Who we are

Christian Carter, MCIPD
HR Consultant

Christian has extensive experience of the current work environment within Higher Education and Research backed up with 20 years experience of public sector HR. He is an expert adviser to Research Councils UK, and the European Commission on major HR issues facing HE across Europe with a particular focus on employee engagement and wellbeing.

This role includes invitations to talk about employee engagement at large scale events such as the ‘Euroscience Open Forum ’ conference in Barcelona, and the ‘Young Researchers in Europe’ conference in Rennes both during 2008.

Workshop and conference delegate feedback about Christian:

"Someone you want as your HR manager, good listener and nice relaxed style"

"I learnt that we do count, and we do make a difference; make work a positive experience"

"Amusing and relevant"

"Very engaging speaker"

Mark Langer-Crame, BA (Hons), MSc
Research Consultant

Survey design is overseen by our resident social scientist to ensure academically rigourous methodology is used throughout the process. Mark has extensive experience of working on staff surveys for a number of organisations. Previously, he worked as a Social Researcher and Statistical Data Analyst in central government (HM Revenue and Customs and the Office for National Statistics). Additionally, he has an MSc in Social Research Methods (with distinction) from the University of Surrey and is a member of the Social Research Association.

Kate Tapper, BA (Hons), PGCE, MBTI
Lead Development Consultant

Kate provides staff and organistional development expertise. This includes the design and facilitation of focus groups as part of the pre and post survey qualitative research, and facilitation of workshops with key stakeholders to define action arising from the survey results. Kate is the Director of Bud Development; a consultancy that challenges organisational culture and improves working lives. As a facilitator Kate helps people liberate ideas and the energy to act on them. She is an international conference speaker and works with UK universities as well as other public and private sector organisations.

Alan Bradshaw
Director, Quality of Working Life

Quality of Working Life (QoWL) is a university spin out company and research unit linked to the Applied Psychology Unit at the University of Portsmouth. In addition to carrying out academic research on working life, QoWL provides surveys and consultancy services designed to improve quality of working life for employees.

Alan Bradshaw has a professional background in business psychology and consulting. He has expertise in stress risk assessment, stress management and the management of well-being at work. Alan has developed diagnostic, training and consultancy frameworks that are widely used throughout the UK.

Dr Lesly Huxley EdD, DipHRM, FCIPD
Associate Development Consultant

Lesly has a doctorate in Education from the University of Bristol and over 20 years' experience in higher education spanning qualitative and survey research, national and international project management, new technologies, staff and organisational development.

She plays a leading role in the Organisational Development in HE group and in the Change Academy, has published widely and has extensive experience chairing national conferences and facilitating smaller-scale development activity. She also has an interest in changes relating to technology in the workplace, and is an active member of the JISC Organisational Support committee. Current roles include: Director of the Institute for Learning and Research Technology (ILRT) and Director, Publications and Organisational Development, for the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education.

Catherine Garner, MSc, MBTI
Associate Development Consultant

Catherine has an MSc in Strategic Management from the University of Bristol and fifteen years’ experience organising and leading conferences and training events throughout the UK, Europe, India and South Africa. She has managed EC-funded research, worked in organisational development in the health care sector, and been involved in a range of international voluntary projects. Currently Programme Director with the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education and Associate with Bud Development, Catherine supports a number of universities with their leadership and management development, through coaching, consultancy and organising conferences.

Sarah McCowen MA (Hons), DipCAW, MBTI
Associate Development Consultant

Sarah’s talent is helping people find meaning in their life and work. She is a professionally trained counsellor and coach with fifteen years experience. As a coach and facilitator Sarah helps people to see past barriers and recognise the wealth of choices they have in any situation. She is a national conference speaker, and is recognised as a leading figure in the development of research staff in the UK.

Pete Walker
Internet Development Manager

Pete is an IT professional with 20 years experience in the IT industry - in local government, two software houses and for the past 8 years with the University of Bristol. He leads a team in the Institute for Learning and Research Technology (ILRT) who specialize in the commercial development of Web sites and web applications. He directs the Bristol Online Survey (BOS) service. He is also a member of the management team within the University’s Information Services.

While with the ILRT Pete has also project-managed the Careers in Research Online Survey (CROS) project - a UK-wide collaborative survey that has involved over 60 UK Universities issuing a common survey within a bench-marking club. CROS led to the formation of BOS as a commercial service which in turn enabled the deployment of further national benchmarking surveys: the Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) and the Athena Survey of Science Engineering and Technology (ASSET) survey.

Andy Degg
Graphic Designer

Andy runs a successful graphic design consultancy ‘Green Hat graphic design consultants limited ’ and has been working with the University of Bristol producing high quality internal and external communications for nearly ten years. Specialising in design for print and brand consultancy, Green Hat has a range of clients in a variety of sectors including, St Monica Trust, Sustrans, DuPont and the University College London. Green Hat’s creativity sits comfortably with its passion for sustainability. Instigating a number of self motivated measures to provide the greenest print options available. Green Hat is also committed to the Fair Trade Network and is part of the Sustainable Bristol network.