Mark Wilkes - Business Coach

Mark Wilkes

Mark has spent the majority of his career in the technology sector. He has served on a number of boards with a focus on Business Development.

Born in Wolverhampton, Mark's early career was at James Wilkes Ltd (a family printing business). The business was sold in the early 1980's following a period of industrial unrest, and having found himself out of work, he went back to college with the ambition of joining the RAF as an air frames engineer. Achieve a diploma in Communications and Systems Engineering, and distracted by success, Mark went on to complete a degree in Electrical and Electronic engineering at UWIST in Cardiff.

He moved to Bristol where he joined British Aerospace and worked as an engineer in manufacturing development. He was head hunted by Mitsubishi Electric and joined the sales team. After gaining an MBA in 1993, from Bath University (where he met his wife), Mark moved to Germany to join Samsung, where he spent 12 years, eventually becoming a director in the Semiconductor Division.

In 2006, he joined SiConnect, a fabless semiconductor start-up providing communication network technology. The financial crisis of 2007 caused funds to dry up and in 2008 SiConnect was sold to Poem Technologies of China where Mark became CEO. Having spent time in China, Mark returned to the UK and set up his first consultancy. In July 2008 he approached H Fine & Son Ltd, a textile engineering company, and subsequently joined the board.

Mark has been with Shirlaws since April 2012. He enjoys coaching and supporting people to enable the realisation of their goals. A cyclist and avid rugby supporter, Mark is also a keen sailor, and is always looking for a crew. He now lives in Burnham, Buckinghamshire, not far from the Beeches.

Natalie Carrick - Business Coach

Natalie Carrick

Natalie joined Shirlaws in July 2012, after running a coaching practice for six years, delivering executive coaching and customised training for private and public sector clients.  She is passionate about helping businesses and individuals to flourish and relishes working with people who are energetic about change and growth.

Natalie's commercial and managerial experience draws on 19 years working in diverse industries, including filtration technology, pharmaceuticals and outsourcing.  Her core skills are in sales and sales management, marketing, new business and product development, gained while working in corporate and mid-sized businesses.  She has worked extensively overseas, with R&D and production teams throughout Europe and with business research teams in India, Chile and China.  Leading multinational projects taught her a lot about the need for clear communication and cultural understanding to enable cohesive teamwork.

Natalie is known for her calm and down-to-earth style and enjoys helping clients to gain more clarity, strategic direction and energy - to drive business performance and have a life outside of work. She lives in Cambridgeshire with her husband and loves to get out and about on her horse or a bike.  In her spare time, she runs a coaching network in Cambridge and is a trustee for an Indian charity that supports impoverished villages in Rajasthan, India.

Tony Lacey - Business Coach

Tony Lacey

Tony thrives on meeting the next challenge and is 'all about now'. He is an experienced entrepreneurial professional with a proven track record of developing and growing successful businesses.

Tony's vision is simple: to inspire and empower clients at the heart of their enterprise with world-class commercial and cultural skills, giving them freedom to focus on what matters most in their lives.

Prior to joining Shirlaws, Tony's professional experience has been developed within major blue-chip corporates for over 24 years (including: Canon, Kodak, Gartner, Informa) and he has also run a number of personal entrepreneurial ventures. He is passionate about business and likes to motivate and energise clients around maximising the return on their business investment.

Tony lives in Cheshire with his wife Lisa and their two young energetic sons; Elliott and Oliver. He has a strong sporting/team background having in the past played ice hockey for many years. More recently, he plays golf when time, weather and his wife permit.

Dan Davis - Business Coach

Dan Davis

Dan has a strong track record of building successful businesses from start-up or small beginnings into worthwhile and profitable entities.  Much of this has taken place in overseas markets.  Dan spent seven years in Asia which culminated in the establishment of a manufacturing facility in Southern China, returning to the UK in 2007.  More recently, he spent seven months in New York, revitalising and re-energising a business for a UK parent company, while also directing a growth strategy for their business in Africa, the Middle East and South Asia.

Dan has a passion for business and his experience spans service and manufacturing sectors.  While his roles have largely been commercial in nature, Dan has also managed technical product development and the roll out of related projects for UK companies.  More recently, Dan started a company that specialises in export services for UK businesses seeking to develop their presence in overseas markets.

As a Shirlaws coach, Dan blends the Shirlaws Intellectual Property with his wealth of business experience in assisting entrepreneurial businesses seeking growth or a new direction. In 2012, Dan completed an MBA with the University of Liverpool, achieving a Merit. Dan is based near Manchester and operates across the UK.  He is married with two teenage children.

Liam Kerrigan - Business Coach

Liam Kerrigan

Liam brought a wealth of business experience, gained within the Retail marketplace in both the UK and abroad, when he joined Shirlaws in 2012.  His leadership expertise combine with a record of success and a passion for operational efficiencies, all assets when working alongside Shirlaws' entrepreneurial clients.  In particular, Liam has proved his ability to think creatively yet strategically, in developing sustainable and new revenue streams whilst reducing costs.

Before joining Shirlaws, Liam had enjoyed a hugely successful career in the retail sector, starting on the shop floor in Debenhams when he moved to the UK from Wicklow, Ireland in the late 1960s.  Liam has owned and run his own businesses within the sector, and was previously Operations Director at Signature Brands PLC.

Away from work, Liam will regularly be found on the golf course, and the Project Management role he plays for the European Tours Ryder Cup Team (dressing the players' wives and partners) is a particular favourite contract!