Contact us

Christian Carter

Christian Carter - Organisational Development Manager (Staff Development)

Christian is responsible for the University Staff Development Strategy, resources, team and quality of the service.  He has over twenty years experience in Human Resources gained in the NHS, Further and now Higher Education sectors.  He is co-creator of the University of Bristol HR Consultancy 'Positive People' offering staff survey services throughout the UK and Europe and is an Accredited Practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP).

Christian is an adviser to the European Commission on the employment and development of Research Staff in Higher Education. He is regularly asked to deliver presentations and talks at international conferences (USA, Australia and Europe) on the subject of People Development and Employee Engagement.

Tel: (0117)  92 87776
Email: christian.carter@bristol.ac.uk
Web: Positive People website
Positive working environment

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Dr Alison Leggett

Dr Alison Leggett - Organisational Development Manager (Academic Staff Development)

Alison Leggett heads up the Academic Staff Development team, leading on the strategic design and delivery of an integrated development programme for all academics at the University (including training, mentoring, resources and corporate development initiatives). This encompasses a number of areas including support for research staff, a suite of leadership and management development programmes and teaching and learning development provision.

Alison accumulated an in-depth knowledge of everyday life as an academic researcher achieving a PhD in Neuropharmacology at The University of Nottingham and going on to postdoctoral research positions at the University of Leicester and the University of Bristol. Alison now applies this insight to managing the portfolio of Academic Staff Development here at Bristol.

Alison’s particular passions lie in developing leadership skills in order to improve the working life of academics and the productivity and success of research and teaching teams, and in promoting the concept of “transferable skills” to research staff.

Alison is a qualified Myers Briggs Type Indicator Practitioner and a member of the CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development), having completed the PGDip in Human Resource Management at UWE.

Alison is a member of the national CROS Steering Group and the European Commission’s Institutional HR Strategy Group. Alison also writes for jobs.ac.uk.

Tel: (0117) 33 18077
Email: alison.leggett@bristol.ac.uk
Web: Research staff
Academic Staff Development

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Clare Brophy

Clare Brophy - Staff Development Manager (Coaching)

Passionate about supporting individuals in the development and self-management of their working lives, Clare joined the University as career coach in 2006. She coaches individuals in an empathic and supportive way that also provides focus, challenge and results.

She brings over 20 years experience of change management, leadership and management development, human resources management, and recruitment to her role. When not coaching, Clare's background enables her to contribute the Academic staff development agenda and broader organisational development priorities such as the facilitation of team development events.

Outside the University Clare works as an Executive Coach specialising in career transition, a facilitator, trainer and HR consultant, mainly in the public, voluntary and small business sectors.

As a Chartered Member of the Institute of Personnel and Development she adheres to the CIPD Code of Professional Conduct, holds a holds an ILM Level 7 Diploma in Executive Mentoring and Coaching, and is qualified to use both Myers Briggs Type Indicator Practitioner and FIRO-B psychometric tools.

Tel: (0117) 33 18178
Email: clare.brophy@bristol.ac.uk
Web: Career Coaching website

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Kate Butler

Kate Butler - Staff Development Manager (Coaching)

Kate Butler is a qualified counsellor and career coach, who helps people facing change in a supportive and productive way. Her approach is empathetic, enabling clients to tap into their strengths and also confront barriers that may be preventing them from taking action or moving on.

Kate is also a media and communications specialist. She has more than twenty years experience as a BBC TV journalist and documentary Producer, and has also worked for the United Nations TV Unit in the former Yugoslavia during the war, and Public Service Broadcasting in the USA.

Outside the University she works as a media trainer, and has been employed by international Non Government Organisations including Unicef and WHO. Her work has taken her to China, Tajikistan, India, Kyrgyzstan, Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

Tel: (0117) 33 18143
Email: kate.butler@bristol.ac.uk
Web: Career Coaching website

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Sarah McCowen

Sarah McCowen - Staff Development Manager (Coaching)

Sarah is responsible for running the university’s Staff Coaching Service. Her motivation is helping people to make changes that will bring more enjoyment into their work and life and reduce the stress. These changes might involve behaviour, career choice, attitude or perspective. We always have more choices than we realise about how we relate to our work and how we live all aspects of our lives. Sarah aims to bring creativity, encouragement and a fresh perspective to help staff find solutions to their problems.

Sarah has 15 years experience in this field including several years as a freelance consultant supporting people who were going through redundancy. She has been working within the University of Bristol since 2003 and developed the Staff Coaching Service from scratch.

When not coaching Sarah also works in the Staff Counselling Service, contributes to development of Research Staff and facilitates team development. She is a member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy and is an accredited Myers Briggs Type Indicator practitioner.  

Tel: (0117) 33 17071
Email: sarah.mccowen@bristol.ac.uk
Web: Career Coaching website

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Kemi Oladapo

Kemi Oladapo - Staff Development Manager (Change Management)

Responsible for general development such as improving personal skills base in a whole range of areas including: communication with impact, conflict management and effective stress management. Kemi also works with teams and groups to enhance productivity and morale in times of increasing change, and specialises in designing and facilitating team away days/sessions. in addition Kemi can assist in a limited amount of individual coaching on request.

