PETER EAST ASSOCIATES - Key Persons


Graham Smith

Graham began his career with a major British airline, working in both the importing and training departments. He later worked as Operations Training Manager for a major courier company. Graham has been working with Peter East Associates for over 20 years and delivers courses in Dangerous Goods by Air, Road and Sea, as well as the Carriage of Radioactive Materials and Infectious Substances, and specialist courses such as Lithium Batteries and Category 9. Graham is a qualified Dangerous Goods Safety Adviser

Hayley Culver DGSA

Hayley has spent 20 years in the logistics industry. She has 19 years of experience with a multi-national logistics leader where she was responsible for the implementation and development of the UK dangerous goods infrastructure, as well as heading up the UK Restricted Commodities Group for the last nine years. Hayley is experienced in the transport of dangerous goods by air, road and sea and has been a DGSA for over 12 years. Hayley delivers air, road and sea training as well as some of our specialised courses including lithium batteries. She also acts as a DGSA for a number of customers.

John Charlton DGSA

John is an experienced Dangerous Goods professional having worked in management roles within third party logistics providers in the petrochemicals sector for over 35 years. He has worked with large third-party logistics providers, working alongside major petrochemical organisations to fulfil and develop their supply chain needs. As well as operational experience he has gained significant dangerous goods consultancy experience within the petrochemicals sector including projects throughout the UK and Middle East including Dubai, Bahrain and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Keith Gray DGSA

Keith's background is road transport. He started his career as a Sub-Contractor Planner for a large third party logistics company. After operational roles, he joined FTA (now Logistics UK) and spent 12 years at the organisation. He spent the last 6 years there as General Manager where he was involved in training, audits and standards. Keith left Logistics UK in 2020 and is now a DGSA and freelance trainer, delivering dangerous goods courses on Road, Sea and Air. As a qualified Instructional Designer, he believes that vocational training should be inclusive, relevant and engaging.

Maria Gorrara

Maria worked for British Airways for 18 years, where she delivered training courses to delegates from airlines, freight forwarders and manufacturers of hazardous goods. She specialises in dangerous goods and radioactive training, but has also delivered courses in a number of other areas including behavioural training and the handling and storage of livestock on board aircraft. Maria left BA in 2003 and now delivers Dangerous Goods by Air courses for Peter East Associates.

Mike Gordge

Job Titles:
  • Specialist
Mike has been working with international freight for over 40 years. He has extensive knowledge as a result of working for global logistics companies as an Operations Manager based out of London Heathrow and later as a National Training Consultant. Mike is a specialist trainer in the safe transportation of dangerous goods by air.

Nicholas Mohr DGSA

Nicholas had a background in international transport before joining Peter East Associates fifteen years ago. He is now a director of the company and combines those responsibilities with the delivery of training courses. Nicholas is the author of Distribution for the Small Business (Kogan Page) and co-editor of Essential Facts: Export (Gee) as well as a member of the Chartered Institute of Transport. He is a Tutor on the Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Air and the Carriage of Infectious Substances by Air courses. Nicholas is a qualified Dangerous Goods Safety Adviser, and qualified as a Master of Business Administration (MBA).

Richard Masters DGSA

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Institute
Richard's first contact with transport was in ship's agencies in the UK and port development projects in the Middle East. He established the dangerous goods management system at the Port of Felixstowe and afterwards was the port's manager responsible for safety of dangerous goods transiting by road, rail and sea. Then during a stint with London marine underwriters that included work in the Far East, he wrote "Book it Right and Pack it Tight" a guide book for shippers to the IMDG Code which is endorsed by container shipping lines. The next ten years were spent working in the UK for Mediterranean Shipping Company (UK) as their UK DGSA and safety manager for their container haulage fleet, warehouse and landside terminal operations. A long-time resident of Felixstowe, Richard is a member of the Institute of chartered shipbrokers and a chartered member of IOSH. He has been on the BIFA dangerous goods advisory group for many years and is a committee member of the BADGP.

Sue Banner DGSA

Sue began in 1987 working for a major international carrier both as an ADR driver and later as Quality Control Manager (Operations) enabling the company to remain compliant in all aspects of the transport regulations, in particular, the Carriage of Dangerous Goods. In 2003 Sue became a Training Officer to developed and delivered a wide range of compliance courses and training interventions for the operations and engineering teams throughout the UK and Europe. Sue us now a freelance DGSA and has extensive knowledge in the regulations for the Carriage of Dangerous Goods by road, air and sea and experience in delivering this subject to consignors, operators, and DGSA's both in the UK and abroad.

Sue Lee

Sue Lee is a healthcare supply chain professional with extensive experience shipping clinical and specialty commercial drugs, and clinical samples. She brings passion and commitment to ensuring supplies reach their destination in perfect condition to ensure continuity and quality care for patients, and to ensure dangerous goods move safely throughout the supply chain. Sue is a Dangerous goods Safety Adviser and is also qualified for the movement of hazardous waste.

Tina Virdee-Basra

Tina spent 13 years with a major operator in both HR and training roles. She has been working with Peter East Associates for over 10 years and presents Dangerous Goods by Air courses. However, she is also qualified to train in the Carriage of Radioactive Material and also covers some aspects of training in the Awareness of Dangerous Goods.