Meet the team!

We believe there is a gap in the market for local relevant information and advice for study and careers options, especially for young people and a lack of enterprise education in schools and colleges. 

Our vision is to enlighten and inspire young people about the opportunities open to them and to raise their aspirations, by showing them the many opportunities available and helping them and their families navigate through what can be a confusing environment.

Meet the team

David Hewlett
CEO and Founder

After school David started his career as Assistant Draughtsman at the Ordnance Survey in Southampton, before a move into the motor trade, initially as a mechanic and then he used this as a springboard into a sales job in the automotive industry. From sales he moved into a marketing role as a product manager and this is where he found his true calling and a profession he really enjoyed.

Working as a marketing manager for three international brands followed before setting out as a marketing consultant in 2003.

David has recently been working with schools and helping them with their communications.  One thing he noticed was that giving students’ good careers and study advice and information is still a challenge today.

It is these experiences and of spending many years trying to find a career that suited his own skills and interests, that inspired him to launch The Future Business, the organisation behind ‘Make the Future Yours!’

david@thefuturebusiness.co.uk

Claire Sutton
Magazine Editor

Growing up, Claire thought about becoming a solicitor but never really settled on any definite plans.  She did take her Mum’s advice, though, and filled the gaps between A Level classes by learning to type. After University, where Claire studied her favourite subjects, History and Politics, her impressive typing speed secured her a number of temp jobs to get a flavour of working life.  One of these was in a sales office where she realised, she was interested in people and helping them choose the right products.  Taking the opportunity to do Chartered Institute of Marketing qualifications, Claire achieved her Postgraduate Diploma in 2001.

Next stop for Claire was as an Apprenticeship Training Provider where she worked for 13 years, before going on to be Marketing, Admissions and Customer Services Manager at a Hampshire FE College for another three years. 

Claire now works as a freelance marketing consultant and brings her love of writing, talent for marketing and passion for Apprenticeships to edit the magazine.

claire@makethefutureyours.com

Julian Gee
Marketing Director

Julian left school at 15 and joined a High Street bank. Quickly finding that banking was not for him, he then left to go to University to study economics.

After graduation, Julian secured his first position in advertising and marketing, professions he has been involved in for the rest of his working life. Gaining an MBA in his 30’s, Julian has since worked with many blue chips brands, been a director of significant businesses and launched a number of start-ups.

Now, with over 30 years' experience in advertising and marketing, he has developed a portfolio of interests which include marketing consultancy, new business start-ups, university teaching and professional speaking, enjoying the variety this 'portfolio' offers and the opportunity it gives him to try out new initiatives, to develop innovative ideas and work with organisations with a vision he shares, like The Future Business.

julian@thefuturebusiness.co.uk

Jeff Downs
Sales Director

Jeff’s passion and infectious enthusiasm for ‘Make the Future Yours’ is born of personal experience.

Growing up at Toynbee Hall, a charity housing estate in the East End of London, his parents didn’t really understand his abilities and the opportunities that were available to him when he left school. So, despite being top of the A stream, at age 15 he left school with no qualifications, ‘low-balled’ his career aspirations and spent the first couple of years working in a factory and feeling miserable.

Jeff knew instinctively that he was capable of more and remembers eyeing up people working in nice suits and thinking: “I want to do that.” He remembered his careers master from school, Mr George and got in touch. The advice he was given by his former teacher was gold dust and Jeff went to college full time followed by ‘day release’ courses to get the degree level qualifications required to get his career going properly.  The rest is history, initially working as a design engineer he quickly realised his ‘people skills’ and naturally progressed into sales roles and then into sales management and latterly business management. Jeff went on to become a leading UK sales management consultant and sales director.

Apart from Jeff’s obvious affinity with the ‘Make The Future Yours’ mission, he is keen to make sure that the magazine works for both its readers and advertisers and is determined to create solid long-term business partnerships that add value all round. What a great way to repay Mr.George!

jeff@thefuturebusiness.co.uk

Liz Davis
Sales Manager - Hampshire and Isle of Wight

Like many people, Liz’s career direction is now very different from the one she thought she would take after school, having started her career as a hairdresser – a job she set her heart on whilst at school.  Liz achieved her goal and qualified as a hairdresser through the Youth Training Scheme (YTS) and later added to her skills by training and qualifying as an aromatherapist.  What these positions gave Liz is a good understanding of people and an appreciation of the importance of providing excellent customer service, both soft skills in demand in wide range of careers.

