational learning and development needs including the well-being and self-care of staff.
Alex 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) across a range of sports. 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 has noticed that in this fast paced world, when individuals and teams manage to create time, space and structure to explore and challenge how they ‘do what they do’ unique and surprising opportunities arise.
This has led to a passion for developing creativity and innovation in practitioners, coaches and teams and the subsequent development of unique tools and methods focused on practitioner/coach development, performance problem solving and major event reviews / previews. This work is best demonstrated through the design, planning and delivery of a practitioner centred Olympic Games Review process, which included 24 reviews, over 100 UK and oversees based panel members. The process design was based on creative problem solving principles and training of facilitators. Chris has facilitated and designed similar processes for clients such as EIS Performance Pathways team, FA, GB Sailing and the UK Sport Coaching Team.
Through his experience in elite sport and beyond, Chris has noticed that in this fast paced world, when individuals and teams manage to create time, space and structure to explore and challenge how they ‘do what they do’ unique and surprising opportunities arise.
This has led to a passion for developing creativity and innovation in practitioners, coaches and teams and the subsequent development of unique tools and methods focused on practitioner/coach development, performance problem solving and major event reviews / previews. This work is best demonstrated through the design, planning and delivery of a practitioner centred Olympic Games Review process, which included 24 reviews, over 100 UK and oversees based panel members. The process design was based on creative problem solving principles and training of facilitators. Chris has facilitated and designed similar processes for clients such as EIS Performance Pathways team, FA, GB Sailing and the UK Sport Coaching Team.
Dr Peter Brown
Associate

Dr Peter Brown is Head of Performance Knowledge (Knowledge Management) at the English Institute of Sport, where he is defining and implementing the strategic direction of the organisational learning approach in support of GB Olympic and Paralympic Sports and athletes. Pete is also the Co-founder and Director of the business consultancy Knowledge Podium Ltd supporting the Knowledge Management, organizational learning and Executive coaching of high Performance Sport organisations.
Pete has worked with some of the biggest sports in the British High Performance System and consults for organisations including the International Olympic Committee. Working through his core values of care, empathy and creativity with a necessary dose of humour, Pete is passionate about working collaboratively to build positive sustainable change in order for us all to problem solve quicker and out-learn our competitors.
Pete is a kind and genuine family man living on a farm in South Wales with his wife and three children. He loves the great outdoors, animals, playing the acoustic guitar and self-build projects of any description!
Pete has worked with some of the biggest sports in the British High Performance System and consults for organisations including the International Olympic Committee. Working through his core values of care, empathy and creativity with a necessary dose of humour, Pete is passionate about working collaboratively to build positive sustainable change in order for us all to problem solve quicker and out-learn our competitors.
Pete is a kind and genuine family man living on a farm in South Wales with his wife and three children. He loves the great outdoors, animals, playing the acoustic guitar and self-build projects of any description!
Jo Hopkins
Director, Jo Hopkins Consultancy

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 thinking and practice in organisational and human behaviour.
Her roles such as Performance Mentor for Team GB Performance Services Team, (Rio 2016) 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. She is particularly focused on developing women to excel in high performance environments. 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 and this authenticity remains a core part of JHC as it continues to grow.
Her roles such as Performance Mentor for Team GB Performance Services Team, (Rio 2016) 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. She is particularly focused on developing women to excel in high performance environments. 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 and this authenticity remains a core part of JHC as it continues to grow.
Karen Brown MBE
Associate

Karen is a former International hockey player and Coach, she won 355 caps a world record, captained her country and won Olympic Bronze, European Gold and Commonwealth Silver medals as an athlete. 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 world ranking rose from 10th to 2nd, the sports highest ever position.
Karen now works for the English Institute of Sports as a Performance Mentor working across 8 Olympic Sports, as well as Consultancy for organisations such as Arsenal FC, Watford FC Southampton FC Premier League, UK Sport & UK Coaching.
Her interests lie in creating and sustaining high performing teams that can perform under pressure.
Karen now works for the English Institute of Sports as a Performance Mentor working across 8 Olympic Sports, as well as Consultancy for organisations such as Arsenal FC, Watford FC Southampton FC Premier League, UK Sport & UK Coaching.
Her interests lie in creating and sustaining high performing teams that can perform under pressure.
Doug MacDonald
Associate

Doug is an award-winning mentor, coach and coach developer with extensive experience of working across the UK performance sport system. With a strong background in Psychology, Doug’s passion is for developing people through understanding how they learn and then working on how we can accelerate that learning process.
Doug has worked extensively with elite athletes, high performance coaches and national governing bodies. Doug has an MA(Hons) in Psychology with French, an MSc degree in Sport and Exercise Psychology and is an accredited coach and mentor with the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC). Doug was awarded sportscotland Scottish Coach Developer of the year in 2019.
Doug has worked extensively with elite athletes, high performance coaches and national governing bodies. Doug has an MA(Hons) in Psychology with French, an MSc degree in Sport and Exercise Psychology and is an accredited coach and mentor with the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC). Doug was awarded sportscotland Scottish Coach Developer of the year in 2019.
Eliza Downey
Senior Associate

