John Hardwick
John leads the North Manchester Peer group and the Operational Excellence peer group with a passion for helping SME leaders deliver superior performance for customers, employees and owners. John has over 35 years in the pharmaceutical industry, as well as a period as factory director for the Horlicks Factory in Slough. He is also an expert on change management, particularly in the area of Operational Excellence. He has a passion for coaching the best from leaders and spreading best practice.

Likes: Table Tennis, Rock Music, Bass guitar, walking, family time, travel, spontaneous fun.

Dislikes: Disorganised thinking, negativity, enforced fun.

Gary Sheader
Gary leads the Manufacturers Alliance team with an infectious drive and passion to support progressive people within UK manufacturing. He has spent the last 20 years delivering change projects that lead to strategic breakthrough within £1m - £1bn t/o manufacturing businesses. He has a passion for learning and pushing the boundaries of people’s potential.

Likes: Progress, Laughing, Running, Cooking, Music, Poetry, Family Time

Dislikes: Dishonesty, Bungee Jumping, People who moan a lot

Jonathan Wurr
Jonathan fell in love with manufacturing in his grandad’s pickle factory at the age of 8 and has done every manufacturing role from Team Leader to Managing Director. Jonathan has been a qualified coach and mentor for over five years. Jonathan's training as a coach combined with his experiences running manufacturing companies gives him a strong empathy and understanding of the people challenges in manufacturing.

Likes: Rugby league, mountain biking, chocolate, reading non-fiction

Dislikes: Anchovies, people who always blame others, getting up early

Victoria Hopkins
Victoria began her career in manufacturing in 1998 when she was asked to help out in her family’s engineering business. Eventually becoming Managing Director and taking turnover from £2 million to £6 million. She also expanded into exports opening a subsidiary of the business in Canada.

Likes: Sauvignon Blanc, travelling, Yorkshire puddings, hanging out with my Daughter, upcycling furniture

Dislikes: Running out of Sauvignon Blanc, mushrooms, heights, cold weather, Robert Peston

Simon Carin
Simon has been a General Manager for over 3 decades and has worked at Board level as an MD in the UK and in Europe, for nearly 20 years. His experience covers a wide range of activities and disciplines including; Distribution, Manufacturing and Installation. At the heart of all of this was our customer, typically an Owner Managed or SME business.

Likes: laughing, people, cooking and eating with friends and family, motorcycles, fundraising, family holidays,

Dislikes: people who don’t do what they say, procrastinators, injustice, tripe

Mark Stone
Mark has worked in key engineering roles for UK and Global manufacturing businesses for over 3 decades. His experience covers a wide range of industries including machine tools, automotive and white goods as well as activities and disciplines including Research, Design & Product Development, Product Compliance, Manufacturing Engineering, Manufacturing and Serv

Likes: Running, Windsurfing, Watching Sport, Time with Friends & Family

Dislikes: Waste, Prejudice, Organisational Politics

Juliette Yardley
Juliette has an academic background in psychology and over 25 years’ experience within the field of applied positive psychology in both training and coaching. Juliette is passionate about people, understanding what drives them and how they behave. Juliette encourages MA customers to ask themselves challenging questions about themselves and gives them the support to help them make positive change to themselves that in turn helps others.

Likes: Cheese, dancing, camping, music, being creative and jumping in muddy puddles

Dislikes: People who take themselves too seriously, marmite and refrigerated chocolate

Trish Sheader
Trish is a highly organised member of the Manufacturers Alliance Team as our customers will testify. Throughout her career she has been customer facing and understands the value of providing a great customer experience. She has passion for helping others and exploring new ideas.

Likes: Star Filled Skies, Forests, Spin Biking, Family and Friends Time, Growing Vegetables and Fruit

Dislikes: Continuous Rain, Queueing, Porridge, Noisy Eaters

Carol Blackburn
Carol has 20 years’ experience in administration and accounts, predominantly in the automotive industry and with a local manufacturing business in Blackburn when she first left school. She has a thirst for knowledge and self-improvement and a superb attention to detail. She is super approachable and states, “I have really enjoyed meeting the wonderful Manufacturers’ Alliance team since joining them just over a month ago. I can already see what great relationships are held with everyone in the community. It's a breath of fresh air!”

Likes: Cooking, Music, Holidaying with the kids, Red wine, Springtime & Loyalty

Dislikes: Rainy days, Traffic, Spiders and Sushi

Joe Martoccia
Born less than 100 yards away from the World-renowned John Taylor and Son Bell Foundry. As a child I was fascinated and this is where my passion for British manufacturing became ingrained in me. I have spent most of my working life in manufacturing in senior leadership roles serving a variety of companies from small enterprises to PLCs, specialising in construction products, home improvement products and engineering.

Likes: Keeping fit, golf, motorcycling & a passion for cooking.

Dislikes: Lousy coffee . Bullies, I always support the underdog. Negativity and pineapple on pizza!