Management Team

CHAIRMAN

Paul Williams

Paul was born in Wales but grew up in South London.  He has a degree in Law from Sussex University and Masters in Business Administration from the London Business School, after which he worked in a number of Sales and Marketing roles in both B2B and B2C markets.  In 1996 he moved to Newcastle where he ran the UK business of the US Contact Centre Service Provider Convergys , and then in 2003 founded his own company – Voicentric. From 2004 when the first Life Science company started with Voicentric, Paul saw the opportunity of this specialist niche, and progressively built up the organisation from its origins in Consett, Co. Durham, to moving to Durham City and then to establishing second and third offices.  Paul has built up a very knowledgeable and capable management team who run the day to day affairs of the company and he recently has started to take an increasingly back seat involvement. In his youth Paul played a lot of sport, principally being a rugby Fly Half through school, university and Club rugby .  Today he plays less dangerous sports like tennis, cycling and golf, although he does present a danger to anyone on an adjacent fairway who can’t hear the shout “Fore!”.  He still has his old vinyl records from the 1970’s and will argue with anyone that it was the best decade for music and film.  History and contemporary politics complete Paul’s list of interests.

MANAGING DIRECTOR

Ali Turner

Ali grew up in the North East, attending local schools before relocating to Birmingham and subsequently London, where he studied English Language & Linguistics. He subsequently completed a BA in Music at the Open University.

Following stints in the charity, HR and recruitment sectors and having narrowly escaped the prospect of a career in local government, Ali joined Voicentric in 2009, initially on a temporary basis. The best part of a decade later he his still here, having realised at a relatively early stage that he’d wandered into a truly unique environment, where the accommodation of his passion for leadership and the thrill of “mission accomplished” would be unrivalled. Over the years, graduating from the role of Advisor, to Supervisor, Programme Manager and latterly General Manager, he has amassed experience on every campaign type and is perfectly positioned to advise any client on how to get the best results from their project investment. These days, Ali is responsible for all client activity and internal operations, at the heart of which lies the responsibility of helping a dynamic, talented and fast-growing team drive its success.

Away from work, Ali is a keen outdoor survivalist and can be spotted wandering through any number of the British Isles’ remaining wildernesses (he confesses, ‘not least of all to escape the sound of his own voice’). When not adding to his post-apocalypse toolkit, he can generally be found enjoying the company of his two daughters (a.k.a. ‘drill instructor 1 & 2’), making loud noises on guitars and planning his next ill-conceived jaunt into the wild.

CLIENT SERVICES DIRECTOR

James McVicker

James was born and grew up in Durham but studied Biological Sciences at Oxford University, attending Balliol College. Prior to joining Voicentric in 2013, James was the Field Coordinator of a sea turtle conservation project on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. His initial work with Voicentric provided the flexibility and funds to pursue his real interests of travelling the world conducting wildlife research and conservation work.

After extensive wildlife research in the Canadian Rockies, and then charity work facilitating the creation of evacuation plans in areas at high risk from natural disasters in the Philippines, James returned to Voicentric in 2015 to work full time as a team leader and quickly moved into a Programme Manager role. James continues to have a passion for wildlife conservation and likes to explore different countries and their cultures when time permits. He enjoys playing squash and has an eclectic collection of musical instruments, primarily playing the electric violin and alto saxophone.

Company Director and Senior Client Relationship Manager

Connie Twyman

Originally from Stuttgart, Southern Germany, Connie came to the UK to study Marine Sciences at Newcastle University. Graduating with a 1st class Bachelor of Science Degree, earned her an Alumni Bursary Award, which enabled her to go straight on to gain a Ph.D. in Marine Microbiology & Ecology.

Alongside her Ph.D. and after graduating, Connie worked as a teaching assistant at Newcastle University before joining Voicentric in 2011. Her passion for science, her multicultural appreciation, and project management skills meant she quickly advanced to Programme Manager and then Senior Client Relationship Manager overseeing key accounts within Voicentric.

