Our Partners - Meet The Team

Anne Marie Stannard
With 20+ years experience in the chemicals and manufacturing sector,   Ann Marie has held executive positions in a range of companies. She joined Company Growth from Rohm and Haas Scotland Ltd where she was European Operations Director, building on two decades of wide-ranging experience across the chemicals industry. Ann Marie is a highly experienced professional, who has worked at board and executive level within SME's and large multi national organisations. Her roles include Managing Director of Croda Firefighting Chemicals, General Manager PU Foams at Baxenden Chemicals and a range of senior Operation's roles within ICI and EVC.

Ann Marie is highly experienced in steering senior teams to become effective in delivering growth and change. She is a change agent with ability to offer board level strategic direction for a business along with delivering operational level results.   Her proven track record of implementing successful change and growth within complex organisations allows her to apply this experience widely.

Beverly Payne
With 25 years experience in the Hotel and Leisure Industry working for Brand and Industry leaders Gleneagles, Malmaison and Macdonald Hotels.

A founder member of the Malmaison team Beverly, was Vice President Operations and Sales before moving to Macdonald Hotels as Managing Director for Scotland. Working at executive level for the last 15 years, Beverly has held Executive Board positions with One Devonshire Gardens, Malmaison Hotels and latterly with Macdonald Hotels, she has been fully accountable for businesses from £20 Million to £55 million.

Beverly has proven experience in her ability to think strategically and creatively to develop business ideas and solutions, to grow businesses.  Using her operational and financial experience, awareness of creating brands she is now working with hospitality businesses to improve performance.

Colin Stewart
A career manager and director for almost thirty years in the food sector; involved in manufacturing, retailing and wholesaling with companies such as Geest, Safeway, Watson & Philip and the Lewis's Selfridges group. Strong strategic development, sales & marketing, performance management and organisational structure experience.

Thirteen years with Company Growth - nine as managing director - working as a non-executive advisor and/or director with a range of Scottish SME's with turnover from £1m to £70m in the technology, software and food sectors. Colin is heavily involved in strategy, internationalisation and exporting (USA and Western, Central, & Eastern Europe) and performance management with companies such as Lightbody, Newell & Budge, Border Biscuits, Findlay Irvine and CALM. Strong links with the financial and legal sectors.

Graeme Scott
Graeme has been supporting executives through business change for more than 20 years. He has worked with small businesses and large international corporations, focusing on companies with complex operations.

He regularly advises boards on; Company & business unit strategy, Their customer-facing model, Product development, Operational improvement, and Organisational development.

Graeme held a senior management position with one of the largest business consultancies where he regularly supported the corporate finance team on pre-acquisition due diligence and on growth plans that involved significant operational change.

He has been asked to support boards across many sectors and on most topics that are core to the operation of the business.

He has:- Led the team that redesigned the operations of an international networks business in advance of the uptake of 3G telephony. Assisted with the redesign of small manufacturing and services businesses where the directors felt that there were opportunities for operational improvement. Improved the organisational focus within businesses by reviewing their products & services and the way in which they design and present their products to their markets. Regularly acted as the facilitator for boards and executives during periods of change and has advised on organisational development.

Ian Gillingham
In a business career of 40 years working for international manufacturing companies in the engineering, automotive and electronics sectors, Ian has accumulated skills and knowledge in a broad range of business functions, specialising in finance and operations management, at all phases of the economic cycle.

Receiving his initial management training with Hyster and Glacier Metal, he worked with Leyland Vehicles during a period of great change followed by appointments with Digital Equipment Corporation where he progressed through a range of functional and operational roles to the position of Finance Director and Controller for European Manufacturing and Distribution.  

Over the last 10 years, Ian has work with companies in a range of sectors helping organisations achieve sustainable improvement in performance through mentoring and transfer of skills and knowledge.

Jim Leggatt
Jim is passionate about the pragmatic implementation of marketing strategies, identifying successful and innovative business growth opportunities and coaching and mentoring senior teams in leadership and
management development.

With over 22 years experience of the Oil and Gas industry, he has held senior positions across the Exploration, Fuels, Lubricants and Energy businesses of BP, including secondments to Mobil and Statoil. Consequently he has experience of mergers, acquisitions, partnerships and alliances across many international business sectors.

Jim has a proven track record of advising and implementing business growth strategies, leading and motivating high performing teams through periods of change and developing some leading edge customer management solutions.

He has recently been engaged in working with a broad range of organisations in Europe delivering Business Development and Leadership workshops which reflect a style of stripping way the unnecessary hype, jargon and complexity that can often surround business growth.

Jim Roche
Jim began his career running a shift of 250 process workers for CPC/Best Foods before being 'head-hunted' into the Marketing Department.

For Cadbury, he launched the technically innovative Wispa bar and initiated a structured approach to NPD which is still in use. He later achieved record shares and profits for Cadbury's range of boxed chocolates, through effective sales force techniques.

As Marketing Director of Bacardi Europe he negotiated the first joint venture between Bacardi and Martini & Rossi. He was accountable for an Advertising budget of £30million and introduced an active New Products programme with products such as Bacardi Breezer.

Jim has been a partner of Company Growth for nine years. He has supported a range of Scottish organisations ranging from software developers & food companies to precision manufacturers & forestry estates.

He has worked on sales force development and Category Management and has led numerous training seminars ranging from strategic analysis to presentation skills. He is an experienced facilitator and has delivered Leadership development workshops to blue chip companies, charities and SMEs.  

John Speake
John began his career as a physicist with the Atomic Energy Authority at their Harwell Laboratory. After 10 years he left for a start up Technology Company, subsequently becoming its managing director. The company grew rapidly and in 1987 John was asked to join Rolls Royce as the managing director of one of its subsidiaries and was also appointed a director of Rolls Royce Nuclear.

John has worked with CGT Ltd since 1993 and during this time has worked with many companies mainly but not exclusively in technology and engineering. The work he has delivered has been mainly in the development and implementation of company strategy so that the company grows at a faster rate than those in the same sector. However this strategic development has also involved mergers, acquisitions and refinancing.

He is currently a non executive director/chairman in four of the companies he is working with.

John Whitehead
John has spent all his working life in the food industry, latterly as Managing Director of Top Hat Holdings Limited, Dundee based producers of convenience food for many of the major multiple retailers and food service chains.

Since joining Company Growth in 1998, he has worked with a large number of companies, mainly but not exclusively in food and drink. His extensive knowledge of the industry and the issues it faces has enabled him to provide advice and support to many companies. His wide range of contacts, and his first hand practical experience of running a business and dealing with the major multiple retailers make him uniquely qualified to assist companies.

He is currently Deputy Chairman of the Seafish Industry Authority, is Chairman of the Certification Council of Scottish Food Quality Certification Ltd, is a Director of Improve, the Sector Skills Council for the food and drink industry and he represents the export development agency, Food from Britain, in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Annette Kemp

Annette has been with Company Growth since 1996 and holds serveral qualifications in Business Administration and Accountancy.

Prior to joining the team Annette spent 10 years as Securities Manager in the stock broker industry in Canada, and, upon returning to Scotland was PA in an executive role.  Annette has enjoyed several different career opportunities within business administration across several different industry sectors.  This has allowed her to gain a good understanding of business and personal requirements.

Annette has a key role supporting the team to deliver the needs of the clients.  She aslo provides internal administration and accounts management.  As a central point of contact for clients Annette ensures the client's needs are always addressed.

Grow & Develop Your Business

To arrange a private consultation with one of our partners today contact us on 01786 433809 or info@companygrowth.co.uk