Bill is the Managing Director and Head of Training at Phoenix Training & Development. He was responsible for setting up the company in October 1995, with his then business partner. It was his vision – that training should not only be integral to the development of staff by teaching new skills and techniques, but also motivational and exciting – that provides the focus for all the training provided by the company.

Bill worked for nearly six years at The Independent / Independent on Sunday. During this time he gained invaluable experience as a telephone sales executive in the travel and financial sections and as a field sales representative selling appointments advertising to clients and agencies. He then moved into management and became heavily involved in training and staff development.

His training is based on interaction and practical skills, which can be used immediately in the work environment. He develops the confidence and abilities of the delegate by looking at their specific requirements and adopting a flexible and interactive approach that encourages contribution, which in turn enhances results.

His current clients include HSBC, Informa Group, Experian Marketing Services, Youthnet, and Conde Nast.

Martin is a highly motivated, creative, positive and enthusiastic learning and development professional with a wealth of knowledge gained in banking and retail over the last 15 years. In his last role, Martin was the Head of Learning and Development for Barclays Asset and Sales Finance. In his two and a half years with Barclays, he built a high performing design and delivery team, winning the Bank’s Asset and Sales Finance Team of the Year award in 2007. He is recognised as an expert in designing and delivering innovative Sales, Customer Service, Leadership Development and Team Building interventions.

In 2008 he was a finalist for the Training Journal Training Professional of the Year award, after designing and delivering a new leadership development programme within Barclays for both experienced leaders to executive level and individuals new to people management.

In addition to his work in the UK Martin has designed and delivered interventions in Kenya, Armenia and India, as part of an offshore initiative transferring 236 seats from the UK to Chennai.

Martin prides himself on his excellent interpersonal and communication skills. He has been a keynote speaker and host for a number of corporate conference events and is able to engage an audience on a variety of levels.

Martin is passionate about people and the design and delivery of high impact interventions that can demonstrate a sustainable return on investment.

Martin’s previous clients include HSBC, Co-operative Foods, Barclays Emerging Markets, HFC Bank, Barclays Asset and Sales Finance, IGSL and First Direct

He is a qualified NLP practitioner and is licensed to administer MBTI Step One, in addition to being both PRISM and SDI qualified.

An enthusiastic, highly motivated and achievement-focused coach, trainer and facilitator, Anna has a wealth of experience in designing and delivering participative, goal-oriented development programmes designed to facilitate each individual in achieving their own potential according to their personal aspirations and strengths.

Much of this is achieved through one-to-one coaching programmes and participative skills workshops, supported by training needs analysis, competency frameworks, psychometrics and 360-degree and skill assessments where appropriate. Anna’s most recent major project involved designing, developing and leading an EMEA-wide sales training programme for a world leading IT company, spanning 27 countries and over 1,000 delegates. The programme has been highly successful in meeting its objectives and expanded into other parts of the business and channel as a result. She also developed the negotiation skills courses licensed for delivery by Phoenix in Korea.

Anna preceded her career in development with an extensive and successful track record in high-end IT sales, frequently winning performance and quota achievement awards.

Anna is a frequent conference speaker and writes regularly on coaching, mentoring and employee development for professional journals. She wrote the chapter on coaching for the IOD’s ‘Growing Business’ handbook, published by Kogan Page, 2002 and the Comstor Guide to Selling Convergence in 2003, revised and reprinted in 2005. She has been assessed and awarded membership of the Society of Authors.

She is also a Fellow of the Institute of Sales and Marketing Management (FInstSMM), plus has a BA (Hons) 2:1 in Humanities in which she specialised in theatre. She has been a notable commentator in the development of the coaching and mentoring profession as co-founder and director of the Coaching & Mentoring Network, the UK’s leading independent information resource for coaching and mentoring.

Clients include: Cisco Systems, Swinton Colonnade Insurance, Praxis-HIS, Open University, Towers Perrin, LShift, and Swissqual. Anna also has experience of working with a wide range of public sector organisations.

Cambridge graduate and award-winning theatre maker, Karen is an expert in written and spoken communication. Since 1997, she has been delivering courses which focus on areas such as creativity, understanding your audience and making an impact.

