EMD UK - Key Persons
Amanda has over 10 years' experience working in finance, including the management of budgets for a local government organisation and a children's day nursery. The last two years have involved managing her own bookkeeping business working with clients in a variety of different trades.
In 2019, Amanda was instrumental in the set up of Ifield Mill Pond parkrun in Crawley and she is often found volunteering there on a Saturday morning, often as the run director or timekeeper.
Amanda enjoys listening and dancing to 80's music.
Carrie has been working in the fitness industry for eleven years and continues to teach Barre and Pilates classes in health clubs and in the community.
Before joining EMD UK, Carrie was dual group exercise manager across two Virgin Active clubs, delivering the Barre training programme nationally. Carrie's spare time is spent popping into other group ex classes, running or watching her sons play football.
Job Titles:
- Quality Assurance and Compliance Officer
Cheryl has dedicated over 20 years to the fitness industry, excelling in roles such as general manager, studio coordinator, and personal trainer. Cheryl has taught a wide range of group exercise classes and briefly ran her own community class company. About 10 years ago, Cheryl transitioned into teaching and assessing fitness education and sports science, recently adding internal quality assurance to her repertoire.
A former cruise ship crew member, she loves traveling and exploring new places. Cheryl balances her professional life with her passion for cooking, enjoying time with her large family.
Job Titles:
- Content Officer & Office Manager
Danica has worked in sales for the last 6 years, and was previously at university and travelling the east coast of Australia. On her return from Australia, she started at executive level and moved into a sales account management role before moving onto account management with a field marketing agency.
Danica is now utilising these skills from a sales and marketing perspective, in her role at EMD UK. Danica graduated in Film and TV Studies, so out of work she enjoys all things related to her degree and will often be talking about some kind of TV series or, failing that, about cats. She also enjoys baking, so fits in well with the team.
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Director of Training Provider
Gill Cummings-Bell is the CEO of EMD UK. Gill has been a group exercise teacher for over 40 years and has provided education for hundreds of fitness professionals.
Gill Cummings-Bell is director of training provider, Drummond Education. Gill has been a group exercise teacher for over 40 years and has provided education for hundreds of fitness professionals. Gill has considerable skills in the fitness sector, including class development, strategic management, quality assurance, and planning and development.
Gill consults and presents both nationally and internationally, presenting workshops on education and health related topics around the world.
Jo studied PR & Comms in Southampton and has worked in the fashion PR industry, aviation sector developing partnerships with luxury lifestyle brands and entertainment PR and Communications. Clients included Peter Andre and Millie Mackintosh. Jo has always loved swimming and dancing and tries to do both each week.
Jo runs a street dance school six days a week, with her partner, for children/teens, helping to build a brand that is cool and current with the London dance scene. They have supported Flawless, Diversity and Kele Le Roc among other. In her minimal spare time Jo likes watching TV, being outdoors or playing with her little boy.
Job Titles:
- Research and Insight Manager
Job Titles:
- Project Support & Event Manager
Kate graduated with a First Class BA (hons) Criminology degree and has worked for Leicestershire Police, Coventry City Council, and Victim & Witness Support, but it was her move into personal training and group instructing that she found her passion.
A mum of two boys, Kate has always been active but understands the pressures and barriers that women face when being exercising, and aims to help them to focus on what their bodies can achieve.
A keen lifter, Kate has also completed a number of ultra marathons but firmly says never again, preferring to focus on lifting heavy things in between trying to learn French and ferrying her kids to wheelchair basketball and rugby training.
Lianne has worked for EMD UK for over 15 years, she started as a temp for 3 months and has stayed here ever since. In her role, Lianne supports EMD UK's Founder Partner - The Keep Fit Association administering all teachers' and members' memberships, resolving queries and generally doing a great job of looking after them all!
Outside of work, Lianne loves spending time with her family, her pony called Piglet and her dog Macie. At weekends through the winter months Lianne supports the Guildford Flames ice hockey team. She is also a huge Disney fan and has travelled to many places as she loves going on holiday, especially when it is Disney-related! Lianne is also a big country music fan, you'll find her at a concert in a cowboy boots and hat.
