About the judges
Want to know a little bit more about some of the You're Hired! judges? Read on. Where the name is underlined, you may click on it to email that person directly.
Maria Manning ACA BA (Hons), Audit Manager, KPMG
After studying an accountancy and finance degree at Plymouth University I decided to study for a professional accountancy qualification. I joined the KPMG graduate programme in 1998 and began studying for my chartered accountancy qualification and working for a living! I worked in the audit department of the Plymouth office throughout my training period.
Auditing is one of those jobs that you either love or hate. I really enjoy it – I’m still working in the audit department 12 years on! I really enjoy working with different clients, helping them with their challenges and understanding how different businesses operate. I have worked on many audits other the years including P&O ferries, University of Plymouth and British Aerospace. Currently my work is more specialised and I work closely with local councils, police authorities and fire authorities.
Within the office I am also responsible for graduate recruitment. This involves everything from presenting at local colleges and universities, promoting the graduate scheme at KPMG to actually interviewing candidates.
I work full time at KPMG and also run two other personal businesses. When I’m not working I spend most of my time with my two young children and husband. When I can get a babysitter I love to go out socialising!
I am really looking forward to the 2010 Final and meeting the contestants.
Rachel May MMATH ACA, Audit Manager, KPMG
Rachel is a local lass who went to Notre Dame School in Plymouth and then on to Exeter to study a combined Masters and Bsc degree in maths. On graduating she joined KPMG in Plymouth to do three more years of accountancy exams.
Rachel is now an audit manager with a variety of clients from different sectors – from pharmaceuticals to children’s toys. Her work at KPMG has taken her to a number of glamorous locations including Dubai, Park Lane in London, Canterbury, and Swindon.
In addition to managing audit teams she also helps her clients by providing business advice in areas such as transactions, listings, and restructuring.
When not at work Rachel spends her time planning road trips around the US and trampolining. She has recently started competing in local trampoline competitions after a break of nearly 15 years.
Matthew Mackay – Senior Account Manager – Frontline Image Ltd
I went to St Boniface RC School achieving 6 GCSE’s and 3 (could be 4) A-Levels, all of which were A’s…. B’s, C’s - oh and a D I think, before starting a History degree at Marjon’s. I got bored after 6 months and decided I wanted to travel the world, so started taking different jobs to earn some money. This led me to a 'off the cuff’ interview for a sales job at Frontline Image. I nearly didn’t take the job Frontline offered, although I am very glad I did, as over 6 years later I am still here…!!
Frontline Image is a clothing manufacturing firm based in Estover, with a screen printing and embroidery facility in house. I look after all the retail side of the business and deal with brands, as well as retailers direct. I have brought and developed brands such as Saltrock, Dephect, Famous Forever, Animal, and Fenchurch to Frontline, along with retailers, TK Maxx, M&M Direct, Next, M&S and many others.
I spend my time travelling the UK and Europe with my job, visiting clients, developing their clothing brands and helping get quality product into the high street. This is something I really enjoy, as my client base has led me to some very interesting people, who I now consider friends rather than ‘clients’!
It can be quite strange seeing clothing you have produced on the high street or even seeing people wearing them. The strangest must be while I was sailing around the Whit Sunday Islands in Australia, when someone on board the boat started wearing a t-shirt we had produced in Plymouth. To be fair he was from Manchester and had bought the t-shirt in the Trafford centre!
I have managed to do some of the travelling planned all those years ago; I have been across Europe, South Africa & Australia, with a trip to Thailand this winter…
In my spare time I play Cricket for Liskeard as well as playing Golf (although I try and play golf during my work time too!)
I am really looking forward to the 2010 Final as we have set one of the challenges, after being involved with You’re Hired heats for a couple years.
Jonathan Morcom MIH, Director, Duke of Cornwall Hotel
Jonathan was born and educated in Plymouth, attended 2 years at the Plymouth College of Further Education and completed a BTec National Diploma in Hotel Management. He was offered a position at the Duke of Cornwall Hotel as Trainee Manager working in all departments of the hotel, was promoted to Assistant Manager, then Senior Assistant Manager upon completion of HCIMA Degree in Hospitality Management.
