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All the team have experience of working within EU Social Fund, SEEDA or UK
Government Programmes; working as a business mentor with Business Link
Kent on programmes such as Trading Up, Mentoring for Finance, Mentoring for
Success and Space Angels; some team members have delivered workshops for
the Princes Trust; Young Enterprise; and Kent Enterprise Agencies.
The Rickter Scale is a motivational self assessment tool for measuring and
quantifying soft outcomes and movement in personal development which has been
used on some of the above programmes.
Josephine, Ann, Debra, Ray, Tony, David and Peter are all licensed Rickter
practitioners experienced in using this unique tool in previous funded programmes.
David is also a Rickter Associate qualified to train and licence practitioners.
Ray Abinett MIED IEng, HNC mechanical/production, SFEDI Approved
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Ray has worked for over 40 years in the mechanical engineering environment. His experience has been in the automotive, gearing and hydraulics industries. Much of his time has been spent in the process of design management, from initial design to production. Close contact with the customer during the whole process has ensured success of the projects. He has acted in a consultancy capacity to several companies, and carried out part time college lecturing in engineering design. |
Ray has written in partnership, two books on Engineering Design, one of which
is used by the Open University in their Engineering courses.
Ray is experienced in advising on business planning procedures, IT and computer
application. He is also versed on the subject of spread sheets for the purpose of
financial management. He is also qualified to assist in setting up and advising on
Health and Safety standards methods for companies who need this service.
Since 2001 he has worked on ESF funded programmes for Business Link Kent as Mentor, and Business Liaison Officer. During this period the programmes worked on were Mentoring for Success, which assisted companies to become more effective in their procedures; Trading Up, which assisted individuals to start and run their own business and Red Angels, which helped companies set up or improve their Health and Safety procedures. The basis of all this work has been to help companies and individuals become more effective in their working practices
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Tony Andrews HNC, GRSC, C.Chem, FRSC, MCMI
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Tony has worked for over 40 years in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries in a range of senior manufacturing roles, including quality assurance, research and development, plant design and start-up and production management. Over the past 20 years he has managed within an international environment with responsibility for site engineering, environment and health and safety at a strategic level. |
He has wide experience of management accounting and cost control, project evaluation and management; facilities management; product introduction and marketing working with companies based in Europe and the USA
Tony brings to clients a wide blend of business skills focusing on planning, cost control and business efficiency. More recently he has started his own business and has gained hands-on experience of retail.
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David DiCara
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Whether acting as a one to one mentor or consultant, a business trainer or a workshop presenter, David is able draw on his extensive, 35 years of business experience stretching from a family run restaurant, through technical sales & marketing and logistics management to business development and international strategy within a multinational organisation. |
Since 2000, David has run his own consultancy offering business mentoring and training. He has developed and run a number of motivational workshops for start-up businesses and is an experienced presenter on a range of business issues. He has been a delivery partner within an ESF program and a visiting speaker to the University of Cantabria in northern Spain and currently delivers business workshops on behalf of Business Links and Enterprise Agencies.
David is an Associate of the Rickter Company, qualified to train and licence practitioners in the use of the Rickter Scale motivational self assessment tool
Outside of his own business, David has been a trustee and director of a youth befriending charity and a Kendo martial artist. He continues to combine these experiences with his own incisive thinking and challenging nature to bring value to his business activity.
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Debra Edwards DipM
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Debra has worked for over 15 years in the City of London primarily in insurance, affinity and employee benefits sector, where she has successfully managed a number of blue chip clients to deliver profitable and highly regarded schemes and managed the marketing of UK divisions within global organizations. |
In 2005 Debra set up her own marketing business to provide freelance business coaching and marketing support to individuals, small and medium sized businesses and also specializing in the employee benefits sector. Debra has also provided workshops and training on marketing for a wide range of of pre-start up, start-up companies and students. She keeps her knowledge up to date with all the latest innovations in marketing technologies to equip her clients with the best information to succeed.
Debra has strategic vision as well as a "can-do" hands on approach and brings a unique blend of coaching skills and marketing being a Master Results Coach NLP Practitioner.
Josephine Pitcher, BSc (Jt Hons), AMRS |
Josephine started her own market research consultancy in 2001 after working 5 years in inward investment. She offers market research support to start ups, micros and SME businesses in both the public and private sectors. Josephine has an excellent understanding of both qualitative and quantitative research techniques and methodologies. The focus of Josephine’s business offer is to provide the very best advice, design and management of projects to successful conclusion, on time and on budget; and to provide her client’s with a better understanding of their competition, their clients and their own skills, professionally and personally.
Using her skills and knowledge Josephine is able to support business through periods of uncertainty or change. Most recently project managing the first stage of a skills gap analysis for a voluntary organization with over 400 employees going through a 3-year period of change management. This continues with stages 2 and 3.
Josephine has, with a partner organization, been a consultant and programme co-ordinator on a government funded tourism management training programme; a resident and visitor survey; and visiting friends and relations tourism research project. These projects were used in conjunction with Tourism and Civic Pride Strategies to advise and inform the board and senior management.
As previous Chair of Women in Business (Medway & North Kent) she has delivered business workshops and training for women looking to start their own businesses giving them to confidence to move forward with their business ideas. She also delivers a seminar on an MBA Entrepreneurship module at the University of Kent.
Josephine is an Associate Member of the Market Research Society and an NVQ Assessor in the occupational area of Management, with competencies in Customer Service, Business Administration and Team Leading.
Peter L Rooms, HND, BA, MIET, C Eng
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Peter has worked for over 40 years in the electronics, computing and telecommunications marketplace. The past 20 years have been spent in the consulting, public network operator, and technology systems environment. He has successfully managed large military projects for government agencies and developed telecommunications and marketing businesses, in USA, UK and Europe. |
Up to 2002 he provided Consulting and Interim Executive Management services to computing and telecom operating companies, latterly focused on sales, marketing and start-ups.
Peter brings to clients a unique blend of sales & marketing, business strategy, P/L line management and start-up skills. He also lectures on Marketing and Sales techniques and has significant interests in charities.
Since 2003 Peter has spent time on a voluntary basis helping overseas students at Canterbury’s universities with written English work; has also taken two EU Social Fund courses in Business Studies. |
Ann Syme
Ann has 22 years experience working in social security procedures. She has worked as a Mentor with Business Link for the last two years, helping individuals towards starting their own businesses. This was a step by step course where Ann utilised the experience she had gained running her own fresh cake business, which was her own creation. She is a member of Produced in Kent.
Ann has been a volunteer learning champion, helping adults (age 19+) into further education. She has been a secretary for the communities sports council committee, Hawkinge and Folkstone, and is a keen fund raiser.
Her experience with children has enabled her run a youth club for age 8+ for over five years.
Ann brings a wealth of community and business experience to the mentor partnership.
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