The Team

 Kevyn is an innovative consultant and facilitator who specialises in working with individuals and groups, enabling them to think afresh, develop creative responses to organisational problems and translate ideas into action. Kevyn’s experience includes senior management and board experience in a variety of public and private sector organisations from Training and Enterprise Councils through to Heavy Engineering companies.

He is passionate about ideas and how people learn. His creativity extends to music, performing and developing creative places where people can recharge their batteries and think. People choose to work with Kev because he brings a wide range of experience, skill, creativity, understanding and sensitivity to help them deal with tough and complex situations they face.

Iain has a national reputation for supporting the higher and further education sectors to create impact as they respond to contemporary policy agendas. He provides an incisive insight into national issues, making leading contributions to high profile conferences and helping organisations interpret the strategic challenges they face and develop plans to respond effectively. Iain also uses his skills of facilitation, support and challenge in a wide set of circumstances from helping partners to plan strategic futures, providing team building for top teams and leading development programmes and evaluation in the areas of workforce development, innovation and enterprise.

Anne, a former HR Director with a pharmaceutical company has 30 years experience in Development and Training with a proven track record in facilitating change in both the public and private sectors. She is one of KSA’s most sought after facilitators and understands how people learn.

Anne has a unique talent for conveying serious messages with enthusiasm and humour. She helps people to develop skills by challenging the way they think about themselves and others and changing the way that they behave. Above all, Anne delivers noticeable improvements in the practice and performance of those organisations she works with.

Martin Haywood

Emma joined KSA from Newcastle University where she was involved in enterprise, entrepneurship and business development, which involved building relationships with a range of external partners.  She is passionate about working with people and supporting them to develop new ideas and concepts. She gets involved in facilitating and working with groups to develop team-working skills and is perceptive at picking up on group dynamics.  With a research background, she brings an analytical yet creative approach to problem solving and is good at making connections and seeing the bigger picture.  As a natural optimist Emma brings enthusiasm and energy to all projects she works on, but at the same time likes to challenge and clarify exactly what is required and for what purpose. 

Whilst having extensive knowledge of the Higher Education Sector gained from previous management roles within the University of Sunderland, Rob also uses his skills of project management, strategy development and business/service evaluation to support a variety of organisations from local councils to colleges. While Rob's approach is based on the application of keen analytical and evidence based methodologies, he most enjoys the projects that involve close partnership working with the client. One of Rob’s key strengths is his ability to identify simple, practical and creative solutions for complex problems and situations, bringing clarity and focus to the task at hand. Working in various roles within KSA, both leading and supporting a range of multi-disciplinary projects, this ethic is one of reasons many people choose to work with Rob.

Steve was an experienced senior manager in a local authority before he became a consultant. If change and modernisation was happening that is where you would find him - creating, developing, facilitating and implementing new ideas.

Steve applies his broad range of skills and knowledge in research, strategy, development & training and evaluation projects for clients in the public and private sectors. He quickly tunes in to what is going on, bringing things sharply into focus and offering creative and insightful ideas, possibilities and solutions.

Helen's work requires her to remain confidential about her professional life. This essential quality means we can't tell you who she's worked for, but we can tell you that she is an experienced marketer and researcher working across a variety of sectors and markets.

Her work spans Marketing Planning - developing business and brand strategies for customers, and Research. Helen uses both qualitative and quantitative approaches in research, with a range of methodologies. Accustomed to using focus groups, face to face interviews, employee surveys, mystery shopping and customer satisfaction questionnaires, Helen has many ways to find out what she needs to know. Her findings are always honest, reliable, professional, trustworthy and useful.

Her past experience includes research in Branding, Advertising, Packaging, Food and Drink and a range of Private and Public organisations. In short, Helen is an experienced problem solver with a track record to prove it

Becky is currently on maternity leave.

Sue has a flexible approach and juggles managing the office with consultancy and support for the team. She is a lively communicator with an informal approach to managing people, developed through many years as Regional Manager in fashion retail. Very much a 'do it now!' person, she can be relied upon to get things done quickly and creatively. Sue is passionate about style, branding and marketing, honed while working for a Design Agency and  then qualifying for membership of the Chartered Institute of Marketing. Sue is highly trained in finance and administrative systems and oversees the office functions, but her favourite job is to spread the word about KSA's successes so far and seek out future opportunities for the team.

Becky is a logical thinker and thrives on solving problems always aiming for innovative, creative solutions. She likes to be challenged and is highly flexible which can be seen in her many roles within The KSA Partnership, from consultancy to managing finance systems and considering the branding and business development strategy of the company. With a background in Marketing, Becky’s passion lies with brands and understanding factors that influence behaviour. She enjoys working alongside others to develop ideas and is an  energetic member of the team. 

Lois joined KSA in 2008 to support the office operations and act as PA for the Directors and Consultants.  Her varied career provides great flexibility and a multi-skilled approach. Lois worked in banking before becoming a qualified Learning Mentor for 11-17 year olds. After working in education Lois acted as a sales negotiator and then as a bankruptcy counsellor.

This wide range of skills gives you an indication of what it is like to work with Lois. Her efficiency and meticulous approach make her a great administrator. Lois has exceptional telephone skills and will probably be the first person you speak to when you call KSA. Lois is a brilliant organiser and makes sure the Directors' diaries are up to date and she is the lynch pin of communications in the office  enjoying the challenge of keeping the consultants up to date and well informed.

Dave brings sharp insights and extensive knowledge to help clients achieve what they want or need, because he has been around for quite a while! He is able to simplify complex stuff and convey it in straightforward language, and can quickly build enthusiastic working relationships with individuals, teams and diverse groups.

Ross provides research and IT services to The KSA Partnership. He has his own design business, boulder-design, and is responsible for this website along with the online surveys that we run for some of our projects. Ross Hume is the lead designer at Boulder Design. He has an extensive background in the world of social research and management consultancy. He has also travelled widely and been involved in volunteer projects around the world. All this gives Boulder a real-life basis for its work: we are not in the business of showing off artistic skills or designing for design's sake.

Denise Taylor

Bob Bell.

Alistair Bowden