Jonathan left to open a 24 bed-roomed 3 star 2 rosetted hotel from its inception in Wells, Somerset, later returning to Plymouth. He joined the Plymouth Pavilions as Food and Beverage Manager, then went to the Royal Western Yacht Club as House Manager for a short period before going back to the Pavilions for a further 3 years.
He returned to the Duke of Cornwall Hotel in 2001 as Deputy Manager and was part of the team that successfully completed the management buy-out of this hotel at the end of 2001.
Jonathan and Walter Combstock, Managing Director, are presently the joint owners of the Duke of Cornwall Hotel.
Claire Buckland, SAHFOS
Clare has worked at SAHFOS for 10 years as a Plankton Analyst and Outreach Officer.
She is a member of the taxonomic team who identify and count plankton species from the CPR samples. More recently Clare has been training to identify and specialise in decapod larvae.
When not working at a microscope, Clare’s other role is Education and Outreach officer for SAHFOS which involves running projects and workshops for schools, running and managing public events and writing leaflets and publications about the CPR survey.
Clare has a BSc in Ecology from University of Plymouth and has lived in the South West for 14 years.
In her spare time Clare is co-founder of a local paranormal research group and spends many nights investigating reputedly haunted locations. Clare also enjoys swimming, reading and gardening.
Margot Whittaker, Southern Healthcare
Margot has enjoyed her nursing career over the pa
st 30 years in various elements of the profession spanning from District Nursing in the early years, to Practice Nursing both in Shropshire and more recently, Devon. She developed a keen interest in asthma and COPD care and taught extensively over the country to Practice Nurses and Doctors regarding caring for these type of patients.
Deciding that she needed a new challenge, she joined Southern Healthcare 7 years ago as a Manager of one of their Care Homes, and after a year became Director of Nursing for the Group.
‘The days are never the same. Looking after the elderly can be incredibly rewarding and satisfying. Not only do we have committed local staff who contribute towards this, but we also have a number of foreign staff within the group, who enrich the excellent care that is given to our residents.’
When Margot is not working she spends time with her husband and 3 children. With a deep love for all animals particularly her dogs and horses, Margot also participates with the family in their love of the water and water sports.
Mark Poles MA FCA, Senior Manager, Audit, KPMG, Clare Associates Ltd.
After studying Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Oxford, Mark spent a year in a shop selling computer games before starting his training to be a chartered accountant. He qualified three years later (after some very hard exams) and moved to KPMG. He has worked as an auditor in KPMG’s Liverpool and Plymouth offices with notable clients being IMI, Littlewoods and the Devonport Dockyard Pension Scheme. He moved away from client work some years ago and now co-ordinates KPMG’s audit Quality Performance Review programme in the UK – basically, he “audits the auditors”.
“I wish I’d known more about accountancy when I was younger” he says. “It’s really nothing like the popular image of dull, middle-aged men in grey suits hunched over spreadsheets all day. I genuinely have different challenges every day and meet new people most weeks. It’s a great job, and it pays well, although the exams were pretty painful at the time!”
Mark works for KPMG four days a week and on the fifth day, he is the finance director of a local web design company,
When not working, Mark spends as much of his time as possible playing computer games and looking after his pets (currently six cats and two dogs).
Stephen Jones BSc(Hons) MRICS FBEng MInstRE RMaPS, Senior Associate, Bailey Partnership
Stephen trained and qualified as a surveyor with Her Majesty’s Corps of Royal Engineers. He then spent 24 years in various training, consultancy and site surveying roles across Western and Eastern Europe, Northern, Central and South America before settling back into a local authority post in his home county of Devon.
Stephen joined Bailey Partnership in 2001 and heads the Building Surveying and Building Services Engineering teams in the practice’s Plymouth office. As a Chartered Surveyor, Stephen’s workload includes general project work as well as specialist matters such as expert witness, boundary disputes and health and safety management.
