Crisis Coaching Team

Clive Russell

Following a 30-year career in Fire & Rescue Service operations (West Sussex, Kent and Jersey), Clive delivered the leadership and systems to ensure safety, planning, response and resilience within the Water industry and Government. Clive excels in developing, organizing, assessing and testing management systems and contingency planning.

An innovative, motivated and collaborative Risk and Safety specialist in Emergency Planning and Risk Management. Clive has experience in the area of organisational resilience, which included working in close liaison at a national level with NPSA and the Channel Island's LRF, the Fire & Rescue Service, and Local Government.

In the Training and Development field Clive has established Approved Centres, with qualifications and training programmes (which have been accredited by Skills For Justice, the Institute of Fire Engineers and the Institute of Fire Safety Managers). He also acts as the Internal Quality Assurance (IQA) lead for theses qualifications (marking, managing and assessing student work).

Clive is an experienced, engaging and insightful coach and instructor providing skills, knowledge and practical solutions in complex dynamic situations.

Mike Davis-Marks OBE

Mike enjoyed a 36-year career in the Royal Navy as a submariner. Highlights included navigating and surfacing a submarine to the North Pole (twice); command of the hunter killer submarine HMS Turbulent; a posting to the British Embassy in Washington DC before, during and after 9/11 and appointments as Director of Recruiting for the Royal Navy and Royal Marines and Director of Public Relations.

After leaving the RN, Mike helped set up and run several businesses for social purpose, mainly supporting military veterans, is currently the Managing Editor and Chief of Staff for TheVeteran.UK publishing company. Mike is also a qualified Neuro Linguistic Programmer and leadership coach, a Past Master of the Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards and the current Chairman of its Charitable Trust. Locally, he is a Parish Councillor, a member of the Royal British Legion and coaches/referees rugby to the village U7s team.

He was awarded the OBE in the 2006 New Year's Honours List.

Andy Baker

Andy was trained as a hostage negotiator in 1994 and also attended the FBI Academy (Quantico) Crises Management Training. He was a HN in the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), and a team leader on 24/7 call-out for London. He went on to be a key member of the UK cadre of HNs that were deployed overseas. This involved being a representative at COBRA (the UK Government Crisis Team).

Andy was part of the chief officer group in the Metropolitan Police that designed the Crises Response setup. He attended the first course for crisis management that developed the MPS 'Gold' response. He undertook the role of Gold over 700 times in London for matters declared a critical incident. Andy was part of the team (both giving evidence, responding to recommendations and as an Expert Advisor) for some 6 Public Inquiries.

Andy was the ACPO representative at the National Police PIP 4 level training for over two years - the course included management of critical incidents.

On taking up the role of deputy director in the UK's Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) / National Crime Agency (NCA), Andy undertook the role of Gold on some 200 occasions. Once again, he was the UK representative for incidents at UK, European level and further afield.

Andy was the head of security at REM - the management company for the owners of key sites in London, including The Shard. There he designed and trained the senior management team in Crisis Management (Gold, Silver and Bronze levels), and conducted numerous exercises for the team, occupiers and emergency services. This setup managed a number of critical incidents that occurred across the estate. Andy designed and provided additional crisis training to some global companies based on the estate including Tiffany, Heinz and the Shangri-La Hotel as well as some of the contractors' providing services to the buildings i.e. security. He also advised key players at LLoyd's of London in crisis management.

Andy then undertook the role as director of risk for the Sellar Group and went on to train a team from Knight Frank in crisis management. Andy continues to be a consultant advising a major security company in risk and crisis management.

Emily Harbottle

Emily is an experienced professional with a strong background in military aviation, crisis management and risk mitigation. As a former helicopter pilot in the army, Emily has served in both operational and administrative roles, including being the responsible person for Post Crash Management on an airfield. With a passion for teaching, Emily has served as a flying instructor and taught at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.

Her experience of managing exercises covers a variety of scenarios in different sectors, that help teams prepare for high-pressure situations, ensuring effective decision-making and safety under stress.

