AZoMedical - Meet The Team

Editorial Team

Stuart Milne
Stuart Milne
Editor-in-Chief

Stuart graduated from the University of Wales, Institute Cardiff with a first class honours degree in Product Design. After working on a start-up company involved in LED Lighting solutions, Stuart decided to take an opportunity with AZoNetwork. In his spare time Stuart likes to continue his love for art and design by creating art work and continuing his love for sketching. In the future Stuart would like to continue his love for travel and explore new and exciting places.

Zoe Peterkin
Zoe Peterkin
Editor

Upon graduating from the University of Exeter with a BSc Hons. in Zoology, Zoe worked for a market research company, specialising in project management and data analysis. After a three month career break spent in Australia and New Zealand, she decided to head back to her scientific roots with AZoNetwork. Outside of work, Zoe enjoys going to concerts and festivals as well as trying to fit in as much travelling as possible!

Adam King
Adam King
Editor

Adam graduated from the University of Leeds with an Undergraduate and Masters degree in Medicinal Chemistry, with honours. After graduation from University, Adam developed a passion for international travel. During his four-year adventure, he wrote a business plan to open a Hotel in Koh Samui, Thailand, which he owned successfully for two years. Upon his return to the U.K, Adam began work as a researcher in the field of Leukaemia and Lymphoma, a position he held for three years. In his spare time, Adam enjoys writing, appreciating philosophical literature, playing lacrosse and participating in local politics.

Mychealla Rice
Mychealla Rice
Editor

Mychealla graduated from Northumbria University in Newcastle with a 2:1 in Journalism with English Literature. Mychealla is a keen traveller, spending time in Australia, Thailand and Italy. Mychealla plans to see more of Europe in the future. Mychealla’s interests include photography and music. In her spare time, she likes to go shopping and visit family and friends back in Ireland.

Matt Rafferty
Matt Rafferty
Editor

Matthew graduated from Sheffield Hallam University with a first-class masters degree in chemistry in 2017 and moved into freelance medical writing before joining us. In his spare time, he is a keen climber and mountaineer travelling to various places throughout Europe as well as being a classical guitar teacher and session musician.

Joan Nugent
Joan Nugent
Editorial Assistant

Joan graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University with a 2:1 in Film and Media Studies. During her studies, she worked as a Student Notetaker and continued working at the University, after graduation, as a Scribe. Joan has previously worked as a Proofreader for a Market Research company. Joan has a passion for films and photography and in her spare time, she enjoys doing illustrations and practicing calligraphy.

Creative Team

Kris Walker
Kris Walker
Editor & Videographer

Kris has a BA(hons) in Media & Performance from the University of Salford. Combining editing with video, Kris is also our resident Social media expert. Outside of work, Kris is finally seeing a return on 25 years of hurt supporting Manchester City.

Beth Burton
Beth Burton
Front-End Web Developer

Beth graduated with an International business degree from University of Liverpool and an MSc in Computer Science. In her spare time she likes to go to concerts, especially country, going to the gym and seeing friends, as well as enhancing her programming skills.

Torsten Christensen
Torsten Christensen
Front-End Developer

Torsten has been working in web design for over 6 years. During that time he has worked with a large number of clients, working for a well established design agency as well as for himself. Other than his passion for design, Torsten has a keen interest in music and can often be found at gigs or playing his guitar.

Will Soutter
Will Soutter
Editor & Videographer

Will has a BSc in Chemistry from the University of Durham, and a MSc in Green Chemistry from the University of York. Naturally, Will is our resident Chemistry expert but, a love of science and the internet makes Will the all-rounder of the team. In his spare time Will likes to play the drums, cook and brew cider.

News Medical Team

James Ives
James Ives
Editor

James graduated from Plymouth University with an first class MPsych (Hons) in Advanced Psychology, where he particularly enjoyed getting stuck in with EEG experiments, volunteering and any pub quiz around. After graduating, James travelled to Australia for a year, touring the South East and getting a taste of freelance cameraman work. In his spare time, James continues to enjoy pub quizzing, travelling and particularly enjoys when England beat Australia in the cricket.