“The marvelous aspect of a career in surveying is the opportunity to meet and work with such a broad spectrum of good people”, according to Stephen. “Surveying is a very sociable career and one I have genuinely loved for the last thirty-odd years”
Stephen is a keen motorsports and motor cycle enthusiast, when not working he can normally be found planning his next track day or long motorcycle tour.
Keith Batchelor DMS Marketing Executive, Cowlin Construction Limited
Since leaving school (many years ago) Keith has enjoyed different challenges at a number of companies within the Building Industry. One has been a manufacturer, the majority has been suppliers/merchants and his current employer, Cowlin actually constructs buildings. Qualifications have been achieved through a combination of day release, postal courses and night school - two days a week for three years whilst working full time. Keith needed his wife’s support for the night school, having two young children at the time. He nearly gave up after the second year, and it was a big strain to complete the third year of the course and dissertation.
“The Building Industry is very diverse in its employment opportunities for both men and women. The pay is good, career opportunities are immense, you get to meet different people every day, candidates can enter at various levels to suit their ability and you get a real buss from providing solutions to problems and winning work” he says.
Keith enjoyed playing squash until last year when a knee injury forced him to retire from the game. Now the two year old grandson, walking, surfing and gardening keeps him busy, along with work.
Jan Shilcott, Work Related Learning & Enterprise Co-ordinator, Tamar Education Business Partnership
Jan began her career as an Aircraft Mechanic in the Royal Navy, maintaining and servicing helicopters at naval air stations around the UK. The one time she served abroad was when she volunteered as ground crew in an International Search and Rescue competition held in Germany.
On leaving the Navy she worked in a variety of administrative roles before combining her time bringing up her two daughters and studying part time at the University of Plymouth. After graduating with an HNC in IT, she entered the training and education field where she worked as an Assessor and Internal Verifier for a number of training providers within Plymouth whilst continuing with her professional development.
She was looking for something completely different when the opportunity of working with the long term unemployed arose. Every day was a challenge and the one event that sticks uppermost in her mind is the day one of her clients committed a murder! (Hopefully nothing to do with Jan or the job!)
Jan now works at Tamar EBP in Plymouth, devising and delivering activities to secondary school students to encourage enterprise and entrepreneurship and co-ordinating accredited qualifications.
Most of Jan’s spare time is taken up with renovating her house but she also loves walking her dog in the country, body boarding and swimming in the sea (summer months only!) and going on holiday. Her one big passion, though, is sewing as she currently designs and makes her own range of fabric bags which brings out her creative side.
Diane Ekland, Health Safety & Training Manager, Princess Yachts
Diane started her career in the Women's Royal Air Force, serving 7 years in the administration branch. During her last 4 years she worked in a recruiting office which involved visiting schools and presenting information about the RAF.
This career stood her in good stead for the roles that she has undertaken since. Starting her civillian career in a careers office as a specialist advisor, visiting companies, and giving advice to young people she advanced to managing a Youth Training Scheme programme for engineering apprentices, included in her work was Health and Safety.
She was snapped up by a printing company to Manager their Health and Safety and Training, which she did for several years before moving to the South West where she worked in Exeter for another printing business.
She is the chair of the SW Institute of Safety and Health, and is a governor at High Street Primary school. One of Dianes passions is working with young people and watching them grow into mature young adults. Within the company she runs a very successful apprenticeship scheme her rewards are the achievements of her apprentices, as well as a large work experience group.
She is married, has no children, but has 56 apprentices who often regard her as a second mum! In her spare time she loves spending time at her static caravan in Cornwall, walking and trying to keep fit.
Richard Scutt, Commercial & Marketing Manager, Langage Farm
Richard was born in
He eventually moved to
Richard has been at Langage Farm since July 2007 and manages all commercial matters including a local sales force, national accounts, marketing and PR.
He is also heavily involved with local schools for Young Enterprise, the new manufacturing diploma and is Partner in Business for
He also enjoys reading about (and tasting!!) wine and lists Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc from
Nicky Puckey, Enterprise & Work Related Learning Co-ordinator / Assessor, Tamar Education Business Partnership
Since Nicky joined Tamar Education Business Partnership she has developed a number of Enterprise Activities. These Activities have been used extensively by local schools in support of their National Curriculum, but have also been utilised to celebrate National Enterprise Week in Plymouth.