Karen’s spoken communication courses enable people to influence others in formal and informal contexts. Delegates gain technique in use of voice, body language and timing for developing their own personal charisma.

With a background as a copy editor and writer for the Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music, Karen also delivers written communication training. She is equally effective whether the objective is creating persuasive sales proposals or attention-grabbing brochure copy.

Karen’s clients range across many nationalities and cultures. Recently, she has collaborated with the Komunikaciju Akademija in Latvia, coaching individuals to express themselves freely and confidently in a second language. Karen is also an Associate Tutor at the internationally renowned London Business School.

Delegates who have attended Karen’s courses frequently comment on how much they have enjoyed themselves, as well as how much they have learnt!

Clients include: Coors Brewers; Philips, Netherlands; BT; UK TV; Consolidated Communications; Barclays; NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency; National College for School Leadership; Lloyds.

Karen is co-founder and artistic director of award-winning theatre company, Wishbone.

With 17 years media sales experience, 10 of which were spent in National Press, Nickola has gained a wealth of experience both at telephone sales, executive level and in sales management.

Previously responsible for the training and development of advertising sales staff at Express Newspapers, she has developed and delivered sales courses aimed at all levels of experience from graduates through to junior management.

Recognising that the best learning opportunities often come from the delegates own experiences, Nickola ensures that each of her courses are highly participative and interactive with the emphasis based on dealing with the reality of the sales environment not just the theory of sales.

Richard has over 18 years of sales, management, training and consultancy experience. He has also worked with the Management Charter Initiative in developing Management Standards, and has a wealth of experience in the field of competence-based learning and National Vocational Qualifications.

He has become recognised as a leading authority in the field of event management, training and consultancy. Consequently, in 1995 he became the first person in the UK to receive the prestigious Certified Manager of Exhibits (CME) from the Virginia-based International Exhibitors’ Association.

Richard writes regularly for a number of business magazines on a variety of commercial topics, and is the author of two marketing books, including “The Key to Successful Exhibitions, published by Nomadic. A new series of marketing and business publications is currently under development. More recently he wrote and developed the “Inside Job” television series for Channel 4 Television, and has a number of new business television productions in the pipeline.

Through his first hand exposure to the Media, Richard has also delivered a wide number of programmes on dealing with all aspects of the Media, and is regularly used by PR companies to prepare their clients for exposure to the Press through radio, television and live Press conferences.

Recent Clients Include: YHA, Oman Water Services Company, Diversified Business Communications, HSBC, Reed Exhibitions, Scottish & Newcastle & British Airways

Tracy is a qualified Learning & Development professional and Business Coach with over 16 years experience in the field of Training, Learning and Development.

A wealth of operational experience gained in the Retail and Financial Sectors ensures her learning solutions are creative, pragmatic and results focused for individuals, teams and organisations alike. She has a successful track record in delivering interventions key to the achievement of business and personal goals and objectives, especially in the fields of sales, customer service, and management.

Tracy has worked with all levels in both the private and public sector designing and delivering development solutions through one-to-one coaching sessions, classroom delivery, workshops and conference input.

She is an engaging and natural people person; her training style is inspirational, interactive and is aimed at delegates learning whilst having fun. She has a genuine interest and a dedicated passion in helping those she works with realise and release more of their potential.

Recent clients include: Morrisons Supermarkets, B&Q,  BTOpenreach, VirginMobile, DHL, AXA and Siemens.

Ralph has wide experience as a manager, project manager and trainer in public, commercial and voluntary sectors. A training consultant for several years, his strengths are in consultancy skills, project management and management development, and also as a project leader. Previously, his most recent role was Management Development Manager in a leading food retail and distribution group.

Ralph is able to work through classroom course delivery, distance learning, and supporting live projects as facilitator, tutor or coach. He mixes significant practical experience with a strong theoretical base. Ralph’s postgraduate research in organisational behaviour has been around engaging people in projects and the leadership styles used to achieve this.

He has led high profile and innovative organisational development and management development projects. In his practice of project management, a comment by a recent client is typical: he ‘ensures people drive the process rather than the process drive them’.

