Meet The Team

Darren McGrath - Learning and Development Director

An honours graduate in Business Management Darren started his career working within the publishing and events industry. His passion for people development and organisational change soon led him into Learning and Development. During his time in the training industry he has developed and delivered a number of innovative learning and development interventions across the globe for organisations in a variety of industries.

He spent a number of years working with one of the world’s leading independent IT and Management training organisations and before joining the GP team he was a director of a sales and management training organisation. Darren has extensive experience of sales, management, leadership and personal development training interventions and he plays a pivotal role in developing and delivering training courses within a variety of industry sectors.

In 2009 Darren won the coveted award as “The One to Watch” at an industry awards ceremony at London’s 02 Arena.

Andrew Bendzak - Business Development Director

Andrew has operated at board level having business development responsibility for over 15 years. He started his career working in automotive finance where he remained for some 8 years progressing through to a board director role responsible for a £250M turnover outsourcing division and personally securing a record breaking multi million pound 5 year outsourcing contract with a global bank. 

His passion for business development soon led him into the turnaround management sector where over the course of 4 years he secured key business development director roles across a variety of sectors such as FMCG, Business Services and IT driving profitable growth, managing change and unleashing talent to achieve the many objectives providing successful performance improvement.

From his roles in the turnaround management sector, his awareness and understanding of learning and development strategies led him to securing a Director role for FranklinCovey a global leader in personal and leadership development.

Amongst his many achievements as Director for FranklinCovey, he secured relationships with many blue chip clients such as Aviva, HSBC, Barclays and Grant Thornton developing innovative global learning and development programmes delivering significant improvement for clients over a period of 3 years. Establishing revenues in excess of £1m per annum through a variety of client engagements covering key themes such as personal development, leadership and strategic execution to name but a few, his core business development expertise has been extended to also account for Behaviour Change, HR/OD Consultancy, Talent Development, Strategic Development, Execution Implementation and Project Management.

Bringing a wealth of experience and expertise to this key role for General Physics UK across the EMEA region, Andrew is responsible for growing revenues with new and existing clients working with them to improve their ability to service their customer’s needs through innovative and creative training/development programmes, consulting and business improvement solutions.

Andrew lives in the Midlands with his wife and two children. Very active in the local community, Andrew has been the Treasurer for local village organisations and lists among his other interests of playing golf, football and more recently taking up polo.

Myra Groves - Project Manager

Myra is a Project Manager at General Physics (UK) Limited, she knows our business and truly understands our clients – this has stemmed from her 22 years of experience working for GP (formerly PMC).  She has covered all aspects of project/operational/administrative duties, the majority of which whilst holding a senior role. Myra has worked closely over the last two decades with our financial services clients and has formed solid trustworthy relations in this sector.

Before GP, Myra worked with Abbey National, now Santander for 16 years.  She was a member of branch middle management team before she resigned from her role.

Claire Sherwood - Training Consultant

Claire Sherwood is a Training Consultant for General Physics (UK) Ltd.  She previously worked within the property sector and media industry for the past 7 years.
Claire started with General Physics (UK) Ltd at the start of 2011 and is key in supporting learning and development projects in a number of industries including financial services, Security and Retail for a range of clients across a variety of business sectors.

Claire focuses on supporting clients' Learning and Development needs in terms of bespoke training requests and training consultancy and also assists in the scheduling of programs with clients and associate trainers, administration and business development opportunities.

Darragh Power - Senior Consultant

A training and development professional with extensive experience in all aspects of training and development, needs analysis, program and course design and development, training delivery, assessment and evaluation.  Darragh has led and presented training courses and training programs in a wide variety of industries with clients like the Financial Services Authority (UK), Xerox (Finance), CIGNA Healthcare, Ceva Logistics, NetApp and Sandisk. 

He has taught courses that have covered a number of areas including, presentation skills, communication skills, team building, leading teams, time and workflow management.

A certified technical trainer (CTT+) Darragh has also lectured in Dublin City University, conducted social science research, and worked in the financial services and insurance sectors, where he gained experience of a wide variety of quality management programs including a number of Lean Six Sigma projects. He is a certified HBDI practitioner for individuals and teams.

Working closely with management he has developed bespoke learning interventions designed to target directly areas and skills requiring performance improvements, for individuals, teams and departments. Darragh has used a variety of methodologies including six sigma, action research, and behavioural based feedback.

In the University context he has lectured on online learning environments, collaborative approaches to learning, and learning and technology.

