Leadership Foundations TEAM

Sandra has a passion for seeing others grow, develop and realise more of their potential. In her 30+ year career in the city, she has experienced a wide variety of leadership styles – both good and bad - as well as being a leader herself, latterly leading a global team of over 120 professionals in her role as a partner in a large accounting firm.

Graeme studied Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Imperial College and then worked for Oscar Faber in St Albans (now AECOM). He then moved into the computing industry, firstly developing software for the building industry and then for retail, both in the UK and abroad. He became Director of Development for a small software company which was then acquired by Oracle (a large multi-national software company). Finally he set up his own consultancy business, working on a number of large software implementations, including two years in Thailand. Graeme is now retired and spends much of his time working within the church context, or charities, including Step.

Marion loves working with individuals to help them explore their gifts and skills to enable them to reach their potential. Over the years she has held a number of leadership roles in church and other other organisations within the local community including being a school governor and a local Magistrate. She has enjoyed co-leading a number of leadership courses for adults and young people including as part of the Step team. Marion is married and has two adult children and enjoys sharing hospitality, 'craft and creative' activities and walking.

Trevor is passionate about seeing individuals reach their full potential and loves working in teams. He trained as an Electronics Engineer and for the first half of his career worked in a number of small firms before starting one with a colleague which grew and became very successful. After starting a new church in his spare time, he re trained at theological college to become a church leader. He has been leading a church and running a national charity which works with churches since 1999. His leadership style is to encourage and enable others. He is a creative thinker and enjoys running a pottery studio.

Chris has a huge desire to help others, in particular young people, become all that God has designed them to be. As a result, he started a charity over 20 years ago, which empowers volunteers to work in schools, sharing God’s plan for each person. He has engaged in several different initiatives to share God’s design, including leading gap years, training young leaders, speaking at youth conferences and he has even written a book on how to influence your peers.

Over the past twenty years Amy has taken on a range of leadership roles, including working as a primary school teacher, running a large and flourishing toddler group and leading the women’s ministry at her church. She loves working for Step as it combines three of her big loves – God, teaching and working with young people! A natural encourager, she loves to “talent spot” and “see the gold” in people, and then position them within a team so that they will succeed.  

Amy lives in St Albans with her husband and two daughters, and in her spare time can be found keeping fit (she’s a big Joe Wickes fan!) or baking. Her signature bake is a very tasty lemon drizzle cake. Just ask and she will happily bake you one!

Anny was born in Argentina and grew up under a military dictatorship, in an environment where no one could express their own views or think for themselves.  She began by working as a special needs teacher, but once the dictatorship ended,  Anny joined a Christian organisation that worked with students across South America. She helped train students to think critically for themselves and become the leaders of the future, enabling them to make a real difference in society.  

In 1993 Anny moved to the UK, where she continued her studies, in theology and later in psychodynamic counselling. She has worked with a huge range of people from all  generations and all walks of life. She is passionate about investing in the younger generations, especially those who will be the leaders of tomorrow, by helping them to grow in character, maturity and the skills needed to lead. She has a real gift for speaking wisdom and energy into people’s lives.

Anny recently trained to become a Spiritual Director, regularly speaks at the women’s group she is part of at her church. She lives in Barnet, with her husband, and has two grown up step children.

Susie enjoys being on a journey with people, getting to know them and their life stories. She loves speaking truths that encourage others to reach their full potential. She is known for asking lots of questions, speaking quite fast and being enthusiastic. She works as an Occupational Therapist managing a team that supports children and young adults with disabilities to carry out everyday activities. OTs see people’s abilities not their disabilities. Susie is married with two teenage children. She loves her church community and is always looking for new ways to engage with those that don’t ‘go to church’. Among her many passions is a desire to see an end to injustice and extreme poverty in the places worst affected by poverty and climate change.

Michael grew up in Atlanta GA. He studied Music Education at University and was a choir director for several years. He and his wife Beth Ann moved to the UK over 20 years ago to help start a Christian youth charity called Young Life International. He has spent the past 30 years working with young people and loves helping them grow to their full potential.

He loves sports, music and movies and is a big fan of Star Wars and Krispy Kreme doughnuts.

