Mike

Mike joined as Operations Manager and Designated Safeguarding Lead, a role that puts him at the heart of how the business runs. Day to day that means supporting the directors, keeping compliance in order and taking responsibility for the safeguarding of both learners and staff.

It’s the kind of role that demands someone who can hold a lot of moving parts together without losing sight of the people at the centre of it all. Mike is well placed for that.

He spent 15 years in the British Army, serving in operational theatres across the world including active conflict zones, before being injured whilst deployed. Following surgery and rehabilitation he was medically discharged, no longer fit for active service. It was a significant chapter to close, but Mike channelled the discipline and drive that military life builds into a successful second career in the asbestos industry, progressing through the ranks to become a fully qualified Asbestos Consultant, Project Manager and Removal Contracts Manager, eventually taking on a Regional Director role. During that time he worked alongside major organisations including the NHS, nuclear sector bodies, County Councils, leading food production companies and the MOD.

He joined the business after a period of recovery following further surgical procedures, having been introduced to the business through Lee and Paul. The adult training sector is new territory for him and he makes no secret of that, but Mike is someone who actively seeks out new challenges. What he enjoys most is building a team, spotting what each individual brings and creating an environment where people grow both personally and alongside one another.

Away from work, Mike has volunteered as a youth rugby league coach and as a helper and mentor at Stables, a local charity that uses equine therapy to support military veterans and emergency services workers living with PTSD. He is also, quietly, someone who in 2022 spent time with the Ukrainian Territorial Defence, helping families out of conflict zones and getting them safely to the Polish border. It’s not something he leads with, but it says a great deal about the person.