Jocelyn Hughes - Senior Consultant

Always in customer-oriented organisations, Jocelyn has worked in organisation development since the early eighties. A strong advocate of learning for a reason, she has a practical approach to projects which aim to provide staff and organisations with readily useful content, transferable to the workplace.

Having enjoyed a successful career in Training Management within blue chip organisations, she began working as a freelance consultant in 1998. A published author of “Contact Centre Management” with Echelon Publishing, she continues to deliver a varied range of programmes and assignments to a wide range of clients.
In addition to organisation development, Jocelyn is an experienced consultant in business matters such as process re-engineering, change management, psychometrics, competency-based framework design and work practices. She has assisted a number of clients to review, restructure and reinvest best practice working methods.

Jocelyn has over 25 years of experience of design and delivery of learning and development and assessment. The range of subjects covered is vast due to her ability to design and deliver bespoke programmes. She works in all media forms and has project managed an e-learning product programme and produced video distance learning programmes.

Denise Rose - Senior Consultant

Denise has twenty years experience as a respected, professional training consultant. Predominately working in the public sector for the:  NHS, Local Authorities, Charities, Colleges and Universities. Alongside the private sector: Lovells Partnerships, Bracknell Forest Homes, EON, Hastoe Housing and speaking engagements including the Health and Wellbeing Show at the NEC Birmingham.

She is a member and Approved Trainer of ILM,(MILM) Member of the International Stress Management Association (MISMA) and of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy MBACP(Accred).


With a proven track record and a practical approach to the design, development and delivery of effective bespoke training at all levels. Her strong interpersonal skills and ability to engage with others stem from many years of working one to one with individuals in private practice as a counsellor.

Kelvin Smith - Senior Consultant

Solid business and financial services experience including the design and implementation of product launch, process and service programmes, leadership and management development, sales and management processes, conducting TNA, course design and development as well as delivery, assessment centres (managing and assessing), coaching, consultancy and project management. Has a passion for developing new marketing and sales ideas for use across a range of existing and new mediums.

Has undertaken a huge variety of important projects for large international and national financial services, leading national retailers and public organisations. From creating and delivering sales and management process techniques and assessment centres for an entire national sales team of a major insurer to the design and delivery of a Customer Service programme to the entire team (frontline staff to all executives) of Northern Ireland’s leading Building Society. From the design of an entire range of training materials for a number of leading banks to the delivery of the FSA’s Money Made Clear briefings to health professionals.

Able to create, manage and develop business plans, can work at both strategic and operational levels, design and deliver solutions for new systems, IT implementation plus E-learning solutions, process to behavioural, selling skills and performance management programmes and assessment centres. Able to design and launch national conventions and conferences.

Andy Granston - Senior Consultant

Andy is an innovative and experienced development consultant specialising in supporting leadership and team development as well as supporting businesses to deliver excellent customer service through the development of their managers and customer facing employees.

He has wide experience of both Operational Management roles in major retailers as well as proven skills and abilities in the training and development field.

Andy is a creative thinker who is an articulate communicator at all levels and is a highly effective presenter and facilitator.

• Considerable experience in many sectors in all aspects of training and development including Training Needs Analysis, Programme design, Delivery of training programmes and Evaluation
• Designed and facilitated a two day ‘setting your team up to succeed’ workshop delivered to managers of teams in the support centre of a major UK and International retailer
• Delivered team events to new teams that were coming together for the first time
• Delivered workshops to senior and first line managers who were looking to develop high performance teams
• Over 18 years proven experience in supporting and delivering soft skills training and development to operations staff and managers in a variety of organisations
• Leadership skills gained in running operational teams as well as training and development teams

Richard Pascall - Senior Consultant

Richard is an accomplished, charismatic communicator at all levels with 19 years of extensive experience in learning and development in and out of the workplace.

His proven expertise stems from a broad experience of commercial life via a career in financial services, recreation management, professional rugby union and learning and development. His L & D experience spans several sectors including; retail, financial services, pharmaceutical, hi-tech and construction. Additionally, his “out of work” life involved a professional rugby career with England international honours; the coaching and captaining of several high level sports teams. This has provided him with a portfolio of skills that enables the motivation to be high and the learning to be inspirational.

Richard works with organisations to design and deliver management and leadership programmes; one to one business coaching with key decision makers and crucial conversation workshops to build influential behaviours and habits; sales and sales management training; powerful presentations and public speaking to get the message across. He has spoken at several conferences to lift awareness of the power of people and the importance of progressive change management.