Job Titles:
- Independent Director
- Member of the Board of Directors
Lynette Eaborn, a leisure marketing professional, moved from marketing pubs, hotels and restaurants to developing the Esporta Health Club brand and established the company's sales and marketing systems, whilst driving new membership sales and retention processes.
Job Titles:
- Independent Director
- Member of the Board of Directors
- CEO of Upskill People
Pete Fullard is the CEO of Upskill People, innovators in the global online learning market since 1995. He helps people get the most from their careers, and businesses get the most from their teams. And he knows that L&D is at its most powerful when outcomes are measured, analysed, and built into actionable plans.
Pete has successfully mentored other businesses, senior teams and business owners - establishing himself as much more than a learning expert. This has also allowed him to work within other like-minded organisations.
Pete has a knack for projecting authority in a way that unites people behind a common goal. This encourages thought-provoking discussions, big revelations, and fresh takes on strategies.
Pete's goal is to inspire any organisation he works with to operate at its absolute best.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Chairman of the Board
- Member of the Board of Directors
- CEO and Co - Founder of Upstartr
Having spent a significant amount of her early career in the health and wellness industry, as Director of Operations for YMCAfit, Operations Director for FitPro, Chair of the Women's Sports Foundation and as a part of the core team that set up Les Mills UK, Samantha has a solid understanding of the fitness sector.
In the last ten years she has worked with a diverse set of organisations from design, spa and fitness to architecture and PPE; advising Board and Senior Teams; helping them to take their next leap forward and increasingly to support them to develop and deliver a digital strategy, taking products and service online and in-app.
Samantha is CEO and Co-Founder of Upstartr. In that role she has led business set up, integration, expansion and the operational roll out of product and service in the UK, Europe and the US. Most recently to support Carifit with the development of a baby carrier and complimentary parenting wellness app - launched in John Lewis Partners earlier this year and internationally in the Autumn.
Job Titles:
- Experience Development Director at Les Mills UK
- Independent Director and EDI Champion
Sarah Durnford is the Instructor Experience Development Director at Les Mills UK. Sarah is passionate about creating gold standard education for group exercise instructors and ensuring fitness professionals feel supported in their careers. As an ex-trainer and fitness presenter, Sarah knows the challenges, highs and lows that instructors face.
Sarah's love of movement began at a young age with ballet and dance classes, eventually leading to vocational training at Bird College. Although she left professional performing, her interest in physical health stayed and, following some sales and marketing roles, Sarah decided to move into a career as a fitness instructor specialising in Barre and ballet-based fitness styles. Wanting to change mindsets for the better, she opened her own studio and Barre fitness programme - Pose Barre. The community of Pose Barre continues while Sarah takes the time to support more teachers in her role with EMD UK.
Job Titles:
- Support and Compliance Manager
Before joining EMD UK, Sarah previously spent 15 years with American Express Membership Travel, working in a sales and customer service-based role before joining their project team. Following that, she set up an online childrenswear store, which she ran for 4 years before moving into a new retail role.
Sarah has a real passion for fitness, loves a HIIT workout and has now run a few 10Ks! She enjoys cooking and creating new recipes, and loves spending time with her two boys, family and friends.
Job Titles:
- Chief Operating Officer
- Key Member of the EMD UK Senior Leadership
With over 20 years of physical activity and sports development experience, Shelley has been a key member of the EMD UK Senior Leadership team since 2019. As EMD UK's Chief Operating Officer, she has taken a strategic lead for several key work strands including our system partner relationship with Sport England.
Shelley graduated from Brighton University with a BA Hons in Leisure and Sports Studies and in 2014 was one of the first graduates of the Women's Sports Leadership Academy. She was COO for a social enterprise supporting young people into work through sport and fitness programmes.
A qualified group exercise instructor and running coach, she established a running club and ran the London and Loch Ness Marathons.
Job Titles:
- Head of Workforce
- Physical Company As Education Co - Ordinator
Sue has over 30 years' experience in the fitness industry as a group ex Instructor, PT and International Fitness presenter, developing programming and education in the UK and for American brands including TRX, TriggerPoint, BOSU, Stroop's and Total Gym.
Sue has worked for Physical Company as Education Co-ordinator which led to her working on her own consultancy business developing programming for LA Fitness, with their launch of LA Primal Nationwide and latterly with Everyone Actives EA Series.