A particular interest is also using projects to develop people: a project manager with Raleigh International in Zimbabwe, he has led expeditions to Lesotho, Southern Africa, and Romania that develop skills and confidence in young people and people with disabilities. He has also coordinated a major European funded project with partners across Europe, designing and piloting a new on-line learning programme and international learning hub.

Ralph brings this range of experience to help clients develop their consultancy and leadership skills, enabling effective working relationships with people and the delivery of high quality projects within constraints of resource and time.

Recent clients include: 4C Associates, Bristol Myers Squibb, Cranfield University, Jetix, Stepstone Solutions, Involve-HIAH and Transport for London.

Catherine was recently described by an MD as “a rare and valuable breed – an infectiously energetic trainer who makes complex subjects resonate so that people leave with practical insights that makes their lives better”.

Blending her commercial experience in various sectors with a sporting background and outstanding training skills enables Catherine to deliver training programmes of excellence for clients.

Catherine is qualified in NLP, Time Line Therapy, and hypnosis and has a Diploma in Training and Development from Leicester University. She is due to begin her Masters Degree in Occupational Psychology this year. She is also a qualified fitness instructor!

The organisations Catherine has successfully designed and delivered trainings for range in terms from emerging SMEs right through to global ‘mega-groups’. Her personable approach, energy and passion for people enables her to excel with any type of group from entry level staff to directors. Catherine specialises in peak performance and communication around sales and teams.

Recent clients include: Royal Mail, HSBC, Lanarkshire NHS Trust, World Cancer Research Fund, and Learn Direct.

John has over 20 years of corporate experience in management, sales and training. Working for banks, building societies and finance houses has given him a wealth of knowledge and skills, which John now utilises in his trainings. He is qualified in NLP, Hypnosis and Time Line Therapy and has trained in many other T&D disciplines.

John focuses on training in sales, sales management and discovering “l’esprit de corps” for teams. He is passionate about delivering tangible results through his training, both for the organisation and the participant.

John has trained and coached within some of the ‘biggest and best’ organisations across many industries in the UK and Europe. He is a coach who is always in high demand due to his charismatic training style and ability to deliver the desired result.

John believes that the process of learning is a serious business issue and also that it must be enthusing and engaging for all participants. One of the training managers at our client Unite Group plc was moved by a recent event to say: “The feedback was fantastic, with comments like ‘The best sales course I’ve been on’, and ‘John made it come alive for us’. You’re an absolute joy to work with and I can’t thank you enough for your energy, enthusiasm and the inspiration you were to us all.”

Recent clients include Virgin, Barclays, Deutsche Bank, Hewlett Packard, BT, Royal Mail, Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury's, and Unite Group.

Megan has been involved in professional training and development since 1989. She has a degree in Law with Psychology, and a commercial background in sales (retail, call centre and b2b), marketing, and product research, before moving into training, initially in Business TEFL, and then into consultancy and training management.

She is a Master Trainer, and is trained in SDI, NLP, Myers Briggs, Accelerated Learning, and Hypnotherapy and she is just embarking on studying an MSc in Change Agent Skills and Strategies. She specialises in designing and developing individual, group and organisational training and development programmes, and in delivery. 

One particular strength Megan has is in facilitating and delivering to large groups: she understands how to design exercises and sessions to maintain individual involvement and engagement within a larger audience, and she is an exceptional presenter whose energy and enthusiasm are totally infectious.

Megan has worked with many leading edge blue-chip and public organisations. She frequently works outside of the UK, being fluent in Spanish, and also speaks French, Portuguese, Italian, and some German, with a dialect of Polish coming from a bi-cultural upbringing.

Clients include: DSG International, HSBC, 4C Associates, David Ormerod Hearing Centres, Metropolitan Police, Eagle Global Logistics, Cosmos Holidays, and Taylor Woodrow Developments.

Frank is an enthusiastic, focused and highly skilled consultant and management trainer. His training portfolio is unusual – it includes not only personal effectiveness techniques and management skills but financial skills also such as Budgeting, Credit Control, Financial Reporting, and Finance for Non-Financial Managers.

His earlier career was in commercial banking with Barclays plc, where he held management posts in operations, the profit improvement unit, finance and costing development, management training and marketing.

