OUR
TEAM

MEET OUR TEAM OF EXPERIENCED TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT FACILITATORS.

We’re an approachable, professional and caring bunch — experts in consultancy, project management and facilitation.

Experts in sustainable behavioural change. A dream team. Whatever the scale or type of training you need, we can provide the team to match.

MANDI CONNEELY
PROJECT COORDINATOR

I’m an experienced Project Coordinator and joined Interaction in 2015. I work with a number of Interaction’s key clients to provide the project and administrative support needed by our internal team and our clients. I have a keen eye for detail and enjoy the challenges that working with a variety of clients brings.

My role also includes providing marketing support for our sales activities, website, and events. I coordinate our popular Talent Forum and ensure the registration process runs smoothly and efficiently.

I also enjoy working on our brand and using design packages to create high-impact and high-quality visuals for our programmes, marketing materials and sales tools.

In my spare time, I’m a keen cook, enjoy a bit of early morning boot camp, and love nothing more than a spot of Masterchef and time with my granddaughters.

LAURA KELLY
IT & Admin MANAGER

I’ve worked at Interaction for 17 years and, besides being Office Manager, am one of our team of Project Coordinators. I oversee the day-to-day provision of ICT and facilities, ensuring everyone has the equipment and support they need to do their job well. I also provide administrative support to Project/Client Managers and am the first point of contact for many of our clients.

I enjoy working closely with our clients to make sure our projects, programmes and workshops run smoothly – both virtually and face-to-face.

We’re a busy consultancy with a large number of clients, so I’m also responsible for resourcing our programmes, ensuring we provide the best facilitators and teams to meet our clients’ needs.

I’m passionate about cooking and nutrition and enjoy shopping locally and ethically. I’m also a qualified yoga teacher.

MELANIE HOWELL
Finance & Project Coordinator

I’m an experienced Administrator with a passion for all things admin. I joined Interaction in 2021 and support our internal team and clients. I have a keen eye for detail and set high standards for everything I do. Admin makes me happy.  Honestly!

We all live in a more virtual work world now; and, as we are discovering, efficient remote working requires more organisation, not less. This includes the administration and coordination of our hybrid programmes.

I enjoy the variety of the work I do, liaising with both the internal team and with delegates and clients.

In my spare time, I listen to lots of music and enjoy going to gigs.

MATTHEW IVES
SENIOR LEARNING CONSULTANT

I’m driven by the desire to help people thrive at work and, as a Senior Learning Consultant at Interaction Learning and Development, I’m responsible for partnering with a wide variety of organisations across the public and private sector.

I’m passionate about helping leaders recognise the impact of their behaviour, creating a culture of openness, flexibility and resilience.

With a background in financial services – having worked in leadership roles for Deloitte, Marsh and Allianz in Europe and Asia, learning from inspiring leaders across diverse cultures – I’m now focused on developing people through positive behavioural change.

I’ve always been active, whether out on my bike, jogging, or heading for a swim, which very occasionally I do in open water if I’m feeling brave!

CATHERINE MILNE
SENIOR LEARNING CONSULTANT

I’ve worked in learning and development for nearly 20 years and am a Senior L&D Consultant and Executive Coach at Interaction Learning and Development.

I design, deliver and client manage different learning programmes for our clients – from early talent and high potential, through to technical leaders and senior managers. At the heart of all our programmes, is a belief that emotional intelligence is key for individual growth and development.

I’m an ILM L7 Executive Coach and Mentor and a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).

I’ve enjoyed many different roles at Interaction, having started work here as an Associate Role Player. I’ve helped with marketing, been an Associate Facilitator and, having stepped away for a couple of years to work client side in L&D roles, am now firmly back in the fold as a Senior Consultant.

LUCY NEALE
DIRECTOR of learning

I’ve worked within learning and development for over 30 years, and for the past 14 years I’m proud to have been a Director of Interaction Learning and Development.

Within Interaction, I work with many organisations across both the public and private sectors. My interest – and passion – is working with individuals to raise self-awareness and enhance their leadership and personal impact. I design and run experiential and behavioural development programmes that focus on the principles of emotional intelligence.

I work across new and early talent, managers and leaders; providing both coaching and facilitating training to enable them to raise their self-awareness and build confidence in managing and influencing different people and situations.

In my spare time, I love to pack up my VW campervan and head out into the countryside to explore.

KATIE SCOTT
managing dIRECTOR

I’m a Director at Interaction with a background in large multinational organisations. Seventeen years ago, I took a leap of faith from a career in fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) brand marketing to pursue an interest in behavioural development. I’ve never looked back!

I love combining my fascination with organisations, with running a business – and all the challenges and rewards that brings.

I draw on my broad commercial experience, passion for people development and organisational expertise to help Interaction design, deliver and manage diverse training projects – and also to thrive as an employee-owned organisation destined for great things.

In my spare time, I have a (not so secret) passion for running far and wide across hills and trails. Some may call it a hobby; some may call it escapism. All I know is, I love it!

DANIEL YUKI SMITH
learning Consultant

I have worked in three continents across a number of industries including Translation, Market Research, Pharmaceuticals and Education and apply this experience to my everyday work within learning and development.

A personal passion of mine is coaching a growth mindset through self-reflection and I particularly enjoy using creative coaching ideas that enable people to develop new skills.

I believe the key to sustained learning is creating a safe environment where the learner feels able to make mistakes. It’s essential learners compose ideas for themselves, test these out and learn from the experience. This ensures a learner’s conviction in their own ability grows and enables them to realise their full potential.

Out of work I enjoy playing and watching basketball as well as other sports but also like to dabble in some DIY, a homemade pizza oven being one of my greatest creations.

HARRY PARSONS
LEARNING CONSULTANT

I have a passion for helping people develop and have over 16 years’ public sector experience with operational leadership teams and as an organisational development practitioner, learning facilitator and project manager. As a fire service leader I grew to understand the way teams performed in difficult circumstances and how important non-technical people skills are when leading teams. I now channel my passion for helping people through learning and development and empower individuals and teams to become the best version of themselves.  

I believe the key to high performance lies in a culture of openness, trust and inclusivity. I help individuals achieve this through raising self-awareness, nurturing curiosity and providing a safe space to explore and innovate. My facilitation approach is pragmatic, experiential, and inclusive.

Outside of work I love to get in the ocean, I surf, paddleboard and swim with varying degrees of success!

EMMA BACON
SENIOR CONSULTANT

I am an experienced L&D professional with years of experience working with New Talent and Developing Leaders.

I have a wealth of diverse project and programme management expertise gained by leading a wide variety of projects for the NHS.

My excellent communication and people skills allow me to motivate at all levels, bringing teams along with me to deliver at an exceptional level.

My passions lie in people development and my goal is to be able to make a positive difference in other people’s lives. I am a keen dancer and hold a weekly ‘On Broadway’ class where I teach ladies routines from Broadway shows. I adore cats and currently we have five, although there is always room for more!