THE IT TRAINER - Key Persons
Alan's career has spanned 35 years working in mobile radio and IT for the Philips Group and latterly in the police service. He has worked as technical advisor to several major projects for systems replacement, working both with users to agree specifications and with bespoke software suppliers to ensure the products were delivered to those specifications. He is currently working as a freelance software developer and IT consultant, with specialist knowledge of Visual Basic and VBA, Java and web technologies including HTML, Javascript, CSS, PHP and MySQL. He has also done considerable work on developing applications for the Android operating system, and with embedded microcontrollers in both the C and assembler languages. Although an advanced Linux user Alan is equally at home with Windows and Windows applications, and his abilities and experience allow The IT Trainer to offer training solutions of a more technical / programming nature.
Job Titles:
- Sales & Technical Director
Arie defected the Dutch bulb fields shortly after the millennium to land in Glastonbury in Somerset. This was only the start of his nomadic existence as after 21 years in the UK, he moved to Spain for 2 years to go full circle in April 2023 when he returned to the Netherlands.
In the first part of his Dutch life, he worked as a laboratory technician in the field of environmental chemistry followed by 13 years as a data analyst where he built up IT skills as a ‘power user' of all Office applications but mainly Excel and Access.
Job Titles:
- Managing Director
- Joint Owner / Director
Fiona is the joint Owner/Director of The IT Trainer. During her career path, Fiona has worked with a number of large organisations employing up to 400 staff at each, and has used her expertise in several key areas. She has been personally responsible for running teams of up to 250 staff. She is highly experienced and competent in her field of Administration Services, having achieved RSA I, II and III in typing as well as a current wpm of 75 to 80, with on average 100% accuracy.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Trainer
- Training Consultant
Joanne has worked as a training consultant since 1996 in a variety of roles including NatWest Bank, the NHS and as a freelance trainer. She is committed to the needs of the learner, tailoring training to the exact needs of both the delegate and the organisation to ensure that both get maximum benefit from the investment.
Joanne has worked with all levels of staff from senior through to junior, experienced through to novice, office based through to non-office based and works hard to ensure the delegate feels supported yet appropriately challenged throughout. She has a range of qualifications including a BA(Hons) degree, Master of Science degree and the Microsoft Certified Trainer qualification.
A graduate of Newcastle University with a Masters in Maths, Leigh is a welcome addition to our team here at The IT Trainer. A highly regarded IT specialist, who has been recognised by Microsoft as an MVP ("Most Valuable Professional") eleven times, his 21 years' experience in database development provides our clients with tailored solutions to meet their specific requirements.
He places particular emphasis in understanding what the client requires, to quote Leigh, "Determining a business' needs is as much a skill as any area of database development." Whilst Microsoft Access has been the cornerstone of his recognition (a published author and article writer on the subject and a skill which remains much in demand), he has used it in conjunction with SQL Server as his database of choice for many years.
A native of the North-East, he now lives in South Yorkshire and travels throughout the UK to implement client solutions. When asked about his hobbies, Leigh's amusing reply, typical of him, was "I enjoy thinking about what hobbies I might like to have again when I find the time".
Mandy has worked in administration for over 30 years across a wide variety of industries including 3 rd Sector, NHS, engineering and Sales so has a broad experience of the kind of challenges companies can face. She has helped many companies implement new administration and software systems, training staff and guiding change management.
Outside of work she built a campervan with her husband and is now fully hooked on travelling, seeing as much of the UK as possible before planning a European road trip in the near future!
With a strong foundation in hospitality, security, and business development, Steve bring decades of hands-on experience to the training and consultancy sectors.
His career began with Camerons Inns and Pubcaster, where he played a key role in the Tap & Spile initiative, including managing the Hexham location-earning CAMRA Pub of the Year. He then took on various relief management roles, including at Heathrow Airport, before transitioning into security as a CCTV Control Room Supervisor at Middleton Grange Shopping Centre.
Returning to his passion for hospitality, he became the landlord of the Fisherman's Arms in Hartlepool, once again securing CAMRA's Pub of the Year and Pub of the Season awards.
Today, he combines his industry experience with business development expertise at The IT Trainer, where he helps businesses streamline operations, enhance compliance, and improve staff training. His goal is to support companies in achieving sustainable growth and success in their industries.
Viv brings a wealth of experience to The IT Trainer. He has worked in industries ranging from retail, non-profits and international development and in all of these roles Viv has been involved in developing, deploying and training solutions using IT and software.
His experience ranges back to Windows 95 and the original "office" suites to the current iterations of Microsoft Office and Windows 10, with a special emphasis on Office 365 and how this new subscription product can be utilised within organisations to improve productivity. He has recently gained experience working with the Microsoft Power Development Platform (no code/low code) to automate process for clients and to build Apps within their environment.
Viv is comfortable training on a 1 to 1 basis, in a small group or presenting to a larger group.
As Viv has worked with many different software solutions in different industries he is ideal for learning and training in bespoke software as well as in Office and Windows environments.