Our Team
Who we are shapes what we do and how we do it.
We believe it's important to share our backgrounds and experiences to give an insight into who we are as a company and help to demonstrate how we have developed our Culture Excellence program.
FOUNDERS
Dr. Joanne Taylor, Co-Founder
BSc Psychology, PgCert Education and Research, PgCert HACCP, PhD Risk Management & Behaviour Change
Joanne is a travel lover, bookworm and self-professed crazy cat lady. She is also uniquely qualified and experienced in safety and quality culture.
Joanne is a qualified psychologist, educator and researcher, with a PhD in risk management and behaviour change. Over the past 20 years she has taken a multi-disciplinary, innovative approach to a diverse range of academic, government and industry programs across multiple countries.
1. Academia: Joanne has led University MSc modules in Organisational Culture, International Business, Research Methods (Survey Design), Food Safety and HACCP, in the UK and UAE. She has authored a large number of peer-reviewed journal articles, including highly commended articles on organisational culture.
2. Government: Joanne has consulted to governments of the UK, Thailand, Brunei, Oman, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman and Qatar, as well as working on projects for the World Health Organisation / Food Agriculture Organisation (WHO/FAO). She has led large scale government programs to bring about improvements in safety and quality on a national scale.
3. Industry: Joanne has worked with a diverse range of companies as a trainer, auditor, researcher and culture assessor. She has led the development of innovative industry systems and tools that are used in over 85 countries around the world.
If you would like to see Dr Joanne's full profile, or would like more information on anything mentioned here, please just ask.
Dave Shannon, Co-Founder
BSc International Business
Dave Shannon is a gym enthusiast, video gamer and IT geek. He is also a highly experienced management specialist who has worked for some of the largest and most successful companies around the world.
Dave spent the first 10 years of his career with the management consulting firm Accenture. He started in a technical IT role during the dot.com boom, then moved on to increasingly senior roles in projects and programs of systems and strategic change for clients including Unilever, Sony, UBS, Shell, Sainsbury's and SAB Miller.
His work with Accenture took him to the US, UK, France, Italy, Holland, Germany and India, managing multi-cultural teams to deliver large-scale and complex aims.
Dave co-founded TSI in 2009 in the UK and branched the business to Dubai in 2010. With TSI, Dave has designed and managed state-wide public health and quality programs for local governments, and has worked with private sector clients in over 20 countries.
Since 2014, Dave has been dedicated to Culture Excellence, with a particular focus on the real-world application and implications of the program and it's crucial identification, measurement and mitigation of risk for clients. Dave also manages the technical aspects of Culture Excellence, including the online analytics and reporting Platform.
If you would like to see Dave's full profile, or would like more information on anything mentioned here, please just ask.
LEADERSHIP
Basem Azzam
Culture Excellence Manager (MENA)
Basem Azzam is a family man who is outnumbered by four daughters. He is a quality management specialist who manages large-scale programs in the MENA region to enhance quality and safety, leading diverse teams of government and industry stakeholders in the implementation of international best practice standards in multiple sectors.
Basem project manages the Culture Excellence program for government and industry clients in the MENA region.
Martin Clemmensen
Director of Software Development
Martin is a tech aficionado and has been hammering away at keyboards since the days of the Amiga 500. He refers to himself as a ‘Full Stack Software Developer’, a description which the rest of the team pretend to understand. Following an impressive career as a software and web developer in companies such as Motorola and Spotify, Martin worked as the CTO for Zenbu, and has run his own software development company.
Martin manages the creation and ongoing enhancement of the Culture Excellence data platform.
Bertrand Emond
Culture Excellence Community Manager
Bertrand is a long distance runner and cyclist who no-one else in the team can catch up with. He is Head of Membership and Training at Campden BRI, with a Masters of Food Science and Technology and an MBA, and has more than 30 years of experience helping companies big and small from across the food chain.
Bertrand is a member of food safety culture working groups for the GFSI and IAFP, and manages the Culture Excellence program at Campden BRI.
Wendee Hill
Executive Assistant
Wendee Hill was recently the EA to the VP of a multi-national pharmaceutical company. She has over 25 years admin experience in the UK and Dubai, of which 19 years have been providing support as a senior level PA/EA. She has experience working in a variety of industries, from family-owned companies to multi-nationals.
You’re likely to find Wendee at sunrise up a mountain exploring the UAE. She loves cooking and horse riding and has volunteered with the Dubai Mounted Police.
Claire Harris
Marketing
With a wealth of experience in marketing, communications and strategy, Claire is passionate about bringing brands to life. With a degree in Marketing and Communications (UniSA) and a Digital Marketing accreditation (RMIT), she has worked with global clients in multiple industries over the past 12 years. Originally from Australia, Claire has lived and worked in the UAE since 2010 and is adept at the international language of visual communication, excelling at connecting people.
Mehak Randhawa
Client Services & Administration
Mehak is based in Dubai and has a passion for education and training. With experience in client coordination and liaising, logistics and account management, Mehak is a wonderful support to our global clients at Culture Excellence.
Mehak loves gardening, traveling, is a keen sewer and also enjoys time with her dogs.
Clariza Gecale
Administration
Clariza is an Administrator for Culture Excellence, based in Dubai. With experience in computing, documentation and administrative functions, she has been a working with Culture Excellence for over 2 years and is a key support function for the team, both locally and internationally.
Clariza is from the Philippines, loves to travel and spend time with her family and friends.
Dr Jeremy Taylor
Culture Excellence Advisor and Founding Team Member
Jeremy is a practical education expert with a degree in sociology, a Masters in education and a PhD in behaviour change. After a successful career as a head chef, he has worked as a senior lecturer, auditor and government advisor in multiple countries.
Jeremy is one of the founding members of the Culture Excellence team and provides expert guidance into all stages of the program.
Professor Eunice Taylor
Culture Excellence Advisor and Founding Team Member
Eunice is a globally renowned food safety management expert, with a degree in food science and a PhD in training and education. She has run programs for governments and organisations around the world as well as United Nations (UN) projects.
Eunice is one of the founding members of the Culture Excellence team and provides expert guidance into all stages of the program.
Dr Kevin Kane
Expert Panel Member
Kevin is a management expert with an MSc in organisation development and a PhD in risk management. He works as a senior lecturer for the University of Salford and advises multiple organisations and governments.
Kevin is a key member of the Culture Excellence advisory team, providing expert guidance and running advanced training courses.
Katherine Rostron
Expert Panel Member
Katherine has an MPhil in risk management (HACCP) and is currently completing a PhD in organisational culture. She works as a lecturer for the University of Salford and conducts research on culture, with a focus on social enterprise.
Katherine is a key member of the Culture Excellence advisory team, providing expert guidance and running advanced training courses.
Ringaile Bulatovic
Expert Panel Member
Ringaile is a Formula 1 enthusiast with a love of racing cars. She is a global citizen who speaks 5 languages fluently and has lived and worked in 8 countries so far. Her experience ranges from work with big multinational corporations to government entities. With a Masters in International Studies, she specialises in national culture and its impact on organisational culture.
Ringaile is a key member of the Culture Excellence advisory team, providing expert guidance and running advanced training courses.
Mariann Kirkerød
Culture Excellence Community Manager, Aquatiq, Scandinavia
Mariann is the Managing Director of Aquatiq Consult, based in Norway. With qualifications in quality, management and food safety, she has worked as a consultant and trainer for a large number of companies.
Mariann manages the Aquatic partnership with Culture Excellence and supports companies in Scandinavia with their culture programs.