Meet the Team

Peter Horrocks joined Learna as a non-Exec Director and Chair in July 2021 after spending four years at the Open University as Vice Chancellor. Prior to that, Peter held numerous roles at BBC, including Head of Television News and Head of the BBC Newsroom. Most recently, he headed up the BBC World Service, where he was responsible for the overall leadership and management from 2009 to 2014 with a particular focus on digital transformation. During his time in post, he oversaw significant cuts and budget changes, leading negotiations with the UK Government over future funding for the World Service and driving an increase in revenues throughout his time at the helm. Peter has been brought on board as Non-Exec Director at Learna to support the ongoing growth of the business, utilising his expertise in distance learning, higher education, and digital transformation to support Learna’s business strategy and expansion plans.

Prof Davies is a Consultant Endocrinologist at the University Hospital Wales. He has an established reputation in medical education particularly in online learning, having been the founder of OnExamination.com and setting up a number of diploma courses. He has also been involved in establishing training courses for weight management in community pharmacy. His clinical interests include hypogonadism, growth hormone deficiency and obesity. He has published over 100 peer reviewed publications and his research interests include the application of novel technologies in delivering medical education.

Courtenay is a company founder, technologist, business analyst, systems architect and project manager with extensive hands-on expertise. After graduating with a first-class honours degree in Business Information Management, Courtenay established a web-application development company, MAWR Ltd, specializing in risk assessment management software. After disposing of his concern in MAWR Ltd, he was appointed as C.T.O. at 'OnExamination'. As the key decision maker for the planning, design and development of OnExamination's technical infrastructure, Courtenay was instrumental in revitalising their failing computer infrastructure. These factors allowed OnExamination to evolve from a small speculative business to a larger one that was then integrated within the BMJ Group when it was acquired in 2007. Quickly promoted within the BMJ Group to the role of CIO/Deputy Managing Director, Courtenay was directly responsible for delivering 60% growth in sales while maintaining a 40% margin. Today Courtenay is the C.O.O. of Diploma MSc. He is responsible for the organisational operations/staffing, sales and marketing, technical infrastructure, and business strategy.

Rachel has over 20 years’ experience managing marketing and commercial departments across a variety of industry sectors including business, web development, marketing, publishing, e-learning, and medicine. Rachel is energetic, entrepreneurial, and instinctively commercially focused. As the Chief Commercial Officer of Learna, she has successfully created and worked with an international network of educational institutes and providers to design and develop a number postgraduate level programmes, courses, CPD, and exam preparation material. Currently, Rachel’s focus is to grow a range of postgraduate programmes and resources across a variety of professions. She's always on the lookout for commercial partners, new project ideas, and content authors/editors. Rachel has travelled extensively and grew her previous online education company while travelling and raising a family 'on the road' around Europe, prior to its sale in 2019. Rachel loves change, challenges and adventures. In her spare time, she likes travelling and trying new foods.

Anish Kotecha works as a GP in South Wales. He has an expanding role in medical education. He has written many clinical and non-clinical articles for Pulse, GPOnline, MIMS Learning, Health Education and Improvement Wales and has chaired and spoken at several medical events. Some of his other roles include work as a GP appraiser, RCGP PCI Accreditation Clinical Lead, RCGP SE Wales Education Lead, RCGP PCD GP Adviser, InnovAiT AKT editor, RCGP Clinical Events Quality Assessor, Cardiff University Communication Skills Tutor, and Examiner for medical students and GPnotebook TV presenter. As the Director of Education at Learna, Anish is responsible for the strategic planning and development of new postgraduate programmes. He contributes to managing relationships with our partnering universities and his role includes supporting the editorial team and those managing projects for both Diploma MSc and StudyPRN. He is also the MRCGP AKT editor for the StudyPRN site taking responsibility for the overall quality of the revision resource. Away from work, he enjoys married life and has two children who he adores.

