Meet the team
Directors
Simon Knocker
Director
Simon delivers change. He is creative, innovative, resourceful and focused on getting stuff done. With over 25 years of experience in making it happen for clients, he has delivered industry firsts and award-winning initiatives and handled some of the most challenging and sensitive programmes. He has a broad skill set, making him a go-to for people who want to get things done. Above all, he is trusted and understated, he listens and works with clients to make problems go away and realise opportunities.
- Straight talking
- Creative thinker
- Resourceful
- Ex-forces
Laura Knocker
Director
Laura has an HR background and works tirelessly to support thebigteam. Her attention to detail, work ethic and relentless quest for perfection make thebigteam's initiatives a reality, whether onsite with the team delivering or behind the scenes administratively.
- Highly organised
- Planner
- Our conscience
- Doesn’t bite
Current
Associates
Peter Brookes-Smith
Associate Consultant and Coach
Off the scale in terms of capability, thebigteam has worked with Peter for over 20 years and we have followed his entrepreneurial journey through life; he is a problem solver and strategic thinker rolled into one. Having built up a systems integration company from 30 to over 700 employees he comes with a wealth of experience and credentials to die for. Peter is passionate about technology, he coaches people leaving the services on coding and, oh yes, he codes too! Check out our innovations page for some of his inspirations.
Strategic Thinker, Problem Solver, Serial Entrepreneur, Super Nerd
Anna McGhee
Associate Consultant
A strategic, creative and yet pragmatic thinker and problem solver. Anna has worked extensively on sizeable global change programmes with both volume and luxury brands. She has recently worked in North America, Europe and the UK in developing and deploying an industry-leading change initiative based on the latest understanding of learning and brain science. She has an uncanny knack for cutting through to the root cause of problems and challenging the status quo, whilst managing stakeholders!
Strategic Planner
Change Manager
Problem Solver
Creative Thinker
Stuart Copeland
Associate Consultant
A rigorous, structured and methodical programme manager and author. Stuart has worked on and led multiple groundbreaking change programmes, providing leadership and direction to numerous busy people with 'day jobs'. His programme experiences stretch well beyond automotive; he has worked in public sector environments such as defence and blue-light, and also hospitality. He is a pragmatic planner and relentless at keeping people honest about their progress, of course, in a nice way! Did we mention the book?
Programme Leader
Planner
Keeps People Honest
Likes a Gantt Chart (& Shirt)
John Reilly
Associate Consultant
John is methodical and clinical in his approach to programme management. Everything he does is underpinned by a desire to do the right thing whilst always keen to inject a little humour into life. He has worked on numerous large change programmes, often with a technical bias. The automotive industry has benefited from John's ability to deliver things, whether in e-commerce, electrification, agency or DMS solutions; he has worked in Europe, Australia and the UK. He has a talent for bringing clarity, calmness, and focus to the overwhelmed and getting things delivered.
Programme Manager
Technical Talent
Doer
Entrepreneurial
Kerry Thompson
Associate Consultant
A highly energised and motivated change/project manager with a talent for getting things done and energising people. Kerry has worked extensively within the automotive industry, both within OEMs and the retail network; she has worked with thebigteam in Europe, the US and the UK. Her energy levels and appetite for delivery are infectious. As a confessed 'petrol-head', her passion for the industry extends beyond work.
Project Manager
Change Agent
Gets it Done
Passionate Networker
Stephen King
Associate Consultant
An engaging and inspiring people development specialist with an appetite for helping people both in and outside work. Stephen is a remarkable process improvement facilitator and trainer with over 35 years of automotive experience, and he is still returning for more and in hot demand! He has worked in the retail network, in an OEM and for the last 20 years as a freelance consultant and trainer. He has a fantastic ability to inspire people to get things done and improve business performance at work while also committing much of his time out of work to give back to society.
Process Optimiser
People Developer
Giver
Loves a Workshop
Luke Davey
Associate Consultant
A confident and technically savvy project manager with an entrepreneurial approach to delivering solutions. Luke is a strategic thinker rooted in technology and the opportunities it provides for organisations. Luke has been instrumental in partnering with thebigteam to develop an industry-first gamified simulator for the world of automotive retail agencies and the development of a retail network task tracker deployed in over 700 sites in its first year. He has a talent for getting involved and identifying opportunities and solutions with military precision while keeping everyone smiling.
Project Manager
Technologist
Solutionist
Challenging
Dave Pounds
Associate Consultant
One of life's great personalities, a resilience coach, a public speaker and, thank goodness for us, a project manager. He is a pleasure to work with. Dave has an ability to connect with people at all levels and bridge the gap between technologists and the wider organisation or business. He will keep you honest, get things done and make you smile! Oh yes, plays a little sport and supports the mighty Leeds United.
Resilience Coach & Speaker Project Manager People Lover
Simon Tempest
Associate Senior Lead Business Analyst
Simon is a high calibre business analyst with a wealth of experience in retailing. He has a natural ability to connect with people at all levels and get to the detail or root cause of an issue. A delight to work with and technically talented.
Critical thinker, fantastic stakeholder management and, obviously, fab analytical skills.
Carl Russell
Associate Graphic Designer
A creative through and through, whether in his writing, graphic design work, music or theatre work. Carl takes sketches of concepts and ideas to create engaging content and materials to support thebigteam's change and communication needs for their clients. No challenge seems to phase him, and he always takes the opportunity to give things a little 'tickle' to provide an unexpected creative twist beyond what is required.
Creative
Creative
Have we said 'Creative'?
Ollie Dixon
Associate Videographer, Editor, Photographer
First and foremost, Ollie is a photographer with a record of working for some of the most prestigious British Institutions (and the Sun Newspaper). A commercially qualified drone pilot and talented videographer, he thrives on creating inspiring imagery; Ollie is pragmatic and has an uncanny knack for getting the most out of any environment to deliver what the client wants and things they didn’t even know they wanted!
Innovative
Creative
Delivers
Flexible
Ollie Knocker
Associate Videographer, Editor
A talent in the world of editing and film creation on both sides of the globe. Ollie operates with clients for half the year in the UK and the other half for clients in Australia. His work is often groundbreaking and thought-provoking, and he always delivers with quality, refinement and precision. A delight to work with, apart from having to tolerate the mix of Yorkshire and Australian humour.