His coaching credentials include both senior and middle management in several sectors and they are substantiated with a distinguished career in Rugby Union with Gloucester and representative honours for South West Division, London Counties and England.

His speaking career began with player team talks, Captain’s speeches then developed into formal presentations and regular annual conference addresses.

His vast experience and pragmatic approach has created a conscientious, respected individual with a distinct determination to extend the ability of a performer.

His mantra exclaims: We turn performers into high performers; middle managers into nurturers of talent; executives into listening inspirational leaders; workers into confident communicators who enjoy contributing to their company.

William Carpenter - Senior Consultant

Bill’s management consultancy, training and development portfolio covers the following areas of expertise. These have been developed through training and first hand experience in project and line management and delivered to a wide variety of private and public sector organisations in the UK, Western and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and USA including engineering, construction, IT, legal, education, retail, manufacturing, finance, health, transport, local and national government, housing and entertainment.

• Project Management
• Leadership
• Team Building
• General Management

Craig Wardman - Senior Consultant

A strong background in training, learning and development consultancy in both 
multi-national and local organisations across private, public and voluntary sectors. Facilitated programmes to over 10,000 people to the highest level. Core specialisms include relationship management and sales skills, sales leadership development and executive coaching (including 1 to 1). A dynamic proven coach and facilitator who uses his strong influencing skills, enthusiasm, high motivation and business experience to make a winning difference.

Developed and delivered programmes internationally from 2005 to date covering sectors including financial services, energy and power, insurance, healthcare, automotive, travel, engineering, construction, telecommunications, retail and newspaper/media.

Career prior to 2005 included 17 years in Relationship Management, Sales Leadership and Senior Facilitator roles.

Jim Brophy - Senior Consultant

Located in the UK and is responsible for a team of course design, development and implementation specialists. His responsibilities include the overall management of individual projects, liaison with clients and quality assurance of deliverables. In the consultancy role, he advises clients on issues relating to Instructional Systems Design. Jim is a qualified engineer who has been involved in training design, development and implementation relating to a variety of different industries over a 30-year period.

Jim has worked extensively with teams within blue chip organisations undertaking complex TNA (Training Needs Analysis) and implementing both design of specific training programmes and lead facilitation for technical and management development.

He earned Master Trainer (Europe and emerging markets), for ‘Gaining the Effective Edge’ a global work life balance programme focused around Microsoft Outlook. His tenacity and passion for people ensure that this programme always meets with the highest regard.

Strengths lie, firstly, in areas of technical and management programme design and delivery. He will bring an infectious enthusiasm and high level of energy, drive and commitment to ensure that not only is the learning transferred but also behaviour is changed. Secondly, programme consultancy, and implementation of high level strategies.

Jim’s commitment and dedication to his clients is second to none, leading initiatives from the front he ensures that these programmes and roll outs are met with absolute professionalism.

Nik Barratt - Consultant

Nik is a highly motivated sales trainer, with over 18 years experience in both the commercial and personal financial services sectors. Nik has excellent sales, communication, interpersonal and sales management skills. A first class track record in financial services in both achieving results, motivating staff to achieve targets and training. Nik has delivered a wide range of skills courses with an audience ranging from senior executives to front-line sales staff. Nik has helped sales managers and their teams consistently achieve high level results.

Nik’s background is principally in sales and sales management with a global financial services company. In 2005 Nik and his wife took a year out to travel the world before making the decision to move into a consultancy role rather than return to their previous company.

Nik’s training style is challenging (in a good way), often thought-provoking and always based on principles both put into practice and observed throughout the financial services industry. He believes in being challenged by participants and engaging them by providing opportunities to try out new ideas and approaches through “real-play” in the training room. A relaxed approach coupled with a passion to help people get the most out of their business is what you can expect on one of his workshops.

Ken Bickerton - Consultant

A Freelance Consultant with over 20 years experience in the financial services industry with extensive experience as a Training and T&C Director, delivering management and training solutions in environments where risk management and cost control are critical. Ken has a track record of developing outstanding relationships with key stakeholders within the business and major suppliers. Also creating, developing, coaching and motivating highly successful teams of trainers that have delivered profitability to the company through training intervention.

Vince Coombs - Consultant

A highly experienced Sales and Management Trainer with a history of delivering strategically aligned performance improvements across a wide range of situations. Vince employs expert communication skills to fully explore and analyse situations, address identified needs and develop practical ways forward.

Collaborative by nature he engages stakeholders, colleagues and learners with commitment, patience and enthusiasm in order to identify and remove blockages, engender new, more effective behaviours and achieve required outcomes.