Kirsty joined Learna in 2020 after spending 10 years working in Marketing in a variety of sectors including time spent at the BMJ and Ty Hafan followed by 5 years in working Higher Education for Cardiff University. Responsible for all aspects of student recruitment for Diploma MSc and Learna Business School, Kirsty has a passion for marketing strategy, branding and digital innovation along with specialist knowledge of the Higher Education and Healthcare sectors. Results driven, focused and creative, Kirsty is excited to share the benefits of our innovative and world leading postgraduate programmes far and wide. Outside of work Kirsty is a real foodie enjoying both cooking and eating out. She loves interiors and decorating her home, which is often quickly destroyed by her very busy toddler.

Stacie joined Learna in 2021 as a Digital Marketing Executive and is now responsible for overseeing the marketing department and implementing new initiatives. After completing a degree in journalism, Stacie traveled the world searching for stories - including a solo trip around South America. Whilst living in Barcelona she discovered her love of marketing whilst working in sales and marketing for the tech industry, and moved back to the UK to pursue her career. In her spare time, you will find her reading, on the tennis court, or chasing after her toddler.

With a longstanding accounting background, this wasn't enough for Lucy, who was striving for the trifecta in modern digital marketing, SEO. This simple yet powerful abbreviation first came to Lucy in 2016 and has since held her attention with its ever evolving nature. She has dealt in the arts of black, grey and white hat methods of SEO, and whilst she has had fun playing in all 3 arena's, Lucy believes nothing beats the longevity and rewards of white hat SEO. In her spare time, Lucy regularly does canvas paintings in both acrylics and oils.

Elani joined the Learna team in October 2022, with over 3.5 years experience in PPC/Performance Marketing. Elani developed a keen passion for digital strategy and consumer behavior and insights. Her aim is to grow a brand with a unique purpose within the digital space. Outside of work, Elani enjoys photography, surfing and going for walks in nature with her dogs.

Jessica completed a journalism degree at USW in 2019. She found her love of marketing by diving into lots of work experience. While studying, Jess was actively creating social media campaigns, PR and video editing content for food bank charities, The National Trust and for marketplace companies targeting universities, schools and corporations. With a great passion for marketing, being environmentally conscious and having a deep interest in the education sector… Jess is pleased to be able to bring these worlds together at Learna. Jess is a nerd for marketing, and likes to go on Hubspot Academy in her free time to do some of the courses or read marketing blogs for a few hours on the weekend. She is obsessed with her Cockapoo Cleo, and loves finding new places to walk and spoiling her with LOTS of indestructible toys. Having traveled to some parts of Asia, Jess likes to spend her evenings researching where to go next on that side of the world.

Catherine Scourfield joined Learna as an Executive Assistant to the Chief Commercial Officer in September 2021 after spending 15 years at We Fight Any Claim as Chief Operations Officer. Catherine has 20 years of experience in the sales industry where customers were always her central focus. During her time in post, Catherine would constantly look at ways to improve the customers’ journey and was heavily involved in the rollout of all new campaigns, assisting with the training and ensuring employees move in the same strategic direction to achieve its mission, whilst driving revenue, lower operating costs and maintaining a quality service. Catherine has been brought on board to assist and support the CCO as Learna grows. This supporting role is instrumental in bringing on new partners and income streams to the business as well as supporting the CCO with her diary management and workflow. Catherine thrives in a busy work environment and enjoys meeting new people and carrying out research on a whole range of opportunities. In her spare time, Cath loves spending time with her husband, 2 children and her Pomeranian Teddy.

Having explored the world of art and design in Sweden, Hannah’s creative spirit laid the foundation for her future endeavours. After starting a family, she embarked on an incredible academic journey, earning an undergraduate degree in Law from the esteemed University of South Wales. Hannah’s life brims with creativity and adventure. You’ll often find her experimenting in the kitchen, crafting beautiful crochet pieces, and exploring anything that sparks her imagination. A lover of water, she finds solace in both swimming and boxing, embracing the balance between tranquillity and strength. Hannah’s adventurous spirit extends beyond the office, as she cherishes the joy of travel. Among the places she’s wandered, Jordan’s breathtaking Petra holds a special place in her heart.

