Each of our consultants also has a personal coaching practice.

Jonathan Geard-Beney, Managing Director

Jonathan’s wealth of knowledge in Management Development spans over 15 years.

Throughout his career, Jonathan has been involved in the design and delivery of learning events and materials. He has worked with a range of household name companies providing management, team and leadership development, with specific individual development such as personal coaching, presentation and facilitation skills.

Jonathan's career in industry includes working for Tesco, Exel Logistics and as an Account Manager for Leading Edge.  He has run his own Consultancy since 1995.

He is a personal tutor to and trainer of the CIPD Certificate in Training Practice and is currently a local CIPD group committee member.

Jonathan has a BA (Hons) degree in Business Studies and has studied and qualified as a Trainer and Master Practitioner of Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP). 

He is a BPS recognised user of Psychometric testing instruments

(level A and B) as well as being MBTI trained.

In all his work he brings enthusiasm and a real desire to help people transform themselves through learning. 

Lesley Ronayne, Business Manager 

Lesley has had over 20 years of  experience in the Business sector.  Working mainly within sectors of British Rail and latterly with the British Rail Pension Trustee Company managing the Works of Art Portfolio.  During that time Lesley acquired a broad range of skills and knowledge in client relationships and business management.

Lesley has worked with Jonathan and the Difference team for 10 years and brings extraordinary skill and patience in managing the procedures of running the business.  Lesley also enjoys the varied and often challenging work.

Jamie Rowland, Lead Consultant

After graduating from Durham, Jamie furthered his education at RMA Sandhurst, focussing on leadership theory and first hand practice.  From here he moved to London as a recruitment consultant working with predominantly blue chip clients, before deciding to specialise in training and development.  He took up a position in the training team of one of the ‘Big Four’ professional service firms initially managing the delivery of training courses and revising the graduate induction processes, before working in a learning consultant role to the Corporate Finance division.  During this time he also designed and managed a Facilitator Development Programme which became adopted by all the global member firms. 

His next role was as the National Training Manager for a major plc which provides a 24 hour emergency home response service for domestic mishaps.  A large focus of this role revolved around the challenge of attracting and retaining talent at all levels.  Strategies included the introduction of manager development programmes including internal and external assessment centres, the creation of a programme to develop trainee engineers, and work at the plc board level around benchmarking leadership to help the company progress its ambition to move from FTSE 250 to FTSE 100.

Jamie has a Post Graduate Diploma in Training & HRM and is a BPS recognised user of Psychometric testing instruments.

He has a particular interest in the human dynamics of leadership and talent management, and enjoys helping leaders at all levels to unlock the potential of themselves and their teams to achieve or exceed their business goals.

Roy Scott, Principal Consultant

From an early background of Sales and Sales Management Training within a global IT company, he moved into being a successful practitioner of his own theories.  For the past 20 years he has held senior Sales and Business management positions within Information Technology and Communications blue chip companies.

Particular successes include:

• Setting up and running a company wide Training & Development organisation for a franchise  operation and running the franchise division thereafter.
• Developing a radically new and fast track sales training and development programme for the whole of NCR..

Over the whole of this time he was a very successful Sales and Business Manager who, by his own admission, exceeded his targets by following his own principles of right things right – right first time, especially in developing and managing people.

Since becoming a Consultant his particular successes include:

• Providing personal coaching to a number of Company Directors based on content coaching to assist them in their personal development within a changing environment and managing a changing set of responsibilities. In one case in particular the Executive Committee of a newly formed group of companies after a Merger and Acquisition.
• Providing personal coaching to enable individuals to move forward with confidence with their new ideas and plans.

Much of the above has been based on Neuro Linguistic Programming techniques that Roy uses as a Licensed Practitioner of N.L.P.

Andie Hemming, Associate Consultant

Andie has extensive experience of senior management development and executive coaching in a competitive commercial environment.  Energetic and creative, Andie has a proven track record in designing, evaluating, building and supporting effective, enjoyable management and personal development programmes.

Andie is a certified Master Practitioner and Trainer in Neuro-Linguistic-Programming (NLP), a highly effective approach to understanding and changing personal behaviour.

Andie is also accredited by the British Psychological Society to perform psychometric testing and analysis; for example: 16pf and Myers Briggs.

She has worked extensively in Retail Management and held senior training roles as well as management positions.

Hilary Barnett, Associate Consultant

Following a successful career in the field of management development and human resources within the financial and retail sector, Hilary is now a management consultant, trainer, executive and personal coach.

Hilary has worked internationally, designing and developing the human resources function for a major international bank in Thailand.  The divergence in cultural outlook led her to write her MA dissertation in cultural diversity and the impact on global organisations.

Through her consultancy role Hilary specialises in the field of leadership and presenting and applies this in her work with individuals, teams and organisations.  She also designs and runs management development and training programmes to effect change business, applying a practical approach to NLP within the business world.  She has recently lead a cultural change programme for a major UK corporate, bringing four diverse organisations into one, this work involves coaching an extensive range of executives and staff as well as team building.

Hilary models what she incorporates within organisations using empathy, rapport building and coaching to take a client where they want to go.

Hilary holds an MA in Human Resource and is a Master Practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic-Programming (NLP), and registered BPS test user.

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