Meet the Team

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  CSAs

  Conference Service Assistants

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CSAs

Lewis, Josh and Jake are our CSAs – Conference Service Assistants – ready to help with practical and technical queries during your stay.  Last seen setting up lecture rooms and looking after customers’ every request.

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  Andy Green

  Assistant Operations Manager

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Andy Green

Andy is a fairly recent addition to our management team and brings with him 20 years’ facility and event management experience. Hailing from Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire, Andy began his career as a lifeguard at the local leisure centre, rising through the ranks to become Area Manager at Stratford Leisure Centre. Andy is never happier than when standing at the crease, opening the batting for his local cricket team.  He's still looking for that elusive century.

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  Charley Holland

  Booking Administrator

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Charley Holland

Charley, known only as Charlotte to her mother, joined the Farncombe Estate programme in June 2007 and ever since has been the friendly voice at the end of the telephone for both customers and tutors. In her spare time, Charley loves to go diving off the British coast. She has two lovely daughters, Freya and Leaya, who are the apples of her eye.

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  Sue Hopkins

  Head of Housekeeping

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Sue Hopkins

Sue has been a Housekeeper for 25 years and didn’t intend to stay in the hospitality industry, but she loves her job too much and enjoys meeting people from all walks of life. Sue has been married to Michael for 37 years has 2 children; Melanie and Duncan and also 5 Grand Children. She spends lots of her spare time with her Grand Children and is teaching them how to cook (mainly cakes!) To relax Sue enjoys reading and horse riding (not at the same time!). The most important thing to Sue is her family.

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  Richard Howdle

  Operations Manager

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Richard Howdle

Richard has worked at Farncombe Estate since its opening, which means he has survived more than 35 years in the hotel industry. Richard is responsible for the operational side of the business and is proud of his “brilliant” team. “They all believe in our ‘Can Do’ culture and work hard to make sure our customers are happy,” he says. Richard does not accept bribes; unless it is a ticket to watch his football team, Chesterfield.

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  Ellie Jones

  Online Marketing Co-Ordinator

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Ellie Jones

Ellie joined Farncombe Estate after graduating from University of Wales, Cardiff with an Events Management Degree. She has been part of the team since 2009 and is now Online Marketing Specialist for Farncombe Estate, Cotswold Conference Centre and Dormy House Hotel. If she’s not blogging, tweeting or face-booking, she’s probably running a half-marathon.

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  Kerry Jones

  Assistant Estates Manager

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Kerry Jones

Kerry began her working life on Farncombe Estate in the Sales Office in 2003 but left later that year to pursue a more active career. Unable to tear herself away from Farncombe Estate, she transferred to the Maintenance Department, where she has worked her way up to Assistant Manager in charge of ten gardeners and two maintenance staff.  Kerry lives in Broadway and enjoys any adrenaline-inducing outdoor activities with her partner and son.

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  Sophie McDonagh

  Receptionist

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Sophie McDonagh

Sophie started her career at Farncombe Estate in the Catering team in 2009 and moved to Reception in April 2011. She really enjoys her role welcoming delegates to our beautiful location and ensuring a high level of customer service throughout their stay. An intrepid traveller, Sophie has back-packed around Australia and completed a ski season in France.

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  Mandy Morrison

  Programmes Manager

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Mandy Morrison

Mandy joined as a part-time member of the Farncombe Estate team in May 2004, juggling school runs, holidays and work. As her family have grown, so have her hours, and on the retirement of William Reddaway in June 2011, she was promoted to Programmes Manager. Mandy now juggles her nearly full-time role with looking after three horses, three energetic spaniels, three cats and a husband.

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  Elizabeth Owen

  Events Co-Ordinator - Special Interest Groups

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Elizabeth Owen

Elizabeth joined Farncombe Estate in the autumn of 2011, having just graduated with a Degree in Philosophy from the University of Cambridge.  She is enjoying her role as Event Coordinator for Special Interest Groups. Out of the office, Elizabeth is a keen cook, her greatest culinary achievement to date being the 144 cupcakes she prepared for her sister’s 18th birthday party.

