Purple People

Mary Jane Flanagan
Training Director

Mary Jane (MJ) Flanagan – is an experienced manager and operator having spent over two decades in the hospitality industry. Her specialist areas are restaurants and bars, having opened All Bar One for Bass, the Issimo chain for Forte restaurants and other branded groups such as Tiger Lil’s as a director.

MJ joined learnpurple in February 2003 to design, deliver and gain accreditation for our Institute of Hospitality Management Development Programme. Having successfully achieved that goal; MJ continued to deliver high level bespoke management, leadership and customer service training to a wide range of key clients. In 2006 MJ was made Training Director and formed the Business Services Division, which takes the skills and standards from five star hotels and transfers them to the city. Clients include: KPMG, Bank of America, Compass, UBS, Williams F1, Credit Suisse, Cap Gemini and a large accounting firm who's name we are not allowed to mention.

MJ is passionate about training and the development of people within the business to enable them to provide the highest possible standards in all areas. As someone who has proved the benefits of taking a systematic approach, MJ favours training and development, which is logical, practical and relevant and can take the business forward ensuring a return on investment that improves the bottom line.

Helen Flint
Learning and Development Director

Helen Flint, Development Director, joined learnpurple as Head of Learning and Development in August 2005.

Helen started her career building upon 4 years in various management roles with Catering and Allied, not to mention 2 years working in traded options for a merchant bank. She worked very successfully as a senior consultant with Portfolio International; then latterly spending 4 years with Chess Partnership as Account Director recruiting middle to senior management positions within the Contract Catering, Healthcare, Facilities Management and Education sectors.

In her current role Helen conducts diagnostic work with individual clients to design bespoke solutions for individual projects. She has a clear understanding of how to meet and exceed her clients’ needs and requirements. Helen is very results orientated and takes great pride in delivering the best outcome for her clients.

Drawing upon her experience as a qualified coach with a background rich in managing, developing and mentoring people Helen is committed to helping people and their organisations identify and reach their full potential.

Jodi Goldman
Communications Manager

Jodi joined learnpurple in 2006. Originally from South Africa, she relocated to London after gaining a degree in Marketing Communications and subsequently lecturing in Communications Science at two prominent colleges in Johannesburg. She looks after all learnpurple communication functions, all our PR and award entries as well as editing and contributing to the Purple Wave (our newsletter) and our weekly blog.

Jodi is also a skilled image consultant and works with clients to develop their personal brand and image. She has developed a course to encompass both image and communications which is hugely popular with customer facing clients and people in sales roles. She also is qualified in delivering iWAM psychometric feedback; trains communications; customer service; carries out all in house inductions, and is the force behind our talent toolbox engagement sessions.

Emily Moore
Learning and Development and Franchise Coordinator

Emily approached us in 2007 for work experience as part of her degree course at the University of Gloucestershire. She then returned to university for her final year and completed her Business Management degree with a 2:1. Having been offered a full time job here at the purple palace before she left, she eagerly returned in August 2009 with a renewed sense of enthusiasm, commitment and drive - ready to move her career forward. She has a dual remit as learning and development coordinator and oversees the smooth running of our franchise operation. Emily is exceptionally mature in her approach for one so young. She is a skilled multi-tasker, completing everything to the highest standard in super-quick time; and remains completely calm and efficient at all times.

Jon Reed
Operations Manager

Jon has a strong background in hospitality management where he has held management roles for international, national, and smaller, more entrepreneurial organisations. Jon came to learnpurple via the Acorn Scholarship, which he won in 2004.

Since joining us, Jon has achieved great results in many different areas of our business and is now very proud of his role of Operations Manager for talent toolbox. Jon has gone on to win further accolades including the HCPTA Rising Star Award in 2005 and a prestigious Acorn Award in 2006.

Jon is now Chairman of the Acorn Scholarship and in this role has grown the scholarship into a enviable prize with an impressive track record of developing and inspiring other young people to go on and achieve great things in their careers.

Jon thrives on achievement and loves to create long lasting relationships with clients, partners and colleagues.

Ben Buet
Business Development Manager

Ben was on track for a marketing and sports degree at Southampton University when the opportunity came up to coach and play professional cricket in Australia for six months. He thoroughly enjoyed the experience and learnt a lot about working in a team, motivating others and about himself – he was only 19 at the time. When he returned he continued to coach and play for another season; working at Leeds Castle part time as a part of the hospitality there. It was here Ben discovered his passion for working with people, making customers happy and exceeding expectations. He has joined learnpurple as elearning coordinator, using his love for building relationships, and his naturally keen business sense, he will be responsible for growing this division. Ben is truly excited about his role at learnpurple, and feels here he will grow not only professionally, but personally too as well as contributing to the success of our client organisations.

Sol Arigos
Customer Account Manager

After graduating in Hospitality management with honours in Argentina in 2000, Sol started working in operations and held several roles in different hotel areas - both for international and independent organisations. Thanks to her determination to succeed and hard work she progressed on to revenue management within Marriott UK and moved into marketing, where she worked for an international mobile company. Sol has lived in several different countries, finally setting in London where her enthusiasm for different people and cultures (and fluent Spanish) serve her perfectly in customer service and account management for talent toolbox.

Sally Brand
Sales and Marketing Manager

After graduating in English Studies from the University of Nottingham, Sally took some time out to travel in South East Asia and Australia. She later joined an international recruitment firm as a consultant. There she greatly enjoyed developing long-term client relationships and providing excellent and sincere customer service at all levels. Prior to working in recruitment, Sally worked for a large financial organisation and has also worked for leading hospitality groups including the Bay Restaurant Group and Scottish & Newcastle.

Having joined learnpurple as a Business Development Manager she has been promoted to Sales and Marketing Manager to continue to spread the “purple word” and ensure that as many organisations as possible can benefit from our innovative and effective products and services. 

Samantha Felton
Customer Account Manager

Sam graduated from Leeds University with a psychology degree and a true passion for understanding and helping people. As a result she moved into the area of learning and development and flourished in client facing roles. From her experience she has learnt to appreciate the importance of excellent client relationships.

Sam’s experience of hospitality has come from several years of part time work to support her studies. From hotels, restaurants and contract events work she has a real understanding of the priorities and standards expected of successful companies within this sector.

Caroline White
Client Support, talent toolbox

Caroline joined talent toolbox in April 2010 as a result of the strong links the company has formed with Oxford Brookes University. Having left school, she spent three gap years having fun though also gaining some valuable work and life experience. She worked two ski seasons in Austria and went backpacking in Australia, New Zealand and Thailand before deciding it was time to start thinking seriously about her career! She studied Hospitality and Tourism Management at Oxford Brookes University where she graduates this year. Caroline has an eye for detail and a genuine love of helping the customer. Drawing on the many part-time jobs she had while funding her travelling and studies, she believes she is well equipped to know what makes good human resources and what the client needs. She is thrilled to be commencing her career with such a inspirational company as talent toolbox and, having moved to London from Oxford to join us, is still feeling pretty thrilled about our terrific Covent Garden location too!