The People 1st Team
The People 1st team is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the company.
The following lists each of the departments within People 1st, along with specific job roles. To contact a member of the People 1st team, please call 01895 817000
Executive Team
Brian Wisdom - Chief Executive
Brian Wisdom has been chief executive officer of People 1st since November 2004.
He is responsible for promoting the company's work at the heart of the skills agenda in the UK. This includes representing the sector and its needs to Government, its agencies and learning providers.
Brian is also a non-executive director on the board of the National Skills Academy for Hospitality and has extensive industrial experience in the sector, having previously held senior roles at Grand Metropolitan, Whitbread and Six Continents PLC (now Mitchells and Butlers), and strategic consultancy experience at Post Office Ltd.
Brian is also closely involved in a number of bodies working towards a successful 2012 for the tourism industry.
Simon Tarr - Chief Operating Officer
Simon joined People 1st in 2005 as finance director and company secretary. In 2009, his role was expanded to chief operating officer.
As a member of the executive team, Simon provides the strategic overview and management of the operational and financial performance of People 1st's current and future activities.
Simon is also a trustee and member of the investment committee for the ITB Pension Scheme – a multi-company pension scheme with assets of circa £600 million.
Chief Executive's Office
- Phil Raynsford - Strategic Programmes Director
Read biography - Sally Russell - Executive Assistant
Finance & Administration Team
Finance:
- Sabira Kanji - Director of Finance
Read biography - Shahid Khan - Management Accountant
- Maureen Webster - Accounts Assistant
- Yvonne Plock - Accounts Assistant
- Rahul Shah - Assistant Accountant
- Sharon Garcha - Assistant Accountant
Human Resources:
- Roisin Boyer - HR Manager
Administration:
- Jenny Bech - Office Manager
- Amina Siddiqui - Administration Assistant
- Lucy Plock - Administration Assistant
- Lorraine Birrell - Administration Assistant (Scotland)
Research & Policy Team
- Martin-Christian Kent - Research and Policy Director
Read biography
Vocational Policy and Qualifications
- Ruth Asker-Browne - Head of Vocational Policy
- Gyles Haverty - Senior Vocational Policy Manager
- Sophia Nicola - Vocational Policy and National Occupational Standards (NOS) Manager
- Kat Thayer - Vocational Policy and Qualifications Manager
Research:
- Faye Chua - Head of Reseearch
- Karen Roberts - Research Manager
- Alastair Galbraith - Senior Research Executive
- Maciej Bugala - Research Executive
Nations:
- Roisin McKee - Head of Northern Ireland
- Catherine Mawdesley - Project Officer (Northern Ireland)
- David Allen - Head of Scotland
- Kate Slater - Scotland Policy Manager
- Bryan Roderick - Head of Wales
- John Humphreys - Project Manager
People 1st Training Company
- Sharon Glancy - Director - People 1st Training Company Read biography
- Simon Kitto - Head of Sales
- Annabel Thomson - Operations Manager (currently on maternity leave)
- Chris Jefferies - Train To Gain Compact Manager
- Dan Power - Strategic Manager (Diversity)
- Gerry Brown - Strategic Manager (Pre-Employment)
- Linda Greenwood - Training Manager
- Ruth Mills - Client Relations Manager
- Zack Anderson - Corporate Sales Manager
- Richard Smith - Client Relations Executive
- Nicola Ward - Senior Operations Executive
- Eleanor Cooper - Training Division Co-ordinator
- Joanne Mason - Training Division Co-ordinator
Communications and Marketing
- Lesley Potter - Communications Director (job share)
Read biography - Jacqui Christian - Communications Director (job share)
- Oksana Higglesden - Communications Manager
- Liz Espana - Marketing Manager
- Lara Wisdom - Communications Executive
- Luke Palmer - CRM Database Co-ordinator
Information, Advice and Guidance
- Simone Roche - Director - Information and Guidance
Read biography - Emily McDonald - Project Manager
- Joanne Parker - Project Manager
National Skills Academy For Hospitality
- Mark Maltby - Programme Director
