About me

My career began in 2002 in retail, where I spent over a decade progressing from General Assistant to Deputy Manager. It was a fast-paced, high‑volume environment where safety, operational discipline and people leadership weren’t abstract ideas — they were daily realities. Managing teams of up to 80 people taught me how to keep workplaces safe, calm and consistent without adding unnecessary complexity. It also gave me a deep respect for the pressures frontline teams face and the importance of making compliance practical, not theoretical.

In 2015 I moved into education, taking on the role of Business Manager at an academy trust. Overnight, I went from a single retail site to responsibility for three school environments — each with its own risks, estates challenges and operational quirks. During this time I completed Premises Management training, which strengthened my understanding of statutory responsibilities and the realities of managing school estates.

In 2018 I stepped into a Trust-wide role as Estates Manager for a multi academy trust, overseeing health and safety across 16 schools. This was a significant step in my career, and it’s where I completed the NEBOSH General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety. NEBOSH formalised the practical safety leadership I’d already been delivering and deepened my understanding of risk, incident investigation and proportionate controls. It became the foundation for the Trust‑wide systems I later implemented — systems that achieved excellent external audit results and 100% statutory compliance.

Most recently, as Head of Estates & Commercial I was responsible for a high-profile public venue with complex estates, events, contractors and emergency planning requirements. While in this role, I completed the Help to Grow Management programme, strengthening my strategic and commercial approach. Leading both Facilities and Events teams has reinforced something I’ve believed for years: good governance is about clarity, communication and proportionate controls — not noise, fear or bureaucracy.

Across a quarter of a century in retail, education and public environments, the pattern has been the same: when people understand what matters and why, safety becomes part of the job, not an interruption to it. GroundUp Compliance exists to bring that clarity to the organisations I now support.