Kate Anderton
Kate Anderton
Editor, News Medical

Kate graduated from Lancaster University with a first class honours degree in Biomedical Science. A few months after graduating, she took the opportunity to start work as an editor at News Medical. During her degree, Kate began travelling and creating a list of places to go in the future. She enjoys reading, going to the zoo and experimenting with new recipes.

Joel Scanlon
Joel Scanlon
Digital Guru

Joel, originally from the UK, emigrated to Australia in 1995 and spent 5 years working in the mining industry as an exploration Geo-technician where he developed skills in GIS Mapping and CAD. Joel also spent a year working underground in a gold/copper mine. Upon moving to the North Coast of NSW, Australia Joel worked as a graphic designer for a leading consultancy firm before starting a successful business providing graphic and web design services to local businesses on the eastern seaboard of Australia. Joel is skilled in project management, web programming, design, animation, database and networking, software and editing. Joel has been with AZoNetwork since its inception in 2000.

Sales Team

Rolf Easto
Rolf Easto
Global Relationship Manager

Rolf started his sales career back in the days when print advertising was in vogue and with twenty-five years’ worth of ‘hard yards’ behind him in direct selling, sales management and running a successful manufacturing business, he brings all the necessary experience and skills to help lead our global sales operation. He is a passionate advocate of relationship building and customer service across all levels of the business. On the days when he’s not spreading the ‘AZoGospel’ Rolf can be found watching his local rugby club, mountain biking in the hills and catching up on all things related to his love of soul music.

Philip Melnik
Philip Melnik
North American Relationship Manager

Phil is a 10 year veteran of the digital marketing world with past stints at both GlobalSpec and Compare Networks. A 1982 graduate of Colgate University in Hamilton, NY (BA- History), Phil is an avid Internet marketing evangelist and a student of markets, literature, life, faith and the Philadelphia Eagles.

Lee Pickering
Lee Pickering
Relationship Manager

Lee has over 20 years’ of marketing and advertising experience working for some of the largest radio, TV and online companies in the world. He has a passion for understanding the requirements of the client and coming up with solutions to meet the needs of their business. He is also a proud father of a 9 year old son and a 6 year old daughter and spends his weekends coaching soccer matches and watching a mix of kids rugby, athletics, swimming and street dance.

Matt Pullen
Matt Pullen
Relationship Manager

Graduating from the University of Greenwich with a degree in Sports Science, Matt now has over 18 years marketing and advertising experience within Publishing, Broadcast, Events and Digital. He has worked with many clients on a global level offering creative solutions in a highly consultative and professional manner. Passionate about delivering the best results and growing relationships, Matt is happiest when talking and offering solutions to his clients. Outside of work, Matt provides an excellent taxi service for his two children at the weekend and encourages their pursuit of activity whatever the weather. A fan of all sports, he most enjoys rugby (from the side lines these days). And cooking for the family at the weekend!

Sabina Ali
Sabina Ali
Digital Marketing Consultant

Sabina has a BA hons in History from the University of Liverpool. Having completed a graduate scheme in the public sector where she undertook further Masters level study, Sabina is also a qualified PRINCE2 practitioner and has worked on various projects spanning a large local authority, including the delivery of a comprehensive marketing strategy spanning web design, content creation and communications. Her hobbies include drinking copious amounts of coffee and travelling.

Toby Charnock
Toby Charnock
Digital Marketing Consultant

Toby graduated from the University of Salford with a Ba Hons in Drama and Theatre in 2016. During and after his studies, he moved to working for Direct Line Group for 3 years mainly on their sales team for Motor. Aside from his drama background, Toby also has a keen interest in circus performance, in particular fire juggling. He is also a guitar player and trained in musical theatre singing.