Sarah joined Learna in June 2022 as a temporary Office Manager, covering maternity leave. Sarah helped out a busy Admissions department in August and has now joined the team on a full time basis. In her spare time, Sarah is a yoga teacher and enjoys walking and spending time with family and friends

Melissa is a valued member of our Admissions team, having joined us in January with a wealth of experience in professional administration. With over 30 years of expertise in her field, Melissa has a deep understanding of the processes involved in admissions. In addition to her dedication to her work, Melissa is also passionate about spending time with her loved ones. She cherishes her time with her daughter and partner and enjoys catching up with friends and family whenever she can. In her role as an Admissions Officer, Melissa is committed to helping students achieve their goals and is always willing to go above and beyond to ensure that their needs are met. We are proud to have Melissa on our team and look forward to the contributions she will continue to make in the years to come.

Cecile joined the Learna Admissions team in June 2023. Cecile is committed to working in the Higher Education sector. Her previous experience in various Student Services roles at Cardiff University gave her valuable insights into supporting students and helping them succeed. Before her time at Cardiff University, Cecile worked as a Marketing Assistant in Paris, her native city. Outside of work, Cecile enjoys hiking in different parts of the world, with a particular interest in exploring the UK. Additionally, Cecile has a passion for buying loose tea, and watching Scandi Noir series on Netflix.

Vida graduated from Cardiff university with a Bachelor Degree in Business Management Marketing. She joined us as our Telephony Sales Executive and calls potential students who have shown an interest in one or more of our online courses. Vida will also contact our accepted students and talk them through the necessary steps. She enjoys conversing with others, meeting new people and likes to work on her self development, which fortunately, her past and current job allows her to do so.

We really only want Helen here at Learna for her baking - but Helen also brings a wealth of experience and leadership in the development and online delivery of medical education and innovation around specific content generation, together with instructional design to constantly improve quality and drive student engagement. Previously Head of Online Learning and Assessment at BMJ, working for over 17 years in online medical education, Helen's strategic mindset and user-centric approach to innovation in new product development is supported by a servant leadership approach and experienced relationship management. Helen has an MBA in Healthcare Management and achieved Chartered Manager status in 2018. An enthusiastic rugby fan, Helen enjoys trips to Europe, many genres of music, family time, and baking

Josh joined the Learna team in June 2018 and soon became part of the family with his quick wit and kind nature. Having rapidly proven himself a crucial part of the team, Josh made the leap from Business Development to our Editorial Team. As Senior Editor, Josh reviews and commissions our course material. His keen eye for detail and hard- working attitude saw his new team welcome him with open arms. The office certainly wouldn't be the same without him!

Having joined the Learna Editorial Team in 2019, Hollie quickly settled in with both her team and her role. From commissioning and editing the course materials to building relationships with authors, no two days are the same and she enjoys every minute of it. In Hollie’s spare time she writes creatively, dreams of starring on the West End and drinks a lot of coffee(although she does the latter during work hours, too).

Tracey joined the Programme Management Team at Learna in 2020 to focus on her interest in writing and proofreading, having previously worked for Lloyd's Banking Group for several years, and marketing roles prior to this. Tracey enjoys the challenges and diversity of working in Programme Management and thrives on opportunities to collaborate with authors and healthcare professionals. Outside of work she loves travelling to new places, live music, and curling up on the sofa with her husband, cats, and a spooky movie.

Dr Chellaram Hathiramani originally trained in General Practice and is now a clinical fellow working in diabetes at the Royal Gwent Hospital in Wales. She holds an MBA and has significant interests in teaching and learning, with particular emphasis on medical education, diabetes and obesity management. She is originally from Gibraltar and is keen to foster links with the MBA programme that is hosted at its university.

