THE TEAM HERE @AMOS_BEECH, A RATHER VARIED BUNCH OF PEOPLE
Each with their own individual backgrounds and areas of expertise
Deborah McAulay SENIOR INTERIOR DESIGNER
Unsung heroes are unsung because they get the job done for the greater good but are not looking to take the limelight at their team’s expense. Have we just described Deborah? Completely true and accurate.
Deborah draws (no pun intended) a great analogy between intelligent design and the oft-maligned spider. What else can spin their own home that is practical (catches their food) and when you study the detail it is beautiful too!
Appreciating life’s finer things, Deborah would love to travel the world, her own words “I prefer a 5-star hotel to a camper van” which obviously means some retail therapy and city skylines along the way! First stop NYC, great that you can fly direct from Scotland these days.
And whilst on these trips her ‘furniture geek’ side always pops out in the restaurant or hotel when a chair gets flipped to see where it came from much to her husband’s embarrassment! Don’t worry Andrew there are a few other spouses out there who suffer the same!
Deborah’s favourite quote is an Albert Einstein one;
“Creativity is contagious, pass it on” sums up her dedication to making sure our clients benefit from her skills and experience.
Watch her video here: Interior Design
Brock James GENERAL MANAGER SALES
Brock is our General Manager in charge of the business development and sales part of our process. Having spent the last few years in business development and splitting his time between London and Scotland, he has built up a huge network of contacts and is well known in the industry.
If he spots someone he knows, he is straight out the gate to renew acquaintances and he is always making new ones, usually on the plane between Edinburgh and Heathrow!
Away from work, Brock enjoys a good feed – preferably spicy and in quantity too! He also has a keen interest in cars, the louder the better. His Mercedes C63 AMG announced his coming and going to all of us in the office and the street too! The past tense because he recently sold it, watch this space to see what comes next!
Sarah Harper QUANTITY SURVEYOR
Accurately costed projects are crucial to the ongoing success of Amos Beech and Sarah is our in-house Quantity Surveyor providing this vital function.
Outside of work Sarah is never anything other than busy! Two young sons and a bike shop that she runs with her husband means that quiet moments are few and far between. When these do come round, Sarah enjoys reading which seems like the right form of relaxation after all that exertion! Oh, and don’t forget the chocolate!!
Unsurprisingly, cycling is a key component of the Harper family and given the chance, a cycling tour in Austria would tick all the boxes.
Oskar James GENERAL MANAGER OPERATIONS
In Oskar, we have a very interesting member of the team. He has an peculiar fascination with Koala bears – they sleep for 22 hours per day and apparently that is a not too difficult skill that he would like to emulate.
Well, in the operations department as a Quantity Surveyor & Project Manager, 22 hours sleep per day is going to be unlikely in the extreme. Probably the exact opposite will be the case.
Maybe Oskar’s favourite quote; Don’t take life too seriously, you will never get out alive, attributed to Elbert Hubbard explains his interest in the sleep pattern of the Koala.
Away from work, Oskar takes a keen interest in all things sport with a particularly almanac type interest in football trivia and cricket. Along with this he likes to support the underdog and always enjoys the moment if and when Scotland beat England at anything!
Kathleen Dalrymple AUTOCAD TECHNICIAN
Kathleen is our AutoCAD technician. She is the link between Design and Operations, ensuring that our project team have all the correct detailed drawings to deliver the Design team’s vision.
Away from work, Kathleen enjoys fine Italian cuisine and counts the Amalfi coast as her favourite destination for its stunning combination of scenery, views and food. I think we can all agree on that one!
A favourite quote, attributed to Marcus Aurelius “Our life is what our thoughts make it” is a living reality for Kathleen, one of our more recent joiners but it already feels like she has always been here.
Sam James MANAGING DIRECTOR
If you are an Amos Beech follower you may have read Sam’s previous bio and we are sorry to announce, the budgie is no more. However, a broad and international interest in all things ‘cuisine’ and more importantly the desire to search out the very best interior solutions for our clients still apply!
More recently Sam has been developing his skills to further increase our ability to assist our clients with change management and the transition to an agile and activity-based workplace.
Helping our clients achieve significant cost reduction in real estate whilst retaining an engaged and happy work-force is what makes the job special for him and inspires him to maintain the high level of professionalism he brings to the job.
Away from work, the huge outdoors of Scotland beckon and whether on foot or mountain bike with his family, there is always the next adventure planned.