Chris Kelly - Consultant

Chris has over 30 years Financial Services experience gained in Customer Service, Sales, Management and Learning & Development. With a proven track record of success in developing managers, financial advisers and customer service staff, she has utilised her practical experience to achieve considerable success with businesses in delivering measurable improvements in results.

Passionate about developing people, her style has been described as open, communicative, empathic and friendly; she is a skilled listener and easily engages with people. She creates a stimulating learning environment, where she encourages individuals to participate and think, and to focus on transferring knowledge and skills to the job.

Steve Kelly - Consultant

Steve's relaxed, natural approach to sales, training and management has seen him achieve considerable success during his 30 years in the Financial Services Industry.

He spent his early professional years advising personal and corporate customers, before moving into Management roles with both blue chip Product Providers and Independent Financial Advisers. It was during his time in Management that he developed his passion for People Development and this led him to specialise in this area.
 The skills, knowledge and experience he possesses along with ability to quickly identify customers' needs, enables him to provide exciting innovative programmes designed to help them achieve their aspirations.

Peter Nicholson - Consultant

A dedicated and articulate individual, with a unique mix of experience in analysing needs and identifying solutions to meet client requirements. Who is able to develop successful long-term, profitable business relationships. An ifs web tutor.

A passionate believer in the value of development in enabling individuals and organisations to achieve their objectives. Able to adapt training styles between facilitation, coaching, counselling, mentoring, and presenting to meet specific needs.

Paul Rogers - Consultant

Paul is a highly experienced Level 4 qualified trainer with nearly 30 years experience in Financial Services, of which 16 years have been specifically in training. His experience includes the design and delivery of both technical and skills training programmes across a wide range of Financial Services topics. Recently, he has focused on the design and delivery of Level 4 qualification workshops for bankassurers, multi-tied companies and IFAs.

Dean Scott APFS - Chartered Financial Planner

Dean Scott has a BSC Hons. Mathematics and Statistics gained at the University of
Liverpool. He has eight years experience of working as sales manager and four dealing with wealth clients at an advisory level. At 25 years old he was the youngest ever area manager to work for a leading Global Bank.

His Chartered Financial Planner Status means he understands the challenges and issues that bankers and the industry faces and he is highly experienced in helping financial organisations in demonstrating competence of regulatory interventions, he is an accomplished trainer and he is regularly engaged to deliver training to clients who need to ensure their bankers are attaining QCF level 4 and level 6 qualifications respectively prior to the 2012 deadline. Over the past 18 months particularly, he has worked on a consultancy project for a leading global bank on the design of face to face training, distance learning and events for their wealth channel focusing on the following areas:

• New discretionary fund management proposition delivery to over 400 wealth advisers
• Structured product launch and retraining exercise
• Maximum Investment Plan and Venture Capital Trust Launch
• Changes to pension legislation in 2011/12 and beyond and specifically how they affect the ‘high earners’ of wealth earners
• Pension transfer re-authorisation exercise
• Training wealth area managers to train their own teams on technical and business issues

Dean is currently working with another global bank, redesigning and implementing their risk strategy in reference to their retirement and estate planning proposition. He has been an assistant examiner for the CII since 2009 and is regularly requested to submit questions that are used in examinations and he is now the national lead trainer for particular examinations and an active marker of Diploma papers.

Dean has recently been involved with a Solvency II project for another global institution, using the balance of his mathematical, practical training and industry knowledge to deliver complex training at board level.

Lorraine Mousley APFS - Chartered Financial Planner

With over 27 years experience in the Financial Services Industry, primarily within a large international Bank Group Lorraine has a wealth of knowledge to draw upon. An Area Sales Manager for 9 years, this has provided an excellent grounding in dealing with a diverse audience and capability levels, whilst also enabling motivational and training skills to be fully developed. In addition, Lorraine has experience as an Independent Financial Planner, so can also relate to the working environment of both employed and self employed individuals, and can cater her style to facilitate any learning environment or individual style.

As a Chartered Financial Planner, she is also one of the first two people in the Country to have fully completed the CII Regulated Diploma.

With over 200 hours training experience at Regulated Diploma level, across all subjects, and an Accredited CII Trainer, Lorraine is ideally placed to deal with the following portfolio of CII Regulated Diploma examinations:


• R01 – Financial Services, Regulation & Ethics
• R02 – Investment Principles and Risk
• R03  - Personal Taxation
• R04 – Pensions and Retirement Planning
• R05 – Financial Protection
• R06 – Financial Planning Process