Alex joined the company in 2020 to manage the recruitment for the business. He has extensive experience in recruitment and has been in the industry for over 8 years. Alex's role is to recruit tutors and authors for both current and new courses. In Alex's spare time he plays and watches football, enjoys watching rugby and cricket and socialising with friends.

Ashley joined the company in 2022, shortly after completing a BA in Business and Management at the University of South Wales. As our Programme Development Assistant, Ashley works on our programme validations and offers assistance with any other tasks the team are working on. Outside of work, Ashley enjoys spending time in nature and exploring new places.

Osian has been working at Learna since October 2018. Initially working within our Student Support Team, Osian recently made the move to our tech team. He prepares and quality checks our online learning platform, and provides technical assistance to the organisation. He has found a role that challenges him and has allowed him to develop both professionally and personally. Osian enjoys watching and playing football. He is an avid Cardiff City supporter. He also enjoys road cycling and occasionally plays online multiplayer games

Sarah joined Learna in June 2018. Before joining us she worked in administration in the Paediatrics Department for Powys, based at Brecon War Memorial Hospital, where she developed a high regard for the many HCPs involved in comprehensive care. As our Operations Manager, Sarah ensures the smooth running of departments and enjoys looking after her teams. In her spare time Sarah reads and reads and reads, most particularly SF.

Robyn joined Learna in early 2019 as a Student Support Administrator. After thriving in her role, Robyn was recently made the team's manager. She is responsible for managing her team and ensuring that each student is supported throughout their learning journey.

Edward joined the Teaching and Learning team in 2020 having taken a career break to live in France. He loves to use his extensive prior teaching experience to support our busy tutors in delivering outstanding results. Outside of work, he enjoys anything to do with the Visual Arts and has an unhealthy obsession with studying the labels of wine bottles.

Amber joined the Learna team in 2020 following a relocation to Devon and back! She graduated from Cardiff University in 2018 after studying English Language and Communication and decided she wanted to focus on her favourite aspect of the course - teaching and learning. She thoroughly enjoys working in a very friendly team and loves training all of the tutors! Outside of work, Amber spends her time doing 3 things - creating products and content for her small crochet business, adventuring with her dog and partner, and cuddling their 3 black cats.

Hannah joined Learna in 2021 as a Teaching and Learning Officer. Hannah is currently studying towards an MA in Education at Swansea University after recently graduating with a BA in Business Management. Hannah has a keen interest in the education sector and loves supporting tutors to offer exceptional learning within her role. Outside of work, Hannah enjoys going to concerts, spending time with her 3 dogs and family and consuming every TV series Netflix has to offer!

Antonia Hassoulas joined Learna in November 2022 as a Teaching Services Officer. Having graduated from Cardiff University in 2010 and achieved an MSc abroad in 2012, Antonia returned to Cardiff in 2014. She has previous experience working in Education Administration and enjoys her role in supporting the tutors of Learna. Outside of work, Antonia enjoys baking, travelling, reading and spending time with her puppy.

Courtney joined the Student Services team in February 2023. She graduated from the Academy of Contemporary Music in 2015 and has had the privilege of touring both the United Kingdom and Germany with a Jazz band and various musicals. In 2017, Courtney went back into Education and gained her PGCE, subsequently becoming a Primary School Teacher in her hometown of Bedfordshire. In her spare time, Courtney loves to perform with dreams of one day starring on the West End, writing and playing music with her husband and spending time as a family.

Kayleigh joined the Student Services team in May 2021. Before this, she worked as a Paralegal for three years which helped to develop her customer service skills. Kayleigh has completed both her BSc and Masters in Criminology and Criminal Justice at Swansea University. In her spare time, she enjoys socializing with friends, reading the latest crime fiction books, and trying new recipes.