Sam’s favourite quote:
“If you don’t know where you’re going, you will probably get there.” (Mike Wallace, former senior executive Boeing)
Watch his video here: Workplace Consultancy
Simon James, CHAIRMAN & FINANCE DIRECTOR
Simon founded Amos Beech in 1990 after working in the industry since 1971 so when it comes to experience, he has plenty! His training in a large PLC gives him unique insight into global businesses and how we can meet these challenges with the interiors we create.
The slings and arrows of fortune (we all know you don’t win them all) have been met with his strength of character along with an ability to ‘always be learning’. An eye for an opportunity and he never gives up, the team can be assured that he will continue to impart his insights to them for the foreseeable future.
Favourite Quote:
"The only thing worse than paying an income tax is not paying income tax"
Outside of work, Simon enjoys
"exploring remote locations with my family."
Brian McKinnon SITE MANAGER
Lorraine Anderson OPERATIONS & FINANCE ADMINISTRATOR
Lorraine is our multi-talented office fixer, looking after the day to day operations and accounts administration. However, that is only half the story – Lorraine is also an artist and loves nothing more than the chance to create amazing landscapes in oil. She is a prize winner at the Scottish Royal Academy in Edinburgh and plans to have further exhibitions of her work in the near future.
As well as art, travel, seafood and wildlife are key interests with a trip to Malaysia to see the Orangutans high on the to-do list.
A favourite quote of Lorraine’s perfectly captures her personality:
‘A day without laughter is a day wasted’.
Alison Lyall DESIGN MANAGER
Alison’s favourite quote; “If you believe in yourself, anything is possible” attributed to Miley Cyrus is very apropos – her career in Interior Design has meant that she has worked on Parliament Buildings, Airports, Bank HQ’s and Global Accountancy Practices, oh and Breweries too!
We ask the question; if you were an animal or could have an animal skill, what would it be and Alison’s answer is a Dolphin – so apt as what creature could be more at home in the marine environment and yet have so much human engagement.
Because that is what Interior Design is all about – shaping and creating environments that deliver ROI to investors but at the same time engaging staff in an immersive experience that allows them to do their job in an environment that is stimulating and promotes modern working practices.
And when the work is done, her family and friends are the subject of her attention, friendly, engaging and witty, Alison is there to support and encourage those around her to achieve great things too.
And we have a fun fact which Alison shared with us – Reindeer like bananas!
David McKinnon SITE MANAGER
Gavin Anderson BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Quirky, dedicated and loyal, Gavin is our sports guru and fitness fanatic. If not at work he can probably be sighted sprinting round Alloa in his shorts and singlet. 10K runs seem to tick his box and we’ll let you know when he runs better than 38 minutes!
If Gavin could fly like a bird he would land in Vanuatu. Gavin will eat literally anything, however, he loves Indian Cuisine with South Indian Garlic Chilli Chicken at the top of the list. Gavin’s fun fact (see below) reflects his approach to life and his favourite quote (see below) tells you everything about his approach to work.
Outside of work, Gavin says “I love the drive home thinking about the run I’m going to have”
Gavin’s favourite quote:
“Pain is temporary, quitting lasts forever” (Lance Armstrong)
Rebecca Howie PROJECT MANAGER
Vincent Hartman WEBMASTER, PHOTOGRAPHER
Vincent is our ‘in house’ ‘larger than life’ Dutchman. He is like a tin of baked beans because what it says on the label is exactly what you get inside! Straight talking, no nonsense and a wonderful breadth of experience, marketing and selling ground breaking innovative products across Europe and beyond.
Working in Scotland allows Vincent to combine business with pleasure – hills in The Netherlands are few and far between and he likes nothing better than getting mud plastered all over his Land Rover 110 tackling steep gradients. Scotland has hills aplenty!
Real 3D fun on the one hand and on the other, an obsession with website marketing, hits, analytics and increased traffic making for front page google rankings make him a force to be reckoned with.
Vincent is a commercial photographer and successfully runs his own business in this field and comes to Scotland with more kit than you can shake a tripod at. He would like a set of night vision goggles though if anyone has a spare pair going! So, if you are in Scotland, watch out for a light blue Land Rover 110 with the steering wheel on the 'wrong side’ – Vincent has been driving the same trusty beast for 20 years and will be doing so for at least another 20 too! Not too sure what the emissions standards will be like by then!
Vincent’s favourite quote:
“This is the way to do it, but perhaps tomorrow there is another way"
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