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  Mark Philip-Sorensen

  Managing Director

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Mark Philip-Sorensen

Mark spent 15 years working for Group 4 and three years running his own Eco marketing company before joining Farncombe Estate and Cotswold Conference Centre as Managing Director in 2010.  Mark is married and spends his spare time keeping his three young boys occupied, playing Lego and taking the family’s two miniature Daschunds on challenging Cotswold walks.  He is very keen on everything Eco, jazz and digital.

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  Rachel Roberts

  Accounts Administrator

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Rachel Roberts

Rachel has worked at Farncombe Estate since 1998, paying the invoices and receiving the payments for Farncombe Estate courses since 2005.  In her spare time she likes to make greetings cards, complete cross stitch projects and attend Aqua aerobics.  Rachel has been known to bring Tiffin into the office, which is very popular and helps to get the invoices signed off quickly.

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  Tim Rose

  Estates Manager

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Tim Rose

Tim was – you could say – brought up on Farncombe Estate, as his father Eddie was Estates Manager before him. When he left school (which he couldn’t wait to do and neither could the school,) Tim joined a local building company and worked on various maintenance teams. In 1989, he joined his father’s team. On Eddie’s retirement 10 years ago, Tim took over as Estates Manager. He is immensely proud of both his team and the Estate. In his spare time, Tim can often be spotted riding his motorcycle, usually with one of his four kids on the back.

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  Debbie Sarjant

  Marketing Manager

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Debbie Sarjant

Debbie became Marketing Manager in 2011 following a varied career as a journalist (including family travel writer for the Daily Mail), childcare author and commercial copywriter. She works closely with Ellie to promote Farncombe Estate, Cotswold Conference Centre and Dormy House Hotel. Debbie has three grown-up children, three step-children and a scruffy Parson Russell Terrier called Eddie.

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  Stephanie Smith

  Financial Controller

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Stephanie Smith

Stephanie is a qualified Chartered Accountant who first worked in Suffolk and Malvern before becoming financial controller for a local creative marketing company. She has been Financial Controller at Sorven Holdings Ltd since July 2011. Stephanie says her three children “have driven me out to work fulltime.” She relieves the stress of the day with three or four gym classes a week (favourite: Body Combat) and is planning to cycle with her husband and two friends from Malvern to work, stay over, and then cycle back.

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  Dave Streeter

  Assistant Operations Manager

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Dave Streeter

Dave started working for Farncombe Estate in the Spring of 2010 as Assistant Operations Manager, responsible of the smooth running of the week and weekend businesses. David’s career began at BBC Wood Norton Hall, a 4-star hotel and conference centre. Since his time as Duty Manager at The Evesham Hotel, with its famed vast liqueurs and wine list, he is now a connoisseur of anything alcoholic!

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  Lesley Stretch

  Reception & Event Co-ordinating Manager

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Lesley Stretch

Lesley has worked in Reception at Cotswold Conference Centre and Farncombe Estate since 2001.  She is now Reception and Event Co-ordinating Manager, responsible for collating and distributing course information and the allocation of bedrooms. Lesley is your main point of contact once your event has been confirmed. Her favourite film is "Dirty Dancing" - the song "Time of my Life" was the first dance at Lesley’s wedding a few years ago.

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  Richard Sutton

  HR Manager

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Richard Sutton

Richard arrived on the Farncombe Estate in 1998 after 21 years in international Human Resources with Unilever. After ten rewarding years in the Sørensen security business, Richard transferred to work directly for the Chairman, providing HR support to his private portfolio of hospitality and ecology businesses. Richard is adamant that the timeless beauty of the Cotswold countryside, as seen from his office window, can only be matched by the transient beauty of the sea, as seen from the helm of his beloved sail boat.  Heaven for Richard would surely be a Cotswolds with a coastline!

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  Rosie Venner

  Catering Manager

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Rosie Venner

Rosie joined Farncombe Estate in 2003, bringing with her almost 20 years of catering managerial experience. She and the catering team work tirelessly to create a memorable dining experience. Rosie is very proud of everything they do and believes a happy team is a successful team. You can almost hear her infectious laughter from Broadway Tower two miles away!

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  Lucy Wayland

  Receptionist

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Lucy Wayland

Lucy has worked at Cotswold Conference Centre since 2005. She started in Housekeeping and then moved to the Reception team as a full-time receptionist. Lucy has just returned from maternity leave and adores being Mum to the lovely Ava. Luckily, she also enjoyed being back at work!