Emma studied Chemistry in the University of Southampton. She has previously run her own IT business and uses these skills in her current role to assist students to the best of her ability. She likes rambling in the Welsh countryside, admiring art in local galleries and looking after the office plants!

Cae joined Learna in April 2022 after graduating with a BSc in Zoology in 2019, and spending several years working in hospitality and SEN education. Despite this, he still uses his degree frequently to identify interesting insects he finds in his garden or in the Gower, and to excitedly tell people facts about birds, reptiles, and cephalopods. Cae loves his role as it gives him the chance to learn about and help students from all over the world, and also enjoys writing, swimming, and looking after his pet snake Wilson in his spare time.

Megan joined Learna in March 2021 after teaching in London and Thailand. Megan has a degree in English Literature from the University of South Wales and continues exploring her love for literature in her free time. Megan also enjoys keeping fit, socialising and discovering the best tasting brownies in Cardiff.

Siobhan recently joined Learna as an academic quality officer after working in the FE/HE sector for over 9 years (as a business development officer for Cardiff and Vale College and more recently as an international admissions officer at the University of South Wales). Siobhan is responsible for monitoring the quality standards of programmes at Learna, working with external examiners and organising award boards with partner universities. In her spare time, Siobhan enjoys going to see live music, swimming, spinning and trying to keep up with her young daughter.

Anna joined Learna in January 2021 and thrives in her role. Outside of work she enjoys keeping active and going to the gym - although at the moment her little girl is the one keeping her fit! Anna also thoroughly enjoys musicals.

Libby is a 2nd year student at University of South Wales currently studying Popular and Commercial Music. She plays drums and hopes to be a rockstar one day. Her other loves include cats, gaming and music.

Catherine has worked for Learna since 2014 and has recently moved from her role as Student Support Manager to Quality Assurance Manager. Catherine responsibilities include orchestrating student results and Award Boards at the University of South Wales, Student Remediation and Continuous Monitoring/ Annual Reporting for our collaborative partners. In her spare time, Catherine enjoys music, reading, and socialising with her friends and family.

Catherine began working at Learna in January 2015 and heads up the Editorial Team - working with authors to provide course and resource content for both the Learna and StudyPRN platforms. Catherine really enjoys working in a busy friendly team and relishes the challenge of helping to bring our courses to life and feels it's a fulfilling role to be part of a company that aims to improve the knowledge of healthcare professionals worldwide. Like most of the team, her highlight to date has been winning 'Best Online Distance Learning Programme' at the e-learning awards. Catherine's day to day work is very varied and she loves the opportunity of working alongside authors from a range of medical specialties and backgrounds. In her spare time Catherine loves to go running and to spend time with her family and friends.

Katie first joined the Learna team in 2013 and for 5 years worked within the Diploma MSc team. After a 2 year career change, where she worked for a large commercial media owner, she returned. With her experience in business development, sales and project management, Katie’s focus is to develop and grow Learna's non-higher education function of the business, including StudyPRN. Outside of work, she loves keeping active whether that’s the gym, cycling, walking etc. She loves to socialise with friends and family, especially when food is involved. She is also a proud mum of Harry.

Helen has 12+ years of experience working within the e-learning industry and had first joined the Learna team in 2017, working in the editorial department. Helen returned to the Learna team in July 2020 as a commissioning editor, and has since been promoted to the position of StudyPRN platform manager. Helen is responsible for the general day-to-day running and maintenance of the content on the StudyPRN website as well as the commissioning of new material for its various products. Outside of work, Helen is a road and trail running fanatic, a keen cook and a mum to a very busy 6 year old. Helen also loves to travel and experience different cultures.

Gareth joined StudyPRN in March 2021 as an intern Editorial Assistant before being offered a full-time Editorial Assistant position in June 2021. He graduated from Cardiff University with a Master of Arts degree in English Literature with distinction in 2020, and a BA in English Language and Literature in 2018. During this time, he developed a passion for education and proofreading, which is what attracted him to joining the team! He assists the commissioning editor by proofing all StudyPRN resources, liaising with editors, authors, and assisting the team with any editorial queries. In his spare time, Gareth enjoys reading, hiking, travel, and is learning Japanese! He also enjoys writing and has published articles in art and culture publications.

