Meet the Team
Lee Durham mba, mcim, partner
A chartered marketer and MBA professional with over 20 years commercial sales and marketing experience across EMEA, in the creative Industries sector. Client exposure ranges from large global corporates to regional SMEs. A commercially savvy business leader and creative thinker, with an entrepreneurial mind-set. Dedicated to people / business development, strategic partnerships, relationship management and brokering the best deals for all parties.
Lee prides himself in being passionate, energetic, loyal, reliable and committed to the highest standards of both personal and professional integrity.
Richard Lane, partner
Before becoming a recognised sales trainer and coach, Richard spent his career in sales, management and sales leadership positions for learning and software/technology companies. Having won numerous global blue-chip customers, Richard successfully managed global client teams to service and grow these accounts. His passion is in crafting solutions designed to solve complex business challenges, always with the goal of creating win-win and long-term value.
Business fit, business value and long-term relationships are at the heart of everything Richard does. He is driven by a desire to raise the bar of the sales profession in the UK. Having worked every sales role, he has an instinctive ability to relate to both business owners and their individual sales staff, motivating, increasing confidence and providing inspiration. No matter the title, Richard has always kept selling; leading by example.
He is a blogger, a runner, a blues guitar player, a self-confessed “non-techie-techie” and a member of the Institute of Sales & Sales Management.
Mary Sargent, business development manager
Mary is a successful Sales Professional with a wealth of experience gained from working in a wide range of industry sectors including; Architecture and the Built Environment, Maritime, Environmental and Health & Safety, Sales Training including e-learning and workshop programmes. Mary is a driven and hard-working individual who has managed and led global sales teams to deliver against their targets. She has worked with businesses of all sizes from small enterprises, educational institutions and corporate clients, ensuring in all cases that customer service and satisfaction as well as target delivery are paramount.
Mary’s ability to quickly develop strong customer relationships has enabled her to achieve an insight into different markets and sectors, identify new business development opportunities and ultimately deliver sustained success for her, her company and her clients.
Helen Lee, business development manager
Helen is an experienced business development and marketing professional. With a career spanning over 20 years she has worked for SME’s, educational institutions and large corporates including Ward Hadaway, Barclays Bank, Sunderland University and Gateshead College. In addition she has successfully set up and is involved in the running of a family business.
With a strong commercial background gained from working in the banking and legal sector Helen quickly engages with clients and identifies opportunities. Her ability to build rapport with new clients has brought her sustained success. Additionally Helen’s understanding of both Public and Corporate organisations coupled with her knowledge of marketing has given her the ability to identify strategic partnerships and new business opportunities.
Sophie Wickham, business development manager
Sophie is a seasoned sales professional with experience primarily in the IT and business-to-business events industries. She has most recently worked in London and New York with some of the world’s largest blue chip organisations, successfully selling at executive level.
Sophie graduated from Sheffield University and started her career in sales with Pebble as a sales associate focusing on IT solutions for the education sector. It was here she was first trained in our sales methodology. Following a move to London in June 2010 Sophie furthered her sales experience by working in business-to-business events, on the ‘frontline’ in Delegate Acquisition. Soon out growing the role, Sophie moved to New York to work on Wall Street as an International Sponsorship Sales Executive.
Having recently returned to the UK, Sophie has joined durhamlane as one of our business development managers where she brings, amongst many other assets, her ability to rapidly develop senior decision maker level relationships to the benefit of both her clients and the business.
Carolyn McGregor, business development manager
Carolyn, a business development and sales professional brings 20+ years’ experience of working alongside businesses in the North East of England. She has worked successfully across a range of sectors including Education, Digital and Creative, Corporate, Third Sector and Environmental.
A Northumbria University Business Graduate, Carolyn went on to develop strong research skills coupled with extensive knowledge of the SME market during her employment with a regional Fund Management Company. A spell running her own business followed where she specialised in Research and Sales Lead Generation for SME’s. Carolyn has managed mutliple client accounts and always takes pride in providing excellent client service whether the role involves business account development, B2B sales or research.
She is a familiar face on the North East networking scene and is passionate about helping people find innovative ways to promote and grow their business.
