About Adalta Development

Vicky Preece, Director

Vicky is a director and founder member of Adalta with over 24 years experience in training and organisational development. She has appeared on Sky TV and local radio to talk about developing people and organisations, and her forte is in training design, measurement & evaluation. Accredited by US Based Jack Phillips, she knows how to create powerful training programmes that work in the real world and impact on the bottom line.

She has partnered and collaborated with clients from a diverse range of industry sectors to create and implement a wide range of strategic development initiatives and programmes in the public, private and not-for profit sectors.

With a wealth of direct operational, sales and management experience combined with a successful career in learning and organisational development, Vicky is able to look at people, problems and situations from different perspectives. An eternal optimist and creative problem solver, she loves a challenge, and attributes Adalta’s long-term success to providing practical training that works in the real world. Her mantra for success is: “Customer first. No exceptions. No excuses”. She genuinely gives a damn about customers, and constantly pushes boundaries to help Adalta keep their edge.

Karen Young, Director

With over 19 years experience in developing people and organisations, Karen is a director and founder member of Adalta. As a strategic thinker who also thrives at the sharp end, her focus is on running a very slick business so that Adalta’s clients get great value and service. She has been the driving force behind the professional management qualifications side of the business, which has put Adalta firmly on the map. She has also featured in a TV business documentary for management and organisational development as well as having published several articles on this topic.

Karen firmly believes that training and development shouldn’t be a chore, and that in working with Adalta clients will get truly bespoke, top-notch training that doesn’t blow the budget.

An incredibly tenacious and resilient individual, Karen places the client at the heart of everything she does and always delivers what’s expected – and then some! She has a knack for making the complex straightforward and simple, and never forgets that the client is the reason for the business. She feels privileged to have worked with senior teams from a vast array of diverse and interesting organisations in both the public and private sector to help them realise their strategic ambition and goals. Through listening to and learning from clients she has developed a deep understanding of their unique culture and challenges, in turn helping them achieve the things that matter most to them through providing targeted training programmes that give people the tools they need to do their jobs brilliantly.

Wendyanne Shapiro

A commercially astute, results driven L&D/OD professional who really knows how to turn the ‘soft stuff’ into the ‘hard stuff. Wendyanne is a truly inspirational and powerful communicator.

She is able to influence critical decisions and inspire innovative solutions that solve business problems, promote growth and continuous improvement and lead to better performance and results. Operating at Board, Senior Management and Operational levels, she has a real knack for engaging with people; first seeing their world through their eyes, then empowering them to the point where they see old problems with new eyes. Wendyanne has genuine passion, integrity in abundance and incredible insight, which she uses to transform people and performance. When clients want someone who is motivational, inspiring and will help them get to where they want to be, Wendyanne is certainly a lady who can!

Karim Doukir

As a published author, ICF-certified coach and highly accomplished leader with over 30 years of senior management experience gained in the UK and internationally, Karim is celebrated for his expertise in transforming underperforming teams into high achievers with an impressive record of driving transformational growth through strategic leadership, executive coaching, and talent development.

Karim’s ability to build customer-centric, high-performing teams has fuelled significant business expansions and delivered record-breaking results in fiercely competitive markets. His leadership journey spans across the Middle East, Africa, and Europe, giving him a global perspective and a deep understanding of operational excellence in fast-paced environments.

Renowned for his ability to inspire and develop leaders at all levels, Karim forges strong connections and equips them with the skills, mindset, and confidence needed to thrive. His learner-centred approach focuses on unlocking potential and creating sustainable success, placing people firmly at the heart of everything he does.

Shaleena Gothivarekar

Shaleena brings to the table significant experience; 10 years’ experience in learning and development, coupled with 13 years’ experience as a senior operations manager with responsibility for teams of up to of 50-70 people. Her success in her career was measured on her ability to deliver results through others. As a passionate learning and development professional Shaleena has never lost sight of the people side of management. She has a natural instinct for people and an ability to ignite their passion and sense of purpose to achieve what they may not have previously thought possible. Her philosophy has always been to focus on the people – then the results will speak for themselves. Her passion comes from her belief that every individual possesses unique skills and talents – whether they are consciously aware of them or not. She believes firmly that the manager’s role is simply to help people establish a path that takes them from where they are now to where they need to be – personally and professionally. ‘The journey may take twists and turns. She claims, ‘as long as it gets them to the right destination, and when they get there, a new journey begins, because learning is a journey, not a destination.’

As a natural problem solver, Shaleena uses her experiences to help coach and support individuals through finding practical solutions to problems and seeking opportunities. ‘Great managers look inwards before they look outwards’, she claims, ‘and they make things happen, rather than waiting for things to happen.’