Ruth was so pleased to be able to return to the StudyPRN team in July 2022 as our Student Support & Application Officer after a brief year away as a Marketing and Communications Co-ordinator for a financial company. She soon realised she should never have left and really missed her role at StudyPRN. Outside of work, Ruth has 2 beautiful daughters, Willow and Paisley, and has been happily married to Chris since 2011. Her favourite thing to do is spending her time with her 2 girls and her husband, enjoying life and making special memories. In her downtime, she goes for a spin on her motorbike - Wanda the Honda...(she likes to think she's a cool biker mam)

Traun found love in the marketing industry after spending a year on a cruise ship that sailed around the Caribbean. When he decided to move back home to South Africa he landed a marketing job with a travel agency and he eventually decided to take a degree in Marketing Management. While working in Cape Town, he got a job offer at a Digital Marketing Agency, so he decided to move back to his home city, Port Elizabeth, to pursue his career. Traun enjoys spending time with friends and family, watching rugby, working out, travelling, upskilling his skills, and watching Marvel movies.

Rhys joined Learna as Head of Finance in February 2021. After graduating from Cardiff University in 2009 he trained as an accountant with a large practice in the city before going on to work for a national company as a group project accountant where he gained significant experience working alongside senior management in the delivery of corporate strategy. Realising his passion was in the SME environment, where he could really make an impact, he spent time as an FC, then FD of a growing B2B services business, as well as acting as a consultant to a small number of SMEs. A keen problem solver, he is not afraid to roll his sleeves to get things done. At Learna, Rhys is responsible for overseeing the finance team and working alongside the board to ensure that they have the range of financial information they require to assist with strategy decisions. Outside of work, Rhys loves to travel and is a passionate rugby man. He’s been involved with Glamorgan Wanderers RFC since the age of 7 as a junior player, right through to the current day where he is now a Vice President and Director of the club.

Emra has recently joined Learna as a Finance Officer, and now supports our students with any financial queries they may have. Initially studying marketing at university, she has been working within finance for over 13 years, and is currently studying to become a qualified accountant. Born in Turkey, Emra has been living in the UK for almost 20 years, where she is kept busy by her young twin boys!

Gayatri has worked in Finance for over 15 years. She lived in Manchester for nearly 10 years before moving back to Cardiff in May 2019. Her previous role was working with International Baccalaureate, an education provider for children aged 3 to 19 years. In her spare time, Gayatri loves baking, spending time outdoors with her two children and hosting dinner parties.

David joined Learna in December 2022, returning to the education sector with over 20 years of experience in the industry. His wide experience in the Health, Education, and Finance sectors as well as working with several start-ups to leverage technology to enhance and extend Learna's technological capabilities. David is involved in community rugby and in his spare time and he loves heading off down the Gower for surfing sessions in the sunshine (or rain).

Josh joined Learna in November 2017 as a university work experience placement. He quickly earned himself the role of IT Technician before moving into the role of Junior Software Developer where he started the development of new bespoke systems for the company. Most recently, Josh is our new Head of IT and his role involves overseeing the maintenance and development of Learna's IT systems. His calming and organised nature makes him a perfect fit for the role and no job is too big or too small. In his spare time, Josh also enjoys PC gaming and is a music enthusiast. He enjoys playing the drums which he had opportunities to in brass bands, orchestras and while jamming with friends.

Alun is an experienced back-end developer, having graduated from Imperial College London in 2003 with a Masters degree in Computing. He has worked in a variety of industries including publishing, retail and online gaming. He joined the Learna team in early 2021. In his spare time Alun enjoys writing, watching pretty much any sport, and taking part in triathlons.