He is especially adept at training and developing people from diverse backgrounds and adapting his style and approach to suit client needs. He has successfully delivered training in Africa, Central and Eastern Europe and in the Middle East. Results-oriented, he has an easy ability to relate situations to the bottom line.

Frank has professional qualifications in HR, change management and banking.

Recent clients include Crown Agents, ECHG, Ivax Norton, Kings College London, Sussex Enterprise, Business Objects, Northern Counties Housing Association, Ministry of Defence, and Hobark International.

Peter is an experienced learning and development consultant specialising in designing and delivering tailored management and personal development programmes, to delegates at all levels. Peter’s particular interests are in communication skills, leadership, change, performance management, and mentoring & coaching interventions.

An active coach, mentor and facilitator, he believes passionately in making learning powerful and effective, both for individuals and for the benefit of their organisations.

As a course designer Peter uses a range of accelerated learning tools, including Appreciative Inquiry, Solutions Focus, NLP, storytelling, and self-directed learning principles. 

He has both public and private sector experience across a wide range of in the UK and internationally. Peter's background was previously in financial services and the hotel industry, with roles in line management, direct marketing, HRD, and consultancy.

Peter takes his own development seriously and has an MA in Organisational Learning, and NLP diploma, and a recent diploma in Performance Coaching.  He is an active branch member of the CIPD.  He also chairs the board of directors for a highly successful performance arts organisation in the South.

Recent and current clients include: 4C Associates, Domestic & General, American Express Europe, British Airways, Smith Kline Beecham, Ordnance Survey, the DTI, DfES, several local councils and unitary authorities, Symbian technology, Pfizer pharmaceuticals, Norland Facilities Management, Siemens, and the Citizens Advice Bureau.

Madeleine is an experienced Learning and Development Consultant, accredited NLP Practitioner and Performance Coach.

She is highly motivated, enthusiastic and passionate about developing people to their full potential. Her philosophy is that everyone can achieve more if they have the right incentive and support, and she thrives on that challenge.

Madeleine has unique knowledge and experience of integrating staff development into the business which enables her to bring a new perspective to designing training solutions that fit with the people, culture and opportunities of the different organizations she works with.

Having worked for 20 years within a range of public and private sector sales and client related roles, particularly in healthcare and financial services, Madeleine has a special interest in developing customer facing consultants and Managers, including sales skills, communication and influencing, presentation and account management.  Her repertoire also includes team development, performance management, leadership, and a host of other business related skills and behaviours.

For Phoenix, she has been a pivotal person in the delivery and ongoing refinement of the 4-year HSBC retail Network Development Programme, involved from the start and continuing to bring enthusiasm, drive and inspiration to every branch she trains.

Current and recent clients include: Standard Life, Royal Bank of Scotland, Grant Thornton, Trigold, GE, Scottish Widows, HSBC and NFU Mutual.

Angie Reed is a highly experienced consultant specialising in Management and Sales Training as well as negotiation skills, telesales, marketing, man management, customer care and presentation skills training. She has over 20 years corporate experience in sales, training and sales & marketing management in the UK & Europe.

Whilst working for the office equipment multi-national, Pitney Bowes, Angie was responsible for the sales training of all field personnel, as well as the presentation skills and recruitment training of sales managers and trainers.

After a successful sales management career she moved into senior management, heading up the UK Marketing Operation with responsibility for all aspects of the marketing mix.

Angie now works as a consultant specialising in training across all industry sectors. In addition to sales & telesales training and coaching, she has helped clients with marketing, planning and personnel recruitment & development.

Angie’s key skills are in making training fun, accessible and real; bringing reality into the training room whatever the training topic. Her training is highly interactive and geared towards producing results on all levels; motivation through training, with positive results for the individual and the organisation.

Recent clients include: HSBC Bank, NHS (Buckinghamshire PCT), RAF (Marham),

Travis Perkins, Wickes, Quality Systems Solutions, Beyond Ltd, Frankotyp Postalia Ltd, Aspace UK and several telecommunications companies including Dial Associates, FP Telekom and Voice Services Ltd.