A former International Rugby athlete and current Coordinator of Women & Girl’s rugby, Eliza is passionate about developing others. She has over 10 years experience as an athlete, leader, and performance coach supporting and developing personnel within the Performance environment
Eliza has a particular interest and affinity for individuals transitioning into new environments and has a track record of providing the support and challenge needed to ensure they flourish. She has specialized within the undergraduate and postgraduate environments demonstrating ability to provide structured support whilst being flexible to the unique and specific needs of this population. She is a lead Facilitator on the Ulster University Female leadership programme, and is passionate about developing women in any performance environment.
Her approach centres on building a strong genuine relationship with her client and enabling them to develop better self-awareness and understanding of their motivations and strengths.
With an intuitive ability to ensure the right support, right place, and right time she understands what it takes to enable others to deliver under pressure. Having worked in both public, private and non for profit sectors she has an understanding of the challenges and opportunities presented across these various environments.
Eliza has a particular interest and affinity for individuals transitioning into new environments and has a track record of providing the support and challenge needed to ensure they flourish. She has specialized within the undergraduate and postgraduate environments demonstrating ability to provide structured support whilst being flexible to the unique and specific needs of this population. She is a lead Facilitator on the Ulster University Female leadership programme, and is passionate about developing women in any performance environment.
Her approach centres on building a strong genuine relationship with her client and enabling them to develop better self-awareness and understanding of their motivations and strengths.
With an intuitive ability to ensure the right support, right place, and right time she understands what it takes to enable others to deliver under pressure. Having worked in both public, private and non for profit sectors she has an understanding of the challenges and opportunities presented across these various environments.
Stuart Pickering
Associate

Head of Performance Support Services - English Institute of Sport.
Having worked in elite sport for 15 years, Stuart was a Strength and Conditioning Coach in Premiership Rugby Union for over a decade, before helping England Women’s Rugby win the Rugby World Cup in 2014. More recently Stuart supported Team GB at the 2016 Olympics as Performance Scientist. His current role with the English Institute of Sport supports and develops elite Strength and Conditioning Coaches, and Sports Science and Medicine teams working with a range of Olympic sports including British Swimming, Skeleton, Sailing, and Pentathlon.
Having worked in elite sport for 15 years, Stuart was a Strength and Conditioning Coach in Premiership Rugby Union for over a decade, before helping England Women’s Rugby win the Rugby World Cup in 2014. More recently Stuart supported Team GB at the 2016 Olympics as Performance Scientist. His current role with the English Institute of Sport supports and develops elite Strength and Conditioning Coaches, and Sports Science and Medicine teams working with a range of Olympic sports including British Swimming, Skeleton, Sailing, and Pentathlon.
Dr. Sharon Madigan
Associate

Dr. Sharon Madigan, RD, MSc, PhD, RSENSharon graduated from the University of Ulster with an MSc / PGD in dietetics and commenced work in the Belfast Trust as a community dietitian in 1995. She has a Phd in Nutrition Education.
From 2003-present she has worked as the performance nutritionist with the Irish Boxing Team working with young right up to the elite international team. The squad has had unprecedented success at all levels and returned 4 medals at last summer’s Olympics. From 2002-2009 Sharon delivered services at the Sports Institute Northern Ireland. Part of this role included the provision of nutrition education to the Ulster Rugby Academy, Hockey, Sailing, Triathlon, swimming. From 2008-2011 was the performance dietitian with the Senior Ulster Rugby Team.
In 2010 she started work with the Irish Institute of Sport. She is responsible for delivery and aids coordination of nutrition services for elite Irish athletes across a range of Olympic and Paralympic sports. She co-ordinates the development of nutrition related policy and aiming to integrate a research evidence base into elite sport practice in a number of nutrition areas.
She is currently a member of the science and medical team of the Olympic Council of Ireland and was the performance nutritionist with the Irish Team in London and Rio.
From 2003-present she has worked as the performance nutritionist with the Irish Boxing Team working with young right up to the elite international team. The squad has had unprecedented success at all levels and returned 4 medals at last summer’s Olympics. From 2002-2009 Sharon delivered services at the Sports Institute Northern Ireland. Part of this role included the provision of nutrition education to the Ulster Rugby Academy, Hockey, Sailing, Triathlon, swimming. From 2008-2011 was the performance dietitian with the Senior Ulster Rugby Team.
In 2010 she started work with the Irish Institute of Sport. She is responsible for delivery and aids coordination of nutrition services for elite Irish athletes across a range of Olympic and Paralympic sports. She co-ordinates the development of nutrition related policy and aiming to integrate a research evidence base into elite sport practice in a number of nutrition areas.
She is currently a member of the science and medical team of the Olympic Council of Ireland and was the performance nutritionist with the Irish Team in London and Rio.