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Dawn Bowes, Senior Account Manager
Following a career in the hospitality industry that took her to France and Cyprus, Dawn joined us in 2001 having spent her entire working life involved in customer service. In 2003 she became Operations Manager, and in 2007 she became our Senior Account Manager. Never happier than when meeting new people, Dawn is also a regular guest at local schools, where her fun and interactive language workshops are a big hit with children of all ages.

 

Carolyn Burgess, Chief Executive
Although Carolyn’s ambition had always been to become a police officer, an abseiling accident on a police cadet training course forced a change in career plans. After moving into retail security, first with Miss Selfridge and later with Esselte Meto, she discovered a passion for training and development. This led her to join us in 1995, becoming Managing Director in 1997 and Chief Executive in 2003. A strong advocate of the idea that companies can make a positive contribution to the lives of local people, Carolyn is the driving force behind our community projects.

 
Martin Burgess, ICT Manager
With more than 20 years’ experience in the fields of electronics, electrical engineering and software development, Martin’s goal is to keep us at the forefront of information and communications technology (ICT). Since joining the company in 1999, his list of responsibilities has expanded to include web development, network administration, software writing and our migration from Windows to Linux. Outside of work, Martin’s interests include archery and photography. He is also a DIY wizard, having built everything from tree houses to chicken coops.
 
Carol Curtis, Managing Director
After having spent most of her childhood in South Africa, Carol began her management career in the restaurant division of the hospitality group Whitbread. She joined us in 1998 as Operations Manager, with particular responsibility for developing the company’s fledgling telephone interpreting service. In 2000 she set up us’s regional headquarters in Yorkshire and, the following year, oversaw the relocation of the entire organisation to the new office. Full of energy and down-to-earth, Carol is a firm believer in leading by example. She was appointed Managing Director in 2003.
 
Sue Daddy, Operations Team
“Every day I come here, I learn something new about languages and culture. There’s always something that makes me think, ‘Oh, I didn’t know that.’ It’s made me so much more aware of what’s going on in the world.” Joining us in 2001 was a considerable career change for Sue, who had previously spent 20 years working as a technician in the photographic industry. She was born in Howden, us’s hometown, and retains an incredible affection for the neighbourhood. “It’s a lovely old-fashioned town,” she says. “It’s a little York.”
 

Catherine Gardner, Operations Team
After graduating from the University of Sunderland with a degree in media production, Catherine became a member of our operations team in 2006. With a passion for travel and adventure, one of the things she likes best about working with us is that it helps her understanding of geography, language and culture. Having already backpacked through most of eastern Europe, Asia and North America, Catherine is looking forward to exploring the rest of the world, with South America currently at the top of her list.

   

Graham Jones, Company Secretary
Graham studied astrophysics at the University of London and spent three years teaching English in Argentina, the Congo, Indonesia, Mexico, New Zealand and Turkey. He joined us in 1999 in a sales and marketing role, and was appointed Company Secretary in 2002. Since 2003, Graham has been a full-time 'homeworker', carrying out his job in locations ranging from Berkshire to Spain to Japan.

 
Christine Mitchell, Operations Team
When Christine joined us in 2005, she didn t have to move very far: she had spent the previous seven years in the next-door building working for the Press Association news agency. She was involved in the Press Association s events listings service, supplying information to national and regional newspapers, broadcasters, online publishers and other organisations. Outside of the office, Christine s principal interest is motorbikes - she rides pillion on an 1100cc BMW and is a passionate supporter of the Hull Vikings speedway team.
 
Neil Moor, Operations Team
Before joining us in 2001, Neil had already enjoyed a long and diverse career on the frontline of customer services. At Spring Ram, for example, a kitchen manufacturer based in Scunthorpe, he managed relations with the DIY chain Homebase and provided after-sales support directly to Homebase customers. A keen and knowledgeable sports fan, Neil’s interests include football and motor racing. He supports Rushden & Diamonds FC and Goole AFC, and is down on the terraces at Goole’s sunny Victoria Pleasure Grounds most Saturday afternoons.
 
Colin Pepler, National Sales Manager
The motto of the Royal Air Force ground crew is "improvise, adapt and overcome". This means that Colin, who served as an engineer with the RAF for 13 years, from the north of Scotland to the South Atlantic, is perfectly qualified to meet the challenges of being our National Sales Manager. He left the service in 2002 to pursue a business career, and he is one of the few people in our company (in fact, the only person) to have earned world ranking points for slalom skiing.
 

Helen Round, Operations Team
What’s the best way to prepare for a job in our operations team? Helen was an assistant manager at a pub before she joined us in 2006, and says that this experience has been invaluable to her in her new work: “You have to be good at communication, you have to enjoy being busy, you have to get on well with everyone, and you have to be ready for anything.” Having lived and worked all over the UK and beyond – from Scotland to Tenerife – Helen’s long-term ambition is to run her own bar overseas.

 
Audra Verpetinskaite, Accounts Team
Audra is from Lithuania, the largest of the three Baltic republics in north-east Europe. She was born and grew up in the northern city of Šiauliai, which is famed for its 'Hill of Crosses'. After graduating from university with a degree in economics, Audra worked in Lithuania for two years before moving to the UK in 2004. She joined our accounts team in 2006, and is currently studying for a qualification from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.
 
Bev Williams, Accounts Manager
Bev went to college in Goole and Hull, where her studies included business, computers and art. Before joining us in 2000, she worked as a quality control officer for Van Dijk Nurseries, a crop growing and pre-packaging company based in East Yorkshire. Originally a member of us’s Operations Team, Bev quickly proved to have a flair for accounts, and she was appointed to manage this area of the business in 2001. Away from the office, her interests include arts and crafts, where she specialises in jewellery-making.

 

 
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