When Voicentric became an Employee Owned Company in 2019, she became the first Employee Trustee on the Voicentric Trust Board until 2022.

With over a decade of contribution to growing and shaping Voicentric into the Employee-Owned Life Science Marketing company it is today, and her extensive experience in account management and history of building long-term client relationships, Connie joined the Voicentric Board as Director in 2022.

Outside of work, Connie still loves the sea and tries to spend as much time as possible up and down the North East coast, hunting through rockpools (Barnacles rock!) with her son, passing on her enthusiasm for our oceans. Besides her love for spending time with her family and her ‘obsession’ with Lego and jigsaw puzzles, she enjoys gardening, going to the cinema and playing her piano.

RECRUITMENT MANAGER

Flavie Pommiès

Flavie was born in Dax in the south of France.  She got her Masters Degree in English Language, Literature and Civilisation at the University of Pau. After university she spent 5 years in Nevada and California, teaching French and working as a telemarketer before moving to London and to the North East of England.

In 2012 she started working at Voicentric on French speaking campaigns before moving to a local International Recruitment company.  In 2015 Flavie then returned to Voicentric where she is now responsible for recruitment, which is a permanent ongoing process at Voicentric.

Outside of work Flavie enjoys music, cooking, cinema and literature.  She continues to have a passion for travelling and discovering new cultures.

CLIENT DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

Paul Reavley

Paul was born and grew up in Durham before leaving for Leeds Beckett University where he studied for a Degree in Politics.

Alongside and following University Paul worked in a bookstore, indulging in a love for literature. On returning to Durham in 2014 he started working at Voicentric, where his qualities quickly became apparent and he was made a Programme Manager at the beginning of 2015.  While working on client campaigns Paul became the first person to work directly in Salesforce.com and soon became a skilled user of this and other CRM solutions.  Working in CRMs has become a focal point of our work here at Voicentric and Paul is Voicentric’s “Go To” person whenever we have queries or are trying to optimise our interaction with this medium.

Paul is a keen football player and supporter. As a lifelong Sunderland fan he has developed a thick skin and been given some heavy doses of reality, punctuated by occasional moments of unbridled joy.  He also enjoys hiking in the Lakes with his partner and 2 daughters, growing vegetables and is an avid Radio 4 listener.

SENIOR PROGRAMME MANAGER

Rieke Dickinson

Rieke was born in Wilhemshaven, Lower Saxony in North Germany. She is a Certified Multilingual Administrative Assistant of the Euro Akademie Oldenburg, and has a Degree in Management, Business and Administration from Leeds Metropolitan University.

Rieke first worked for Voicentric in 2012 while she studied in Durham. Post University Rieke gained practical experiences in different sales and customer service roles in Germany but also spent a couple of months working in Spanish hotels to practice her favourite language (and spend time on the beach). In 2014 Rieke returned to Durham and started working again at Voicentric. As the company grew she was quick to progress and now manages different accounts at Voicentric, working as a Programme Manager.

Rieke is still a great fan of warm climates and never lets slip an opportunity to visit Spain or Mexico to improve her Spanish. Her hobbies also include literature and sport and in her youth she was an accomplished horseback gymnast – i.e. performing gymnastics while on a galloping horse!

HEAD OF TALENT & DEVELOPMENT AND COMPANY DIRECTOR

Ben Jiggins

Ben was born in London and grew up in Southern England before moving to Durham to study for a BSc in Natural Science. After graduating he taught science in a local school for six years while studying for a Masters in Education. He switched careers to join Voicentric in early 2016 and was appointed as a Programme Manager in January 2017. He moved into his current role and also became a Director in 2022.

As Head of Talent and Development, Ben oversees everything people-related, from the recruitment process to onboarding and ongoing staff development, through to training of the management team. He is passionate about seeing people learn new skills and perform well – his favourite times at Voicentric are the ‘Employee of the Quarter’ celebrations.

