AVOCETS CONSULTING - Key Persons
Andrew is a widely experienced writer, trainer and actor. After studying classics at Oxford he trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and has since worked with luminaries such as Sir Alec Guinness and Kevin Spacey. He lived in Germany for six years where he played leading roles in musical theatre and co-starred with Dirk Bach.
For the past three years he has been working as a senior consultant and trainer at Avocets Consulting where he has trained CEOs, managers, engineers, lawyers, politicians, architects and other executives from a variety of business sectors. Because of his background in performance Andrew has specialised in pronunciation, body language and voice projection.
He has edited two theatre books and published five children's books with Hodder and Random House. Andrew speaks English and German.
John was born and raised in Hawaii before coming to the UK where he studied English and American literature. He then moved to Spain where he lived for 13 years as a teacher of business English, teacher trainer and Director of Studies before starting his own language school.
On his return to London he became a lecturer at Thames Valley University where he specialised in teacher training, intercultural communication and pronunciation skills. He has designed, developed and delivered intercultural communications courses for the Council of Europe. More recently he has been involved in publishing, working in Latin America, Europe and South East Asia.
He has written four books on the subject of learning English. John speaks English, Spanish and German.
Kate is a communication skills trainer and actress with 10 years' experience in the international corporate sector in London.
She specialises in the effective use of the voice and body language in presentation skills training. She has a BA in Acting from London's Central School of Speech and Drama, and is an experienced actress in theatre, television and film.
Since graduating from the MA Voice Studies course, at Central, she has established herself as a visiting voice lecturer at drama schools, and continues to deliver voice and communication skills courses in the business environment. Kate's pursuit of excellence in her field is underpinned by her enthusiasm and confidence. She is passionate about helping clients to achieve their full potential in effective communication to meet the needs of their respective working environment.
Her client portfolio includes Allen & Overy, Lovell's and Herbert Smith, BP, Statoil, McKinsey & Co, Barclay's Wealth and Bank of America.
Simon has an MA in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from Oxford University.
His first job after Oxford was working as a Senior Account Manager at the advertising agency, Young and Rubicam, where he worked on HJ Heinz, Legal & General and British Gas.
He then trained to become a professional actor and has appeared in everything from feature films to shows in London's West End. He has a wide range of writing and directing experience, in both the commercial sector as well as for television, film and radio (BBC and Channel 4). He coaches organisations internationally and in the UK, developing and delivering courses up to board and trustee level.
Simon specialises in communication skills including, storytelling, persuasive writing, social media, brand development, feedback and crucial conversations.
Recent clients that Simon has worked with include PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank, HSBC, Shell, Liberal Democrats (National Party), Institute of Education, University of Surrey, Camden Council, Lambeth Council, Redbridge Council and Moody's.
Victoria was born in Wales. In the course of her career she has worked in Sweden, Germany, Belgium and Austria. She currently resides in Spain and London. She trained as an actress and has worked in the world of theatre, film and TV for 30 years.