Renée Wallen
BSc (Hons) PGCpsE DipELS CertSS CertHm

Renée started the business in 1998, diversifying from a career path in corporate sales and retail buying. Her consultancy expertise covers a broad field, with a specialism in staff training and development - in particular, effective communication skills and marketing strategies. For the past 16 years she has been instrumental in helping government bodies and private companies to revamp literature, establish branding and  abolish gobbledygook, a seemingly never ending task.  She has successfully helped organisations to gain national quality awards such as Investors in People and ISO accreditation and she has lectured extensively on alcohol awareness.  Much of her time now is spent writing SEO web content and blogs - a sign of the times.  But her best job so far: an afternoon escorting Bob Geldof around an education fair.  And the worst? Dressing up as a giant teddy bear to educate kids!!
 
Within the community Renée teaches computing skills in adult education and provides advice and guidance to jobseekers.  She's a qualified life coach, a director of a therapy centre for people with neurological conditions and is a member of the national advisory panel for families of young stroke victims.  She keeps busy baking blueberry muffins for her family, learning the guitar (for 25 years - can nearly play a tune...), singing and dancing around London with the flashmob choir, and getting beaten at table tennis. A published poet, a novel is the next plan... The idea's there but finding the time to get it down on paper in between working, completing a masters degree (final year now!) and playing scrabble on Facebook (she's addicted!!) is a tiny bit difficult. 
 
Maybe her own time management course would help...

Renée@imaginativetraining.com
Follow me on Twitter: @WeekendWitch

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Gordon A Hobbs

Gordon spent many successful years in retail management, specialising in both sales and customer service, with a strong leaning towards staff training. Then, several years ago, he reinvented himself and set up his own business which now provides a variety of bespoke services to the local community, including custom made workshops for both children and adults in a wide range of subjects. He describes that decision as ‘a calculated madness’ but is pleased to admit that he’s never been happier.

If Gordon were a cricketer, he would certainly be considered a true all-rounder by now!  Actually, he is more into football, having recently retired after 16 years as a Premier League Steward dealing with troublesome fans on a regular basis (we won’t mention which grounds…). Also, (and he accepts he should know better at his age…), Gordon still plays the 5 and 7-a-side versions of the game, when he’s not injured! It is not surprising then to find plenty of footie references in his training material!  

More recently he has turned his hand to creative writing in its various forms. This can be anything from speeches to stand-up comedy, including several poems and articles which have been published in magazines and the national press. As well as all this, Gordon has designed a fun and lively board game that we aim to develop this year and maybe get in the shops for Christmas. Here’s hoping!

Gordon@imaginativetraining.com

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Mark Norden
FCA, FSBP

Mark is living the dream! After qualifying in 1989 he promptly set off for Bermuda, where he spent two years riding the surf and barbecuing fish – as well as working with Ernst & Young, who were then the largest accountancy practice in the world. He returned to the UK in 1992, tanned and enthusiastic, to set up his first accountancy practice in Essex.

Mark has also owned and run a number of commercial businesses, including an independent record label, a Salsa mail order company, and a video editing organisation.  He has specialised in buying distressed companies and turning them around to create fast and steady profits. This is what differentiates him from most accountants, as the experience he gained instilled a valuable understanding of risk, strategy and the emotional demands of success and failure. He is sensitive to the problems his clients may face, as he's been in that boat - sinking business, not another reference to his sunny days in flowery shorts! He knows first-hand the pitfalls that can make a business succeed or fail miserably.  With this variety of experience and his positive outlook on life and business, he is able to provide a complete strategic business planning consultancy package to clients.

In his spare time Mark attempts a lot of things which he's never properly mastered, such as golf (he last played well in 2001) and speaking French (fluently, apparently, after drinking alcohol)!

Mark runs our Accounting for small businesses workshop and provides Strategic Business Planning services.

Mark@imaginativetraining.com

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