Ben also has experience in team leadership and event, project and facilities management through his involvement in a local church, and he uses this experience to help ensure the various internal cogs of the Voicentric machine keep turning smoothly. He is known for his efficiency, his competitive nature, and his habit of making lists.

Outside of work, Ben is lover of sports, hill walking (The Lake District is his favourite place on earth), reading and board games. He is married with two young children, who keep him busy and entertained.

 

Senior Programme Manager

Loredana Trifanov

Loredana was born in Botoșani, Romania, and has a Bachelor’s Degree in Foreign languages (French and Spanish) as well as a Master’s Degree in Marketing and Business Communication from one of the best universities in Romania, Alexandru Ioan Cuza, Iași.

She’s held different positions in a multinational company in Romania (last of which was as an Asset Coordinator), before moving to the UK in spring 2013. She joined Voicentric in 2014 and is now proud to be one of our Programme Manager.

She used to lead her old school’s gymnastics team, now most of her exercise consists in running after her two year old daughter (she says laughing). Most of her spare time is dedicated to family activities and city breaks, which are the best excuse to reunite with old friends.

HEAD OF IT

Alex Treddenick

Alex is from Newcastle and has worked in a variety of sales positions before getting a BSc in Applied Computing from Teesside University and joined Voicentric in 2015. Alex is responsible for the IT and Telephony infrastructure at Voicentric as well as managing the IT team. As a senior member of management team Alex also oversees the company’s IT developments in an ever-changing industry.

Alex plays football and is also a die-hard Newcastle United supporter and frequent visitor to St James’ Park and bears up remarkably well in the circumstances. He also likes to keep active through cross-fit and the rest of his time he spends looking after his young family.

SENIOR IT MANAGER

Tom Kelly

SCIENTIFIC DEVELOPMENT MANAGER & DATA PROTECTION OFFICER

Nick Rudd

Nick grew up in the outskirts of Newcastle before moving “down the road” to Durham to study Physics at Durham University.  He completed his Masters in 2016.

He originally joined Voicentric in 2014 after completing his second year and realising that his student loan could no longer keep up with the NERF gun buying habit he had developed as President of the University Assassins Society. Working periodically for Voicentric whilst studying then returning full time upon completion of his degree, Nick was able to utilise his scientific background to both improve his understanding of the scientific material and help to develop his colleagues’ understanding as well. Having recently joined the management team he now works to develop the scientific understanding of callers as well as applying his technical expertise to campaigns.

Just for the avoidance of doubt, NERF guns are not real weapons and Assassins Society should not be taken literally so Nick will not find himself one day on trial in The Hague.  He is a LARP (Live Action Role Play) enthusiast and has fought battles both as an armoured knight in a fantasy world and as a survivor in a post apocalyptic world bought about by the war between technology and magic – and he still in his mid-20’s!  He is also a trumpet player and can be found performing some local brass bands in Durham.

Scientific Training Manager

James Hartley

James is originally an Edinburgh native, though moved to Wrexham in North Wales for a significant portion of his life before finally settling in the North East after reading Music, with a specialisation in Composition, at Durham University. Despite this focus in a traditionally artistic subject, James has always been a keen scholar of Mathematics and the Sciences, even submitting an equation for a composition piece wherein you could select notes and lengths for your variables and would receive a Fugue as the output.

He put this interest to good use when beginning work at Voicentric in 2013, working on a huge variety of campaigns and increasing his knowledge whilst rising through the ranks before becoming Scientific Training Specialist in 2018. He now utilises his passion for both Science and Education by training staff in the technical background of instruments and technologies they discuss on the phone, all while including as many terrible puns as possible.

Outside of work James’ interests lie heavily in mentally challenging and strategic games; sometimes known as Mind Sports. These include board games, such as Go and Chess, and the card game Magic the Gathering; in which James is a qualified Level 2 Judge (kind of like a referee) and travels around the country to participate in tournaments at a high level. He also continues to enjoy creative processes and is in the process of (slowly) writing both a Musical and a Novel.