As well as being a highly experienced and Level 7 qualified coach and assessor, Shaleena is an NLP practitioner and has coached senior managers to support successful transformational change initiatives and has developed performance management processes. She also delivers Apprenticeship programmes, providing coaching, assessment and support to existing and aspiring managers.

Rob Hoblin

A highly effective, diligent management professional, Rob has provided transformational leadership and direction across a diverse range of business functions over a successful career spanning thirty years. As a successful Operations Director he has a strong strategic focus and excellent understanding of quality management processes within business and secure/ critical environments, having been instrumental in negotiating key cross-government contracts at Ministerial level.

He has led on core business functions which have included Leadership & Management, Executive and Team Coaching, Mentoring, Organisational Development, Programme and Project Management, Customer Relations, Business Continuity, Corporate Governance and Operational Assurance,

As an engaging, personable and highly credible trainer, facilitator and coach, Rob is dedicated to developing team members’ strengths to build dynamic and highly-performing teams who surpass company/organisational goals. Using his transformational leadership skills he has been very successful in turning teams around and achieving results.

He is an excellent communicator, capable of representing an organisation at all levels, and thrives on delivering in fast-paced business and/or security-oriented environments in the face of constant challenges.

Rob is highly qualified, including an MA in International Studies through Kings College London as well as an MBA through the Open University. He has delivered numerous leadership and management interventions across the UK and in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi. Holds security clearance to a high Government standard.

Emma Armytage

Recognised as ‘a brilliant, commercially focused HR professional’, Emma is a passionate and pragmatic expert with a unique ability to demystify the complexities of HR. With over 20 years’ experience in the HR world, Emma’s enthusiasm for her work remains undimmed, consistently bringing a clarity that many seek in today’s ever changing work environment.

Having worked in numerous HR roles, from large HR teams to spearheading standalone HR functions in multiple businesses, Emma provides advisory and training services to management teams across a wide range of sectors including construction, manufacturing, and warehousing.  Emma has honed a skillset adaptable to the challenges of fast-paced industries with ever-shifting targets, as well as industries resistant to change. This versatility is further underlined by their proven ability to navigate the pressures of heavily unionised environments.

What truly sets Emma apart is an inherent ability to connect with learners, ensuring sessions are not only enlightening but also enjoyable. By adeptly breaking down intricate topics into easily digestible content and enriching discussions with narratives from past experiences, Emma ensures that every session is memorable, ensuring lasting impact and facilitating real change.

With a Master’s degree in Employment Law and membership of the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development (CIPD), Emma’s expertise is rooted in both academic rigor and professional excellence. This gives a blend of expertise with an authenticity that remains unmatched.

Dave Rees

As a highly experienced facilitator, coach, author and moderator, Dave is an exceptionally articulate and skilled communicator, and he has helped many clients achieve their goals through influencing positive behavioural change and leadership skills at junior, middle and senior management levels.

He facilitates learning and development in a way that focuses on getting both the inputs and outputs right. His talent for observation and highly perceptive feedback enables people to examine their behaviour and learn from their experiences. He focuses on ensuring that learners make specific links to their own environment.

He has worked extensively in the UK and Europe with a diverse range of public and private sector organisations, from niche companies to well-known global brands.

His work is extremely diverse. As well as management and leadership development, Dave is a communications and influencing specialist. He delivers and assesses professional management qualifications from junior to senior level and helps managers attain the prestigious ‘Chartered Manager’ status, for which he moderates on behalf of the Chartered Management Institute. He also delivers workshops and lectures to disabled employees and their managers on how to manage disability positively, which are backed up by the published book, “Why are you pretending to be normal?” (co-written with Phil Friend).

Joanne Lever

Jo brings a wealth of experience having worked in learning and development and organisational development for more than 20 years in a career that has spanned across both the public and private sector. With a focus on leadership development Jo has worked with aspiring, experienced and senior leaders developing and coaching them in their careers across many sectors.

As a highly qualified learning and development professional, Jo is a member of CIPD with Chartered status, has a Level 7 Executive Coaching qualification, and is a qualified Investors in People Practitioner.

Jo is a passionate coach with a ‘down to earth’ style, which learners really value and engage with. Her success is firmly rooted in her belief that everyone has the ability to improve their resilience, performance capability and results through broadening their knowledge and experience and understanding themselves in a different way.