Angie is a graduate (BA Hons, Hull University) with a postgraduate Diploma in Marketing (DipM, CIM) and is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (MCIM).

Starting out her career as a lawyer, Claire has a twenty-year track record in levering performance across a broad range of sales, service and management operations within both blue chip commercially driven environments and the public sector.

Claire has a pragmatic approach and works in partnership with individuals, teams and organisations to design, deliver and evaluate work related solutions, which produce tangible business results. She is inspiring, enthusiastic and single-minded in her focus on practical change.

Though she works across a range of industries, Claire has particular expertise in delivering training to organisations involved in Financial Services and Call Centre operations.

She consistently produces sustained results beyond expectations in all markets, leaving participants with increased motivation and desire, whilst ensuring that for the client genuine return on investment remains central to any programme she delivers.

Recent clients include: Royal Bank of Scotland, BMW, Thomas Cook, EDF Energy, HSBC, Abbey & Carphone Warehouse.

Michela is a professional and highly skilled development consultant, with a wide range of experience including design, delivery and evaluation of all levels of sales, management and executive training.

A former Senior Training Consultant for Standard Life, and Training Manager at Prudential Assurance, she is skilled at all levels of engagement within the learning cycle, and brings a joined-up and practical approach to development, with a clear focus on real-world application of learning.

Adaptable, detailed, and highly engaging as a presenter, Michela’s training has achieved many successes for blue-chip clients, through her skilled and dynamic, interactive style, and her balanced attention to both business and individual goals.

On a consultancy basis, she has worked closely with clients to develop talent, resolve business problems and maximise opportunities whilst developing great relationships and illustrating credibility and highly valued expertise. Based in the Lake District, Michela is a valuable asset to Phoenix in the North, and has been a key player in the roll-out of the HSBC retail Network Development Programme.

Recent clients include HSBC, Standard Life, Leeds & Holbeck FS, Prudential Assurance and Bradford & Bingley.

Mandy is a highly skilled, learner-centred facilitator with extensive experience in a wide range of industries including sales, recruitment, contact centres, the travel sector and financial services; she has designed and delivered programmes for junior agents through to CEO’s.

Vivacious and fun, she has enjoyed a successful and varied career, having managed many projects including setting up and developing of contact centres from scratch, and a number of change programmes.

A highly-personable individual, she has a particular aptitude for building lasting relationships with clients and associates. Her mission is to encourage excellence and to that end she has served as a judge for many industry awards including the prestigious Customer Service Trainer of the Year Award. .

Mandy has personally designed a host of creative, behaviour-changing interventions for a wide range of individuals, which consistently achieve outstanding results that last. She is experienced in the use of both the indoors and outdoors as learning environments, and ensures that all learning is experiential.

A highly-skilled personal coach, she is a Master Practitioner in NLP and has recently graduated with a BSc in Psychology. Away from work Mandy has a not-so-secret passion for travelling the world, as well as rock music and rock climbing.

Recent clients include: HSBC, EasyJet, Eurostar, Essex County Council, Siemens, Chrysalis, Charles Tyrwhitt, Bryant Homes, and Disney Retail Stores.

Rachel is an exceptionally well motivated, solution driven business professional with a proven track record and a fantastic enthusiasm for sales.

She has over 14 years of extensive experience in media sales, sales management, business development / publishing, and recruitment / recruitment marketing strategy gained whilst working within the Daily Mail and General Trust.

She has considerable experience training, coaching and mentoring delegates from trainee sales executives through to management level staff.

After leaving the media industry at the top of her game and with a wealth of knowledge & expertise, she now aids others to achieve their ultimate sales/business goals.

All of Rachel’s training is wholly interactive. Her focus lies in making the courses she delivers fun, simple and practical (as well as challenging & focused). She knows, through experience, that delegates are more likely to absorb information and remain enthusiastic if the content is uncomplicated and the atmosphere is upbeat and motivational.

In common with all Phoenix trainers, Rachel is focused on ensuring that individuals finish her training with a clear and relevant approach that can be easily transferred into the work place.

Current clients include ipoints, The Big Issue, Graphic Arts Equipment, Prenax, and Monocle Magazine.