Having worked as a regulator with the Ministry of Defence's Military Aviation Authority (MAA), Emily brings a comprehensive understanding of safety and risk management to all areas of operations. She is an advanced instructor in Safety Management Systems (SMS) for the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), delivering training in multiple countries including Ethiopia, Jamaica and Indonesia. She is a Member of the IIRSM, has a post graduate certificate in Safety and Human Factors and is a champion of building safety.

Ben Timpson

Ben spent 13 years in the Royal Navy, first navigating warships and then acting as an advisor to Admirals and Generals around the world.

He served as Spokesperson for EU forces in Bosnia & Herzegovina and led high profile diplomatic projects in the Middle East and Latin America.

He now shares his experience through consultancy and training that brings military briefing techniques to the commercial sector. Ben will give your team simple, effective ways to get important messages across under pressure – with clients, leadership and the public.

He holds a Master's Degree in Strategic Communication from Kings College London and won the 2024 Cicero World Speechwriting award.

Anthony Taylor

Member Industry Competence Committee (ICC), Chair Building Safety Alliance CIO, past Chair of CSG Working Group 8, Industry Lead for PAS 8673, and member Steering Group for PAS 8671 and PAS 8672. Member of BSI Committee for Standards in Built Environment CBP/1, Member of the Life Safety Working Group for The Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management (IWFM) and the H&S Committees for The Property Institute (TPI), and Association for Project Safety (APS).

Past Chair of Greenwich University's Built Environment Industry Liaison Group. Anthony has worked in both the public and private sector within the built environment, and has had a career which includes working in insurance and as a risk manager for a global tour operator.

Anthony has worked with Russ over many years delivering Business Continuity/Resilience to a wide range of clients in both the public and private sector, including simulation exercises. with programmes over a number of years for large developments on site as well as at their head office, other clients include recycling facilities, manufacture and property management. Media control through practical training has always been integral part of these exercises.

Anthony has long promoted the concept of integrated management systems, including GRC, sustainability, energy conservation, and BCM, HS&E, governance and 'compliance', with operational risk and liability management remaining 'in the field' with support from a panel of experts at centre.

Effective risk management requires the ability to quantify the exposure - to manage we need to measure, and organisations need to employ methodes that are accepted, understood and practised by those in operational control of the business.

Michael Phelan

Michael (Mick) Phelan is a specialist consultant in crisis management and business continuity planning. He has a background in the planning and management of big events and high-risk projects.

This includes thirty years police service – with eleven years in the firearms unit. He was a firearms tactical advisor and wrote the initial strategy for the armed deployment of police at London City Airport. He also designed bespoke firearms training. After the 11/09/2001 attacks in the USA, Mick wrote the generic plans for deploying armed police at all criminal courts which was adopted by all the Police Forces in England and Wales.

He has worked on national security projects as well as working with international companies building their business resilience. Mick has particular experience in security planning for high-risk locations, sporting events which involve large crowds, high profile individuals, and events with multiple moving parts. These include Wembley Stadium, LS185 Stadium, the O2 Arena, the 2012 London Olympic Games, high risk court cases and political visits.

Andre Regan

Andre retired from the Metropolitan Police Service as a Detective Inspector having achieved success in a variety of unique and diverse roles. After serving three subsequent years as a Civil Service Senior Investigator, he diversified and became a Crisis Management and Business Continuity coach/consultant.

He has assisted clients from differing industries to increase their preparedness and organisational resilience to deal with potential major business disruptions. He has brought his experiences as a Tactical Firearms Commander to help others understand, manage and respond to risk in a pragmatic and dynamic way. As a Senior Investigating Officer, he has passed on his experiences in decision making, problem solving, team management, record keeping and report writing.

Having gained a Master's Degree in Business Administration (MBA), he seeks out any opportunity to develop himself and others to raise performance further, through continuous improvement.

He is a confident and considered speaker, who is responsive, adaptable, and flexible to the needs of his audience.

On a less serious note, he will embrace any opportunity to show off his 70's dance moves much to the annoyance and embarrassment of his long-suffering wife and children.