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Discover more about the next programme, starting 13th and 14th November 2025

Last week Cohort 24 graduated from their LEAD™ programme and we'd like to extend our Congratulations to them here for all to read.

The graduation was a celebration of the Cohort and how they worked together over the last 10 months. Throughout the programme, they supported each other and shared their stories and experience; and their enthusiasm for personal and professional development and becoming more effective leaders shone through.

Our graduation awards offer an opportunity for the cohort to nominate their peers across four areas - Leadership Improvement, Business Improvement / Growth, Staff Development and Peer Support. It was wonderful to see that each and every member of the cohort was recognised by their peers in at least one category and here are the winners:    

Leadership Improvement Award

This award represents how the winner's leadership skills developed from the beginning of the programme to the end, and the winner was Andrew Evans, Director, JGB Engineering.

Andrew shared, "I knew what I wanted to do with the business but I didn't know how to do it, so I joined LEAD™."

Staff Development Award

This award represents how the winner implemented changes back in their workplace to develop their staff, what these changes look like, how they were done and what the continued plans for the future of their staff development are. Beth Hughes, Registered Manager at The Nelson Trust, won the award.

Beth said, "I arrived on LEAD™ as a woman who doubted herself but wanted to prove herself. Ten months later, my confidence has increased and I have 'stepped in' as a capable professional in my own right."

Peer Support Award

This award recognises a delegate who has supported their fellow LEAD™ peers throughout the programme, and was awarded to Adam Walding, Director at Leeways Packaging.

Adam shared, "LEAD™ has been genuinely transformative for me as a leader and for the development of my business – it has given me a fresh perspective and real confidence to drive the business forward in the right way." 

Business Improvement Award

This award represents how and in which ways the winner's business improved over the period they were on LEAD™ and what the plans for the business are, and was scooped by Angus Hawking, Director and Operations Manager at Marshfield Farm Ice Cream.

Angus said, "This programme gives you the tools to step into all business and many life situations confident that you are capable of tackling it. I now feel part of a network of friends that I can trust and lean on when unsure of where to turn next." 

It has been an absolute pleasure to work with Cohort 24, and we look forward to our continued relationships with each of them as they take their next steps, whether that is by joining Q+ to keep their leadership practice sharp or joining GOLD™, our follow-on programme on strategic business planning.

Congratulations to (L-R in main photo after Jo Draper, Director, QuoLux™):

Matt Cartwright, Head of Service Delivery, Optimising IT

Michael Morton, Business Project Manager, Taylor & Taylor Care

Will Doyle, CEO, Gather Insights

Beth Hughes, Registered Manager, The Nelson Trust

Angus Hawking, Director and Operations Manager, Marshfield Farm Ice Cream

David McGill, Head of Organisational Development, MF Freeman

Adam Walding, Strategy & Operations Director, Leeways Packaging

Ben Smith, Head of Consultancy, Optimising IT

Patrick Nayler, Director of Operations - South, Creed Foodservice

Jon Rathbone, Director, Head of Corporate & Commercial, Hughes Paddison Solicitors

Andrew Evans, Director, JGB Engineering

Lou Dawson, Head of Education, AccXel Construction School

(not pictured, Gabriella Russell, Home Manager, Shipston Lodge, Taylor & Taylor Care)

If you want to join the 300+ business leaders who have learnt the secret to becoming a more effective leader, you can read more about the LEAD™ programme here, or send us an email to book a meeting to find out more.

Don't miss out on discovering what this ever-growing group of leaders knows.

Our next Cohort starts on 13th and 14th November 2025.

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