Andrew’s passion is to work with people of all ages enabling and developing teams in order to achieve significant and challenging goals. As a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers he has a proven track record in developing a variety of unique construction solutions on projects such as rail link to “Olympic” park, Crossrail and now the HS2 programme. This has resulted in these multinational construction teams winning prestigious awards on some of the UK’s highest profile projects.  He now runs his own Engineering Management Consultancy.  Often, you’ll find Andrew out on his zappy road bike, occasionally running or on a ski slope and at other time gardening – his way of relaxing. His greatest joy in living out his Christian faith is enabling people in all situations to mature and live meaningful fulfilled lives.

Alex is really excited about people finding the place they can be most fulfilled and make the biggest difference. After studying languages at uni, he spent 15 years in London advertising and design agencies working in teams to come up with communications strategies for clients as diverse as Cadbury, the BBC and Volkswagen. He also started a new church in London, and since last year he works as the vicar of St Luke's church on Cell Barnes Lane.

Charlotte has taken on a variety of leadership roles both paid and voluntary, in which she has learnt a lot about what good and bad leadership can look like. She is passionate about helping young people to recognise their gifts, equipping and empowering them for roles of leadership now and in the future. Charlotte has recently joined the Step team and is excited to see the impact of the Leadership Foundations Course.

A civil engineer by profession, Steve has held several leadership roles in the water industry where he worked for over 35 years, and also more recently with an educational charity. He lives in St Albans and is an active volunteer with Step and is married with three children and 2 grandchildren.

Steve says that the most enjoyable part of his career has been building teams and helping individuals develop the skills necessary to get the job done! This isn’t just about technical skills, but more often it’s been about developing the soft, or better phrased professional skills, necessary in any high performing team.

Mary loves finding interesting ways to help people unpick and understand where their heart and passions lie. She values good communication and enjoys seeing young people find their voice. She studied English Language and Communications with Drama at university and has gone on to work as a Youth Pastor in a church, where she led a team of volunteers and worked to lead and run projects with a range of charities and other youth organisations. Mary has recently joined the Step team and is excited to continue learning and growing in this new role.

Cath has been an industry research consultant for a few decades specialising mainly in digital printing consumables (paper, toner and ink) and latterly in the growing industrial inkjet textile printing sector, working within teams to support machine and consumables manufacturers such as Epson, HP, Canon and  Ricoh to understand their market potential from an independent source.

Alongside this Cath is passionate about empowering young people and has been instrumental in youth work in her church since the mid 2000s. God has strongly indicated that STEP should be part of her life and she finds being able to work with the STEP team and directly with young people to help them grow their own beliefs, skills and talents  is always a privilege.

Michael has extensive leadership experience, in particular he led a large, thriving church in the West Midlands for many years. Alongside this he has also been a School Trust Director, a School Governor, a Chair of Trustees, a chaplain for the British Legion and a Canon of Birmingham Cathedral.  

He thrives on working with a wide range of people and for many years he led summer residentials for young people aged 14-18.

As someone with a chemistry degree, Michael holds science and faith together, believing they are compatible rather than oppositional.

In his spare time, Michael enjoys travelling and has adventured to Peru and New Zealand, as well as regular holidays in France. He can also be found racing Laser dinghies at his local sailing club.  

Andy is a wannabe pro golfer and a blindly optimistic Arsenal fan! He has worked in corporate finance  and various family businesses. He serves in a voluntary capacity at his church, working with young people over too many years to remember and is passionate about seeing young people develop their leadership potential. In his own words, "Nothing better than seeing a young person grasp new concepts, realise change and enjoy the process!"

Manjit has always been fascinated in the topic of wellbeing, and keen to find out what makes other people tick, and it was this and encouragement from her parents, that led her to pursue a career as a mental health nurse. She then progressed into academia, doing many  things, including overseeing undergraduate and postgraduate courses in social work, counselling, probation and counselling. Beyond this Manjit has also had leadership experience within the NHS, always with a focus around Health and Social Care and the professional development of others.  As a woman of colour, born outside of the UK, and often in male dominated organisations, Manjit worked hard to achieve senior management roles, demonstrating considerable skill and determination.
 
Now retired, Manjit remains as busy as ever.  She assisted in the running of a Victim Awareness Course in a local prison and acts as a Governor of a hospital, serves on the committee of the u3A, and more recently started volunteering with Step. She is also an active member of her local church.
 
A dedicated mother of two grown up sons, and a devoted grandmother, Manjit also loves spending time with her family and travelling the world. Her zest for life, and passion to help others reach their potential is infectious and serving as a facilitator on the Leadership Course is a perfect fit for her!