Who We Are

Who Makes up the Podiem Team?

Our team is what gives us a winning formula and enables us to provide our clients with high quality solutions that deliver results. Our core team is enhanced, when required, through proven partnerships with trusted associates, providers and suppliers.

Bill Manson MSSc CMCIPD

Bill has spent the majority of his career in the area of people and organisation development with a particular focus on growing and developing management teams - with leadership abilities. He has a pragmatic approach to taking a business forward, which can be summarised as ‘find the leaders – fix the problems’. Bill’s expertise has been developed through his work within Bombardier (Shorts Belfast) and throughout Bombardier's other divisions in North America Europe and Middle East.

This unrivalled experience was recognised when, in 2002, Bill was asked by DEL to lead a strategic economic initiative in establishing the Management & Leadership Network (MLN) to drive the development of owners and managers of SMEs in Northern Ireland. Over a seven year period MLN became recognised as a ‘lead body’ for management and leadership development and was instrumental in creating the Management and Leadership Development Strategy for NI. As well as this, Bill introduced the award winning MLN Roadshow Series and created the exceptionally successful Management Month ®, which has become part of the business calendar attracting 6,500 participants.

Bill is a Chartered Member of the CIPD through the University of Ulster and has a Masters (MSSc) in Organisation & Management from Queens University Belfast. He is also a Member of the Institute of Directors. His passion for people is not confined to work as he is a Youth Leader, is involved in his local Church and is a School Governor. He would do anything to get out of the Saturday afternoon shopping – even investing in a season ticket for Glentoran!

Kevin Kelly BSc MSc MBA

A marketer by profession, Kevin spent 5 years within the Diageo Marketing Department creating and implementing below the line activity for brands such as Gordons, Harp, Smirnoff, Carlsberg and Guinness. In 2006 Kevin joined the Management and Leadership Network (MLN) and assumed responsibility for a significant research programme focussing on management skills development. In 2007 he took over management of all MLN operations. During his 3 years with MLN Kevin worked extensively with both supply and demand communities in the area of management development. He has built a substantial knowledge of the SME community in Northern Ireland and has established strong working relationships with owners, managers, stakeholders and policy makers. The eternal student, Kevin recently completed an MBA through the Ulster Business School, which he will hang beside his MSc (with Distinction) in Strategic Project Planning from Heriot Watt and his First Class Honours BSc in Communications Advertising and Marketing from the University of Ulster. He has travelled extensively and has worked for private sector firms in San Francisco, New Jersey, Auckland and Sydney.

A keen sportsman, Kevin can often be found muttering to himself on a golf-course and chasing after ‘better-players’ on the UUJ football pitches. An ardent Liverpool fan, he is delighted at Kenny's return!

Philippa Spiller BA Hons

Philippa has developed a varied and substantial career within the field of Event Management. Following her studies in Bristol, resulting in a Distinction in her HND in Business Decision Analysis and a 2.1 in her BA Hons in Financial Services, she started her professional event management career in London, specialising in high-end fundraising events. After 7 long years and way too many flights she finally gave up the commute and settled back in to full-time Northern Irish life. She soon took up a position with an all-Ireland event management agency, which later merged with the foremost global event and communications agency in the world. During almost 3 years there she progressed to Head of Division, earning the respect of clients and suppliers and gaining the reputation as one of the leading event professionals in the country. Before co-founding Podiem she spent a year working as a freelance event management consultant as well as taking on a part-time position for the Northern Ireland Law Commission as their Corporate Planning and Communications Manager, establishing the public face of this new NDPB.

In keeping with her eye for precision and the finer things in life, she is a vintage motor enthusiast and has competed successfully as both a navigator and driver. The ‘provider’ in the team and consummate entertainer, she enjoys little more than to work some magic in the kitchen to the benefit of all!

Áine Ní Cheara LLB Hons MBS

Aine joined the Podiem team at the beginning of 2011 as an intern while studying to complete her Masters Degree in Business from the University of Ulster. Having just graduated, she is now working in all aspects of the company's operations as well as driving forward Podiem's online communications strategy. This includes Podiem's social media stream, which is available on YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook and the MLN blog.

Outside of Podiem, Aine spends most her time plotting her round-the-world trip, where she will visit Thailand, Australia and USA.