Megan Davies
Megan Davies
Digital Marketing Consultant

Megan recently graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University with a first class honours degree in Business Management. Despite her love for the city of Manchester, she likes to retreat back to the Welsh valleys now and again where she grew up for a good hike in Snowdonia with her dog. Megan got the travel bug when she travelled to Australia and New Zealand for 2 months and would love to see more of the world. Outside of work she loves seeing friends for a drink and eating good food, but tries to squeeze in regular exercise to burn some of it off!

SEO Team

Dave Cockett
Dave Cockett
Web Services Manager

Dave has 18 years’ experience in digital marketing & started his career in the midst of the .com boom. Dave worked with Blue Chip search engines Lycos, Ask Jeeves & for a brief period MSN before successfully founding his own Digital Marketing Agency. Dave’s main skill sets are Search Engine Optimization and Conversion Rate Optimization. He brings all the necessary experience and skills to help lead our web services team. He is a passionate about educating businesses in what ‘SEO’ is and how they can increase their own enquiry and conversion rates. On the days when he’s not optimizing he loves watching Burnley FC & testing his skills and the poker table.

Jess Malloney
Jess Malloney
SEO Account Manager

Jess graduated with a BA (Hons) in Media and Journalism from Nottingham Trent University. It was here where she broadened her writing skills across a wide range of content, and Jess still enjoys writing in and out of work. Jess is a keen traveller, spending time in Brazil and Ghana over recent years, and she’d love to see more of the world. In her spare time, Jess enjoys shopping and going to gigs with friends.

Marketing Team

Frank Barker
Frank Barker
Digital Marketing Consultant

Frank graduated from Loughborough University with a BSc in International Business. He has spent his younger years playing rugby around the world in both Australia and Spain. Although Frank has a keen interest in combining travel and sport, he has since returned to his hometown and currently plays for the local 1st XV.

Finance Team

Rachel Smith
Rachel Smith
Finance Manager

Rachel graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University with a degree in management and sport. Following her studies, she spent 7 years with a UK startup company, which made prototype parts and grew rapidly into a £10m+ company, studying CIMA alongside. She recently relocated "Up North" and found this great opportunity within the AZo Team. In her spare time she can be found coaching kids football, dog training, playing the piano and baking.

Liz Boston-Brady
Liz Boston-Brady
Accounts Manager

Liz has been working in finance for over 6 years, and has gained experience within all the different aspects of an accounting team. She is currently studying for her qualifications alongside working full-time. Outside of work, Liz enjoys socialising with friends and family, shopping and cooking (not always successfully). She also enjoys taking her dog out and about. Liz also enjoys travelling, particularly camping and would love the chance/time to explore more.

Clare Eldershaw
Clare Eldershaw
Finance Assistant

Blackpool born, Clare moved to Manchester in 2013 to study Human Resources at MMU. Since graduating, Clare has worked in finance roles around the city and is working towards her Level 7 CIPD. Outside of work, you can find Clare planning her next city break or at live music events from garage gigs (the building, not genre) to Glastonbury.

Development Team

Ben Amada
Ben Amada
CTO

Ben's career has focused on architecting, developing and maintaining I.T. systems. Integrating applications with 3rd party systems, improving application usability, troubleshooting and coming up with innovative solutions are Ben's strengths and areas of work he enjoys. In his leisure time, Ben can be found dining out or following his favourite sporting events.

Arminder Dahul
Arminder Dahul
Lead Developer

Arminder graduated from the University of Greenwich with a First Class Honours degree in Computer Science. Over the last 12 years Arminder has worked in various industries including publishing, insurance and media. He has always been passionate about web development and design and enjoys utilising these skills across AZoNetwork. In his free time Arminder enjoys spending time with his two children, cooking, reading and way too much TV.

