Team Biographies
Our people are among the most talented in the industry. It would be our pleasure to put our extensive experience to work for you.
The People
Pat Cross, a Managing Consultant, is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, and holds post-graduate qualifications in both HRM and HRD. He is a qualified PRINCE2 Practitioner.
His expertise is with public and third sector organisations; planning change, evaluations, grants administration and skills development projects.
Pat also prepares project plans and proposals; to the LSC, Arts Council, DWP and to the EU transnational funds
Steve Chapman, also a Managing Consultant, has over twenty years of devising and managing operational systems, projects and delivery teams. He has proven expertise in funding and fundraising, strategy and business planning and has extensive knowledge of the film and media sectors.
Steve provides management development and business planning advice and support which clarifies objectives, attracts investment and maximises impact. He develops projects and programmes of activity which are attractive to funders and are fit for purpose.
GECKO works with a small team of Associate Consultants, who are assigned to tasks according to their expertise. Our experts have worked as senior managers in FE, as sector leads for public sector agencies, and as European bid-authors and in contract compliance assurance.
Associate Consultants
Susi O'Neill - digital media products and markets
Unus Goga - third sector governance, equality and diversity
Andy Stowe - EU funding, and youth and sports
Miguel Dean - coaching and mentoring
Mike Owen - radio, communications and events
Frances Longley - market and audience development
Clive Peacock - management and marketing
Pete Ashton - social media use and development
Andy Blakemore - start-up business development
Shaun Adams - project development, control and assurance
Elaine Hedley - operational human resource management
Brian Moakes - quality improvement and preparing for Ofsted inspections
Dave Aldred - HR investigations and solutions, and succession planning
Susi O'Neill
Sector experience - ten years digital content production in music, radio and TV (multimedia, e-commerce, e-marketing), business coaching for digital and creative businesses, regional development for media sector.
Achievements - establishing profitable e-commerce site and IPTV channel, development and delivery of major public sector projects in digital skills, creative industries workspaces, business support to creative sector.
Benefits to the sectors - organisation development, business planning, innovation, product research and development, digital marketing/content strategies, leadership coaching, skills and training reviews.
Unus Goga
Sector experience - supporting third sector organisations in the creative industries sector to develop organisational structures.
Achievements - supporting creative industries projects to deliver outputs and outcomes to improve access for disadvantaged groups into the industry.
Benefits to the sectors - employment strategies, skills development and organisation development.
Andy Stowe
Sector experience - after managing complex projects in manufacturing and service industries, has worked in a development role with the third sector, providing technical assistance and policy advice on the European Structural Funds and Transnational programmes.
Achievements - developed and delivered well over 100 training sessions and policy seminars regarding EU funded projects. Successful in bidding for and managing funds from ESF and ERDF, LSC, Advantage West Midlands, Sport England and the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Benefits to the sectors - high level experience in developing both policy and programmes alongside statutory colleagues.
Miguel Dean
Sector experience - twelve years experience of facilitating learning with public sector managers, education professionals and young people; specialising in coaching, behaviour management and understanding how to create the best conditions for learning.
Achievements - designing, creating, delivering and managing a range of courses from accredited qualifications to bespoke programmes specifically designed to maximise the potential for learning within a variety of public sector organisations.
Benefits to the sectors - embedding a coaching culture within organisations, understanding the essentials of working with vulnerable learners; the importance of raising self esteem and motivation in order to bring about sustainable positive change for individuals and organisations.
Mike Owen
Sector Experience – thirty years in the broadcast industry primarily working in radio at a senior level, over twelve years providing services for the media industry as well as creating and developing media training courses at all levels, supporting major music events across the UK, developing new businesses in the realm of internet broadcasting.
Achievements – several major UK media awards for production, promotion – managing the media for a number of the radio industry’s highest profile campaigns, longest serving Chairman of the Television and Radio Industries Club.
Benefits to the sectors – significant experience in management and training, high quality techniques for improving organisational communication and strategies for business development in the creative field.
Frances Longley
Sector Experience - sixteen years experience across the creative industries incorporating film, media, theatre, visual arts and music. Proven expertise in marketing, communications, fundraising, senior management, strategic planning, and organisational development.
Achievements - successes in developing and retaining audiences at a major regional arts centre. Strategic planning and organisational development for award-winning regional organisations. Over £6 million raised from the statutory, corporate and trust sectors, and from individual giving programmes. Mentoring and developing staff, from new graduates to senior managers.
Benefits to the Sectors – addressing of the challenges and opportunities facing small, medium and large organisations in the creative industries and not-for-profit sectors. Successful combination of strategic development and practical steps to achieve tangible results.
Clive Peacock
Sector experience – thirty years in both private and public sector organizations with The Industrial Society, Prudential plc, regeneration consultancies and a large number of charitable organizations and small businesses.
Achievements – implementation and facilitation of large change programmes in the private sector; ten years teaching and development work in Higher Education; successful introduction of supervisory and management development in a large number of public sector and charitable organizations.
Benefits to sectors – strategic interventions at senior management level, coaching and mentoring at all levels; using NLP and psychometric testing to enable individuals and organizations.
Pete Ashton
Sector experience - ten years hands-on experience in social media and blogging as the medium evolved and matured.
Achievements - developed the award winning Created in Birmingham weblog.
Benefits to the sectors - gives clarity to understanding about the Internet from a social perspective, and supports clients to understand the environment they are working in.
Andy Blakemore
Sector Experience – twenty years management experience, with nine years providing Business Enterprise Support to SMEs. Latterly, Andy has specialised in the Creative Industries.
Achievements – providing 'early days' trading support to over 100 new SME's. Conducted Business Awareness presentations and workshops, along with training and tutoring of recognised vocational qualifications.
Benefits to sectors – business research & planning, pre and post-start enterprise development, market research, legal obligations, financial planning, paths to finance, Investigation of practical alternative methods of bringing services/product to market.
Shaun Adams
Sector experience - fifteen years experience of managing complex and diverse projects across the manufacturing, engineering, automotive, retail, leisure and public sectors.
Achievements - successful bid writing and submission, of over £30 million of workforce and business development funding from EU and UK agencies. Production of inward investment projects encompassing land acquisition, workforce recruitment, skills training and new qualification delivery.
Benefits to sector - creating, enabling and enhancing public/private partnerships in line with UK government policy.
