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Michael Astrop - Principal

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Michael Astrop

With a wealth of academic and commercial experience, Michael brings a keen objectivity and sensitivity to individual’s needs on every assignment. 

After an early career in the London’s advertising agencies, Michael moved to Yorkshire and became one of the leading exponents of direct marketing, handling the Grattan catalogue, Damart Thermawear and Readicut Wools.

With his own agency, in the 80s Michael specialised in retail promotions then moved into management consultancy working with BTR, the Automobile Association, Kuwait Petroleum (GB) Ltd and Hutchinson Personal Communications. The 90s saw Michael obtain a degree and begin lecturing in organisational and human behaviour at Huddersfield University, as well as moving into training, sales, leadership and motivational work with clients as diverse as Rexam and the Ministry Of Defence. 

Today, an approved trainer for Business Link, Michael lectures in marketing and management at York St Johns University, is Visiting Fellow in Marketing at Askham Bryan College, a tutor for the Chartered Institute of Marketing and the Institute of Leadership & Management. A coach for improved performance in business and coping with stress, Michael is also a member of the British Association of Counselling & Psychotherapy and uses all these skills within the NHS to deliver communication skills courses to medical staff dealing with difficult situations and is the lead trainer for mediation and counselling skills with the Harrogate NHS. 

Michael’s current clients include Moores Furniture, Leeds BS, RAFLATAC, West Yorkshire Police, Leeds City Council, Premier Foods, York City Council and Carillion. Michael’s presentation, negotiation and project management courses have been delivered throughout Germany and Sweden, attracting delegates from as far afield as Russia and Poland.

If you would like to talk to Michael about your personal and/or corporate development contact us.

Alison Zakers – Trainer Profile

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Alison Zakers

Alison Zakers brings unique perspectives to our training offering with her experience in English teaching, operational management and international consulting.

With a background in teaching English as a foreign language she then moved into business training and coaching, working across Europe.

In the early 90s, her career moved into Contact Centres and she was involved in establishing Careline telephone-based operations for a range of clients including Kellogg’s, Pedigree, Unilever and Cadbury. Following an MBA awarded by Cranfield in 1997, Alison joined Accenture (then Andersen Consulting) as a Senior

Consultant and specialist in Customer Management. Her principal role took her across the globe with clients such as BT, Centrica, BP, and Dixons, but she also supported internal people development in her role as Lead Coach for the acclaimed Accenture University in Chicago.

Alison continues to work in a consulting role believing that ongoing experience in developing and managing complex business programs brings invaluable insight to the training role. Recent clients include, Manchester City Council, Birmingham City Council and Camelot who run the National Lottery.

As a professionally trained coach and trainer, her conferences, workshops and lectures are inspiring and thought provoking. Alison has a talent for simplifying complex management concepts and demystifying consulting approaches so that your management team are equipped to meet with the ever increasing challenges of today’s business environment.

She has a BA in English and Art History and an MBA from Cranfield where she majored in Marketing and Systems Thinking.