Prior to joining the University, Kemi ran her own independent consultancy for nearly ten years, with a focus on coaching individuals, management learning and organisation development. Kemi comes from a professional background as an HR Manager, with 15 years experience within the NHS.

An experienced facilitator, Kemi has designed and delivered a range of individual and team development interventions within the Health, Civil Service and Retail sectors based on the delivery of continuous improvement, innovation and individual well-being.

Since joining the University, Kemi has been responsible for training related to building improved capacity in change management, staff review and the design and delivery of bespoke events within faculties.

Kemi retains a key interest in the psychological contract between organisations and employers.

Tel: (0117) 92 88109
Email: kemi.oladapo@bristol.ac.uk

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Dr Alice Scott

Dr Alice Scott - Staff Development Officer (Academic Staff)

Alice has been part of the University of Bristol for 10 years. She first joined the University as a student in Biochemistry where after getting her undergraduate degree she continued on to study for her PhD. After finishing her studies, she stayed in the field of research and worked as a postdoctoral researcher.

Now Alice works in the Staff Development Team specifically supporting Academic Staff. During the years in the lab, Alice became familiar with the academic environment, which means she now understands how the University works and what the needs of academics are.

Her main responsibilities include coordinating the Crucible Project and overseeing the mentoring scheme for research staff.

Tel: (0117) 92 88269
Email: A.Scott@bristol.ac.uk

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Beckie Garland

Beckie Garland - Staff Development Adviser

Beckie has worked for the University for 14 years, with the last 11 years spent within Staff Development.

Qualified in the CIPD 'Certificate in Training Practice' and an Associate Member of CIPD, Beckie's responsibilities include: Administrative support for all of the Staff Development Managers, Communications and Marketing for Staff Development and joint editor of the Staff Development Programme and Newsletter.

Overall responsibility for the IT Training, New Staff, and Personal and Career Development portfolios, the Staff Review and Development Scheme and the Technical Staff Community.

Also overall responsibility for the Staff Development and Positive Working Environment websites.

Tel: (0117) 92 87964
Email: beckie.garland@bristol.ac.uk
Web: Staff Development
Positive Working Environment

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Lisa Hutchinson

Lisa Hutchinson - Staff Development Adviser

Lisa has worked at the University within Staff Development for the last 3 years and previously spent 2 years working for Staff Development within the private sector.

Qualified in the CIPD 'Certificate in Training Practice' and an Associate Member of CIPD, Lisa's responsibilities include: Administrative support for all of the Staff Development Managers and specifically Sarah McCowen, Staff Development Manager (Coaching), Kate Butler, Staff Development Manager (Coaching) and Clare Brophy, Staff Development Manager (Coaching).

Overall responsibility for the Leadership and Management Fora, HODs Advisory Scheme, New HODs Induction Programme and Leadership and Management Development Programme.

Administrative support for all Staff Development training events, joint editor of the Staff Development Programme and Newsletter. Overall responsibility for the Leadership, Management and Supervision portfolio within the Staff Development Programme and the Leaders and Managers, and Professional and Admin staff communities.

Also overall responsibility for the Leadership and Management Development, and Resource Managers Group websites.

Tel: (0117) 33 16752
Email: Lisa.Hutchinson@bristol.ac.uk
Web:  Leadership and Management Development
Resource Managers Group

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Laura McManus

Laura McManus - Staff Development Adviser

Laura has worked for the University of Bristol for over 10 years, previously in Campaigns and Alumni Relations and now within the Staff Development team supporting the programme of Academic Staff Development.

Laura's responsibilities include: Administrative support for all of the Staff Development Managers, specifically Dr Alison Leggett, Staff Development Manager (Academic Staff).

Co-ordination of training and development events within the Academic Staff portfolio including the Preparing to manage research groups and Leading Research Teams programmes, maintenance and development of the Research Staff Website, Secretary to the Research Staff Working Party and Research Staff Reps committee, co-ordination of research staff mentoring circles scheme and lunchtime careers seminars.

Tel: (0117) 33 17422
Email: Laura.McManus@bristol.ac.uk
Web: Research staff
Academic Staff Development

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Caroline Astley

Caroline Astley - Administrative Assistant

Caroline has worked in Staff Development for almost a year, having joined the University of Bristol from Staff Development at the Bodleian Library, University of Oxford, and has a previous background in higher education administration and events at Swansea University.

Caroline's main role is to support Christian Carter, Beckie Garland and Lisa Hutchinson with the administrative work associated with Staff Development including projects, training programmes, websites and other communications.

Tel: (0117) 92 87801
Email: Caroline.Astley@bristol.ac.uk

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Bianca Soucek - Administrative Assistant

Bianca has operated within the University of Bristol in a number of ways over the last 9 years, through freelance and voluntary roles, as well as studying for her Masters degree in Socio-Legal Studies in the School of Law.

She completed a Graduate Placement Project Officer role within the Higher Education Academy Subject Centre for Education (ESCalate) in the Graduate School of Education and now works in the Staff Development team supporting the programme of Academic Staff Development.

Bianca's main role is to support Laura McManus with the administrative work associated with Academic Staff Development including the training programme, websites and other communications.

Tel: (0117) 92 88252
Email: B.Soucek@bristol.ac.uk
Web: Research staff
Academic Staff Development

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