Finance and Business Administration Manager and Employee Trustee

Ebba Mowatt

Ebba Mowatt is Voicentric’s Finance and Business Administration Manager and was elected to the position of Employee Trustee in July 2022, for a 3-year term.

Ebba has been at Voicentric since September 2017; moving from ICR to Senior Advisor, to HR & Finance Assistant, and then to her current managerial role.  Additionally, Ebba has been a Mental Health First Aider at Voicentric since November 2021.

Prior to Voicentric, Ebba spent 12 years working in retail.  In her last store, Ebba started as a Sunday manager when it opened and, within 3 months, was the Assistant Manager for Durham; a year later she was the Duty Manager for Newcastle and Aberdeen as well. Within this role, she covered not just sales and customer service but also; HR, H&S, Training & Development, Budgeting, and Marketing.

Programme Manager

Behnaz Tabibigilani

Behnaz has been living in the UK since 2008; she got her LLM in Commercial Law in 2009 from the University of Glasgow, before moving to London and then to Durham in 2012. Behnaz joined Voicentric in September 2015 and was appointed as a Programme Manager in November 2021. Having worked at Voicentric in various roles since first joining in 2015, Behnaz has gained experience working with a diverse client portfolio and a large portion of our team. In her spare time, Behnaz enjoys exploring old buildings, long walks in nature and going for hikes. But nothing beats finishing a really good book.

Coaching Manager

Meagan Heather

Meagan was born, and spent her childhood, in the Middle East – a love of the outdoors, impressive landscapes and being barefoot was ingrained from an early age.

Having a passion for many subjects at school – psychology, geography and art, to name a few – and finding it difficult to select one field in which to pursue further studies, she chose instead to gain some ‘real life’ experience and hone her people skills. She worked within the hospitality industry for a few years until, unable to face the prospect of another Christmas season, she found herself at Voicentric in the summer of 2012.

Outside of work, Meagan enjoys long walks, reading and indulging in artistic endeavours when the mood strikes.

Programme Manager

Cameron Jukes

Cameron is originally from the North East but spent his childhood and teenage years moving between various cities within England, Northern Ireland and Germany as his father was in the Armed Forces.

Upon returning from Germany, he settled in Durham and worked in the hospitality sector, before moving into sales and eventually joining Voicentric in 2016 due to his keen interest in science and languages.

In his free time, Cameron enjoys playing football and rugby and is an avid music enthusiast, having taught himself how to play the guitar, drums and bass.

Programme Manager

E. McNeill

Emily grew up in North London before moving to Liverpool in 2016 to conduct a 4-year BSc sandwich degree in Wildlife Conservation, focusing on environmental policy. After a placement year assisting research and working at an environmental trust she graduated in the middle of the pandemic.

Joining Voicentric in November 2020 during the pandemic and appointed Program Manager in November 2022 Emily has now begun overseeing a range of campaigns whilst working with colleagues across the company. She was also appointed as one of our Charity Champions in 2022, helping to organise fundraising events and raise awareness for our selected charities – nominated and selected by our staff.

Outside of work Emily cares for animals, enjoys hiking and yoga, and loves travelling.

Programme Manager

Hattie Cansino

Hattie has been with Voicentric since 2014, after completing an MA in Political Theory from Durham University. She started out as a full-time caller but cut down to part time hours through her studies, completing a further MA and then PhD in Politics and Modern Languages at Newcastle University in 2022.
Since then, she has returned to Voicentric full time and has been promoted to Programme Manager, a role in which she is able to draw on her wide experience across a range of clients and projects.

Outside of professional pursuits, she has a habit of enthusiastically starting new hobbies before forgetting about them a few months later, meaning you might find her working on a new crochet project, doing her best with some complex patisserie, or finding out whether something tastes good when fermented. However, one hobby shall always remain in the rotation: a long walk followed by a good book.