Liz then changed direction and took a telemarketing position in Chichester which in turn has led to her love of sales and account management.  Liz has now gained experience in a wide range of challenging customer facing and sales roles, where her positive nature, adaptability and people skills have contributed to her success.

Looking back, Liz didn’t receive any career’s advice at school and feels now she should have gone into sales and marketing earlier in her life as she enjoys it so much!

liz@makethefutureyours.com

John Moriarty
Sales Manager - East & West Sussex

Keen rugby fan and coach John’s first job was in sales after leaving 6th form college with a GNVQ In Business and Management. John learnt the ropes spending 6 years with a business involved in building exhibition stands. After this he moved into management as a regional sales manager with the UK’s leading supplier of audio marketing (music and messages on-hold and online).

John’s next move saw him broaden his experience as head of recruitment, servicing and training with a Brighton-based company before launching his own consultancy business, where projects he worked on covered induction, health & safety, customer service, sales, marketing and brand or corporate content, as well as active recruitment and training.

Before joining The Future Business, John was Head of Engagement for a training provider where he was responsible for generating new and maintaining existing relationships with employers and learners for apprenticeships and commercial training opportunities. Away from work, when not enjoying rugby or playing golf, talented musician John is in a band, both supplying the vocals and playing bass guitar.

john@makethefutureyours.com

Steve Davis
Art Director

From a very young age Steve realised he was going to be a creative person and would spend a lot of time as a child drawing and creating things alongside playing football.

It was at middle school when a teacher picked up on Steve’s creative skills and being a part-time artist himself, pushed Steve to work as hard as he could on his art. At senior school, two of the art teachers realised Steve was extremely creative and the encouragement from them was boundless, but it was at this time Steve could see his artwork changing from ‘art’ as we know it, into a more graphic, straight form. It was a design teacher that picked up on this and started telling and encourage Steve to look more at Graphic Design, which he did.

Steve went on to study Communication Design at the University of Portsmouth and has since worked as professional designer for four creative design agencies, before starting his own business nearly 10 years ago.

steve@makethefutureyours.com

Stephanie Lucas, Chris Gibbins,
Megan Barker and Tia Nimetty
Make the Future Yours!

The Make the Future Yours! Agency is a team of young digital marketers.

Steph has always had an interest in reading, painting and exploring the UK. She has always dreamt of becoming a writer or journalist. Helping people has always been something she’s enjoyed, so she thought that joining the Make the Future Yours! team would be perfect for her.

Chris has always been into streaming, reading and cooking. He found himself pursuing a number of different career paths after leaving school. Stumbling across digital marketing at Make the Future Yours! he heard about how they help young people find their way and navigate careers. Chris knew this was exactly what would’ve helped him so he was thrilled to join.

Megan has been interested in art most of her life and in recent years realised it was more than just a hobby. Despite not studying any kind of creative subjects past GCSE, to then trying out different work paths such as hospitality and teaching abroad, she realised design was what she really wanted to pursue. Megan found a great route into design was through marketing. She decided to apply for a Digital Marketing Apprenticeship within the Make the Future Yours! team, which has allowed her to grow as a person and as a creative marketer.

Tia has always been interested in social media, and documenting her life and the many different places she has travelled to. She studied a computer software course at college, which first opened her eyes to digital marketing. After college, she tried finding work but prospective employers, as they thought she was overqualified for retail and hospitality work, and underqualified for a digital marketing role. Then an opportunity came up to work for Make the Future Yours! which taught her vital skills that will carry her through the remainder of her working life. She enjoys creating YouTube videos, and may even become a YouTuber as a hobby!

Anagataya (Ana)
Mascot

Ana was born and raised in Sri Lanka as a circus elephant. Many things went on behind the scenes at this circus, which eventually resulted in Ana’s determination to escape.

Ana knew they were more than just a circus elephant and decided to take themselves on a trip to find out what they could be. Bumping into a group of young people who helped look after Ana, they found out these people could help Ana find the right path.

Ana welcomes anyone to join them on their journey to explore what other ideas and pathways there are out there.

Get in touch with Ana here at Ask Ana.