Evgeny Lukiyanov
Evgeny Lukiyanov
Lead Developer

Evgeny is a Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer, specialising in .NET development, architecture, modern development techniques and best practices. He is passionate about development teams that welcome modern technologies, best practices and Agile development principles. He enjoys a number of hobbies in his spare time: traveling & photography, fitness & bodybuilding, recording music, snowboarding, hiking & camping, playing board games with friends and family.

Tibor Bicskei
Tibor Bicskei
Lead Developer

Tibor is a software engineer graduated from University of Novi Sad in Serbia. He is a Microsoft Certified Professional and Xamarin Certified Mobile Developer, passionate about new technologies and automation processes. He has over 10 years of experience in .Net development, covering both web and mobile. Tibor's interests include movies and following sporting events. In his spare time, he travels a lot with his family exploring new places.

Management Team

Ian Birkby
Ian Birkby
CEO

Ian is a second time around entrepreneur, who founded Dynamic-Ceramic in 1992 and led the company through to a successful exit in 1997. AZoNetwork was established in 2000 in Sydney Australia. Ian has a first class honours degree in Engineering Metallurgy and Ph.D. in Engineering Ceramics and Tribology. Ian's a former member of the Institute of Materials, Materials Strategy Commission and the UK's Institute of Ceramics. He also served as Chairman of Medilink North West (a medical devices consortium) and is a former Director of the Australian Nano Business Forum. When not indulging in his passion for all things webby, techy and digital he can still be seen running around the soccer field trying desperately to emulate his Leeds United heroes from the 70's.

Frank Barker
Frank Barker
Digital Marketing Consultant

Frank graduated from Loughborough University with a BSc in International Business. He has spent his younger years playing rugby around the world in both Australia and Spain. Although Frank has a keen interest in combining travel and sport, he has since returned to his hometown and currently plays for the local 1st XV.

Rolf Easto
Rolf Easto
Global Relationship Manager

Rolf started his sales career back in the days when print advertising was in vogue and with twenty-five years’ worth of ‘hard yards’ behind him in direct selling, sales management and running a successful manufacturing business, he brings all the necessary experience and skills to help lead our global sales operation. He is a passionate advocate of relationship building and customer service across all levels of the business. On the days when he’s not spreading the ‘AZoGospel’ Rolf can be found watching his local rugby club, mountain biking in the hills and catching up on all things related to his love of soul music.

Rachel Smith
Rachel Smith
Finance Manager

Rachel graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University with a degree in management and sport. Following her studies, she spent 7 years with a UK startup company, which made prototype parts and grew rapidly into a £10m+ company, studying CIMA alongside. She recently relocated "Up North" and found this great opportunity within the AZo Team. In her spare time she can be found coaching kids football, dog training, playing the piano and baking.

Kirsten Frances
Kirsten Frances
Office Manager

A background in healthcare based further education lecturing and 5 years plus in Sales Management with Clarins Skincare, Kirsten brings to her role of Office Manager (or chief cat herder as she sometimes calls it) a wealth of corporate organisational experience. She's a a passionate advocate of customer service and would love to hear from you if you're only a mildly upset customer. Outside of work Kirsten enjoys spending time with her three girls and swimming in as many rock pools as she can find on Sydney's Northern Beaches.

Stuart Milne
Stuart Milne
Editor-in-Chief/Head of Production

Stuart graduated from the University of Wales, Institute Cardiff with a first class honours degree in Product Design. After working on a start-up company involved in LED Lighting solutions, Stuart decided to take an opportunity with AZoNetwork. In his spare time Stuart likes to continue his love for art and design by creating art work and continuing his love for sketching. In the future Stuart would like to continue his love for travel and explore new and exciting places.

Kris Walker
Kris Walker
Head of Content

Kris has a BA(hons) in Media & Performance from the University of Salford. Combining editing with video, Kris is also our resident Social media expert. Outside of work, Kris is finally seeing a return on 25 years of hurt supporting Manchester City.

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