Skip to main content Accessibility information

Marjon Employability and Enterprise and Ambassadors

PG students working around computers

For 180 years, Plymouth Marjon University has been bringing out the best in our students.  We are committed to enabling every student to discover and fulfil their potential.  Renowned for being friendly and highly supportive, we do all we can to empower our students and give them the edge they need to succeed. Marjon Enterprise and Employability Ambassadors help equip our students, alumni and the local business community to develop successful careers.  They understand that we need graduates and a community who are not merely employed, but become citizens who are innovative and create impact.

Marjon Enterprise and Employability Ambassadors are champions in their field.  They showcase good practice.  They advocate and support their employees. They go out of their way to share their knowledge and wisdom with their peers. They pass on skills, knowledge and experience, developed over their successful careers by being a mentor, giving advice and support, and inspiring students in one to one or group sessions.

To get in touch with an Ambassador please in the first instance please contact Sarah Stevenson on slstevenson@marjon.ac.uk or the Futures team on futures@marjon.ac.uk.

Katharine’s career has been primarily in business development and performance improvement roles in the UK and overseas. She brings a practical wealth of experience in ways to build and develop teams to succeed in business, with a good understanding of both online and offline marketing and sales combined with expertise in talent management, recruitment, people development and technology.

Her career has seen her work mostly in the private sector, with short periods in the public and not for profit sectors. Her sectoral experience is broad, from recruitment and management consultancy to health and engineering, from economic regulation to food manufacturing including 6 years creating and running an IT business (which comprised business to business as well as retail) with her husband. As Business Development Director, she was responsible for winning new work, both B2B and B2C, whilst managing the team of ten which provided her with a very practical appreciation of the challenges of building a business and the need for commercial agility.

As an executive coach, her passion is in supporting people to achieve their potential and have fun! This has seen her continue to invest in her own professional skills development, from studying Zen Leadership to learning about multiple brain integration techniques and neuro linguistic programming.

As an Enterprise and Employability Ambassador for Marjon, Kate is happy to provide support to Marjon staff and students in the areas of:

  • Business growth and business development
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Leadership
  • Setting up as self-employed
  • Flexible working
  • Purpose & personal branding
  • Values
  • Coaching & Mentoring
  • Social Media inc. LinkedIn
  • Communication skills, especially the soft skills of listening, negotiation, prioritising, interviewing, confidence, presentations
  • Recruitment

Katharine is able to support students through:

  • 1-2-1 mentoring around a business idea / problem / business concept
  • Small group work
  • Guest lecture
  • Expert witness

Kate Doodson 2019 1440x900

Kate is Joint Chief Executive at Cosmic, providing professional IT services & digital skills consultancy, where she splits her time as Operations lead and Digital Transformation Consultant. 

As a consultant, Kate is an experienced and respected Digital Transformation Specialist. Working in a wide range of public and private sector business, she manages senior client relationships. She has an extensive digital and IT knowledge and delivers seminars regionally & nationally on emerging technology and digital trends, transformation, Cloud migration, cyber security, strategic digital marketing and social media.  She has a strong technical skill set and brings this to business development activities; Kate bids for and manages commercial agreements and relationships with key clients & commissioners of services. 

Kate has developed digitally-focused learning programmes for over 5 years. Delivered to over 15,000 business and individuals, she enjoys creating high-quality learning experiences that are engaging and practical.  Kate also brings her experiences as a Civil Engineer and commercial Project Manager, seeing projects through from bidding to completion.

As an Enterprise and Employability Ambassador for Marjon, Kate is happy to provide support to Marjon staff and students in the areas of:

  • Digital business
  • Digital marketing
  • Digital Futures
  • Social Enterprise
  • Innovation
  • Agile Project Management.

Kate is able to support students through:

  • 1-2-1 mentoring around a business idea / problem / business concept
  • Small group work
  • Guest lecture
  • Expert witness

In October 2015, Open Hearts Open Borders – Refugee Aid was born following a firm decision that Faraday wanted to create change in her external world. What started out initially as a small refugee aid project has now grown into a registered Not for Profit voluntary humanitarian aid organization, now shipping aid out to Greece and France on a regular basis and supporting resettlement in the South West with household and essential items. The last 3 years have been a real journey of growth not only for the organisation but also for Faraday and she says that it has opened her eyes to the kindness of others. OHOB is her promise that we all can contribute in some small way to make the world a better place.

Faraday is happy to provide support to Marjon staff and students in the areas of:

  • Change creation
  • Motivation
  • Solutions
  • Charities / start ups
  • Understanding systems
  • Stress management

Faraday is able to support students through:

  • Guest lecture
  • Expert witness

 

Trevor is an entrepreneur working to improve access to legal services that are innovative and completely client focused. He enjoys his roles in lecturing, mentoring and investing in start ups and focusing on entrepreneurship and innovation within universities and commercial enterprises, striving to help a younger generation of entrepreneurs and business leaders achieve their aims with sustainability and creativity at the forefront of their thinking. Having run his own legal services practice for 27 years in the south west with a focus on succession planning for families and businesses, or Trevor, it's all about doing the right thing, with the highest standards of education and ethics anchoring every aspect of  practice.

Trevor holds a Masters in Business (One Planet MBA) from the University of Exeter and is a TEP qualified practitioner. He has served on the Advisory Panel of the Legal Services Board and provide consultancy services to a number of law and financial services sector firms.

As an Enterprise and Employability Ambassador for Marjon, Trevor is happy to provide support to Marjon staff and students in the areas of:

  • Entrepreneurship
  • Innovation
  • Enterprise
  • Small Business
  • Start Ups
  • Legal Services

Trevor is able to support students through:

  • 1-2-1 mentoring around a business idea / problem / business concept
  • Small group work
  • Guest lecture
  • Expert witness

Dr Andy Middlebrooke founded Exercise Science Consulting Ltd in January 2008 with the aim of providing clients with access to expertise in exercise and sport science irrespective of ability or performance level. Andy has over 20 year’s experience in the exercise and sport science sector. He graduated from the University of Liverpool in 1997 and in 2002 was awarded a Ph.D. from the University of Exeter. Andy has worked at the Peninsula Medical School, the School of Sport and Health Sciences at the University of Exeter and within the University’s Children’s Health and Exercise Research Centre. He has presented his research work at many prestigious national and international conferences and has published work in scientific peer-reviewed journals. Andy has provided sport science support to a range of clients from University sport scholars to Polar explorers and international athletes and has worked as a consultant for UK Athletics supporting British, European and World record holders and Paralympic medallists.

Andy is happy to provide support to Marjon staff and students in the areas of:

  • Small business start up
  • Entrepreneurship 
  • Transition between academia and private sector enterprise
  • Student employability 
  • Retailing academic knowledge

In addition, Andy has specific knowledge in sports performance, exercise and sport science support, physiological basis of human performance, vascular function in health, disease and performance.

Andy can support students through:

  • 121 mentoring
  • Small group work
  • Lectures, workshops, seminars
  • Expert witness
  • Networking events
  • Business to business introductions