She puts the learner at the centre of everything she does, helping them to develop competence and confidence to learn, adapt and overcome problems to become the best possible version of themselves.
Her approach is collaborative and she pays great attention to the details, cleverly combining analytical skills, influencing and questioning to challenge, encourage, develop and engage individuals to enable them to achieve, grow and drive the results that matter most.

Mark Corder

Following successful senior leadership roles in the public, private and third sector, Mark has brought his experience to the Learning & Development arena. During the past 10 years, he has delivered leadership & management training and facilitation, coaching & mentoring and also provided consultancy services to a range of organisations. As an experienced training consultant and coach, Mark specialises in Leadership & Management, Emotional Intelligence, and a wide range of organisational soft skills development. Mark has worked with individuals and teams across 12 international countries, in locations such as North America, the Middle East and throughout Europe, as well as the length and breadth of the UK.

As well as providing leadership in UK government roles and departments, including the Ministry of Defence and Home Office, Mark has also led the UK’s Immigration Transportation team as well as planned and delivered a number of significant operations for the MoD. In the private sector, he has worked with and provided support to a number of medium to large organisations and enterprise and sat on the board of companies to provide advice and guidance. Mark was also a Chairman of Crimestoppers in 2013 as well as holding a senior position at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst.

Very much a ‘people person,’ Mark is personable and highly perceptive to the needs of others. Others’ value his calm and well-considered approach, particularly as they are often working in challenging, high-pressure situations. He is quickly able to help others make sense of things and find workable solutions when faced with what often appear to be complex issues. He is an active advocate of life-long learning, and his passion for people development ensures that his learning and insights help others succeed.

Craig Carden

Craig is a seasoned leadership coach and educator with over 33 years of experience transforming businesses and leaders across a broad spectrum of industries and sectors. His diverse expertise is underpinned by an MBA in Entrepreneurial Management, a Master of Research (MRes) in Business, and six years of dedicated doctoral research (PhD), focusing on translating management education into practical leadership application. With more than 50,000 hours of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and 10,000 hours of coaching and facilitation, Craig is widely recognised as a leading authority in leadership development.

A published author of Mastering Leadership and Sacred Texts, Modern Leaders, Craig’s thought leadership has helped shape modern approaches to leadership and organizational success. His passion for empowering professionals and driving business transformation continues to inspire lasting success, as he guides individuals from accidental managers to influential, inspiring leaders.

Throughout his career, Craig has refined his coaching methodology to fast-track leaders toward mastery, blending his deep knowledge of leadership, management, and entrepreneurship. His pragmatic, results-oriented approach is rooted in real-world solutions, empowering leaders to elevate their organisations to new heights.

Known for his straightforward, insightful coaching style, Craig builds trust, revitalizes teams, and drives sustainable change. His work consistently delivers measurable impact, unlocking leadership potential and enabling professionals to lead with confidence, vision, and purpose.

Vanessa Warrington

A commercially astute and forward-thinking HR, Learning, Development, and Organisational Development professional with a rich career spanning across diverse sectors including retail, distribution, automotive, construction, housing, and the public sector. With a proven ability to operate at both strategic and operational levels, Vanessa brings a strong track record in driving business performance through innovative people solutions.

She has led transformative talent and organisational development initiatives, specialising in leadership development, employee engagement, performance improvement, and cultural change.  As a certified practitioner in psychometrics, NLP, and business coaching, Vanessa has a strong background in leveraging data and insights to shape strategy and decision-making.

Known for her high energy and collaborative style, Vanessa has successfully delivered large-scale training programmes, launched award-winning virtual learning platforms, and developed inclusive leadership and EDI strategies across global teams.  Vanessa is passionate about developing future talent and building high-performing, inclusive workplaces through tailored learning strategies, robust succession planning, and engaging employee experiences.

Ruth Broome, Business Support

Ruth oversees training logistics and helps to manage every event we deliver. She joins up dots, and makes sure the show runs smoothly. She runs a tight ship and keeps us all in check!

Her role also involves coordinating all things related to qualifications from learner registrations to processing moderation and distributing certificates.

Ruth is unflappable and helps to keep us calm and retain an important perspective!

Sarah Adderley

Sarah is a highly qualified Learning & Development Consultant and Change Management Practitioner, with an array of expertise working within the public and private sector, both in the UK and internationally.

Having led on transformational change projects applying Systems Thinking methodology, she brings to the table a proven track record.  Her approach centres on enabling people to become effective leaders, predominately focusing on their abilities in handling sensitive situations, demonstrating empathy and building their own resilience.

Very much a ‘people person’, she is an enthusiastic and conscientious leader, with the ability to bring training to life, through experiential learning and occupational experience.