Her broad knowledge and experience of property development and international business has been invaluable as an underpinning foundation for the creation of The Property Game, Trading Places and IMPORT-ant RELATIONS. These new curriculum materials have been welcomed by local education as a vehicle for helping to deliver a framework for Work Related Learning, Enterprise Entitlement and Vocational Education.
In addition to her ‘day job’ Nicky also runs her own business selling a product for the water sports / leisure industry (www.bombura.com), which she has designed, developed and resourced herself. This has required her traveling to ‘far flung’ places and negotiating the plethora of hurdles and challenges that can only be achieved by "getting out there and doing it". She says, “there have been constant highs and lows but it is all proving to be a very worthwhile and enjoyable part of my life. It’s amazing what you can do with perseverance, focus and belief”.
Nicky thoroughly enjoys her work at TEBP and having two teenage daughters of her own, finds it very satisfying working with young people encouraging entrepreneurship and enterprise.
Lance Gregory, Marine Engineer, SAHFOS
Lance Gregory has worked at SAHFOS for 11 years as a Marine Engineer. He is responsible for the workshop that maintains and services the Continuous Plankton Recorders for the survey – keeping them sea–worthy.
Lance started his career as an Engineer in the Royal Air Force where he served for 16 years. During this time he was responsible for training younger recruits and apprentices in automotive and marine engineering. In his spare time Lance has become an Army Cadet Force trainer and completed a Certificate of Education through the University of Plymouth.
Lance is also a fully qualified sub aqua and boat handling instructor. When he is not taking part in outdoor pursuits such as the Ten Tors with his cadets, he can be found relaxing with his family and pet dog in Whitchurch or sailing around the South Devon coastline in his boat.
ROY TAM, www.eco-furniture.co.uk
Roy is a product and furniture designer with experience in running a small business. He trained in biomedical electronics at Salford and Industrial Design Engineering at the Royal College of Art and Imperial College, winning the BRAUN International Prize in Product Design.
He was a senior designer at Cambridge Consultants and Arthur D Little Inc (Boston, Mass) before re-training in eco design at Hooke Park under John Makepeace.
He partnered eco-pioneer David Colwell to run Trannon Furniture as marketing director, making low impact furniture from local forest thinnings. Their clients include the Natural History Museum and Scottish Parliament and their designs can be found in the V&A and Vitra museum collections.
Roy is a part time lecturer in 3D Design at the University of Plymouth, specialising in sustainable design, and is an external examiner at Manchester Metropolitan University. See his students' work on www.3Ddesign.org.uk
He worked with Arts Matrix as a small business mentor, and is a curator and judge for exhibitions and competitions. He has worked in schools during the Design Council's Designers in School Weeks.
He believes in experiential learning (life projects and exhibitions) and cross year mentoring. "Sustainability is more than recycling. It's about making the least impact to our environment, and that inculdes designing things that outlasts fashion.
I also enjoy showing our students' work to the world. This is where we give excellent support, and our students love it! I start promoting them at the end of their 1st year, and we don't stop even after they have graduated."
Jackie Savage, Manager of Tamar Education Business Partnership
Jackie manages Tamar Education 
Business Partnership and Seymour House Learning Centre. In the past Jackie has worked in manufacturing businesses, taught in Further Education and is a qualified counsellor. She managed the Technical and Vocational Education Initiative in Shropshire through her role as an LEA Adviser, and was Senior Manager for Education and Training with a Training & Enterprise Council. She was also a Work-based Training Inspector before moving to Plymouth.
Jackie enjoys family life and the delights and challenges of bringing up their 3 children. She also found time outside work to collaborate with a business partner to create ‘The Enterpriser’ (www.theenterpriser.co.uk) which is an imaginative interactive web-based learning program that shows students how to think more successfully and to develop their enterprise capability, financial awareness and business understanding.
http://www.tamarebp.org.uk