Tim Bradshaw

CEO

Tim Bradshaw is the CEO of Sandstone, a leadership and resilience specialist, and former Human Intelligence Officer. His career has been built around helping people make effective decisions in complex, high-pressure environments where the stakes are high and certainty is rare. Drawing on experience from military intelligence, international operations and elite motorsport, Tim works with organisations to develop resilient leaders, stronger teams and cultures capable of thriving under pressure. He is regularly booked to deliver keynote speeches globally.

Mike Hope

Chief First Aid Instructor

Mike is a former specialist communications operator. He has extensive military and police experience in surveillance and high-risk environments across the UK and Internationally. In addition to his operational background, Mike has delivered numerous Public Services programmes preparing young people for careers in the services and emergency response. Drawing on a career-long foundation in trauma medicine and frontline operations, he is Sandstones chief instructor leading first aid training as well as delivering HEAT (Hostile Environment Awareness Training), Leadership and Team Building programmes.

Cedric Astor

CFO and Director

Cedric is the chief financial and administrative officer of Sandstone, as well being trainer, coach/mentor and employee assessor. He is an internationally experienced executive with many years of experience in Europe, the USA and Asia. He has successfully managed across functions, interest groups and nationalities in different locations around the world. Cedric worked for many years for blue chip corporations including Philip Morris, Walt Disney, Polo Ralph Lauren and HK Telecom, and his experience covers not only finance and administration but also HR, Strategy,M & A and IP licensing. For the last 20 years he worked with SMCs on a variety of different projects before co-founding Sandstone. Cedric is a UK qualified chartered accountant (Smith and Williamson and KPMG), has an MA from Cambridge University and is an alumnus of the Harvard Business School, having completed their AMP programme.

Paul Horwood

Director

Paul is a Veterinary Surgeon, former British Military Officer, and Managing Director of Sandstone, which he co-founded. Paul has had a varied career so far, initially an Officer in the Royal Marines, Paul left and trained as a vet, but kept his links with the military, returning to the front line in Afghanistan in 2012 with the Grenadier Guards. Paul qualified as a veterinary surgeon in 2000, and joined Westpoint Farm Vets, becoming partner, owner and director along the way and growing it from a small 3 man business based in West Sussex, to employing over 200 people, in 25 practices around the UK, and turning over in excess of £70M. In 2015 the business was sold to Private Equity and Paul remained as Managing Director of the farm animal side of the business until 2017. Paul’s areas of expertise include leadership and management development, especially in the professional sectors, and decision making under pressure. He is skilled at taking the best from his experiences of the military, sport and business and making them relevant and easily understood to a diverse audience. Paul has a Masters in Bovine Reproduction from Liverpool University, an MBA from the Open University, and is a Trustee of Vetlife, a mental health charity.

Clare Fitchett

Associate

Clare is a Specialist Paramedic in Critical Care and a trainee Advanced Clinical Practitioner in Emergency Medicine. She has an interest in high performance in pressurised environments, human factors of performance and medical education. Prior to becoming a paramedic Clare had a diverse military career as both an RAF and Army officer including operating as a Human Intelligence Officer. Clare has been involved in multiple international expeditions in both medical and leadership roles. She regularly trains others to work in complex non-permissive environments. Clare has an MSc in Leadership and Management and is currently undertaking a further MSc in Advanced Clinical Practice.

Nick Murdoch

Leadership and Management Assessor

Nick works as a pre- and post-employment staff assessor and client HR advisor for Sandstone, specialising in automotive companies. He has gained extensive experience within the automotive sector, working with both premium and non-premium brands. He has built effective, long-term relationships with many national sales companies. Nick has frequently acted as a recruiter of Line Managers, Heads of Business and management at the CEO level. He has also worked as a trainer, assessor and consultant advising clients on the organisation and design of training courses and assessment centres. He has worked both in the UK and the Middle East. This cross-regional experience has given him an unique perspective into the cultural differences in training and recruitment between the regions. Nick studied Music, Philosophy, Law, and Psychological Evaluation to Master’s Degree level. He is a Certified Assessor within the Institute of the Motor Industry.

Colin Gregor

Trainer and Coach

Colin is a trainer and coach for Sandstone, specialising in the techniques required to select and manage high performance teams. He is a former Scottish rugby international 7’s and Glasgow Warriors player, and he specialises in the characteristics and behaviours required to achieve high performance within any team. As a qualified executive business coach Colin is well placed to assist corporate clients to use the characteristics of high performing sports teams within commercial environments. Colin currently also runs Public Health Improvement Training in Scotland, helping professionals to achieve both a healthy body and a healthy mind.

Colin Crookston

Associate