Michael Dawson, sales executive
Michael graduated from Liverpool University with a BSc (Hons) in Pharmacology in 2011. He has now switched his focus to business services and is delighted to have joined the durhamlane business development team. With over 8 years experience in the food, drink and catering industry, Michael brings his ability to listen, understand and translate people's needs and requirements to durhamlane's customer projects. Now familiar with our proven sales methodology, Michael has hit the ground running.
When not making sales calls, Michael can be found taking part in sporting activities. He is a highly competitive swimmer, enjoys cross country cycling and plays the guitar.
Bradley Stokoe, sales executive
Bradley graduated from the University of Sunderland with a BSc (Hons) in Business Management and Geography. After a three year stretch in the entertainment industry working at the Sunderland Empire Theatre, he has now joined the Business Development team at durhamlane bringing with him a wealth of experience and sales knowledge. Additionally, Bradley brings with him six years experience of living and working abroad in China and Japan.
Outside of office life, Bradley has a keen interest in a range of sports from football to tennis. He also sees himself as somewhat of a social networker.
Katy Bernstein, digital marketing executive
Creative advertising, marketing and media is an area Katy has been interested in ever since she started her academic studies. She takes a keen interest in all aspects of marketing including social media, copywriting and brand management. A self-confessed people-person, Katy thrives by developing relationships with new people. She has already turned this interest to stunning effect at durhamlane where she is responsible for our online presence. Building relationships online, over the telephone and in person, Katy is focused on raising awareness of the durhamlane brand. She is our connector, tasked with joining the dots in the ever expanding online world.
Jenny Barker, associate trainer and consultant
Jenny has a reputation for being a pragmatic and positive Development Coach and Trainer. She gets individuals energised, focused and driven towards a particular goal and has high expectations of anyone she works with.
For over 10 years, Jenny excelled as a Business Development Consultant for a leading International Search and Selection firm in London, Leeds and Newcastle; helping many of the FTSE 100 companies and Professional Services Firms. In 2007, Jenny moved into Corporate career coaching and training. She specialises in designing and delivering bespoke training courses that span a wide range of business disciplines including Negotiation Skills, Advanced Interview Training and Effective Selling to Clients. Jenny also spends time coaching individuals and teams on how to increase their personal productivity.
On a personal note, Jenny is a graduate from Loughborough University, is married to an entrepreneurial farmer and is a lifelong racing fan. Between the office and juggling her three children she trains for triathlons and raises money for Yorkshire Cancer Research.
Kevin Green, associate trainer and consultant
Kevin’s success has been achieved in sales and service environments, specialising in areas of telephone skills. Significant wins include designing and launching a sales process and coaching model for one of the U.K’s largest insurance companies that created extra premium of £36k in its first month. Induction and sales academy training was also studied and shortened by a week with no compromise to measured quality standards achieving operational value one week early.
He has worked with and is as comfortable in front of large and small audiences and adapts readily to people working at all levels of an organisation.
Kevin says that he loves sales & service and listening to him you quickly realise that he does. Kevin’s style in a training environment is best described in three words; passionate, engaging and challenging. If you need to achieve better results through your organisation’s use of the telephone, then we’ve got the man for you!
Declan Metcalfe, associate trainer (social media) and consultant
Declan started his marketing career 20 years ago for KP Foods working on crisp and snack brands including Disco, Frisps and Roysters. He was instrumental in moving some of KP Foods premier crisp brands online, achieving along the way a number of world firsts such as the first hand drawn flash website for Brannigans Pub Guide.
The switch to working agency side enabled Declan to apply his marketing expertise to the emerging digital world with brands such as The Millennium Commission, Pretty Polly, Australian Tourism Board, BA and Burtons Biscuits (Jammy Dodgers).
Declan has held a number of board and director roles with regional agencies where he has worked predominately with start ups, including tech businesses, applying his insight towards developing and delivering their brands online.
As a founding partner at the Better Agency, Declan worked across a vast array of businesses on brand and marketing projects. Aside from now developing his own tech start up, Declan provides brand and social media consultancy. He is regularly invited to speak at events and conferences on social media strategy and is the author of numerous articles for the regional press on technology.