Our staff are our biggest asset. Find out more about the people that make Hawthorn tick.
PRODUCTION & EXHIBITION TEAM
Martin opened his garage doors for business 22 years ago. He recognised that there was a gap in the market for a professionally run hire company staffed by people who knew their stuff. He is now the proud owner of a warehouse the size of 6 football pitches, a hire inventory which lists 2987 individual lines of stock and employs a staff of around 90 (today!)
Early in his working life Simon dealt with the public, which means that nothing you can ask him will seem strange or bizarre. Many years spent as a touring technician, Lighting Designer and then a Company Manager has taught him there is always a solution.
Our clients enjoy a rare combination of talents in Matt; he is both creative and organised! In pre-production he will design, budget, schedule and crew. On-site he will organise, manage and bring to life the atmosphere and effect you were hoping to create.
Alex joins us from a varied background of both theatre and corporate industries. Having trained in lighting and sound design, he spent his early years practicing his trade in theatre land before moving across to corporate events. Alex brings a wide range of experience, creative ideas and solutions onto his projects, as well as the ability to update you on most sporting events happening at the time!
Prior to joining Hawthorns, having trained in lighting and sound design, Olly worked in a variety of areas of the industry, from theatre, to rock and roll tours to corporate conferences. Hawthorn’s projects have challenged Olly to incorporate his creative vision and technical ability, if you want your event run smoothly.
Mark worked as a freelance Lighting Designer for over 18 years before joining Hawthorns. He has produced two award winning shows so far and is looking for a hat trick! He is always good at keeping crew moral high at 4am after working straight through for 4 days! Not to mention owning the biggest bunch of keys in the world!
Robert started work at Hawthorns after graduating from the University of Derby in 2002. He has gained broad experience in lighting and event design. If you are after someone who isn’t fazed by anything on your event, then Robert is your man!
Chris comes to Hawthorns after working as a freelance lighting designer and production manager for a range of events and companies in the UK. Having started out in theatre land, in recent years more and more work has taken him into the corporate arena, and joining Hawthorns was the natural next step to take.
Having spent 4 years living out of a bag working as a sound engineer and designer, Neil has finally planted his roots and joined the Hawthorn team. Neil previously worked in theatre and freelanced in the corporate industry, often bumping into Hawthorn staff along the way. He looks forward to a challenge and doesn’t mind late nights.
After graduating from The Central School of Speech and Drama with a degree in lighting design, Richard went to work for various companies as a Lighting Designer and Project Manager. He now finds himself at Hawthorn London managing all sorts of projects. In his spare time he is an aspiring photographer and likes to watch films, read books and barbeque.
Karen joins Hawthorn with over 8 years experience in the live events industry, specialising in account management and new business development. Karen likes variety and has clients who specialise in conferences, product launches, awards ….. in fact any live event. She doesn’t like to say “no” and will always aim to achieve the ultimate result for your event’s budget.
Prior to joining Hawthorn, Mark spent 12 years working in senior sales and marketing roles for British Airways, and 7 years with a high end Corporate Event Agency. Having worked both on the client and agency side, Mark understands all the elements that create your ‘perfect’ event. In his spare time Mark is a lighting designer specialising in semi-professional theatre.
HIRE, SALES & PERMANENT INSTALLATIONS TEAM
With 18 years experience as Chief Electrician at the Theatre Royal in Nottingham under his belt, you are in safe hands with Richard. He loves the regular hours and the variety of his work here. We asked him for an example of a typical day - "it can be anything from the village hall enquiring about a light on a stick to sorting out two 'artics' for The Chemical Brothers".
A former Lighting Manager at Leicester Haymarket, with 12 years of fringe theatre experience, we were lucky to secure Dave's services in summer 2000. An effervescent character with a wealth of experience and empathy with what you are trying to achieve, if there is a solution, Dave will find it for you - just ask.
Neil is our former Stores Supervisor. He knows exactly where to find each of the 2612 lines of stock - invaluable in a building the size of 6 football pitches! Neil has been promoting live events in the area for years.
With over twenty years experience ranging from Repertory and Touring Theatre, Concert Halls, Arena Venues and Rock Touring, Alan is the ideal on-the-road representative for the Hire and Sales department.
Jamie is part of the busy hire department having previously worked in our stores department where he gained valuable knowledge of the equipment we stock. Jamie is responsible for fielding general hire enquiries, maintaining stock levels in our shop and managing the purchasing of all our lamp stock.